Fandom: Transformers G1
Pairing:
Rating:
Codes: Het
Summary


Wanderer's Home arc 3 pt 04: Hunting with Mirage


"You are a very quick study," Mirage said with honest approval after their third round of target practice, each one seeing Tarinash improve noticeably.

"Thank you," the civilian-raised, military-framed Tezita smiled at him warmly, openly grateful for the praise.

"Think you're ready to head outdoors for a while?" Mirage asked him. "Stretch out, maybe find a good place for a little hunting?"

"I'd love to," his smile brightened a bit more as he followed Mirage's lead on putting their target weapons away.

Mirage felt the slight disturbance of a secure burst transmission, a similar reply, and then Tarinash was at his side, just a touch behind him.

"The Si'Mir agreed if you are willing to show me around before the local dawn. I'll miss the official tour," he explained.

"Not a problem," Mirage nodded. "Honestly, the tour doesn't take very long. So, how fast is your alt?" He asked, swapping for two of his modified hunting rifles and heading out.

"It should be able to break the sound barrier on open ground," he said easily as he passed one to Tarinash. "It looks like a silver Lamborghini Countach, but I've kept the internal design from home."

"What is it with you Tezitans and flashy sportscars?" Mirage chuckled, subspacing his rifle before anybody noticed and questioned him. "I prefer my F-1 racer, myself. When you consider the price tag and maintenance, they're much more exclusive."

"I expect so," he smiled at the smaller, much lighter mech. "It has far more to do with how one thinks of oneself. Most of us you have met so far are all coded to move and think fast; victory by outmaneuvering. You can't kill what you can't hit. It's standard officer coding. When the cruisers come, you will meet other code-sets. Heavy infantry, snipers, non-native fliers, transports, couriers, scientists and more. We do have some level of purpose-coding, like your kind."

"Fair enough," he chuckled. Once they were outside, he passed one of the rifles over to Tarinash. "These are dialed in so they'll only stun the local creatures," he explained. "I recommend not shooting at aerial creatures unless you can catch them safely - part of my 'not pissing off my officers' plan," he said, transforming into his vehicular form.

He paused, his engine at idle as his sensors took in the Tezita's flowing shift into the newest model Countach, his silver finish as brilliant as Sunstreaker's gold. Despite looking like he was sitting on the ground, the noble's sensors told him otherwise. Tarinash may look local, but everything about how he moved was as alien as the mech himself.

They drove in silence for a while, Mirage enjoying how open his companion was to his polite but curious scans and Tarinash taking in the alien environment and a companion who didn't treat him like the aberration of nature he was.

::How bad is it?:: Mirage asked him over a tight burst transmission. ::Living between the two worlds?::

::It ... depends,:: Tarinash responded the same way. ::Some enjoy the status a great deal. I still wonder why I could not have been placed in a civilian frame, and why the Si'Mir tolerates my continued existence. I'm as ill-suited to my use now as I am in combat.::

::How so?:: Mirage asked him, running through his own databanks on the subject for anything he could put together... nothing was coming to him, yet, but hopefully Tarinash would explain it. From his side, at least.

::I am a favor ... given in trade for something those who raised me did or would do for the military. It is very prestigious to have a military youngling and nearly as prestigious to have one as your mate. It gives those who raised me much social influence, both from their obvious ties to the Si'Mir and in garnering favors from those seeking to court me. I was raised with the expectation that once mated I would influence my new family to assist both those who raised me and the military. Despite upgrades and extra programs, I fail utterly at subterfuge and subtle manipulation. I'm not even very good at overt manipulation unless it's very important to me and that's just being unsociably stubborn on my part. The only skills I do excel at are dance, poetry, youngling care and interfacing. They are things that make me an attractive as a trophy mate, but almost useless to those who raised me, the Si'Mir or even the head of any family I might be mated into.::

The words rushed across the transmission in a torrent Mirage knew all too well. He'd had the same kind of response when he finally broke down and accepted that Jazz cared about him and wasn't just trying to make him vulnerable. That Tarinash was doing it so readily either meant he was emotionally unstable, or so desperate for any kind of acceptance he was willing to risk rejection this fast.

