Sideswipe was more than a little amused. And a little taken with the new subject of their curiosity. The girl before them seemed to flit from one emotion to another as quickly as the weather could change. One moment she was scared and the next she was bold and defiant. And then she was adorably flustered, not meeting their gaze for more than a second.
She did seem more relaxed than before though, so that was a good sign. Hopefully she'd be willing to satisfy their curiosity. And if they could bolster that chance by answering some of her own questions then so be it.
The bark of laughter that escapes him at her first question is a little startling, but not unexpected. Humans were so predictable sometimes.
Sharp teeth flashing in a grin, Sideswipe shared a look with his twin. Mischief blossoming and passing between them in that singular look. They might as well have a little fun.
The fins on the sides of his head flaring out and twitching slightly, he let his grin grow, conveniently ignoring the suspicious look she shot him. Pointing to himself then to his brother, he said, "Weeeeeell, I'm Sideswipe and this ray of sunshine is—"
A sudden shove knocked his arms forward and he smacked chest first into the wood, words trailing off into a yelp and whoosh of air. His gold twin's hand and arm retreating back, as he picked up where Sideswipe left off. "I told you not to call me that. Anyway, like my twin was saying, he's Sideswipe and I am Sunstreaker."
Sunstreaker could admit that he was a vain creature and more than a little prideful. So he wasn't at all ashamed at the swelling of his pride when he caught the small smile pull the girl's lips upward. It swelled even more when the set of her shoulders relaxed into a more normal position, based on what he observed from her visits.
Plus it gave him reason to ignore his twin's glare and pout. For now. He was sure he'd be paying for it in some way later.
Whatever, he'd really enjoyed that little smile he got.
Attention focused on her, he watched as her head dipped in a nod and she gave a soft, "Nice to meet you."
He could feel as his cheeks began to heat slightly in reaction and the sensation become more than a little distracting. His response is as foreign to him as she is, and for that reason alone, he doesn't hesitate in answering the second part of her question.
That was the only reason. Totally.
Blinking slightly as he meets her focused, openly curious gaze, Sunstreaker finds himself stumbling over his words slightly, still a little thrown from before. And from his brother's amused snort, his...trouble was noticeable. "And well, we're what you'd know as sirens. Or mermen. Though neither of those are what we call ourselves."
The words were stilted, awkward and for a moment Sunstreaker was horrified. This was not how he usually acted. He prided himself on being unshakable. This...this was mildly alarming. And distracting enough for his brother to step in once more.
"Demons! Sea demons is what some humans call us. And other mer, but that's another story. We're also total badasses too." An unimpressed, skeptical look rankles both of them a little. They both are badasses. They have to be to protect their pod the way they do. Although...others would say they were reckless.
What was that weird human saying again? Oh yeah, potato, po-tah-to.
Neither of them even knew what a potato was. But the context seemed to fit.
Smirking, Sideswipe figured some elaboration on his part would wipe the skepticism from her face and maybe impress her a little. Puffing up just a little, he was confident in his boasting, "We really are! We protect our pod from all sorts of nasty things! Things like giant sharks and squids. Oh and other huge mer! I'm talking like as big as those floaty thingies that carry all those square things! Uh..boxes! But yeah we totally take them on and kick their asses! Me and Sunny are the best."
About halfway through, he realized he was rambling and his brother was giving him the most exasperated look he'd ever received. He was committed though, he would see it through to the end. And that little smile growing on her face and the occasional soft snort of amusement was so worth it.
She raised an eyebrow and her lips twitched up in amusement at the boasts. Because that was exactly what they were, boasts. Normally she'd find it off-putting, but this felt different. Maybe because, despite it all, they seemed just as nervous as she was, in their own way of course.
Plus they were being adorable. And dammit if that wasn't tugging at her heart.
"I think you mean boats, dear. Those are the big...ah floaty thingies. But you two certainly sound like quite the...brave duo. Thank you for telling me quite the tale." If her smile had grown at this point, well...it would be understandable. The two were charming, in their own little way. And really cute with the way both puffed up and preened at the compliment.
Glancing above both their heads, the girl let her mind wander a little.
Humming absentmindedly in thought, she slowly processed what she'd learned, one hand's fingers drumming on her knee and the other's coming up to brush her hair back. It wasn't much, but she could understand the lack of facts. They didn't know anything about her, and she them.
Chewing on her lip, she came to the conclusion that despite her still lingering fear and wariness, she does want to see the two again. She was sure that in time they'd be more open.
Gaze focusing, she takes a moment to really look at them. Sideswipes' expression is patiently hopeful and burning with mischief. Sunstreaker's face was harder to read, his own wariness clouding it, but she could pick out at least a little curiosity behind the mask. And maybe a little hope too. Both were still puffed up from the earlier praise, fins on the sides of their heads flared out and wiggling a little.
They seemed to be just as...not quite desperate, but...they seemed like they wanted her to visit again. Just as much as she wanted to visit them again. And she'd quietly admit to herself, she was eager to visit them again.
Tilting her head in consideration, her voice comes out steady, with a trace of reluctance, "Thank you. Both of you for answering. But...but I really need to go now. I...I have work soon."
The sight of the disappointment that flashed across their faces and the resulting pouts, Sideswipes' the more obvious of the two, almost convinces her to stay a little longer, a strange twisting in her heart making it a little harder to leave than it should have been. She wanted to indulge their own curiosity like they had hers.
But she really can't. Not today.
She also can't...no won't leave them simply hanging in suspense of a "might return."
Impulsively, she reached out and brushed her fingers across first one of Sideswipes', then Sunstreaker's hands, letting each touch linger. It had the intended effect of drawing their attention away from their sulking. But it also drew the butterflies from before fluttering around in her stomach again. Their gazes were just so intense.
Feeling a little flustered, she pulled her hand back to her chest and began to rise, well aware of their eyes following her movements again. It took a moment before she was able to look at them. Their expressions remained a little muted, but a smile was beginning to play across Sideswipes' face.
It was a smile brimming with mischief. One that matched the sudden glint in his eyes well. "Wait! Before you go, you never told us what those things are! And can't we at least have the name of the beautiful lady that visited us?"
Flushing, she could do nothing but stare for a moment, completely taken aback as her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't until a small, barely there, smile of amusement flickered across Sunstreaker's lips that she remembered herself.
Drawing herself completely straight, some distant spark of her own mischief showed itself and was enough to push through the embarrassment.
Meeting their gazes head on, she gave them a cheeky smile and said, "Guess you'll just have to keep visiting to find out, huh?"
Turning on her heel, she listened to the sound of her footsteps and the twin laughs, one a tad higher than the other, echo in the air around her as she walked away.
The world a little bigger.
Her heart a little lighter.
And the cresting feeling of an adventure beginning, swelling in her mind.