Mirrored chapter 4
Title: Mirrored
Part 4
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Optimus(Orion)/Starscream
Summary: An archivist captures Starscream's fickle attention at a time when he has little to spare.
Notes: Sorry for the long delay! I can't say it'll get any better, but I'll try.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The little archivist was inconsequential. Utterly unimportant and useless, in every way. Yet Starscream still found himself intrigued. Why had the groundpounder followed him around, plainly terrified (as he should be) but still obedient as a drone? It was a puzzle that Starscream should have found beneath him, but it somehow managed to hijack his thoughts. It was going to interfere with his plans, at this rate. He needed his mind clear, especially with that upstart in Kaon leaving vague, tantalizing promises in his comm cache every other rotation lately. That he interspersed those promises with even vaguer threats was not lost on Starscream.
So, naturally, he had to get it out of his system, one way or another.
“Um… here’s your receipt…” Orion Pax was hesitant, more hesitant than he would have been with any other customer - especially one with such a small order. But it was in Iacon, and he wasn’t about to turn down an excuse to visit his favorite city.
The offered datapad was ignored by Starscream, who had taken to studying Orion once again, leaving the archivist fidgeting a little under his scrutiny. It was oddly appealing.
“Who are you?” Starscream demanded.
Had the seeker forgotten already? “Orion Pax.”
“No, that’s not what I-…” The dismissive hand stalled in midair, and the seeker’s optics were focused unnervingly on Orion, yet somehow distant as well. Before the courier-archivist could ask what he had meant, Starscream continued in a contemplative murmur.
“… Maybe that’s the point,” the seeker mused aloud. “A nobody. Feh.”
Orion would have been insulted, if it wasn’t true. As it was, his pride stung a little, but it was nothing sharp enough to drown out the ache of curiosity. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
Sir. How long had it been since he had been called sir? Too long.
“So, Orion Pax,” he purred, stepping closer to the mech, optics narrowing in satisfaction as his smaller prey flinched, but stood his ground. “Does your employer give you leisure time?”
“Oh, yes.”
“When?”
Orion paused for the first time. “… That’s rather personal, sir.”
“Forgive me.” Perhaps this mech did possess some sense of self-preservation after all. Starscream grinned and leaned away marginally, so that he was no longer looming over the archivist. His efforts were rewarded when Orion relaxed a little more. “I was only curious. I wouldn’t want to… keep you from enjoying your leisure time.”
Orion shook his head, his easy smile reappearing. “No sir,” he answered politely. “And if I may be so bold, do you often spend your time in the Iacon database? I only ask,” he added hastily, seeing the dark look on Starscream’s face and realizing that he was too forward, “because I myself spend my leisure breaks at the databanks… but I don’t often have an excuse to travel so far.”
Starscream was by no means ignorant to this archivist’s interest, tentative and innocent though it was. He couldn’t pin down what it was about this mech that continued to hold his attention, when so little else had ever managed to do more than distract him for a moment from his larger goals, but at least it seemed to operate in both directions. This Orion Pax seemed to be smitten by him. And really, Starscream wouldn’t blame him.
They were drawn to each other, that was obvious, and Starscream was more than willing to brush it off as an inconsequential anomaly. But seeing the younger, smaller archivist standing before him, obviously so ignorant of why he had just propositioned a seeker… it stirred the first pangs of empathy in Starscream’s spark. He took pity on the bot.
“I’ve found myself preoccupied by a certain project,” Starscream finally answered. Once again, he took the time to look Orion Pax over, and was again disturbed that what he found wasn’t wholly displeasing. “I am, however, unfamiliar with Iacon’s method of organization. Perhaps, then, I might call on your particular skills to assist me…?”
It was disgusting how quickly the archivist accepted.
Yet, not quite as disgusting as Orion Pax’s boundless, eager enthusiasm as the archivist… “assisted” him. It was not quite a lie, that Starscream was unfamiliar with Iacon’s database… but the archives had all been standardized long ago, and one database was much like any other. Starscream did not technically need the assistance at all - a fact that Orion Pax had to be aware of. But the smaller bot seemed quite happy to ignore that, seemingly content with simply basking in the seeker’s presence.