Most likely the second, particularly given the rejection from Ezara, and how quickly he could vacate any situation on Earth or Cybertron.

::'Trophy mates' can still have a great deal of influence, particularly when it's known that they're not good at subterfuge,:: Mirage offered. ::The skills you have all make you sound like you'd be a very desirable mate, at least as a secondary.::

There was a long silence, and Mirage allowed his words to sink in at their own pace. He had little doubt that Tarinash had heard them before, but maybe not from someone who wasn't trying to manipulate him into a relationship.

"It is reminiscent of the stories of ancient Lydrom," Tarinash said with a mixture of awe and controlled fear, abruptly and completely changing the subject. "So much green and biolife."

::Watch your out-loud voice - prey have good hearing around here,:: Mirage warned him as some nearby antelopes stood and darted away from them. ::But you're right. Cybertron never had anything like this, as far as I'm aware. No native bio-life at all.::

::There are memories from Delta Six's time still being passed on of the creatures that once lived,:: he couldn't help the mental shudder. The local life didn't bother him, but what he was thinking of was undeniably frightening. ::You have seen Ezara's beast-form? The six-limbed 'wolverine'?:: he added a picture of the basic design to the transmission.

::Oh yes,:: Mirage chuckled lowly. ::A little rough for my usual tastes, but very much like a super-sized Ravage. That would be something for a whole group to hunt, and with spears as well as blasters.::

::You have no idea,:: Tarinash's form actually shuddered, but his voice carried with it a definite amazement that Mirage would consider hunting such a creature. ::It's a mid-sized predator of the time, and she is accurately sized for it. Only the Lydrom were half her height at most. Some Beast-sparks in the preserves are of larger, more social beasts. Only the best warriors dare hunt there. The odds of coming back are low.

::I much prefer things that can't maim or kill me.::

::I understand,:: Mirage reassured him. ::Hunting for entertainment should only be risky for your targets. But here, there's very little that could harm either of us. Even the largest predators would hurt themselves before doing more than scratching my surface.::

::Which would do even less to me,:: Tarinash relaxed a bit more as he took in the high plains. ::What are we hunting today?::

::If we're lucky, wolves. More likely coyote - wolves aren't nearly as common these days as they used to be. If we do come across any though, our human contacts will appreciate if we tag them.::

Tarinash paused to download information on both species and assess it. ::Yes, wolves prefer more forested terrain. This is perfect coyote land.::

Mirage paused and silently signaled a transformation to begin the actual hunt.

::Do you hunt the same few each time?:: Tarinash asked curiously as he flowed to his bipedal form.

Mirage only barely paid enough attention to realize that the other mech was now his height and not Prime's.

::Not normally,:: Mirage said easily. ::Though it is more of a challenge after you've caught the same one a couple of times. If you had a cloak, I'd show you the game I developed before I refined the stun setting, but this should be fine.:: He dropped down low, his metallic form shifting colors so it was closer to blending in without being fully cloaked.

Tarinash lowered himself as well, his nanite mass shifting into a longer form with shorter limbs that was much better suited to the position of creeping forward nearly on his belly. He studied Mirage for a long moment, then his own coloration shifted to blend in, though it was more a mimicking of what was on the other side of his body.

::I detect many small animals, but nothing large enough to be a coyote,:: Tarinash commented silently, his senses wide open as he sought out their quarry.

::That's why we're here - those are prey animals,:: Mirage explained. ::They'll come out more as the afternoon carries on, but we'll need a little time to blend into the area. Do you have sonar sensors?::

::No,:: he resisted the urge to move his head. ::That kind of advanced sensor package is well beyond anything I'd need.::

::Good. If you did, I was going to warn you not to use it. They can hear pulses in that range. Right now, it's patience until they come out.::

Tarinash settled in for the wait, his form flattening out a bit. He diverted much of his attention from touch to audio and shifted the focus of his optical sensors to infrared.

::Do you have a mate?:: the Tezita asked absently as they relaxed and waited.

