Co-Authered by Kitra and Omicron
"Human spoken dialogue"
"~Human speaking rough Cybertronian dialogue~"
"Cybertronian spoken dialogue."
::Cybertronian communication/Comm. Line dialogue::
-Bumblebee's translation dialogue-
Atlantis
Comfort Needed
Jack paused walking as he found himself at Arcee's door. Having been just meandering in the back passages to be out of the way, while some of the bots were out of the base or getting ready for an energon collection mission. He was lightly tapping a disk like device against his arm, thinking of many things that had happened to him in the last year. A whole year from when he had stumbled into this hidden, terrifying war, but just as wonderful world beyond his. One he was now connected to because of this little disk...
He paused and looked around, finding that he was, without thinking about it in front of Arcee's room. Though knowing she was gone for now Jack still moved to the cracked open door to peek in.
Wing was laying curled up on the floor in front of his dimly glowing sword, more or less coherent as he fumbled with the two cords. Both of his hands obviously lacking energon as the flow had been cut off by the binding. He didn't even notice when Jack entered the room. The jet looked as young as he truly was, soft clicks, almost sparkling like escaping him every now and then.
And then someone was tugging on the cord, pulling a second off the main energon line in Wing's right wrist. After a moment of panic, the teen had hurried in, trying not to make any judgments right away, as he knew just how different cultures were between one world and species. Add in a second set of littoral alien cultures...
"Hey, hey, Wing?" Jack asked looking up to the mech's face, then climbed over the large fingers to tug another loosen coil free of the joints, working to try and free him, and as they were loosened already it took some time, but not long enough for the young man to go get help right away. He could feel his key active against the skin of his back, in the place he put it for this, and hoped the Vector Sigma energy wouldn't affect Wing in a way that would mean trouble for him, or that massive sword that the boy was getting a distinctly watched sensation from.
The jet quietly eyed him through dimly lit optics. "Jack? Wha-What are you doing here?" He asked quietly, not ashamed but almost afraid. Once his arms were fairly free he carefully flexed his hands, trying to get the feeling back into them. The sword was indeed watching with approval of the young human's courage and a welcome acknowledgement of the artifact he carried.
Jack didn't answer at first, catching one of Wing's hands, having to jump up on it to make the mech rest it back down. Then the teen opened, or rather lifted some of the many small plates that made up the covering at the flier's wrist, reaching in to start rubbing at the kinked lines and get the energon flowing better. He wasn't afraid of the mech, and seemed to know what he was doing, even getting the flow smoothed into the digits.
"Good thing I wondered here out of habit." Jack said as he smiled up at Wing, once sure that hand at least was going to be okay, then stood and tugged on a black finger of the other hand to get it in range, "Are you okay Wing?" he asked, ready to start the process again.
The knight nodded solemnly. "I am, just still a little drowsy and in serious need of snuggles. I wouldn't have needed your help, but it's very much appreciated. I don't like doing this without others around who just accept what happens." He murmured quietly, making it clear he felt somewhat uneasy about having been alone in this. "Thank you for helping Jack."
The black hair teen didn't stop as he rubbed at two kinks in one line inside of Wing's left wrist, "You're welcome, but... what were you doing to hurt yourself?" He asked, a little confused, and doing a good job of keeping a level head, even as he reached back and pushed the glittering key back into his belt (only doing so after getting Optimus' assurance no human could hurt it).
"A form of meditating. It's insightful and helps dealing with problems I encounter." He sighed softly and eyed the Great Sword for a short moment, purring softly at the affectionate wash of energy over his field. "It's deeper and far better at solving things than normal meditation. The pain is a side effect that comes with the binding." He shrugged. "Not the worst binding I've gone through. Penance bindings are far worse. They don't stop when I'm ready, but when the problem has completely been dealt with. They can take days of your time, sometimes even months."
"That doesn't sound very good," Jack said but it wasn't accusing as he made sure Wing's second hand had a good flow of energon before coming over to the new mech's face, putting a hand on his cheek, "Did you get any clarity in your problems?"
A small smile appeared. "I did, and it's complicated. The pain is worth it though." He nuzzled the small hand gently as he spoke.
"Do you need to talk to a neutral party?" Jack offered as he moved closer, finding a spot much like Cliffjumper had and started rubbing his fingers on it along the lower edge of the silver-white face.
Wing chirred and leaned into the touch. "No... I really just need some cuddles and recharge, then I should be fine again." Oh yes, that rubbing felt good without a question.
Jack braced one hand on the jaw, then rubbed more with his right hand. He made a thoughtful sound, looking back at the door, up to the desk-table and then reached back for the Key.
"Okay... work again." He muttered, aware of Wing's, and that strange Sword's attention and field around and near him.
The jet neatly went from chirring to purring, relaxing into the humans touch without fear. "Hm? What do you mean?"
"Um...my, ~Key.~" He said the simple word in decent Cybertronian for an organic throat. Jack turned it so Wing could see the glittering crystals and metal that glowed from within. A Key, a key to Vector Sigma. It was no different than all the images from the history texts, just scaled down for the human, and the one Key that had long ago been given to the charge of the Knights of Light for protection in case a new forge Prime or Convoy needed it.
And here was a little organic youth that had one of these priceless keys. It reacted to Jack as if he was the imprinted controller.
The jet blinked surprised and somewhat weirded out, "Impressive use of Cybertronian, Jack. Even more impressive that you're the bearer of that key. But ancient artifacts of our race are quite weird at times. Considering I'm bonded to a semi-sentient sword." He eyed the youth a bit incredulously. "Though I have to say I did not expect such a rare item here." Wing sighed softly, admiring that the human was this worthy.
