Okay, guys! New fic! I know you love it. This one is about Sari :3
Everyone loves Sari. Well, we love Sari. I'm sure you do, too.
Transformers belongs to Hasbro
It was a pretty simple package. The thing was small-small enough to fit in her hand, even in the box. It was also wrapped with a pretty yellow bow; a bow which matched her armored bot mode paint exactly, which was kinda creepy.
Sari sits at her desk, prodding the package with a single, cautious finger. It had gotten past the security measures downstairs, so it shouldn't be a bomb, or hazardous chemicals. It might be something awful, like the lacy panties she'd gotten once from some total pervert on the other side of the planet. The lacy panties and the camera that came with them.
That man had a very nice restraining order as his thank you letter for the gift.
She was really hoping this box wasn't full of negligee.
It doesn't even have a real return address, since the address is for fraggin' NASA, and she's pretty sure they don't send blue and yellow gift boxes, even to the Sumdac Industries. Much less specifically to her.
She pokes it slowly, unsure if she should open it, but gently tugs the ribbon off.
It is the newest edition of the pocket monsters game.
In Japanese.
She was planning on getting this when it came out in English to complete her set. She isn't sure her system can even play the Japanese version, but she has been wanting to play it. Some of the art for it was really adorable on the fansites.
It's even more awesome because the Japanese, fantastic pop-culture referencers that they are, have created a new line of monsters for it. Little bitty pixelized versions of what are almost blatantly cute-ified versions of Autobots and Decepticons. There's even a tiny pseudo-Megatron you can capture and train, and she is so going to get him and name him something embarrassingly cutesy.
It'd serve the Decepticon leader right.
Plus, she's pretty sure the fake seekers have personality traits based on their color.
She pulls down her game system to see if it even works, and if it does, just stumble through the storyline blindly. It isn't like these things have anything really important to say. It is mainly, "go to lab, pick green type (always), catch monsters, beat up bad guys who are stealing monsters or destroying the world, catch more monsters. She'll know what's going on when the english version comes out.
She squeaks in delight when her system does play it, and settles in to spend time trying to catch all the cutest ones she can.
The very next day, there's another package for her sitting in her room. This one has a blue bow and yellow wrapping.
She was planning on playing the game again, but it isn't like she can't look at this and play at the same time.
Shredding her way through the paper, she blinks at the little keychain ornament thing shaped like the monster that was based on Bumblebee. She doesn't really have any place to put the thing, seeing as it's not like she uses keys to get in to Sumdac Tower. The little Vumvrabi charm gets placed on her desk, and it smiles cheerfully at her with its wide blue eyes.
She's pretty sure when Bumblebee realizes they made a monster of him into a fluffy bumblebee with huge blue eyes and blushy cheek spots, he's going to flip out and rant for a solid hour or two. And then sit down, pout, and look exactly like Vumvrabi's angry animation while he protests that it looks nothing like him.
She loves this game so much.
The next week is filled with a daily charm of various monsters from the games, and she's really considering getting a shelf for them. That is, until the latest gift comes.
They all get clipped carefully onto the bracelet that was clearly made for them, and puts it on her wrist before heading out the door. It's time to go visit the bots, and she wants them to see what the ones based on them look like. She's kind of amused to see the one based on her, really. It has little floaty wings instead of ones that are actually connected, and her bot mode is the second evolution. She loves that it's an electric type, too.
Bumblebee drops down on the couch in the base beside her, poking at her wrist with one large finger. "What that thing you've got on? Are you gonna start decorating yourself now?" He rubs her head. "Our little Sari is growing up if she's starting to decorate herself with little," he squints his optics, "Hey, wait a klik. Are those the monsters from the new game? The one that isn't coming out over here for a stellar cycle or two?"
Sari nods, completely and utterly justified in being smug about it. "Yep. And this one is you," she points to the tiny, fluffy bee charm.
He stares at it closely, "No it isn't."
She gives him a very mean smile, "Yes it is, Vumvrabi."
He looks at it, "Did they really call me that? I'm not a bug."
She snorts, "Yes, you are." She pats him on the side, "I showed you all the pictures of bees, remember?"
He crosses his arms over his chest, "I am not a bug."
She smiles at him. "You're yellow with a black stripe and you have stingers. If the shoe fits . . ."
Bumblebee lifts a leg and shakes one of his peds, "I don't fraggin' wear shoes, so none of 'em fit. I'm not that stupid bee thing."
"But Vumvrabi is so cute, Bee. He even makes little happy chirpy noises if you play with him." She really loves the ability to interact with the monsters in this version. There are even little games you can play with them on the screen to built up the trust and love levels between you. Some of them like certain games more than others. Her Vumvrabi really enjoys playing fetch with sticks.