::Had a few candidates, but they're not around anymore,:: Mirage said, a bit of pain in the response. ::The noble lines were generally the fastest to fall, at least the ones I'd have anything to do with. The other ones generally went Decepticon in self-defense.::

::Oh,:: Tarinash sounded decidedly sheepish about asking. ::I'm sorry. Things like that don't happen on Lydrom. Civilians are really targeted in your wars?:: he tried not to sound as sickened as he was by the idea.

::They're not supposed to be, but Megatron doesn't believe in rules that don't benefit him,:: Mirage explained grimly. ::More importantly, most of us weren't really civilians. We never had a split between civilians and military like the Tezita do - our civilians have always been willing and expected to pick up arms if needed.::

::How can you have an effective fighting force if most can't upload combat protocols?:: Tarinash didn't even try to hide how bewildering a concept that was. ::Even military scientists are warriors first, then something else as they have the spark for it.::

::I think the easiest way to picture it is that we're all military, after a fashion,:: Mirage told him after a few kliks to think it over. ::Perceptor is one of the closest mechs we have to a pacifist, and he's almost as good a shot as I am. There's no such thing as a Cybertronian who can't handle combat programming - it's not part of our nature, not yet. Some of us might not like to fight, but we're all capable of accepting the training.::

Tarinash mulled that over for a time, picking the idea apart several different ways with an elegant social adaptation program he wasn't even aware of being unusual. ::How many live as warriors in peace time?::

::A handful, and even fewer of them involved in active combat. Most of our peacetime warriors are like Magnus - base commanders who make sure the defense lasers are maintained and manned, in case of evasion. Others are like Ironhide and in the Civil Defense Force for handling riots and things a little too big for the Enforcers to handle,:: Mirage explained. ::Most of the rest engage in some sort of trade or research, unless they're one of the ruling families.::

::What did bots like Jazz and Whiplash do?:: he asked, more than a bit fascinated by the idea no matter how alien it was.

::Mostly what they do now, just on a smaller scale... there we go,:: Mirage observed, shifting down so he was prone, activating his cloak fully. ::Saw one; should be coming out of its den shortly.::

Tarinash focused his senses, following where Mirage's line of sight had been before he vanished, but he couldn't hold his attention to the hunt very well. The mech next to him was far, far more interesting than any animal. The fully cloaked presence clicked several things into place without any level of conscious thought, or even real awareness.

All the Tezita recognized was that Mirage was interesting. Worthy of time, attention ... and maybe allow Tarinash to finally do something right for those who continued to allow his existence. Mirage was Intel. An officer of rank. A noble of some rank. He knew things, had allegiances to important people that needed to be influenced. Even if all he could do was make a ranking officer be reluctant to betray them for a few dozen millennia, it was a worthy use of his life.

A few moments later, he saw the tawny-furred head peek out above the short grasses, the animal sniffing the air for a trace of appropriate prey. There was a violet bolt, the sound of a blaster discharging, and the animal slumped to the ground unconscious as Mirage uncloaked and rose.

"I'll check to make sure it's all right, and be right back - it should be fine." Mirage said as he walked towards his 'kill', fully aware of the shift in Tarinash's attention in the past few breems. With a small smile on his lips, he made a subtle, Towers display of himself. Flirting as only nobles did it, and kept a passive sensor set on the response of the alien who's own sensors were much more clearly locked on him.

A brief moment to make sure he hadn't done any permanent damage, and Mirage turned back to take a look at Tarinash.

"Do you want to come take a closer look, while we have a chance?" He offered.

The Tezita flowed into his biped form and walked forward with a shy smile, indirect gaze and sway to his body that bore a distinct resemblance to the show he'd just been given. It wasn't quite Tower flirting at Mirage's level, but by Primus the alien was doing a good imitation.

Tarinash was all grace as he knelt to pick up the limp animal, not even as long as one of his fingers.

"It's so delicate," he murmured as he brought the leggy tan creature close to his face.

