Though more than a little disappointed at her counterpart's strike against her offered reward, she turned to Chromia, pouting.
"What's wrong, sissy? Ah! I know!" She leaned in Chromia's direction, an inviting glare in her optics, "You'd be too jealous if you lost! [dreamy daydream voice] I didn't know you cared so much!" After giggling to herself, she looked up, knowing full and well the joke was for her own amusement only. "Joooking!" She finished, blowing a kiss to Chromia and winking.
Moving from the ranges, C-chan watched carefully the interactions between Chromia and Swindle. Swindle's visor seemed to glow off the snowy background, his canon menacing in appearance on his arm. The more she watched them, the more she anticipated the competition. Who would she root for, though...the question hadn't crossed her processor yet! On one side, she wouldn't stand for her own counterpart to lose in anything; on the other hand, Swindle...
Swooning at the thought of his earlier kiss, his warm lips lingering on her cheek, C-chan glided behind them in a way that suggested they begin the competition.
"Swindle! Chromiaaa! Good luck!! I'll be cheering!"
She levels an unimpressed glower in Chromia-chan's direction. Then brushes off the pointless hostility with an exasperated shake of her helm.
At Swindle's reply, Chromia gives her optics a good long roll, moving off and over to the nearest shooting point. She grimaces at Chromia-chan's cheer and huffs out another audible sigh.
"Good to know" she grumps, covering the last bit of distance at a trudge before stopping at the line of the shooting point. She then glances back and says, "Hows about we keep this short and sweet eh? Two separate kliks each for shooting - whoever gets the most targets within the timespan wins."
It strikes her as the most sensible route - not to mention the quickest, thus improving the possibility of her getting away from here sooner and with more of her sanity intact.
With a sieways grin at Chromia-chan, Swindle springs after Chromia with a glint in his optics, brandishing his canon importantly.
He's conscious of the new object of his affections watching him attentively. He and Chromia may not now be playing for a reward, but Swindle nevertheless feels a great need to impress the femme. And good though he is - and oh yes, he is good, he knows that - he doesn't know if he's quite good enough to beat Chromia.
// I got a proposition for ya! // he says to her, coming to a halt and lining up on each of the targets in turn. // Cut me a break, an' I'll get you a full set of state of the art bendy universe rifles! //
And he can! Swindle thinks. He's already planning a raid on his sparkmate's old weapons stash in the caves. Just so long as his team mates never find out he donated to an Autobot - even if it is Chromia.
Dazzled by Swindle's form and forwardness, C-chan watches him intently as he prepares to open fire on his target. Ah! She'd almost forgotten the reason why she pushed so hard for this in the first place!
She tip-toed around to Swindle's side: close enough to be able to observe him, but far enough away that she wouldn't distract him. It wasn't even as if she needed to observe him to know she had strong feelings towards him - she had already identified the tweak in her sensor net. At this point, watching Swindle was just desirable.
Realizing there was still a chance that he was toying with her, however little she felt that possibility was, C-chan finally decided it was time to comm her counterpart...seriously this time. With a mild curiosity in her now quiet voice, C-chan looked past Swindle, towards Chromia. //Chromia? I've got something to ask you.// She paused, wondering whether her friend would laugh at her or take her seriously. //What would you say...if I told you I'm falling hard for Swindle?//
All she had to do was feel the lingering warmth and touch of his lips on her cheek plate, and suddenly, admitting her feelings was not that hard. She was prepared to be mocked, but it was something she really needed to tell someone, and the only person in the Nexus she trusted to keep that secret was her own counterpart. She would bring it up to Swindle, but now was not the time. Part of her spark even felt as if he already knew...
Ignoring Swindle as he steps into his own shooting point, Chromia absently tosses her gun into her right hand, optics lazily assessing the targets in front of her for a moment. She just raises her arms to begin shooting when Swindle's words cause her to halt.
...Did I hear the words "state of the art" and "rifles"?
Intrigued, she lifts an optics ridge and shoots a sceptical look at him from the corner of her optic. It's then that Chromia-chan's comm also reaches her. While not hugely surprised at the information she receives, Chromia still manages to don a look of huffy exasperation.
//I'd say... good luck to you gal. Seriously// she very much deadpans back, optics fixing back on the targets with a slight frown.