The only thing marring their little outing was the other patrons’ gazes, varying from annoyed to horrified, all of which Starscream utterly ignored. He was used to such treatment within the confines of most Cybertronian cities.
Orion Pax, unfortunately, was not so immune. For a bot whose function often went unnoticed, the amount of attention they were gaining was… unsettling. And it showed in the way he glanced away, even as he explained to Starscream how the information was not listed by authorship, but in categorical order according to subject, broken up into various sub-categories, then factual and creative tags…
Starscream only paid attention when his archivist’s speech faltered and trailed off; only looked away from Orion Pax when movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to an intruder approaching. An intruder that was not deterred by his sudden turn to glare, like any reasonably sane mecha would be. Instead, he startled Orion into complete silence, and made the interloper stop in his tracks, a scowl on his faceplates.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the mech said. Now that Starscream bothered to look, he saw archivist glyphs on his shoulders. The seeker bristled, ready to defend himself - but realized this stranger was looking at Orion Pax, instead of him. Confused, Starscream wound up saying nothing.
Orion glanced between Starscream and his fellow archivist, uttered an uncertain “I’m sorry…?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” the archivist repeated, daring the quickest glance at the seeker standing nearly double their height and clearly displeased.
“I don’t understand…” Orion Pax murmured, polite and deferential as usual. The other only scowled more.
“With him,” the archivist hissed, and Starscream’s anti-grav engines gave a subsonic warning rumble that made both archivists cringe, and surrounding patrons retreat with frightened glares. “Why would you bring him here, brother?” the archivist continued bravely. “This is a mistake.”
“I’d remind you-“ Starscream hissed and took a step forward - only to be cut off as Orion’s body pushed in between him and his target.
“-That the Archives are for use of all of Cybertron,” Orion continued from Starscream’s start. “How dare you?” He advanced, and the interloper retreated, looking suddenly wary. Starscream wished he could see Orion’s face, but the bot’s back was turned to him. “Knowing that, how dare you try to deny light to a Seeker?”
Starscream startled nearly as badly as the other archivist, who turned and walked stiffly away with a dismissive and irritated huff, no doubt to lick his wounds in private now that he had been rebuffed.
Orion used the old word for Starscream’s model-line. Its glyph-sound was imprinted with a slightly different meaning than the current, less respectful (in Starscream’s opinion) designation of seeker. A seeker was a military flight model, used for patrols and guard duty, and often considered not worth the lavish amount of fuel they consumed.
A Seeker was a hunter, the terrifying aerial force that tracked down the last of their old foes and obliterated them long after the grounders had pushed the invaders from Cybertron’s surface. A seeker was merely a model-line that happened to have wings - to be a Seeker was a title and honor, and nothing less.
Starscream stood where he was, face a mask of confusion. Orion Pax turned back towards him once he was satisfied that their interruption had retreated, and Starscream was further surprised to see a flash of smug determination on that face, gone before he could properly study it. But he was sure it had been there. His interest notched higher.
Orion Pax flashed him an apologetic smile and tried to continue with his “lesson”.
“Stop.” Starscream stalled him with a raised hand. “No more of this.”
Before Orion could open his mouth to protest, no doubt to apologize for the behavior of his fellow archivist and persuade Starscream that he did in fact belong here, Starscream cut him off again.
“I grow weary of these cramped conditions,” the seeker - Seeker - explained. Orion looked up at the high, vaulted ceilings, and wondered.
“You will accompany me.” It was an order. Not giving Orion Pax the time to question, Starscream about-faced and strode with confidence away from the Hall of Records. To his immense satisfaction, he heard the distinct staccato tap of Orion’s footfalls rushing to catch up with him and falling into formation at his side.
“Where are we going?” the archivist asked. Starscream smirked, and did not look at him.
“Why, my dear friend,” he purred. “We are going to get drinks, of course.”
