Comfort
Bluestreak glares at you for about 30 seconds, making you extremely uncomfortable. Finally the glare stops and Bluestreak continues the happy banter. "You know, I'm a gunner, have been for a while now. Do you know what a gunner is, let me tell you what a gunner is, a gunner is…"
Bluestreak bends down and picks you up and your eyes get wide. This completely unexpected development makes you feel like a child again, like when your parents used to scoop you up on the way out the door.
The mech starts walking towards the opening of the Ark, chattering away like you are a best friend, here on a visit. You can do nothing but listen to the constant drone of excitement as Bluestreak tells you all about being a gunner and how no one else can shoot as well.
Your squirming finally makes Bluestreak take notice of you being held between the arms and upper body.
"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable, I do that sometimes. Jazz is always telling me I need to think before I act, since my actions seem to have a mind of their own. Should I put you down, I'll put you down and we can walk together." Bluestreak places you back down on your feet and looks at you curiously.
When you don't say anything, Bluestreak continues, "I didn't hurt you did I? Cause I would feel bad if I hurt a new friend right when I met them. I didn't mean…"
"Calm down Bluestreak, you didn't hurt me. Startled me, yes, but I'm okay." You laugh lightly as you straighten out the wrinkles in your shirt. You turn to head back to the car to get your bag.
"Wait!" Bluestreak calls after you. "You're not leaving are you, you did say I didn't hurt you, right? You're not leaving because of something I did are you."
"Relax, I need my bag of tapes." You assure the gunner. "It's by the car out front. I don't want to run out of tapes."
"Oh." Is the short response, directly followed by, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave your possessions out front, if I had known…"
You put your hand up and surprisingly Bluestreak stops talking. "Do you want to come with me, or do you want to wait here. I'll only be a minute."
"Well sure I'll come with you, what are friends for except to keep you company when you don't want to be alone. I don't like being alone myself, it can get rather boring and sometimes it can't be helped because of the war and all." Bluestreak continues talking about anything and everything while the two of you walk out to the car.
"I like Carly's car." Bluestreak says, going onto a completely different tangent. "Maybe I should have Teletran-1 change my alternate mode to the same model car she drives. I mean I like the Datsun, don't get me wrong, Prowl has the same alternate mode, but, I don't know about the color. Do you think purple would suit me, or should I go with green like Hound."
It takes a lot of control for you not to laugh at the way Bluestreak keeps going on and on. It isn't annoying, which you are sure some of Bluestreak's companions would disagree with, but is rather long winded.
"Can I ask you a question Bluestreak?" You ask when there seems to be a slight pause.
"Oh, you can ask anything. I like answering questions, that's why I go to the schools when they want a guest speaker, cause I like talking and the kids, they like me talking to them."
"I'm sure they do Bluestreak." You laugh.
"You can call me Blue, all my friends do, and even some who don't really like me do too, though sometimes they call me names or tell me to shut up, which isn't very nice, I mean, I don't go around telling people to shut up, but in the end we're all friends and have a good time together."
A twinkle lights your eyes as you process all that you are being told. "Please don't take offense at my laughing, but you are too much." You say, laughing. "That's a compliment, by the way." You add, seeing the confusion. Before Blue can start up again, you seriously ask, "Can I really ask any question I like and you promise to answer me?"
"Promise." Bluestreak says, then adds while holding up the index, middle and ring finger in the 'scout's honor' pose. "Honor bright."
You look at the Autobot before you and blurt out the question before you have another chance to think about it and change your mind. "Why were you at a psychiatrist office?"
Bluestreak immediately clams up again. You can see the contention burning through the features of Blue's face. You feel bad, but based on the earlier episode, you decide it might be helpful for Blue to have someone to talk to.
"I don't really want to talk about it," Blue starts. "But I made a promise and I don't like to go back on a promise, cause it makes me feel crummy and then I can't focus like I should and that can cause people to get hurt and…"
You walk over to the mech and put a hand on one of the legs. Bluestreak stops talking and looks at your concerned expression. In a remorseful voice you say, "It's okay Blue. I know it can be hard, but sometimes it's good to tell a stranger, especially if, said stranger, is willing to listen."
Bluestreak walks over toward Carly's car and sits down in the dirt, arms hung in defeat. You feel like a heal asking the poor creature to bare its soul to you, but from personal experience, talking seems to make things better. You walk over and hop up on the trunk of the car.
"I was seeing a psychiatrist because of the nightmares keeping me from recharging at night." This time Bluestreak speaks slowly and sadly.
"What are the nightmares?" You ask softly.
"Seeing all the mechs in my home city dead because of the Decepticons."
You realize what Blue is suffering from and don't envy anything. "I guess PTSD is hard to deal with anywhere in the universe?"
"PTSD?" Bluestreak looks at you in confusion.
"Post traumatic stress disorder. Happens when something truly terrifying happens to a person."
"Seeing your home town decimated after the Decepticons visited would definitely count as terrifying."
You sigh and lower your head. "There aren't words to describe how sorry I am your home was destroyed. How long ago was that?"
"So long ago, I can't quite remember." Bluestreak answers sullenly. "What do you do on this planet for people who suffer like this?"
"There's not much you can do, without medications. The best way to overcome your fear, is to either talk about it or to face it. Have you spoken with your friends, maybe they can help."
"They don't want to hear about it or they won't care. Those who already know about it, don't bring it up, so I pretend it doesn't exist, if I can."
