Chapter 37: New Job
The orn passed faster than MoonStrider thought, it seemed like only a cycle and she was now working in the upper part of Iacon. She walked around the shop, placing wares of all sorts on shelves and hooks. The other workers, a femme and mech, watched her, each eyeing a part of her frame, namely her hips. She found it rather amusing.
She had been very skeptical when she left her apartment this morning after her Carrier arrived via ground bridge to watch Crimsonwing. It was a bit risky, but until MoonStrider could find someone she trusted enough to watch Crimsonwing, her Carrier would have to do it. She left her building and flew to her new job.
She had landed in front of the store with a grace that was seldom paralleled, drawing the optics of many. She had strode into the shop, a slight frown on her face. Again, she drew optics. She had looked around for the manager, noting that she was taller than all the shelfs by a few feet, the tallest one coming up just under her breast plate. All sorts of things filled the shelves, things from clothes to jems to pendants made of fine metals and woven crystals.
She couldn't spot the manager. One of the workers came up to her, a pretty femme with light yellow plating and purple and white accents.
"Can I help you?" she asked eagerly, a look in her optics that made MoonStrider want to smile pridefully. It was a wantful look, not in a bad sense like some, but the look of respectful desire. It was the first time someone had looked at her and hadn't thought of taking and dominating her.
"Yes," she said lightly, "I am looking for the manager, I set to meet with them." The femme blinked in slight surprise before nodding and motioning for her to follow her. They went to a back room (MoonStrider had to duck to get through the door), where a green and yellow mech sat taking inventory. The mech looked up and spotted her and her yellow guide, an angry look coming onto his face.
"Orchid, you know customers are not supposed to be back here!" he hissed, making the small femme shrink back. MoonStrider stepped forward.
"You must be Bluering," she stated. "I'm here for my shift." Bluering's helm moved back and his optics widened as he looked up at her.
"You're Thundergouge's creation?" he asked in disbelief. She nodded. "Damn, that mech sure knows how to make 'em," he grumbled. MoonStrider had to stop her optics from rolling back in their sockets.
"Yes, I am MoonStrider." she informed, her back straight and her chin high. The yellow femme, Orchid, looked up to her.
"You are working here?" she asked in a lower voice, her optics bright.
"Yes, I will be working here." she said. Orchid's audios flicked a few times as she looked up at MoonStrider cutely, clearly pleased with this.
She got assigned to stock the shelves, which she was now doing. She put everything neatly on the shelves, making sure to dust them before. She could feel both Orchid's and Bluering's optics on her, making her both amused and slightly devious. She purposely bent over to reach the lowest shelf. She placed one of the small crystalline pendants there and stood back up. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw Orchid's face was bright blue and Bluering was gone, a flap of cloth over the back room showing his hasty departure. MoonStrider stifled a snicker, but allowed a large grin to cross her face. She was going to be working with these bots for awhile, so why not have a bit of fun while she was away from Kaon?
The thing about cybertronians that MoonStrider found different from (most) organics was the fact that having multiple lovers was the norm. Very few chose to be with one bot and only that one bot. Even she and Megatronus, they had friends in Kaon that they went to, but they stuck with one another most of the time for trust reasons.
She wasn't going to jump on anything just yet, though. She opted to wait until she was a bit more settled before looking for something.
But teasing her coworkers was just too fun! She made sure to look as serious as possible while doing so, just to add to the sense of her "untouchable seductress". She added an extra sway to her walk, some movements with her wings as well. If she kept this up, she'd make one of them blow a gasket or something, she was sure of it. She kept the large grin off her face until she was facing the other way.
They got quite a few customers, more than usual Bluering had said. Each had come in, walked around for the longest time before buying something small and leaving. Seekers were not all that common, especially femme seekers, so all wanted a peek at her.
After a while, she was done stocking the shelves and went on to help with some of the consumers. Femmes and mechs came in, some wanted to see the jewelry so she'd take them to the case and show them. Some asked her to try on some so that they could see what it would look like on someone else. She preferred not to, but obeyed the customer's wishes.
She tried on a few bracelets, letting the consumers take her servo and twist her wrist this way and that to get a good look. A few times she tried on a headpiece, the little dangly crystals falling to the center of her forhelm. She became the unofficial model for the store after that, and she now allowed Orchid to put some of the cloths on her so that the group of customers could see how it worked and looked.
"Here we have a silk piece imported from the nova sector. It Orchid explained, lightly pushing MoonStrider into positions to best show what she was explaining. MoonStrider moved easily with Orchid's gentle prods, turning to the side as Orchid explained the part of the cloth that trailed to the center of her back.