"Very - be careful with it," Mirage warned him, moving around behind him. "It's easy to hurt them by mistake if you're not careful. Amazing to think that creatures like this happened without anybody making them - Wheeljack likes to keep rambling on about them being well-engineered." He put a hand, very gently, on Tarinash's shoulder, gauging his response to the touch with a keen awareness of all the warning about who got to initiate contact among the Tezita.

"Survival will do that," he chuckled softly and leaned into the contact slightly as he continued to study the creature. A few of his nanites slipped into Mirage's hand to make it tingle pleasantly and he lowered much of his outer shielding. He didn't reach out, but he left himself open if the other wanted in. "The best suited to supply the needs of them and their young have more descendants who survive. The results do frequently look engineered."

Mirage let his mind brush lightly against Tarinash's, seeing if he was willing to let him in. When there was no resistance, he took a light peek, mostly curious just what Tarinash was thinking as he inspected the creature, but his eyes open in case anything else was readily apparent.

He found a welcoming warmth and softness, and no matter how alien the specifics of the language and heritage, the direct contact made it impossible to misinterpret the intent of it. It was also hard to miss that he was offered a great deal of information on concepts like evolution, both in biologicals and in Tezita, in response to his curiosity. Beyond the two huge leaps, they were part of a rapidly evolving set of species and were well aware of that nature.

The more curiosity he showed, the more Tarinash obliged him with information. Much of it the dry learning of his education, an insight into how little he'd been out in the real world, but here and there were brighter spots where life had linked up in one way or another to illuminate a lesson.

Within it all, Mirage became perfectly aware that at some point in the hunt he had become interesting to the Tezita. Whether that meant fooling around, as a lover or something serious wasn't nearly as clear.

He'd have to figure that out over time; for now, he doubted he was going to get a clear reaction. He drew back politely, aware that it wouldn't be too long before his quarry started to recover.

"You might want to set it down soon; want to watch it until it heads off on its own, or go off on our own somewhere?"

Tarinash flicked his chin up in acceptance and knelt to carefully set the creature on the ground even more gently than Mirage could by having nanites flow out from under it instead of sliding it from his hand.

As he stood, the back of his fingers sliding along Mirage's in a coy touch. "I'd like to go off on our own," he gave Mirage a flirtatious look as he stepped far enough away for them to transform if that was what the noble had in mind.

"I know a better place than this," Mirage winked, transforming and waiting for Tarinash before taking off towards a nearby cavern complex. He had to be far more careful of his low undercarriage than the Tezita did, but Tarinash didn't seem to mind at all. He felt Tarinash's sensors roving him rather shamelessly. Not enough to be rude, but there was no missing it either.

Mirage found his way to the cavern entrance, then transformed again to find a place slightly back from the entrance.

"Here's a good spot," he rumbled lowly as Tarinash shifted to stand up as well, his transformation sequence looking more Cybertronian than Tezitan in the dim light. "Might not be the most comfortable, but we've got some privacy for once."

"Privacy is good," Tarinash all but purred and stepped close, just inside Mirage's personal space but not close enough that they touched. "You have such lovely markings," he added, not quite sure if the compliment would carry over as intended, but trying with something he thought would be reasonably universal.

"Thank you," Mirage said, his engine purring as he reached to touch him lightly and felt the heat of desire burn across the contact hot enough to make his intakes catch. "Do you prefer physical, or mental, attention?"

"Mmm, I like both," he pressed into the contact with a sensual arc of his supple body. "But mental," he shivered faintly and made no effort to hide what just thinking of it did to him. "Is so very intimate," his voice was a velvet soft whisper across the spy's lips.

~It's been a while for you, hasn't it?~ Mirage asked him, kissing him gently and pressing their minds together lightly. He found Tarinash more than receptive with an open willingness to let him in, or follow to Mirage's mind-space.

~Longer than I care to think about,~ he all but trembled in Mirage's arms as he slid his own up and around the spy's neck in a loose embrace. The kiss that followed was gentle, respectful, but desperately hungry as the physical world faded into the background in favor of the intimacy of their minds.