She is, however, glad that they don't have text having the monster saying what it likes. The heart emote is helpful when she navigates the menus. If the monsters didn't have that and the angry face emote, she'd be doing the games she loves best. Which, sadly, is the one the Megatron monster likes best, and not the ones that the other ones like all that much. She can't help that breaking rocks is so fun.
Bumblebee makes a face at her, "I'm still not a bug."
She pats him on the side, deeply amused at how he really does look exactly the same as Vumvrabi when he's sulking. "I'm going to go show the others. You have fun playing on the tv console."
She walks into Optimus's office, grinning wide as she says, "Hey, look at the awesome charms I got. . ." She trails off and stares at the screen in horror. Ultra Magnus is on the screen, with his sparkplates open, and a servo on his spark, and Optimus-thank fucking god his back is to her, jerks guiltily and slams both of his own servos on the arms of his chair.
"Sari!" he says, shutting off the visual feed for the screen. "You didn't knock."
She rubs her eyes, trying not to think about what the hell she had just walked in on, points out, "You're in your office. You have a com console in your room."
He coughs into his servo, looking incredibly guilty, "Ultra wanted to talk to me, and one think led to ano-"
She holds up a hand, stopping anything he's going to say, "I do not want to know. At all." She shudders, "You could lock the door, too. It isn't very hard."
Optimus is blushing so hard his face plates are turning purple, "I got... distracted."
She groans, "I kinda noticed that."
Even with that horrible image in her mind, it's impossible not to tease him. When he asks her, "What did you want to talk to me about?" she replies, "Nothin' important. I'd rather find out when you're gonna marry that old pervbot." He flushes a brilliant red and Sari adds a point to her private tally.
"He is the leader of the military side of the Autobots, and I am directly under his command. It is highly inappropriate for us to have any relationship at all. For him to bond with me. . . that's not realistic, Sari."
She snorts, "Right. Like that really matters. He's not going to be stopped if he wants to marry you."
He looks at the top of the desk, looking kind of sad, "It isn't allowed, Sari." He almost seems to draw in on himself, "I really should just break it off, so he isn't damaged from the asso-"
She walks over and prods him sharply in the head, "Like hell you will. I'm not going to tell anyone about it. No one here is going to complain. Other than about you not using your room for this. You will stay with him, got it?"
Optimus looks away, twitching fretfully. "If he wishes for me to stay with him, then I shall. But if he agrees that it is too dangerous for us to be together, then I will respect his wishes and we will separate."
Completely unimpressed, Sari slugs him in the shoulder. "Bot, if you gave him any indication that you wanted to bond, he'd snap you up in a heartbeat. But you gotta let him know you're interested. He probably thinks you're too young to want to bond."
There's a sudden cough from the console, and both bots jerk to stare at the blank screen. "I believe I should remind you that cutting the visual feed does not cut the audio, Optimus."
Optimus turns an even brighter red, absolutely mortified, and drops his head on the desk with a loud thump. Patting him on the head, Sari asks, "So... have you closed up yet, pervbot?"
There's a sigh from the console, "Yes, Sari. That was actually the first thing I did."
She turns on the com, leaning against Optimus, "So, when are you going to bring him the bonding brush?"
Ultra is blushing faintly, "I can head there now?"
She tisks at him, "With Decepticons on the loose?"
"Yes. I would gladly come to paint Optimus, even if it means we spend the first sol of our engagement fighting."
Optimus is flushed a painful red now, and he keeps biting his lip. "I don't want you forced into this, Ultra. Not if you don't really want it. You know the kinds of rumors it will start about us, and the bad publicity-"
Ultra cuts him off, "No, Optimus. I do not care what publicity it brings us, though I think you are overestimating the negative reaction. Magnuses in the past have taken lovers and bondmates from the ranks beneath them. We do not do well with nonmilitary partners."
Sari pats Optimus on the back, "There. See? He loves you, and you aren't going to ruin everything. Congratulations." She pokes him in the head, "I'm going to leave you guys alone to talk about this, but that doesn't mean you can try talking Ultra out of it. You want to bond. The way you sigh sadly when you see all the damn brushes when we pass various painting stores proves it."
Optimus looks away, biting his lip, and Ultra says, "I won't be talked out of it, Sari. You go ahead and go." The mech's optics dim, "Lock the door behind you, please."
She makes a face, kinda wishing the bot hadn't said it, but does as she's asked when she steps out of the office. It is time to go harass Ratchet.
The medical bay is empty, which means Ratchet is either in his room, mooning over that holopicture of Arcee, or somewhere out on the streets taking a stasis nap in front of a fire hydrant. She's had to pay so many fragging tickets for the bots. They don't seem to realize that someone has to pay their parking and speeding tickets.