She thinks for a moment more about Swindle's proposition. Then lifts her arms again and opens fire. Bullets rain from her gun and strike many targets, missing some and failing to hit the bullseye on any - not horrendous but definitely below par for her. After a klik goes by, Chromia lets her arms fall and turns, hand on hip, to level a loaded look in Swindle's direction.
//I find out you're playin' me, that cannon's goin' straight down your throat.//
Still aware of Chromia-chan's presence, and also of some interaction between the two femmes (femme-business clearly, he surmises) Swindle proceeds to watch Chromia's performance, increasingly surprised and delighted as she puts up one which he knows is well below her best.
As the shots whizz and rain into the target area, a grin spreads over his faceplates. That has sooo given him an opportunity! Then Chromia's turning to him amid the last echoes, as a pall of smoke rises to hover lazily in the still air.
// Course I ain't! // he whispers. // And - thanks! // Then out loud: "All right! You is in for a treat, gals - cos this is how it's done!"
Raising his arm, Swindle starts shooting, putting up a stylish display in which he hits all but one lone target. And then - even though it's not strictly in the rules - the Combaticon can't help himself. Engaging missile launch mode, he fires one last time.
The missile slams into the remaining target, which erupts with a loud kaboom and a plume of flame. "Heheh! Check it out!" Swindle laughs as fiery fragments rain down, delighted both at his performance and the implications.
// Hey, haven't lost my touch! // he chatters excitedly, surveying the smoke filled scene of his success and throwing a wink and a suggestive smile in Chromia-chan's direction.
C-chan watches intently as her counterpart takes her turn at the targets! Hmmm...there was something about the way she was shooting - it wasn't the way she was instructed during her lessons earlier. Shrugging it off, C-chan was amazed at her counterpart's shots nonetheless! They were so much better than hers!
After Chromia had finished her round, C-chan bounced excitedly, calling out to her from the other side of the range, "That's my Sissiiiiie!! You'll have to teach me more techniques later!"
Giggling playfully, C-chan promptly switched her attention to Swindle, watching him closely as he aimed to fire. She could hear the confidence and determination in his voice as he opened fire, her optics beginning to glisten and sparkle as he made nearly every shot. Noooow, he'd done it! C-chan was so excited, her processor could hardly keep up!
His wink caught her optic, accompanied by a smile that sent ripples down her sensor net! Oh, she was taken, and she knew it! Swerving from side to side, rhythmically with her hands together at her chest, her bent knees rotating opposite her hands, C-chan laid her wide, sparkling optics on Swindle, clearly ready to pounce him! "Swindle-samaaaaa!" The desire just trailed off her voice as she pranced over towards him, throwing her arms around his neck in a slight tackle, all but wrapping her legs around him in her current state!
'[gasp], not good, not good..' she realized to herself as she jumped down off of him, wrapping both of her arms around his canon arm. Looking up at him, her optics still sparkling with excitement and desire, "Mmmmm! Little C-chan is impressed!" Opening up a comm to him, she couldn't help but add, coyly and with a soft purrrr in her voice, //Do you like preeeeeesents? Little C-chan has one just. for. you~// She made sure she was gazing directly into his optics, a cunning smile clearly washing over her face plating, her spark pulsing heavily.
She knew Chromia couldn't take much more of this, and she had every intention of sticking with someone she knew, no matter what. Thinking back to her lonely time in the Nexus before she'd found her counterpart, C-chan became very hopeful to be able to stay with one of them. If not Swindle, then she was bound and determined to know when she would see him again.
She gives her optics a partially amused roll at Chromia-chan's exclamation, turning to the fence near her shooting point and leaning against it.
Chromia is momentarily satisfied with Swindle's reply and watches his own display of shooting without interest. She registers that the shots are impressive, but only in the back of her processor. The rest is pretty caught up in entertaining thoughts of new and shiny rifles - state of the art rifles, she reminds herself. Assuming Slick's deal is legit of course...
Her optics then drift towards the other femme as she approaches Swindle, lifting an optic ridge in curiosity. Huh, wonder what she's going to-
Chromia has to stifle the snort of laughter that rises at the display. Oh... Sigma. She shakes her helm, hiding her amused grin by turning back to the targets and keeping her helm low while examining her gun.
