Thank you very much. The first one did spark a story indeed, but the second one then did too, just much stronger with the direction it took. (I guess the first one's story will still come, though!)
Not beta'd yet (and I hate LJ's comment length restriction).
--
Sari reared her arm back and threw the book against the door of her room.
After the ‘thump’, knocks were heard several moments later.
“Sari, may I come in?” The silence lasted long enough that Optimus, had this happened only a few megacycles before, would have started shifting on his legs. Now he knew it was a sign she needed time and that whatever was bothering her soon enough would be too much to handle in light of the possibility to talk it out.
“Come in.” The reply was muffled, even through the door.
Optimus triggered it open to find Sari laying upside down on her bean bag, legs hanging over the top end and her pigtails almost grazing the floor. The tip of his pedes hit an object, sending a book sliding across the ground into his view - the bottom squashed, the pages rumpled and certainly not by the slight push of his pedes. Gingerly he picked it up between two fingertips - noting the title about mathematics - and strode to Sari where he knelt next to her still form.
He redirected the flow of his ventilation system to his right arm and she shifted closer when the warm air drafted across her hair, until the tips of his fingers brushed across her back. All tension left her to sag into the bean chair under his gentle rubbing across her shoulders.
“That would be more comfortable on your bed.” Optimus’ voice held no urging or request. She grumbled, the noise lacking any protest, before she sighed and pushed herself up. He pulled his hand back to give her room, noticing but not commenting on her pinched lips and wet cheeks.
The girl didn’t trudge to her bed, however, instead hugging against his legs, hiding her face against the metal. The faint vibrations and low words told him she was mumbling what may have been words.
“What did you say, please? I couldn’t understand you.” At his request she heaved a sigh, too loud to be involuntary this time, pouting up at him as if exactly that was why she had been so quiet and that it was unfair she couldn’t deny him.
“It’s that stupid math. I don’t get the lessons I was supposed to do without tutor bot, so Prowl borrowed some books with explanations and exercises from the library.”
“Are the books not helpful?” Sari had indeed brought up her frustration with the study books two mega cycles ago she had brought from Sumdac Tower. Actually, she vented her frustration about the subject of mathematics as a whole and how ‘silly and stuffy’ every topic of it was.
He doubted Prowl would have chosen books that would fulfill Sari’s negative criteria, but he felt that wasn’t the issue either.
“No, they are actually.” She crossed her arms under her chin, biting her lower lip.
Kliks ticked by without her elaborating. She was looking down while she idly traced patterns on Optimus’ thigh; she seemed to absorbed to even notice she was doing it. Despite his patience, he realized that Sari needed more direct prompting this time. That she was staying quiet and still for so long showed whatever issue it was, it was seriously upsetting her.
Softly, he tipped her chin up, just enough that she was looking at him without dislodging her from her position. He could never deny her soaking up any warmth and comfort she wanted or needed.
“Sari, I know you’re upset and you likely don’t want to tell me. But as we’ve all told you, you can always come and talk to us whenever you need it.”
Her eyes glistened traitorously before she scrubbed with her forearm across them.
“I know. It’s just such a stupid reason. I mean,” she began speaking once she had finished and gestured at the math book next to the bean chair where Optimus had disposed it at.
“It’s that all that stuff is supposed to get me ‘prepared for life’, when I’m not even ten years old. Sure, I’m way ahead of most other kids and what they learn in school. But I heard that most of the subjects don’t turn up again for many of them when they finish and I don’t even know what I want to have as a job, anyway!” Her shoe cuffed across the floor as she glared down for a moment.
Not beta'd yet (and I hate LJ's comment length restriction).
--
Sari reared her arm back and threw the book against the door of her room.
After the ‘thump’, knocks were heard several moments later.
“Sari, may I come in?” The silence lasted long enough that Optimus, had this happened only a few megacycles before, would have started shifting on his legs. Now he knew it was a sign she needed time and that whatever was bothering her soon enough would be too much to handle in light of the possibility to talk it out.
“Come in.” The reply was muffled, even through the door.
Optimus triggered it open to find Sari laying upside down on her bean bag, legs hanging over the top end and her pigtails almost grazing the floor. The tip of his pedes hit an object, sending a book sliding across the ground into his view - the bottom squashed, the pages rumpled and certainly not by the slight push of his pedes. Gingerly he picked it up between two fingertips - noting the title about mathematics - and strode to Sari where he knelt next to her still form.
He redirected the flow of his ventilation system to his right arm and she shifted closer when the warm air drafted across her hair, until the tips of his fingers brushed across her back. All tension left her to sag into the bean chair under his gentle rubbing across her shoulders.
“That would be more comfortable on your bed.” Optimus’ voice held no urging or request. She grumbled, the noise lacking any protest, before she sighed and pushed herself up. He pulled his hand back to give her room, noticing but not commenting on her pinched lips and wet cheeks.
The girl didn’t trudge to her bed, however, instead hugging against his legs, hiding her face against the metal. The faint vibrations and low words told him she was mumbling what may have been words.
“What did you say, please? I couldn’t understand you.” At his request she heaved a sigh, too loud to be involuntary this time, pouting up at him as if exactly that was why she had been so quiet and that it was unfair she couldn’t deny him.
“It’s that stupid math. I don’t get the lessons I was supposed to do without tutor bot, so Prowl borrowed some books with explanations and exercises from the library.”
“Are the books not helpful?” Sari had indeed brought up her frustration with the study books two mega cycles ago she had brought from Sumdac Tower. Actually, she vented her frustration about the subject of mathematics as a whole and how ‘silly and stuffy’ every topic of it was.
He doubted Prowl would have chosen books that would fulfill Sari’s negative criteria, but he felt that wasn’t the issue either.
“No, they are actually.” She crossed her arms under her chin, biting her lower lip.
Kliks ticked by without her elaborating. She was looking down while she idly traced patterns on Optimus’ thigh; she seemed to absorbed to even notice she was doing it. Despite his patience, he realized that Sari needed more direct prompting this time. That she was staying quiet and still for so long showed whatever issue it was, it was seriously upsetting her.
Softly, he tipped her chin up, just enough that she was looking at him without dislodging her from her position. He could never deny her soaking up any warmth and comfort she wanted or needed.
“Sari, I know you’re upset and you likely don’t want to tell me. But as we’ve all told you, you can always come and talk to us whenever you need it.”
Her eyes glistened traitorously before she scrubbed with her forearm across them.
“I know. It’s just such a stupid reason. I mean,” she began speaking once she had finished and gestured at the math book next to the bean chair where Optimus had disposed it at.
“It’s that all that stuff is supposed to get me ‘prepared for life’, when I’m not even ten years old. Sure, I’m way ahead of most other kids and what they learn in school. But I heard that most of the subjects don’t turn up again for many of them when they finish and I don’t even know what I want to have as a job, anyway!” Her shoe cuffed across the floor as she glared down for a moment.
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