They sure as fuck don't.
Ratchet is in his room when she goes to look for him, sitting on his berth, staring at the holopicture with longing optics. Why the mech doesn't just man up and ask Arcee out, she doesn't understand.
Walking over to him, she climbs into the berth and leans against him. "You have her com frequency."
He gives her a dirty look, "She doesn't want an old bot like me. I've told you this. Are you gonna accept that, or am I-"
She snorts, "She's the same general age as you. Ultra Magnus is older than you are, and Optimus likes him just fine. Optimus is younger than you are."
He gives her a dirty look, "It isn't the same thing at all. She's a femme. She won't want a broken down old mech like me. Not when she can have the pick of any young mech."
"You're not broken down. You've been fighting Decepticons and winning, and need I mention it again, Ultra Magnus is older than you and he's going to be bringing a bonding brush down the next time he visits."
Ratchet blinks. "He's what?"
Sari punches his shoulder, "Don't try and change the subject. Our Optimus is gonna get married, but we need to get you to at least ask Arcee out on a date. I bet she'll say yes, and then you'll end up getting to
kiss her instead of sighing all forlorn over her holo-picture."
Ratchet gives her a confused look, "He's finally bonding to Ultra?"
"Stay on track here," she prods him. "You need to go on a date with Arcee. We can even have Ultra bring her to earth with him. She'll be helpful when the Decepticons inevitably attack that day."
He rubs his optics, "... I think that's enough information for an old mech like me, Sari." She's lifted off the berth and set on the ground, "Go talk to Bumblebee or something."
That reminds her what she was planning on doing in the first place, and she clings to him, "Nuh-uh! I wanna show you something that's based on you!"
"You got more shocking news for me? I hope you're not going to tell me that you're getting bonded to some bot."
Sari sticks her tongue out at him, "Shut up. I said I wanted to show you something." She lifts her wrist and twists it around, making the charms clack together. "See? This one is you." She shows him the little charm of Rouncen, a round little monster with an egg pouch on his stomach and a little red and white chevron on his forehead. He's a brand new type of healing and support monster, with very few attack moves. In fact, they have put him in the healing centers with the female version of healing monster-a bright, cheerfully pink one.
She wonders if she should point that out to him.
He looks at it blankly before pushing her hand gently away. "It looks nothing like me."
She smiles at him, "It's just based on you. They got it to do healing, and it is really grumpy. It is a great big grumpy guts." She makes a silly face at him, "Just like you."
He rolls his optics, "Why aren't you telling Bumblebee this? I'm sure he'd want to know this."
Sari climbs back on the berth, "He's all sulky that the one based on him is a bug. I don't see why he's so upset about it. He could be a iron like Lugnut is."
He rubs his head tiredly, "Or a pot, like I am."
"You know what?" Sari grins excitedly, "I'm totally gonna find a bigger toy of Rouncen and give it to Arcee the next time she comes by. I bet she'll love it." And maybe she'd give its little forehead crest a kiss and then Ratchet would work up the courage to ask her out. If he doesn't tell her soon, she's gonna tell Arcee for him.
The other bot glares at her, optical ridges furrowed, "Don't you slaggin' dare. She doesn't need a toy that looks sort of like me."
She beams at him, slipping off the berth, "Of course, I won't, Ratchet."
His glare intensifies, "You better not."
She slowly heads to the door, "Unless, of course, I do it anyway." Which she will. She's going to probably order the largest toy of it she can, even if it gets shipped in from Japan. It isn't like she can't afford it.
He starts to get up, "Sari..."
She is part way out the door, "I need to go talk to Bulkhead, Ratchet. You go back to sulking about Arcee." She slips out, closing the door and taking off to find Bulkhead.
Paint is splattered all over the walls of Bulkhead's room, making it look like one of Bumblebee's pranks gone awry.
Bulkhead is standing in the middle of his room, tilting his head this way and that at a canvas that is mostly blank. Blank enough not to warrant the mess of paint everywhere, when Sari knows it had all been cleaned up just the day before.
"Hey, big bot. What're you painting today?" She climbs up to his shoulder and takes a seat there, studying the canvas. It looks sort of like a bunch of flowers, but it could easily be another bot or a city.
He shifts a tiny bit under her, "I'm trying to paint that bowl of fruit over there."
She peers over the canvas, and there is a bowl of fruit, but the picture only really matches it in colors. "... oh." She watches him put another paint stroke down before saying, "So! You know that game I've been playing?"
He looks at her with a small smile, "The one you said had monsters based on us?"
She beams at him, "Yeah! Wanna see the one based on you?"
"You said that mine wasn't on your version, though. Only on the other game for it, and even there you need to do some special thing."