She hears Chromia-chan say something to Swindle, but can't be bothered to strain her audios, so the words remain lost. Instead, she focusses on the targets ahead of her. Hmm, much as I hate riskin' sullyin' my shootin' rep, a new set of rifles just sounds too damn temptin'.
Chromia lifts her arms and lets loose on the targets once again. Her shots prove slightly better than last time, so as to not garner suspicion from her counterpart, but still remain only average. After her klik goes by, she lets her arms drop and shrugs.
"Eh, guess my processor just ain't in it today" she blandly states before glancing over to Swindle, "Floor's yours, hot shot."
"Whoah ...!" Swindle's taken by surprise as the admiration of his handiwork is - very nicely - interrupted by Chromia-chan's attentions. "Oh yeah, I love presents ..." he says, liking the hands on his arm, his optics looking deep into hers.
Then Chromia is shooting again and he turns his attention back to the range, pulling away and putting his hands on his hips, not at all forgetting C-chan as he adopts stance which most adequately shows off his stocky and well built frame and does not fail to particularly emphasize - one feature in particular.
This time, there is a slight twinge of regret at Chromia's so obvious shooting below parr - as he'd like to have beaten her truly on merit. But - he must not forget the advantages.
The last shots rattle out and then Chromia's talking, and Swindle goes to take up position. But he hesitates. Quickly returning to Chromia-chan, he gives her a quick but very sensuous kiss on the lips, before swaggering over to the shooting line, his frame aglow.
"All right! Round two here we go!" he says triumphantly, opening fire and once again putting up a very impressive display.
Yesss! Swindle whispers - to himself, although Chromia may well catch this.
Even as Swindle pulled away to watch Chromia's shots, C-chan kept her optics on his, daydreams running rampant through her processor. Oh, she had a present for him, alright, but she'd wait until the competition was over and she had his full attention once more.
Observing his frame up close was all but intoxicating! C-chan noted his stance, his chases, his...'mmmmmm' passed through her processor once or twice as her optics traced over certain areas of his frame. it was all she could do to keep from blushing as she swerved from side to side, dreamily content with her catch!
C-chan looked towards Chromia's second round of targets, a little disappointed at the prospect that her own counterpart might lose, but also drawn even more towards Swindle! She turned her optics back on his, readying for his second round of shots and possible win.
But...ehhh?? Before she could begin to cheer him on or think of an appropriate response, his optics were right before hers, a warm sensation flowing over her sensor net as his soft lips met hers. Was...this real? Though short, she tried to pull herself closer, prolonging the kiss as long as she could. She could feel the warmth of his frame flow through her as she fell into the moment, wishing it weren't so short lived.
//Swindle...// She managed to comm to him after the kiss had ended, his swaggering all but mesmerizing as he prepared to take his turn at the targets. Again, Swindle's shots were very impressive, even without the extra explosion at the end!
C-chan walked up to him, all but forgetting about Chromia's presence as the memory of his kiss replayed itself over and over again in her processor. Taking his hand in hers, she lifted the other up to caress his face plating, making sure his optics were locked on hers.
//Swindle...I have to know something.// Her vocalizor shook slightly, almost afraid. She had only just met the mech, but...deep within her sensor net, there was a special place just for him, and she was never one to hold back when it came to her feelings! //A lady's heart is fragile. What do you plan to do with mine?// Her regular coyness managed to sneak its way into her question, a purrrr flowing softly over the comm in pursuit.
It was obvious to her that he wasn't toying with her; his entire frame seemed to glow with satisfaction! The taste of his kiss was fresh with her still, the waves in her sensor net ceasing to stop - yet all she could do was wait for his response and hope not to get hurt. She knew there was no way she could go through that kind of pain again, despite how carefree she loved to present herself.
Chromia rolls her optics at the two, not sure what to make of them anymore. Some may call their interaction cute, but after the long-standing processor-ache they have inflicted on her for the past joor, she's perfectly willing to just write it off as annoying as Pit.
A quiet huff leaves her as she waits for Swindle to begin shooting, taking up position against the fence once again while idly twirling her blaster.
She briefly eyes Swindle's shots, mainly to ascertain he actually won the shoot-off, before forming a look of bored irritation - not hard, considering her current circumstance.
"Awh jeez. Would ya look at that? I lost. What rotten luck." The effect may or may not be ruined by her, essentially, exclaiming all of this in a deadpan voice and distractedly fiddling with her gun. She doubts it matters though.