"By the way, I should maybe introduce you to Too Pure For This World, my great sword. It roughly translates as 'Too Pure for this World'." The knight elaborated, singing the cybertronian glyphs. "So what kinda work did ya mean?"
"This," Jack paused to poke the key, humming in his throat before the Key flashed twice and settled back down. The teen couldn't see all the energies, but he could feel how the Key had worked up through his arm and into his chest before retreating back. Then he held it close and looked back at the sword, tilting his head one way and then the other, not knowing it was a cute image to most peaceful mechs. "Um, hi." He said to the sword, looking to Wing and stepping over to the hilt. Jack knew what he tried had worked to get the attention of who he wanted.
Wing cooed at the keys activity, purring contently. The sword's gem flared and pulsed gently greeting the boy right back. Shifting slightly, Wing held Jack as he grabbed the swords blade to hoist it over the hooks and pull it down into his lap, absently stroking over the gem and hilt. He could feel the swords own field gently pulsing back at him.
"Oof," Jack made the soft sound as he was picked up, unexpectedly, the turned in the white hand as best he can to look at Wing and see what he would do next, but having a feeling he might be like Raphael. When Bumblebee was recharging and curled around the younger boy held against his spark.
Wing carefully let go of Jack, giving the oldest human some more freedom again, though he was obviously was reluctant to give the almost cuddle up.
The human looked over and came back, putting the Key into his belt before resting against the flier's chest. "You're a lot like Cliffjumper."
"Don't know Cliffjumper enough to say yes or no." He grinned and leaned back against the wall, sighing somewhat contently. He loosely curled an arm around the boy, happy to just have company.
"You both need someone when you're feeling down or sad." Jack explained as he shifted, rubbing along the different seams in the mech's armor, having a sense of someone coming before the heavy footsteps were heard.
"Jack, I'm used to having people around me, lovers, friends and family. I'm a highly social creature. I wouldn't be able to live the life of a loner." Wing purred softly, looking up at the sound of someone large moving toward them. He openly showed appreciation for the humans comforting touches.
"Raph and Miko are like that, Bumblebee and Smokescreen too I think," The human moved back up to Wing's head, pausing to rub and check over the muscle cables in the mech's neck. He looked back as the door was slid open and Optimus peered in, concerned as he hummed.
"I dare judge that Blaster is like that too. Some just don't do well without company. I can survive for a long time, but it grates on my processors to be alone. Good thing I can't be truly alone anyways." He hummed softly and barely acknowledged Optimus as he tilted his head back, sighing blissfully. "You're good at that. And hey Optimus."
"You can learn a lot by watching, and paying attention," Jack grinned, looking back as Optimus came in, kneeling down beside Wing with concern. One hand smoothing on the younger mech's helm as his optics took in what happened.
"Are you alright?" The Prime asked, his deep voice taking a much softer edge.
Wing leaned his head into the large hand, purring deeply. "Feeling better than I did before. Just in need of snuggles and recharge."
Optimus gave a chirping like sound to Jack, who moved out of the way as the red and blue lifted Wing up and off the floor, then over to the berth. He didn't seem to have any trouble, and his hand gently unlocked the swords to rest them on the berth between Wing and the back wall, not completely taking them away. At feeling a tug in his ankle joint, the big mech helped Jack up next, humming in a way not unlike a creator.
The jet curled against the larger mech without a problem, chirring happily. He was lighter than other mechs his size, a civilian stunt jet didn't have much armor. Jack was carefully tugged up to Wings head, the jet wanted him close but somewhere he felt comfortable talking to someone smaller.
Optimus hummed as he settled to leaning against the berth, one battle warn hand gently scritching and rubbing on Wing's side and back. Jack waited until he wasn't being moved before relaxing, then chuckled and grinned at the Prime.
"It worked." He said proudly.
"Yes, you're learning remarkably well." The mech purred, smiling in that small but proud way of his.
The knight settled and purred drowsily himself. If he had been on his front it would not have taken much to make him drop into recharge. He didn't really follow what they were talking about, instead Wing enjoyed the physical attention. He sure as heck was a cyber cat in mech form, one very tactile jetling.
Optimus hummed to Wing, leaning over a bit to rub against the flier's neck cables. The Prime didn't seem to mind spending time here, and likely because he was a civilian. That had the lithe jet roll over onto his front, mindful of the human next to his head. His purr intensified slightly, it wouldn't take long until he was blessed out.
Jack, umph-ed as he was sitting suddenly but he didn't complain as he was now sitting half beside, half under Wing. Legs gently trapped by the neck cables over them, and now beside the new mech's face. He looked around, then at hearing to low amused rumble from Optimus started to rub Wing's 'cheek.'
"It seems you have a friend Jack." The big mech said as his fingers rubbed between the shoulders of the jet, not quiet between the wings but moving down every few stokes.
Wing cooed happily and nuzzled Jack lightly. His voice was a blissful slur. "Keeping you. You're coooommmmfffyyyyyy... and gooood." The wing panels twitched slightly for attention from the larger mech. Yes, Wing thought, this is a bunch of awesome new friends.
"I'm already taken, you'll have to get me from them. And my mom." Jack said, having to hold onto the mech as he was nuzzled into a sprawl, trusting that if the pressure got too much, that Optimus would intervene and help even as he lowered himself into a kneeling position beside the low berth.
"D'aww. I'll have to find me my own human then." Wing grinned into the berth, going utterly limp when Optimus brushed over the brackets normally holding his Great Sword.
Optimus rubbed one with his thumb, a faint background hum of the Matrix in his field, "We will learn to share," He said in an amused tone, and smiled as Jack razzed up at him from against Wing's face.
The jet hummed softly, dozing off slowly, systems slowing down for a light recharge, his purring never stopped though. The red and blue mech waited a klik before lifting Wing's head to let Jack free.