She pinged her Carrier though their bond, checking in on them for the fourth time that cycle just to make sure they were all good. Her Carrier sent over what he could, stating that everything was alright, that her apartment was horribly bland, and that she needed a better couch. She allowed a smile at her Carrier's words. She replied stating that she already knew it was a horrible couch and that she planned on getting some decor.
Seajump replied quickly.
'No no no, let me do that. You have horrible taste for a seeker, you'll just make it worse.' he humphed.
'My taste is fine, Carrier. You are overzealous, next thing we know you'll be rebuilding my whole building because one of the corners looks off!' she teased though the bond, enticing more huffs from her Carrier.
"And that is the silk one!" Orchid's voice broke through. "Next is an embroidered cape, made specially for high occasions." Orchid pulled the silk cloth off her and went to grab a small ladder to put behind MoonStrider. Orchid stepped on the ladder so she could reach MoonStrider's shoulders.
"Um," she heard Orchid lightly whisper. MoonStrider confused for a nanoclick before realizing her wings would make the cape look funny. With a bit of concentration, MoonStrider shifted her wings to lay flat on her back. Orchid whispered a thank you, which MoonStrider nods back. Orchid takes a moment to fix the cape to her shoulder guards, bundling up the cloth slightly under them and letting the middle of the cape drape down a bit to expose her back.
MoonStrider liked the cape, it felt like something she could wear.
Her stance was tall and strong, and to others, she looked misplaced in the small shop. She looked like royalty, and when she walked around to show off the cape, she moved like one.
The cape was blue and gold, matching MoonStrider's paintjob and optics. It was supposed to drag far behind a bot, it was meant for grand entrances, but was taken off right after. For MoonStrider, it only dragged lightly on the floor, and it would leave the floor completely if she tucked it under her shoulder guards just a bit more.
MoonStrider turned back to the group after she walked a bit with it, letting the end of the cape cover her peds slightly. She looked into the mirror and saw herself.
Indeed, she did look grand.
MoonStrider let Orchid take the cape off of her and then went back to work.
She was sweeping the floors when a older mech came in. It was obvious he was of high standing and had more credits on him than one could spend in their lifecycle. He came in with a smile plastered on his face, and bad intentions hidden underneath. He walked around the store for a moment, apparently looking for something. His optics trailed over to her, and he looked at her in interest for awhile before going back to his search. During this time, Orchid was slowly shuffling her way towards her, ducking behind shelves when the mech came close. She gave MoonStrider a pleading look when she got close enough, then MoonStrider understood.
The mech was looking for Orchid, but Orchid obviously didn't want to be found.
MoonStrider motioned to the back room inconspicuously, but Orchid shook her helm before mouthing "He'll look there." A scowl crossed deeply on MoonStrider's face, not towards Orchid, but to the mech that was bothering her. She handed Orchid the broom before approaching the mech, Orchid softly calling for her to stop.
She didn't, and went right up to the mech, towering two helms above him.
"May I help you?" she asked tersely.
He looked up to her, "Ah yes, I'm looking for that little yellow femme, Orchid her name is. Where is she?" he asked in a tone that made MoonStrider bristle. He spoke slow, as if she was unable to understand his words otherwise. Like she was some incompetent lower being.
"She is currently unavailable, Is there anything I can get you?" she said.
"Yes you can, you can get my that little yellow femme." he snapped pompously.
"She is unavailable, is there something you wish to buy?" she blew off his order, keeping a calm composure that pissed the mech off.
"No-"
"Then I must ask you to leave." she interrupted. MoonStrider did not like this mech, so she didn't mind pissing him off. Besides, he made Orchid uncomfortable, and whoever could make a sweet little thing like Orchid scared was not welcomed around her.
"Listen here, you seeker scum, do you know who I am?!" he hissed, his armor puffing out. Clearly he was not intimidated by MoonStrider's size or presence. MoonStrider almost laughed. The mech thought that because he was higher cast that she wouldn't hit him. "I am of the Alfa cast, I am the owner of Cybertron's largest energon mine!" he boasted.
"Congratulations," she said in the same calm tone as she did before, just with an implied note of sarcasm. "But you must leave."
The mech proceeded to yell at her some more, in which MoonStrider replied with calm comments that pissed him off more. This went on until Orchid stepped out from behind the shelf.
"MoonStrider, please, he isn't worth it," she whispered, looking down at the floor. The mech made and "ah" sound before shoving past MoonStrider and going up to Orchid.
"Hello Orchid," the mech purred, his optics predatory as they looked her up and down. MoonStrider's wings hiked up in anger as the mech suddenly grabbed Orchid, and inappropriately too! "Haven't seen you in some time, would have been sooner if that glitch infested seeker hadn't got in the way."