Glancing up for a moment, she's pretty certain they're both far to caught up with each other right now to care. And hey, Chromia's all for that. Anything that gets her out of here faster.
Wow, that was a damn good performance! And it must have impressed her ....
And then, Chromia-chan's right beside him, his hand in hers, the other hand caressing his faceplates. Swindle's sensor net tingles, his circuits glowing, his spark pulsing rapidly as his optics look straight into hers.
And now she's talking - with utter admiration and devotion in her whole demeanor - and he knows he's really scored here and his spark flutters again ...
But then she goes and says something which makes little sense! Swindle's optics widen. "Uh - your heart? he says? "You got a heart? I didn't think robots had them!"
But then his circuits jar with the sheer stupidity of what he just said. This is important to her, damnit! And he does like her. And whatever she means by that - heck - she could mean 'spark,' she needs an answer in the affirmative.
And that's equally problematic. Because all those memories of the failed sparkbond and the problems with Smokescreen and Vortex are suddenly upon Swindle. A pained expression crosses his faceplates. I can't get into anything else he thinks.
But hell, he does like her! And he did not decide earlier that this could be different ....
"I'm gonna - like - be around for you!" he says, reaching up and stroking her faceplates, his optics very purple and liquid.
Chromia's entire words and actions go completely unnoticed.
C-chan could feel the warmth of Swindle's frame, his very touch making her spark pulsate! Indeed, it had been a very long time since she had felt this way - not since Megatron. She still remembered the burning sting in her spark of being abandoned, a feeling she wasn't about to succumb to again! She was determined to gain Swindle's affections, no matter the cost.
The first thing he says kind of throws her off, though. In her short alliance with the Autobots, and through being on Earth for so long, C-chan had picked up many odd sayings...'puns' as Chromia had put them? Perhaps these sayings were unfamiliar in Swindle's 'verse.
She leaned in closer, giggling gently as if he'd made a joke, her frame lightly vibrating as she did so.
"Silly Swindle! Can't you feel my spark pulsing for you?" With the hand caressing Swindle's cheek, C-chan gently moved his lips to hers, kissing him deeply.
Lowering herself from his frame, C-chan registered Swindle's next words very carefully...'be around' for her? His touch was reassuring, but something didn't feel right. She needed to know. Looking deep into Swindle's optics, C-chan pressed herself close to him once more.
"Is there something I should know? I'm here for you, too, you know." She just couldn't help but feel something was amiss.
It doesn't take Chromia long to realise that the two are barely even aware of her presence anymore. And, to be frank, that's perfect for her... Though honestly. She's fairly certain a meteorite could strike the ground next to them and they'd still be too busy spewing random romantic dribble at one another to notice.
The idea of doling out farewells before booking it doesn't so much as gloss over her processor. Chromia takes one step back from the shooting point she's in, still facing the two. She takes another. Then another. Cautiously, and still keeping an optic on them as she does it, Chromia slowly turns round and begins to silently creep away towards the range's forest exit.
Ok guys. Just keep up the lovey-dovey bull slag for bit longer. Then we'll all be a lot happier.
Continuing on as stealthily as possible, Chromia mentally curses her pedes. The snow makes soft little crunching sounds with each step she takes - hopefully Dumb and Dumber are still too busy ogling one another to notice. Chromia begins to pick up the pace as she gets closer and closer to the end of the range.
Swindle melts into the kiss, the whole universe dissolving into nothing but Chromia-chan with a softness and beauty he's unaccustomed to, and which makes him feel wanted. Needed. Basking in the glow of their circuits as their sparks indeed pulse together, his arms find their way around her and he tries to make it last as long as possible.
But then, she's gazing at him again with those pleading optics. And everything about that kiss just felt so good, so right. But ....
Is there something she should know? What - like that he's still a fragged up, needy unit from the broken sparkbond? That he's bound to these mechs - one of whom he loves to to pieces but will never feel the same way back, and the other who neither loves nor needs him at all? Yet he's with them - forever - and he'll never be a free unit again.
Swindle wants to answer C-chan: Yes! There is! And I need to talk about this, because I think you're lovely, and I think you'll listen, and nobody ever listened before. But what if it completely puts her off? Swindle feels like he collapses inside. It's all too hard.