Part 4
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Optimus(Orion)/Starscream
Summary: An archivist captures Starscream's fickle attention at a time when he has little to spare.
Notes: Sorry for the long delay! I can't say it'll get any better, but I'll try.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The little archivist was inconsequential. Utterly unimportant and useless, in every way. Yet Starscream still found himself intrigued. Why had the groundpounder followed him around, plainly terrified (as he should be) but still obedient as a drone? It was a puzzle that Starscream should have found beneath him, but it somehow managed to hijack his thoughts. It was going to interfere with his plans, at this rate. He needed his mind clear, especially with that upstart in Kaon leaving vague, tantalizing promises in his comm cache every other rotation lately. That he interspersed those promises with even vaguer threats was not lost on Starscream.
So, naturally, he had to get it out of his system, one way or another.
“Um… here’s your receipt…” Orion Pax was hesitant, more hesitant than he would have been with any other customer - especially one with such a small order. But it was in Iacon, and he wasn’t about to turn down an excuse to visit his favorite city.
The offered datapad was ignored by Starscream, who had taken to studying Orion once again, leaving the archivist fidgeting a little under his scrutiny. It was oddly appealing.
“Who are you?” Starscream demanded.
Had the seeker forgotten already? “Orion Pax.”
“No, that’s not what I-…” The dismissive hand stalled in midair, and the seeker’s optics were focused unnervingly on Orion, yet somehow distant as well. Before the courier-archivist could ask what he had meant, Starscream continued in a contemplative murmur.
“… Maybe that’s the point,” the seeker mused aloud. “A nobody. Feh.”
Orion would have been insulted, if it wasn’t true. As it was, his pride stung a little, but it was nothing sharp enough to drown out the ache of curiosity. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
Sir. How long had it been since he had been called sir? Too long.
“So, Orion Pax,” he purred, stepping closer to the mech, optics narrowing in satisfaction as his smaller prey flinched, but stood his ground. “Does your employer give you leisure time?”
“Oh, yes.”
“When?”
Orion paused for the first time. “… That’s rather personal, sir.”
“Forgive me.” Perhaps this mech did possess some sense of self-preservation after all. Starscream grinned and leaned away marginally, so that he was no longer looming over the archivist. His efforts were rewarded when Orion relaxed a little more. “I was only curious. I wouldn’t want to… keep you from enjoying your leisure time.”
Orion shook his head, his easy smile reappearing. “No sir,” he answered politely. “And if I may be so bold, do you often spend your time in the Iacon database? I only ask,” he added hastily, seeing the dark look on Starscream’s face and realizing that he was too forward, “because I myself spend my leisure breaks at the databanks… but I don’t often have an excuse to travel so far.”
Starscream was by no means ignorant to this archivist’s interest, tentative and innocent though it was. He couldn’t pin down what it was about this mech that continued to hold his attention, when so little else had ever managed to do more than distract him for a moment from his larger goals, but at least it seemed to operate in both directions. This Orion Pax seemed to be smitten by him. And really, Starscream wouldn’t blame him.
They were drawn to each other, that was obvious, and Starscream was more than willing to brush it off as an inconsequential anomaly. But seeing the younger, smaller archivist standing before him, obviously so ignorant of why he had just propositioned a seeker… it stirred the first pangs of empathy in Starscream’s spark. He took pity on the bot.
“I’ve found myself preoccupied by a certain project,” Starscream finally answered. Once again, he took the time to look Orion Pax over, and was again disturbed that what he found wasn’t wholly displeasing. “I am, however, unfamiliar with Iacon’s method of organization. Perhaps, then, I might call on your particular skills to assist me…?”
It was disgusting how quickly the archivist accepted.
Yet, not quite as disgusting as Orion Pax’s boundless, eager enthusiasm as the archivist… “assisted” him. It was not quite a lie, that Starscream was unfamiliar with Iacon’s database… but the archives had all been standardized long ago, and one database was much like any other. Starscream did not technically need the assistance at all - a fact that Orion Pax had to be aware of. But the smaller bot seemed quite happy to ignore that, seemingly content with simply basking in the seeker’s presence.
