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ajremixNow we're going to start getting into some new stuff with a couple reposts mixed in. Also some time jumps because some plot threads were never finished. Case in point: this takes place some time after the planet the Aerialbots and Wreckers were defending.
Title: You and I Collide: No Questions Asked
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: G
Word Count: 964
Characters: Sandstorm, Smokescreen
Summary: It's just a gift, that's all.
Smokescreen looked surprised. “A… what?”
Sandstorm, to his credit, didn’t look at all as uncomfortable as he was beginning to feel. “An image capture.”
“But why a consumer rated one? What happened to the one you had? It was better than anything on the market.”
“It’s not for me.”
Normally that would make some sort of sense, but as this was Sandstorm it didn’t make any at all. “Then who’s it for?”
This time the Wrecker couldn’t hide a flash of annoyance. “Look- can you get one or not?”
Well fine, if Sandstorm wanted to play like that, Smokescreen could do that. He crossed his arms, doorwings rising a little to indicate he was miffed at the attitude. “I can get one easy. I’m just wondering why you can’t get one yourself.”
Sometimes it was so easy to irritate Sandstorm. Sometimes it was near impossible to know what he was thinking. Smokescreen had no idea how the triplechanger did it, but he couldn’t help being impressed at the switch. Besides, he liked annoying Sandstorm. It was an odd reminder of the old days. Back when it wasn’t difficult to know how he felt.
“I don’t know the consumer market.” He eventually said, fingers tapping out a quick rhythm on his hip component. Smokescreen could see his patience rapidly running thin. “I’d trust you’d be able to get me the best there is with minimal effort.”
That got the other mech’s attention. “You…” he couldn’t help a sideways smile. “All the time we’ve known each other and I think this is the first time you’ve ever said you trust me.”
The slip made Sandstorm draw back a little. “Don’t read into it too much.” He said hastily, a little sharply. “I trust your want for return patronage, not you in particular.”
Smokescreen resisted the urge to shake his head and scoff. He understood that Sandstorm had left Stanix long after he did, that he had a rougher time, but the tactician still couldn’t understand- with all that’s happened since then and with the brothers that had gathered around him –how Sandstorm could still have so much of that place still in his cables. So he shrugged instead. “Of course.” He said, with just a tinge of humor. “So you want a consumer rated image capture. Anything in particular or just whatever I can get my hands on?”
“The best that’s out there. Preferably with a holoprojector- maybe a video capture as well.” Were it just about anyone else they’d have taken the reply as nonchalance. But Smokescreen had been in this business for too long and always made it a point to know the little nuances of his customers. Sandstorm had been thinking about this for a while, he could tell.
Away from his desk Smokescreen didn’t have a full data listing of the product in question, but he recalled a few that met the specifications. “Price range?”
A shrug was his answer. “Doesn’t matter.”
Smokescreen was tempted to ask if he wanted a message engraved on it. Maybe gift-wrapped. But then Sandstorm’s sense of humor- especially at his expense –occasionally lacked and even if Smokescreen liked annoying him, he liked getting paid even more. “I’ll see what I can find for you. Expect a list of items, specs and costs to cross your way by the end of the shift.”
“Appreciate it.” The Wrecker turned to head back down the hall but Smokescreen’s voice stopped him.
“Unrelatedly,” yeah right, “I heard you’ve started up a little something with an Aerialbot.”
A masked face turned to him, framed by a thruster and angled wing. Like the flip of a switch it was impossible to read Sandstorm. But for someone with the talent, nothing had a lot to say. “Yeah. And?”
“Well, don’t you think it’s a little dangerous? You know how they are.”
“They know how I am, too.”
“That won’t stop them from tearing you to shreds.”
Sandstorm turned, half-facing Smokescreen. “Why do you care?”
Doorwings went up in a shrug. “I like having return customers.” And it was nice knowing there was someone else that had gone through the same living hell he had, but Smokescreen kept that locked away. Sandstorm didn’t like being reminded of the past. He didn’t like being reminded that Smokescreen remembers where he can’t.
Silence stretched between them and for a moment the blue and red mech thought some part of him had given away his thoughts and the other had taken offense. But Sandstorm said, “It’s not like that.”
“What is?”
There was another pause and just underneath that closed-off expression was something unsettled and uncomfortable. “Us. Fireflight, I mean.” The triplechanger was almost mumbling, some part of him off and distant and Smokescreen found himself leaning forward, surprised to see Sandstorm’s guard had slipped just a little. It came back almost unfathomably quick. “We’re just friends.”
Surprisingly Smokescreen found he didn’t even feel like making a crack about that statement. He could see it plainly, easier than the other Wreckers could, without having to study anything. Something was changing inside of Sandstorm. Even if it was still obvious that past had its nightmare grip tight on Sandstorm, he wasn’t the same mech Smokescreen remembered having left in the slums. The Wreckers changed him and now Fireflight was changing him again.
He pulled back a little. “Good luck with that. I’ll drop you a line when I get that information for you.”
“Thanks.” With a wave, the Wrecker made his way down the hall and Smokescreen watched him go and he thought.
While everyone worried about what Sandstorm might do to Fireflight, Smokescreen knew it would be so easy for the Aerialbot to break him. And he didn’t think Sandstorm would be able to take that again.