Out of the corner of his optic, Swindle sees Chromia trying to tippytoe away. He pulls back.
"Say, we - uh - shouldn't make Chromia feel left out," he says, trying to resume a 'cheerful' disposition, but his optics liquid and pleading, face registering the upset and confusion he feels.
"Hey! Where d'you think you're going?" he yells in Chromia's direction.
Something was wrong. She could feel it deep within her spark, her femme's intuition flaring in her processor, but she wasn't about to give up. Her optics hadn't left Swindle's in many kliks - she'd watched his expression as it changed from glowing contentment to a melting sadness, and it was all too clear where the transition took place.
C-chan just gazed into his pleading optics for a moment, worry covering her expression. Wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling herself close was the only gesture that felt right. Caressing one hand against his back, C-chan leaned her face up towards his, locking optics.
"You couldn't have answered my question any more clearly." She giggled affectionately, trying to get him to smile. Her persistence wouldn't allow her to just write this off! If something was hindering his feelings for her, she would find out what it was! Losing in love was not an option to her! She had seen that look before, though, and she knew it clearly... "You've been hurt before, haven't you?" Her femme intuition was rarely wrong.
It wasn't until Swindle mentioned Chromia that she noticed Chromia was all the way on the other side of the range! ...sneaking away?? She looked back up at Swindle, his optics clearly showing signs of pain and confusion, feelings she'd known all to well herself. Having grabbed Chromia's attention, C-chan felt it best to open a comm to Swindle.
"What's wrong, sissy? Ah! I know!" She leaned in Chromia's direction, an inviting glare in her optics, "You'd be too jealous if you lost! [dreamy daydream voice] I didn't know you cared so much!" After giggling to herself, she looked up, knowing full and well the joke was for her own amusement only. "Joooking!" She finished, blowing a kiss to Chromia and winking.
Moving from the ranges, C-chan watched carefully the interactions between Chromia and Swindle. Swindle's visor seemed to glow off the snowy background, his canon menacing in appearance on his arm. The more she watched them, the more she anticipated the competition. Who would she root for, though...the question hadn't crossed her processor yet! On one side, she wouldn't stand for her own counterpart to lose in anything; on the other hand, Swindle...
Swooning at the thought of his earlier kiss, his warm lips lingering on her cheek, C-chan glided behind them in a way that suggested they begin the competition.
"Swindle! Chromiaaa! Good luck!! I'll be cheering!"
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At Swindle's reply, Chromia gives her optics a good long roll, moving off and over to the nearest shooting point. She grimaces at Chromia-chan's cheer and huffs out another audible sigh.
"Good to know" she grumps, covering the last bit of distance at a trudge before stopping at the line of the shooting point. She then glances back and says, "Hows about we keep this short and sweet eh? Two separate kliks each for shooting - whoever gets the most targets within the timespan wins."
It strikes her as the most sensible route - not to mention the quickest, thus improving the possibility of her getting away from here sooner and with more of her sanity intact.
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With a sieways grin at Chromia-chan, Swindle springs after Chromia with a glint in his optics, brandishing his canon importantly.
He's conscious of the new object of his affections watching him attentively. He and Chromia may not now be playing for a reward, but Swindle nevertheless feels a great need to impress the femme. And good though he is - and oh yes, he is good, he knows that - he doesn't know if he's quite good enough to beat Chromia.
// I got a proposition for ya! // he says to her, coming to a halt and lining up on each of the targets in turn. // Cut me a break, an' I'll get you a full set of state of the art bendy universe rifles! //
And he can! Swindle thinks. He's already planning a raid on his sparkmate's old weapons stash in the caves. Just so long as his team mates never find out he donated to an Autobot - even if it is Chromia.
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She tip-toed around to Swindle's side: close enough to be able to observe him, but far enough away that she wouldn't distract him. It wasn't even as if she needed to observe him to know she had strong feelings towards him - she had already identified the tweak in her sensor net. At this point, watching Swindle was just desirable.