~What type of bodies do you like?~ Mirage asked him, drawing him into the Towers of Iacon during the golden age, gleaming metal and creature comforts everywhere. He could feel how familiar it felt to his lover in general and that it was alien in the details at the same time.

~Lydrom,~ he whispered in Mirage's ear as their forms solidified.

The answer was no surprise to the spy, though the fact that they were both dressed was a bit of one.

"Do you like to watch, or be touched, until you can't hold back?" Tarinash stood in front of him, chest pressed against chest and warmth against warmth. His hands slid across the well-defined muscles of Mirage's shoulders, their lips only a breath apart.

"I can't say I have much experience with either - why don't you show me your favorite?" Mirage asked him with a kiss, moving his tall, lean, blue body back towards the bed. He knew the answer before Tarinash moved, but when the Tezita took a step back and let his submissive and Tower-like manners fall away it nearly took the spy's breath away.

Against everything he projected, Tarinash was well-taught and knew exactly how to use his body to elicit the response he wanted. Mirage almost absently realized there was soft music playing in the background. The beat was Tezitan, but the instruments were Cybertronian, and he couldn't take his eyes off the seductive blue form that was slowly revealing itself several paces away.

With a low rumble in his throat, he leaned back, staying fully dressed and watching the show the Tezitan was putting on for him, enjoying the seductive dance and feeling himself stir. He was aching between his legs by the time Tarinash had shed the last of his clothing, and a their joint mindspace let him understand the full implications of having the short tail curled around the Tezita's hip to cover his sex from the side instead of up between his legs.

It was an open, unmistakable invitation while maintaining some level of modesty. It wasn't really something Cybertronians had an equivalent to, and for a brief moment Mirage found the tail and visible sexual display appealing just for that.

"Get over here," he rumbled deeply, starting to undo his shirt, the hunger in his voice clear to the other noble. Attention wasn't something he had a hard time finding when he wanted it, but somebody like Tarinash had been entirely too hard to find, even before leaving Cybertron.

Tarinash looked at him with smoldering desire and sauntered over, not giving a single physical hint of how badly he wanted to be taken.

"Something I can help you with, Lord Mirage?" the Tezita asked with that low, sultry voice that made Mirage's breath catch in his throat.

"Why don't you start with my boots?" Mirage rumbled deeply, trying to keep some semblance of control over the situation, sure that was what Tarinash would prefer right now.

Slender, agile fingers unlaced the leather and slid them off before returning to knead the exposed flesh and skin. The pleasure of the firm touch came as enough surprise to cause Mirage to gasp. His eyes closed and head tipped back as he allowed himself to indulge in the unique feeling.

It wasn't until he felt the heat of Tarinash's face against his knee that he looked back down and shuddered at the unreined desire in the soft blue eyes.

"Just how submissive are you?" He asked, reaching down to stroke his cheek. "What do you like to do?"

When Tarinash tipped his face and captured one finger in his mouth before lavishing it with his tongue and suction, Mirage shuddered. His groin pulsed with a deep ache as he watched his finger slide in and out of his mouth and the absolutely wanton expression of the face between his knees.

~I'm less submissive then I was taught to me,~ Tarinash purred so he didn't have to give up the finger in his mouth to communicate. ~But what I like,~ a slight tremor passed down his frame. ~Is to use my mouth, and break my lover's self-control.~

~Then why don't you take my pants down, and fill your mouth with something more to your tastes?~

Tarinash smiled and pulled back so Mirage's finger slipped from between his lips. Despite his own eagerness, he took his time opening the buttons on Mirage's pants and kept his touch feather-light as he pulled them down, then off.

He kissed his way up Mirage's inner thigh and delicately ran the tip of his tongue along the underside of the hard shaft waiting for him.

"You like taking your time, don't you?" Mirage purred, rubbing his ears lightly. "How much do you want me to bother trying to hold back?"

"Not at all, unless it really works you up to do so," Tarinash flicked his tongue along the small slit at the top of Mirage's penis before trailing kisses down the length and drawing one velvet-furred testicle into his mouth.