You look up at Bluestreak, slumped over in dejection. "I'm sure your friends would be more than willing to talk to you or to listen."
"I'm not even sure how you were able to get me to talk about it. I don't usually talk about it with anyone. Of course no one else pushes me to talk about it either."
"Now just a minute Blue," You say, smiling. "That wasn't pushy, it was concern. I don't like to see anyone suffer. Call it empathy, but when I see people in pain, I can feel it too."
Bluestreak looks over at you and smiles. "I guess you were right, it does kind of help to talk about it. I don't feel nearly as awful about seeing the psychiatrist as I did when I got back."
"What happened with the doctor?"
"I walked in and she screamed. I was so freaked out, I turned and hightailed it back here as fast as I could. Got a speeding ticket too." Bluestreak pulled the ticket out of nowhere and held it up proudly.
"I don't think I've met someone who was happy about getting a ticket." You say, laughing.
Bluestreak grins widely. "I haven't gotten a ticket before and I'm always getting picked on by Sides that I haven't, so now I have one. I think I'll frame it and put it on my wall."
"Well if you're happy, then I'm happy." You say, jumping off the back of Carly's trunk. "And, if you ever want to talk, just let Carly know and she can give you my e-mail address. I open it daily, sometimes multiple times." You place a hand on Bluestreak's arm.
"I appreciate that." Blue jumps up and puts the paper back into nowhere.
"Uh, hey, just one question?" You ask, Blue immediately is on edge again. "No, nothing like that, but where did the ticket come from and where did it go?"
"Oh." Blue's face immediately perks up again. "I guess I don't really know all the properties of it, Ratchet tried to explain once, but I didn't understand. Wheeljack eventually told me in a way I could understand. Have you met Wheeljack, one of the nicest mechs you could ever know. Always really kind when making sure I understand something. Have you met Wheeljack, one of the smartest mechs too, always creating something, though sometimes it blows up. Doesn't mean for it to, it just does. Have you met Wheeljack?" Blue looks at you for a moment.
"The one without a face, right?"
"Wheeljack has a face, just not like mine. Has a kind of mask on the lower half, but the eyes can still be seen."
"I did meet Wheeljack. What's with the mask?" You ask, remembering the mech Blue was babbling about.
"Just the way 'Jack's creator made the mech. Not everyone has a mouth like I do. Guess Wheeljack's creator didn't see the reason for a mouth. It's not like we really need it." Bluestreak rambles on. "Prime was created with a face plate of sorts too, but didn't always have one, at least that's the rumor. Was given the mask because Alpha Trion recreated Prime from a normal mech, at the time, to a warrior."
"I guess I can understand that, make the outside as productive as possible and if you don't need the mouth, then why have it?"
For a second you are silent, trying to remember what your original question was. Blue stares at you with an interested expression, waiting patiently for you to continue.
"Oh, what was the reason your ticket disappeared?" You ask.
"Wheeljack would be a better mech to explain, but I'll try." Blue says to you. "I guess it has to do with an alternate region of space that we have the ability to access. Each of us is given a 'pocket' to store things in, that way we can keep our weapons and other personal things out of the way."
"Nice, where can I get one?"
"I don't know." Blue's face became sad again. "My creator could have told you, but was killed when the Decepticons attacked."
"It's okay Blue. You don't have to talk anymore about it and I promise not to tell anyone about what you've told me." You smile at Bluestreak reassuringly.
"Thanks." Blue answers. It takes a few seconds, but that child like innocence is back and Blue continues on. "What are you studying exactly, are we going to help, is that why you're here?"
You laugh at Blue's 180 in emotions. "I'm doing my Doctorate on a new culture. I can't think of a newer culture than an alien one."
"You're going to write a paper about us?" Blue is intrigued.
"It should be an interesting experience." You say, changing your tape again, and starting back into the Ark, Bluestreak right next to you.
"What did you get your first degrees in?"
"I have a Bachelors in Sociological Studies. My Masters is in the Social Sciences. This is just an extension on what I've been studying in school."
"When did you start your schooling?"
"Well, I actually graduated from high school early, when I was 15. I haven't really stopped my schooling. I've been working and getting my degrees since then, so I'm a lot younger than a number of the ones in my classes. Like the Economics class I took with Carly, I was easily five years younger than the next youngest in the class, who I think was Carly."
The two of you round a corner while Bluestreak asks, "So how old are you, for a human, I mean?"
"I'll be 23 in a few months."
"So you must be really smart to be getting your degree so young. You should meet Perceptor and Wheeljack, you'd probably hit it off with them cause they're so smart and they both had a lot of schooling. I think Ratchet and Prowl and Jazz and Jetfire have a lot of schooling too, you should really meet them. Have you met them yet?
You don't get a chance to answer because a red blur speeds past you and stops at the end of the hallway. A mech covered mostly in red comes back toward you and Blue from the end of the hallway.
"I'm glad to run into you Blue." The red mech says, looking at you then back at Bluestreak.
"Hi Sideswipe. Whatcha doing?" Blue asks.
"I'm gonna help old Prowl lighten up, I need both your help." Sideswipe says.
"What for?" Comes the suspicious reply from Blue. "The last time you tried to get me to help you lighten someone up, I ended up with double shifts for four straight days. That's hard on a mech."
"Oh don't worry. We won't get caught. I found the coolest trick on that thing you humans call the Internet." Sideswipe said, then looks at you. "Do you know where we can get some industrial strength plastic wrap?"