"Yeah, well I don't have your monster in-game yet, but I do have this," she flashes the little charm at him. "Don't you think it's adorable?" He's a little tank-like metal bot that is all adorably rounded corners. His fully evolved form is rather large, and she's super jealous because she's seen pictures of how you can ride on him around the different routes if you don't feel like having your character walk.
At least her Megatron-bot will be able to let her hover around eventually, when he picks up the ability. Hello to not having to hunt for the correct path through a dungeon when you can hop right over all the ledges.
Bulkhead moves the charm to look at carefully, "I'm a tank?"
She smiles, "Yeah. Do you like him?"
He nods, "Yeah. He's really cute, Sari. I'm glad I finally got to see him. I was kinda curious."
She hugs him, "Is it okay if I go find Prowl to show him the one based on him? Or would you like me to stay here with you for a bit longer?"
She's gently put on the ground, "You go ahead, Sari. I want to keep trying to do this. I think I'm getting better."
Considering some of his earliest attempts, getting better wasn't hard to do. But that was being uncharitable. Bulkhead hadn't painted much at all, and he had a real natural talent for art. "It's lookin' good. We're gonna have to set up a gallery showing for you again soon. I bet you've got a lot of stuff you haven't even showed me yet."
The big green bot flushes pink and rubs the back of his helmet sheepishly, "Yeah, I guess I do. It's mostly in my closet, you know? I run out of space out here."
She nods, "I'm pretty sure you don't want to show me as you're painting, though. It dries up if you take too long!"
He turns back to the canvas, "Yeah..." He straightens up, "Maybe I can show you after you find Prowl?"
She hadn't realized he really does want to show them off. The other guys must be trying to avoid it again. Which is good in Bumblebee and Ratchet's cases, but not so much Prowl and Optimus. Maybe they didn't know, either. "Yeah, I'd love that. Maybe Prowl can come look, too."
He gives her a happy look, "I'd like that."
That probably means he has a few pictures of trees that he thinks Prowl will enjoy. "Awesome. I'll be back in a bit, then." She kisses his cheek and darts out the door.
Prowl is always the hardest bot to find, usually because he doesn't want himself to be found.
Or he's off fragging Lockdown in the forest somewhere. Something the bot refuses to admit to doing. Weird bot taboos.
"Hey, Prowly, are you here somewhere?" She looks up in the rafters and tries to peer up into his tree, which is so leafy right now that she can't really see far into it at all. "I want to show you something."
There's movement in the corner of her eye, and she turns to see him fully. He smiles at her, "And what would that be, Sari?"
She walks over to him, "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"
He shakes his head, "No. I was just looking at some of the birds in the tree." He drops gracefully into a sitting position on the floor, and she climbs into his lap. "What is it you wanted to show me, then?"
She leans on him, "You know that game I've been playing?"
He nods, "The one that comes from the country you showed me a tea ceremony for."
"Yeah, that one." She points out the thin, lithe dark/steel type monster that was based on Prowl. "This one is supposed to be you. See how he has little rounded bits on his legs that look a bit like tires?" He also has an attack move where he throws little ninja stars at other monsters, and a meditation move to restore his HP. "You're one of the fastest monsters in the game."
He looks at it with amused interest, "Aren't dark types the ones that do the moves that could be considered cheating?"
She nods, "You have this move that pretty much always lets you go first as a starting move. It is like you come out of the shadows and smack the other monster up."
He smiles, "I will put that down to a limitation of the game that you can't get out of the fight peacefully. Sometimes you have to be like that."
"Oh, and I think the humans have clued in about your affair with the bot that shall not be named," Sari says, her voice sing-song. "There's one based on him-he's made up of all sorts of parts, and his type depends on what kind of item he's holding at the time. But there's this whole attraction system in place, and Cyclemons fall in love with Lockups more than any other species."
Prowl blinks. "That's . . . an interesting observation, Sari. I am not entirely certain I would classify what . . . he and I have as love, though."
She nods, "Well, it is a kid's game. They aren't going to explain what you have in it." She pauses, "Well, maybe they did, and I just didn't know because of the language. I can tell you when the english version comes out."
He smiles at her, "That sounds like a great idea, Sari. I look forward to knowing what the people at the video game corporation think of it." He absently pets her hair, "Want to tell me what the other ones are? Since you have been really excited about this, and I saw that Bumblebee was off sulking."
She shows him each of the charms, including the two charms that represent Megatron and Starscream. She's not sure if more Decepticon charms will show up in the mail, but she kind of hopes they do, so she can have a complete set of each. Maybe she'll use the little charm hooks and put one of them on a necklace to wear that way.
The Megatron charm is almost painfully cute, after all.
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