Realizing there was still a chance that he was toying with her, however little she felt that possibility was, C-chan finally decided it was time to comm her counterpart...seriously this time. With a mild curiosity in her now quiet voice, C-chan looked past Swindle, towards Chromia. //Chromia? I've got something to ask you.// She paused, wondering whether her friend would laugh at her or take her seriously. //What would you say...if I told you I'm falling hard for Swindle?//
All she had to do was feel the lingering warmth and touch of his lips on her cheek plate, and suddenly, admitting her feelings was not that hard. She was prepared to be mocked, but it was something she really needed to tell someone, and the only person in the Nexus she trusted to keep that secret was her own counterpart. She would bring it up to Swindle, but now was not the time. Part of her spark even felt as if he already knew...
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...Did I hear the words "state of the art" and "rifles"?
Intrigued, she lifts an optics ridge and shoots a sceptical look at him from the corner of her optic. It's then that Chromia-chan's comm also reaches her. While not hugely surprised at the information she receives, Chromia still manages to don a look of huffy exasperation.
//I'd say... good luck to you gal. Seriously// she very much deadpans back, optics fixing back on the targets with a slight frown.
She thinks for a moment more about Swindle's proposition. Then lifts her arms again and opens fire. Bullets rain from her gun and strike many targets, missing some and failing to hit the bullseye on any - not horrendous but definitely below par for her. After a klik goes by, Chromia lets her arms fall and turns, hand on hip, to level a loaded look in Swindle's direction.
//I find out you're playin' me, that cannon's goin' straight down your throat.//
She nods once towards him, "You're up pal."
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As the shots whizz and rain into the target area, a grin spreads over his faceplates. That has sooo given him an opportunity! Then Chromia's turning to him amid the last echoes, as a pall of smoke rises to hover lazily in the still air.
// Course I ain't! // he whispers. // And - thanks! // Then out loud: "All right! You is in for a treat, gals - cos this is how it's done!"
Raising his arm, Swindle starts shooting, putting up a stylish display in which he hits all but one lone target. And then - even though it's not strictly in the rules - the Combaticon can't help himself. Engaging missile launch mode, he fires one last time.
The missile slams into the remaining target, which erupts with a loud kaboom and a plume of flame. "Heheh! Check it out!" Swindle laughs as fiery fragments rain down, delighted both at his performance and the implications.
// Hey, haven't lost my touch! // he chatters excitedly, surveying the smoke filled scene of his success and throwing a wink and a suggestive smile in Chromia-chan's direction.
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After Chromia had finished her round, C-chan bounced excitedly, calling out to her from the other side of the range, "That's my Sissiiiiie!! You'll have to teach me more techniques later!"
Giggling playfully, C-chan promptly switched her attention to Swindle, watching him closely as he aimed to fire. She could hear the confidence and determination in his voice as he opened fire, her optics beginning to glisten and sparkle as he made nearly every shot. Noooow, he'd done it! C-chan was so excited, her processor could hardly keep up!
His wink caught her optic, accompanied by a smile that sent ripples down her sensor net! Oh, she was taken, and she knew it! Swerving from side to side, rhythmically with her hands together at her chest, her bent knees rotating opposite her hands, C-chan laid her wide, sparkling optics on Swindle, clearly ready to pounce him! "Swindle-samaaaaa!" The desire just trailed off her voice as she pranced over towards him, throwing her arms around his neck in a slight tackle, all but wrapping her legs around him in her current state!
'[gasp], not good, not good..' she realized to herself as she jumped down off of him, wrapping both of her arms around his canon arm. Looking up at him, her optics still sparkling with excitement and desire, "Mmmmm! Little C-chan is impressed!" Opening up a comm to him, she couldn't help but add, coyly and with a soft purrrr in her voice, //Do you like preeeeeesents? Little C-chan has one just. for. you~// She made sure she was gazing directly into his optics, a cunning smile clearly washing over her face plating, her spark pulsing heavily.
She knew Chromia couldn't take much more of this, and she had every intention of sticking with someone she knew, no matter what. Thinking back to her lonely time in the Nexus before she'd found her counterpart, C-chan became very hopeful to be able to stay with one of them. If not Swindle, then she was bound and determined to know when she would see him again.
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Chromia is momentarily satisfied with Swindle's reply and watches his own display of shooting without interest. She registers that the shots are impressive, but only in the back of her processor. The rest is pretty caught up in entertaining thoughts of new and shiny rifles - state of the art rifles, she reminds herself. Assuming Slick's deal is legit of course...