The only thing marring their little outing was the other patrons’ gazes, varying from annoyed to horrified, all of which Starscream utterly ignored. He was used to such treatment within the confines of most Cybertronian cities.
Orion Pax, unfortunately, was not so immune. For a bot whose function often went unnoticed, the amount of attention they were gaining was… unsettling. And it showed in the way he glanced away, even as he explained to Starscream how the information was not listed by authorship, but in categorical order according to subject, broken up into various sub-categories, then factual and creative tags…
Starscream only paid attention when his archivist’s speech faltered and trailed off; only looked away from Orion Pax when movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to an intruder approaching. An intruder that was not deterred by his sudden turn to glare, like any reasonably sane mecha would be. Instead, he startled Orion into complete silence, and made the interloper stop in his tracks, a scowl on his faceplates.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the mech said. Now that Starscream bothered to look, he saw archivist glyphs on his shoulders. The seeker bristled, ready to defend himself - but realized this stranger was looking at Orion Pax, instead of him. Confused, Starscream wound up saying nothing.
Orion glanced between Starscream and his fellow archivist, uttered an uncertain “I’m sorry…?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” the archivist repeated, daring the quickest glance at the seeker standing nearly double their height and clearly displeased.
“I don’t understand…” Orion Pax murmured, polite and deferential as usual. The other only scowled more.
“With him,” the archivist hissed, and Starscream’s anti-grav engines gave a subsonic warning rumble that made both archivists cringe, and surrounding patrons retreat with frightened glares. “Why would you bring him here, brother?” the archivist continued bravely. “This is a mistake.”
“I’d remind you-“ Starscream hissed and took a step forward - only to be cut off as Orion’s body pushed in between him and his target.
“-That the Archives are for use of all of Cybertron,” Orion continued from Starscream’s start. “How dare you?” He advanced, and the interloper retreated, looking suddenly wary. Starscream wished he could see Orion’s face, but the bot’s back was turned to him. “Knowing that, how dare you try to deny light to a Seeker?”
Starscream startled nearly as badly as the other archivist, who turned and walked stiffly away with a dismissive and irritated huff, no doubt to lick his wounds in private now that he had been rebuffed.
Orion used the old word for Starscream’s model-line. Its glyph-sound was imprinted with a slightly different meaning than the current, less respectful (in Starscream’s opinion) designation of seeker. A seeker was a military flight model, used for patrols and guard duty, and often considered not worth the lavish amount of fuel they consumed.
A Seeker was a hunter, the terrifying aerial force that tracked down the last of their old foes and obliterated them long after the grounders had pushed the invaders from Cybertron’s surface. A seeker was merely a model-line that happened to have wings - to be a Seeker was a title and honor, and nothing less.
Starscream stood where he was, face a mask of confusion. Orion Pax turned back towards him once he was satisfied that their interruption had retreated, and Starscream was further surprised to see a flash of smug determination on that face, gone before he could properly study it. But he was sure it had been there. His interest notched higher.
Orion Pax flashed him an apologetic smile and tried to continue with his “lesson”.
“Stop.” Starscream stalled him with a raised hand. “No more of this.”
Before Orion could open his mouth to protest, no doubt to apologize for the behavior of his fellow archivist and persuade Starscream that he did in fact belong here, Starscream cut him off again.
“I grow weary of these cramped conditions,” the seeker - Seeker - explained. Orion looked up at the high, vaulted ceilings, and wondered.
“You will accompany me.” It was an order. Not giving Orion Pax the time to question, Starscream about-faced and strode with confidence away from the Hall of Records. To his immense satisfaction, he heard the distinct staccato tap of Orion’s footfalls rushing to catch up with him and falling into formation at his side.
“Where are we going?” the archivist asked. Starscream smirked, and did not look at him.
“Why, my dear friend,” he purred. “We are going to get drinks, of course.”