"Noted," Mirage groaned, wrapping a leg around Tarinash's back lightly, probing his lover's mind lightly for any particular fantasies he had in mind, sharing a few images in his own with the smaller Lydrom. He felt the shudder and anticipation in Tarinash's response and smiled. He'd expected a normal, possibly hesitant encounter. Nothing about this was either, and he was enjoying indulging more than usual. Even if his lover wasn't inclined to have him hold back, he decided to just a little. It would make the taking all the more intense.

Mirage barely realized he'd closed his fingers around Tarinash's head until the younger noble pressed against them slightly as he tried to draw upwards around his penis.

Mirage let him, but kept his hands on his head, guiding him along his throbbing shaft, slowly taking more control as his throaty purr became deeper and hungrier, his balls twitching lightly. He could feel just how much his lover was enjoying the taste and feel of pleasuring him with even the lightest attention to the other's mind. Tarinash may have been taught how to do this well, but he left Mirage with no doubts how much he loved it.

The rush of how arousing this was to Tarinash caused Mirage to groan and tremble until he got himself under control again, but he was slipping. Between the pleasure and what it was doing to his lover, he wouldn't have much self-control left soon.

"Get up here," he rumbled, pulling Tarinash up and kissing him, sliding out from under him and bending him over the bed. "I think it's about time I gave you some attention," he rumbled, still in his shirt as he fingered the smaller male's ass. The tight ring of muscle gave easily and the passage was already slick; ready for Mirage to sink into him.

A looked up the fine lines of the back displayed for him, the way Tarinash had his head to the side to watch, his eyes nearly dilated black, and long, elegant fingers curled into the bedding in an effort to control the trembling desire in the rest of him.

"Mmm ... I like a well-prepared plaything," Mirage rumbled, slipping around behind him and biting down on his shoulder lightly as he sank his throbbing rod deep into Tarinash's ass with a smooth, powerful thrust.

Stars danced in his vision as the pleasure of his taking fed back into his systems to mingle with the pleasure he felt directly. Tarinash moaned and trembled, milking the cock hilted inside him to heighten the joint pleasure.

"Not going to take long this time," Mirage murmured, starting to thrust hard and fast, not holding back in the least as he pounded Tarinash's tight ass. He pressed against the warm back under him and closed his fingers tightly around Tarinash's hips to hold him against the thrusts.

A flash of intense heat licked out from the Tezita's core with a wanton cry and muscles tensed. Pleasure followed it, and another wave of searing heat that Mirage didn't try to resist. With a roar he'd never utter out loud he overloaded hard, emptying the fluids these bodies used for procreation into his lover.

He kept thrusting, reaching around to stroke his lover's shaft as he panted, his breath hot on Tarinash's neck and shoulder.

"Damn good at this," he rumbled, stroking Tarinash's cock faster as he thrust.

A low, deep moan was all Tarinash could muster in reply as he was pushed towards a second overload right on the heals of the first. His entire body trembled and panted as he pushed back against Mirage and into the trusts. Fingers clawed into the bedding and his short tail tried to wrap around his lover's waist.

"That's right - we do have these to play with," Mirage rumbled throatily, curling his tail up between their legs to rub against his lover's shaft and balls as he thrust.

"Ahhh!" he jerked at the unexpected sensation somewhere between ticklish and pleasure. A low moan came next and he panted again, dragging in deep lungful of cool air as he worked his body around the cock sliding in and out of him in such a pleasurably delicious rhythm.

Mirage didn't bother to hold back at all now, letting himself overload several more times before he finally relaxed and pulled back, just pressing close to Tarinash's mental body, holding him gently as they gradually calmed and cooled down.

He didn't hide the smile when Tarinash snuggled back against him, a thrumming purr reverberating in the space and through their bodies.

"This may not have been what I had in mind, but a couple wraa on Earth might not be so bad," Tarinash murmred, more than content to remain in Mirage's arms and braced against the side of the bed.

"I'm certainly not going to complain," Mirage agreed, shifting him up onto the bed and climbing in with him. He drew Tarinash into his arms and pulled him tightly against his chest as they snuggled close, aware that the action was mimicked in the physical world.