Her optics then drift towards the other femme as she approaches Swindle, lifting an optic ridge in curiosity. Huh, wonder what she's going to-
Chromia has to stifle the snort of laughter that rises at the display. Oh... Sigma. She shakes her helm, hiding her amused grin by turning back to the targets and keeping her helm low while examining her gun.
She hears Chromia-chan say something to Swindle, but can't be bothered to strain her audios, so the words remain lost. Instead, she focusses on the targets ahead of her. Hmm, much as I hate riskin' sullyin' my shootin' rep, a new set of rifles just sounds too damn temptin'.
Chromia lifts her arms and lets loose on the targets once again. Her shots prove slightly better than last time, so as to not garner suspicion from her counterpart, but still remain only average. After her klik goes by, she lets her arms drop and shrugs.
"Eh, guess my processor just ain't in it today" she blandly states before glancing over to Swindle, "Floor's yours, hot shot."
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Then Chromia is shooting again and he turns his attention back to the range, pulling away and putting his hands on his hips, not at all forgetting C-chan as he adopts stance which most adequately shows off his stocky and well built frame and does not fail to particularly emphasize - one feature in particular.
This time, there is a slight twinge of regret at Chromia's so obvious shooting below parr - as he'd like to have beaten her truly on merit. But - he must not forget the advantages.
The last shots rattle out and then Chromia's talking, and Swindle goes to take up position. But he hesitates. Quickly returning to Chromia-chan, he gives her a quick but very sensuous kiss on the lips, before swaggering over to the shooting line, his frame aglow.
"All right! Round two here we go!" he says triumphantly, opening fire and once again putting up a very impressive display.
Yesss! Swindle whispers - to himself, although Chromia may well catch this.
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Observing his frame up close was all but intoxicating! C-chan noted his stance, his chases, his...'mmmmmm' passed through her processor once or twice as her optics traced over certain areas of his frame. it was all she could do to keep from blushing as she swerved from side to side, dreamily content with her catch!
C-chan looked towards Chromia's second round of targets, a little disappointed at the prospect that her own counterpart might lose, but also drawn even more towards Swindle! She turned her optics back on his, readying for his second round of shots and possible win.
But...ehhh?? Before she could begin to cheer him on or think of an appropriate response, his optics were right before hers, a warm sensation flowing over her sensor net as his soft lips met hers. Was...this real? Though short, she tried to pull herself closer, prolonging the kiss as long as she could. She could feel the warmth of his frame flow through her as she fell into the moment, wishing it weren't so short lived.
//Swindle...// She managed to comm to him after the kiss had ended, his swaggering all but mesmerizing as he prepared to take his turn at the targets. Again, Swindle's shots were very impressive, even without the extra explosion at the end!
C-chan walked up to him, all but forgetting about Chromia's presence as the memory of his kiss replayed itself over and over again in her processor. Taking his hand in hers, she lifted the other up to caress his face plating, making sure his optics were locked on hers.
//Swindle...I have to know something.// Her vocalizor shook slightly, almost afraid. She had only just met the mech, but...deep within her sensor net, there was a special place just for him, and she was never one to hold back when it came to her feelings! //A lady's heart is fragile. What do you plan to do with mine?// Her regular coyness managed to sneak its way into her question, a purrrr flowing softly over the comm in pursuit.
It was obvious to her that he wasn't toying with her; his entire frame seemed to glow with satisfaction! The taste of his kiss was fresh with her still, the waves in her sensor net ceasing to stop - yet all she could do was wait for his response and hope not to get hurt. She knew there was no way she could go through that kind of pain again, despite how carefree she loved to present herself.
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A quiet huff leaves her as she waits for Swindle to begin shooting, taking up position against the fence once again while idly twirling her blaster.
She briefly eyes Swindle's shots, mainly to ascertain he actually won the shoot-off, before forming a look of bored irritation - not hard, considering her current circumstance.
"Awh jeez. Would ya look at that? I lost. What rotten luck." The effect may or may not be ruined by her, essentially, exclaiming all of this in a deadpan voice and distractedly fiddling with her gun. She doubts it matters though.
Glancing up for a moment, she's pretty certain they're both far to caught up with each other right now to care. And hey, Chromia's all for that. Anything that gets her out of here faster.
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And then, Chromia-chan's right beside him, his hand in hers, the other hand caressing his faceplates. Swindle's sensor net tingles, his circuits glowing, his spark pulsing rapidly as his optics look straight into hers.