Title: You and I Collide: No Questions Asked
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: G
Word Count: 964
Characters: Sandstorm, Smokescreen
Summary: It's just a gift, that's all.
Smokescreen looked surprised. “A… what?”
Sandstorm, to his credit, didn’t look at all as uncomfortable as he was beginning to feel. “An image capture.”
“But why a consumer rated one? What happened to the one you had? It was better than anything on the market.”
“It’s not for me.”
Normally that would make some sort of sense, but as this was Sandstorm it didn’t make any at all. “Then who’s it for?”
This time the Wrecker couldn’t hide a flash of annoyance. “Look- can you get one or not?”
Well fine, if Sandstorm wanted to play like that, Smokescreen could do that. He crossed his arms, doorwings rising a little to indicate he was miffed at the attitude. “I can get one easy. I’m just wondering why you can’t get one yourself.”
Sometimes it was so easy to irritate Sandstorm. Sometimes it was near impossible to know what he was thinking. Smokescreen had no idea how the triplechanger did it, but he couldn’t help being impressed at the switch. Besides, he liked annoying Sandstorm. It was an odd reminder of the old days. Back when it wasn’t difficult to know how he felt.
“I don’t know the consumer market.” He eventually said, fingers tapping out a quick rhythm on his hip component. Smokescreen could see his patience rapidly running thin. “I’d trust you’d be able to get me the best there is with minimal effort.”
That got the other mech’s attention. “You…” he couldn’t help a sideways smile. “All the time we’ve known each other and I think this is the first time you’ve ever said you trust me.”
The slip made Sandstorm draw back a little. “Don’t read into it too much.” He said hastily, a little sharply. “I trust your want for return patronage, not you in particular.”
Smokescreen resisted the urge to shake his head and scoff. He understood that Sandstorm had left Stanix long after he did, that he had a rougher time, but the tactician still couldn’t understand- with all that’s happened since then and with the brothers that had gathered around him –how Sandstorm could still have so much of that place still in his cables. So he shrugged instead. “Of course.” He said, with just a tinge of humor. “So you want a consumer rated image capture. Anything in particular or just whatever I can get my hands on?”
“The best that’s out there. Preferably with a holoprojector- maybe a video capture as well.” Were it just about anyone else they’d have taken the reply as nonchalance. But Smokescreen had been in this business for too long and always made it a point to know the little nuances of his customers. Sandstorm had been thinking about this for a while, he could tell.
Away from his desk Smokescreen didn’t have a full data listing of the product in question, but he recalled a few that met the specifications. “Price range?”
A shrug was his answer. “Doesn’t matter.”
Smokescreen was tempted to ask if he wanted a message engraved on it. Maybe gift-wrapped. But then Sandstorm’s sense of humor- especially at his expense –occasionally lacked and even if Smokescreen liked annoying him, he liked getting paid even more. “I’ll see what I can find for you. Expect a list of items, specs and costs to cross your way by the end of the shift.”
“Appreciate it.” The Wrecker turned to head back down the hall but Smokescreen’s voice stopped him.
“Unrelatedly,” yeah right, “I heard you’ve started up a little something with an Aerialbot.”
A masked face turned to him, framed by a thruster and angled wing. Like the flip of a switch it was impossible to read Sandstorm. But for someone with the talent, nothing had a lot to say. “Yeah. And?”
“Well, don’t you think it’s a little dangerous? You know how they are.”
“They know how I am, too.”
“That won’t stop them from tearing you to shreds.”
Sandstorm turned, half-facing Smokescreen. “Why do you care?”
Doorwings went up in a shrug. “I like having return customers.” And it was nice knowing there was someone else that had gone through the same living hell he had, but Smokescreen kept that locked away. Sandstorm didn’t like being reminded of the past. He didn’t like being reminded that Smokescreen remembers where he can’t.
Silence stretched between them and for a moment the blue and red mech thought some part of him had given away his thoughts and the other had taken offense. But Sandstorm said, “It’s not like that.”
“What is?”
There was another pause and just underneath that closed-off expression was something unsettled and uncomfortable. “Us. Fireflight, I mean.” The triplechanger was almost mumbling, some part of him off and distant and Smokescreen found himself leaning forward, surprised to see Sandstorm’s guard had slipped just a little. It came back almost unfathomably quick. “We’re just friends.”
Surprisingly Smokescreen found he didn’t even feel like making a crack about that statement. He could see it plainly, easier than the other Wreckers could, without having to study anything. Something was changing inside of Sandstorm. Even if it was still obvious that past had its nightmare grip tight on Sandstorm, he wasn’t the same mech Smokescreen remembered having left in the slums. The Wreckers changed him and now Fireflight was changing him again.
He pulled back a little. “Good luck with that. I’ll drop you a line when I get that information for you.”
“Thanks.” With a wave, the Wrecker made his way down the hall and Smokescreen watched him go and he thought.
While everyone worried about what Sandstorm might do to Fireflight, Smokescreen knew it would be so easy for the Aerialbot to break him. And he didn’t think Sandstorm would be able to take that again.
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 02:01 pm (UTC)