And now she's talking - with utter admiration and devotion in her whole demeanor - and he knows he's really scored here and his spark flutters again ...
But then she goes and says something which makes little sense! Swindle's optics widen. "Uh - your heart? he says? "You got a heart? I didn't think robots had them!"
But then his circuits jar with the sheer stupidity of what he just said. This is important to her, damnit! And he does like her. And whatever she means by that - heck - she could mean 'spark,' she needs an answer in the affirmative.
And that's equally problematic. Because all those memories of the failed sparkbond and the problems with Smokescreen and Vortex are suddenly upon Swindle. A pained expression crosses his faceplates. I can't get into anything else he thinks.
But hell, he does like her! And he did not decide earlier that this could be different ....
"I'm gonna - like - be around for you!" he says, reaching up and stroking her faceplates, his optics very purple and liquid.
Chromia's entire words and actions go completely unnoticed.
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The first thing he says kind of throws her off, though. In her short alliance with the Autobots, and through being on Earth for so long, C-chan had picked up many odd sayings...'puns' as Chromia had put them? Perhaps these sayings were unfamiliar in Swindle's 'verse.
She leaned in closer, giggling gently as if he'd made a joke, her frame lightly vibrating as she did so.
"Silly Swindle! Can't you feel my spark pulsing for you?" With the hand caressing Swindle's cheek, C-chan gently moved his lips to hers, kissing him deeply.
Lowering herself from his frame, C-chan registered Swindle's next words very carefully...'be around' for her? His touch was reassuring, but something didn't feel right. She needed to know. Looking deep into Swindle's optics, C-chan pressed herself close to him once more.
"Is there something I should know? I'm here for you, too, you know." She just couldn't help but feel something was amiss.
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The idea of doling out farewells before booking it doesn't so much as gloss over her processor. Chromia takes one step back from the shooting point she's in, still facing the two. She takes another. Then another. Cautiously, and still keeping an optic on them as she does it, Chromia slowly turns round and begins to silently creep away towards the range's forest exit.
Ok guys. Just keep up the lovey-dovey bull slag for bit longer. Then we'll all be a lot happier.
Continuing on as stealthily as possible, Chromia mentally curses her pedes. The snow makes soft little crunching sounds with each step she takes - hopefully Dumb and Dumber are still too busy ogling one another to notice. Chromia begins to pick up the pace as she gets closer and closer to the end of the range.
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But then, she's gazing at him again with those pleading optics. And everything about that kiss just felt so good, so right. But ....
Is there something she should know? What - like that he's still a fragged up, needy unit from the broken sparkbond? That he's bound to these mechs - one of whom he loves to to pieces but will never feel the same way back, and the other who neither loves nor needs him at all? Yet he's with them - forever - and he'll never be a free unit again.
Swindle wants to answer C-chan: Yes! There is! And I need to talk about this, because I think you're lovely, and I think you'll listen, and nobody ever listened before. But what if it completely puts her off? Swindle feels like he collapses inside. It's all too hard.
Out of the corner of his optic, Swindle sees Chromia trying to tippytoe away. He pulls back.
"Say, we - uh - shouldn't make Chromia feel left out," he says, trying to resume a 'cheerful' disposition, but his optics liquid and pleading, face registering the upset and confusion he feels.
"Hey! Where d'you think you're going?" he yells in Chromia's direction.
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C-chan just gazed into his pleading optics for a moment, worry covering her expression. Wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling herself close was the only gesture that felt right. Caressing one hand against his back, C-chan leaned her face up towards his, locking optics.
"You couldn't have answered my question any more clearly." She giggled affectionately, trying to get him to smile. Her persistence wouldn't allow her to just write this off! If something was hindering his feelings for her, she would find out what it was! Losing in love was not an option to her! She had seen that look before, though, and she knew it clearly... "You've been hurt before, haven't you?" Her femme intuition was rarely wrong.
It wasn't until Swindle mentioned Chromia that she noticed Chromia was all the way on the other side of the range! ...sneaking away?? She looked back up at Swindle, his optics clearly showing signs of pain and confusion, feelings she'd known all to well herself. Having grabbed Chromia's attention, C-chan felt it best to open a comm to Swindle.
//Don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you.//
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