She held back a hiss, glaring at the mech and waiting for the moment she could haul his aft out of the store.
"She isn't glitch infested, she is nice," Orchid's voice got quieter with each word and the mech's face dropped into a deeper scowl with each. He sent a nasty look over to MoonStrider.
"Heh," he sneered, "any seeker is riddled with viruses, they'll lay with anything that moves." Orchid's helm dipped low, her optics downcast as she cowered away from the mech. The mech grabbed ORchid's wrist tightly. "We are leaving, I'm rather angry right now so I need something to… calm me down." the mech grinned with his words and began to drag a fearful Orchid behind him.
MoonStrider moved forward quickly and seized the arm that held Orchid.
"Let her go," she hissed, squeezing until the metal dented.
"Release me seeker scum!" the mech roared.
"Not until you release Orchid!" she bellowed back, anger showing clearly upon her features.
"I will do as I please to her! And I will please myself as much as I want with her!"
"She is obviously unwilling to go with something as vile and putrid as yourself, so unhand her and be gone from this place!"
"YOU CRETIN! YOU DARE TO SAY SUCH THINGS TO ME?! I AM-"
MoonStrider grew impatient and sent an electrical charge down his arm that made him release Orchid from his grip. She grabbed him by the scruff bar and hauled him up and out of the store. She threw him out onto the street, making him land in a heap and drawing the optics of all walking past.
"You wench," he hissed, standing up. He pulled a blade out, his optics bright with anger. She heard Orchid and Bluering exit out into the street behind her. A crowd gathered, all optics curious and thirsty for some excitement.
MoonStrider looked closely at the blade as the mech rambled on, noting that it was poorly made and had several weak points in its structure. She doubted that it could do anything but scratch her armor.
She clearly wasn't listening, and the mech knew it, and it angered him. He let out a yell MoonStrider assumed was his "war cry". It was a rather pathetic one. He charged forward, his blade held in a position that implied that the mech did have training, but it was minimal and basic. MoonStrider widened her stance.
The mech came within distance and slashed his sword down.
There was a loud clang and the crowd gasped.
MoonStrider held the sword between her servos, her palms pressed tightly to the sides and preventing it from moving any farther. With one jerk of her servos, she snapped the sword in half.
The pieces fell to the ground with loud clangs and the mech stepped back, his optics wide with disbelief.
Really, it wasn't that hard, all she had to do was snap it at the weak spot.
She looked down at the shattered, sad excuse of a sword and got an idea. Looking up she gave a small smirk.
"Want to see mine?" she said and reached behind her to grasp at a bar that aligned with her armor. She pulled it, allowing the transformation sequence to run its course. She pulled out her sword, which had been apart of her armor previously. The sword hummed and clinked, the parts going back together until it was a complete sword.
Tip to ground, it was taller than the mech in front of her.
Said mech's optics were wide enough for MoonStrider to play tetherball with.
"Leave and do not come back," she ordered, hitting the sword towards the ground, sending sparks flying. The mech said nothing, just ran, and MoonStrider turned and returned to the store.
She finished with her shift a groon later and went out to do some errands before heading home. It took awhile for her co-workers to calm down. Bluering retold the story over and over again to anyone who would listen, and Orchid clung to her arm with wide, dowy, awe-filled optics. She had gotten annoyed with Bluering, but she couldn't complain about Orchid, the femme was just too damn adorable.
She bought a few things at the market: some crystals that she could turn to energon, a few goodies for Crimsonwing, and some paint so she could do something with her bland walls. She then headed home after her long first cycle at work. If every cycle was exciting as this one, then she definitely wasn't ready for her shift tomorrow.
(AN: ANOTHA' it is done~ MoonStrider's new job, and it's pretty crazy. Orchid's a cutie and she has a crush an MoonStrider :3
ALRIGHTY PEOPLE! 200 reviews! You know what that means? It means your fantabulious writer has a gift for you all! I will not only be doing an ART GIVEAWAY but also will be doing another smut chapter in the future! Though, it might be posted as a oneshot for plot reasons.
OK! So here is the lowdown of how this Art thing will go, please review for this chapter and say what you'd want me to draw for you. I'll be picking 2 sketches (uncolored) and 2 colored. You may request an OC drawn with the option of one other character as well, and if you want something to do with my OC in the picture (EX: your OC and mine highfiving or dancing) , that is OK, too. I'll do any rating from G all the way up to hardcore NSFW (I'm looking at you Zerobeat!).
Please be nice about this, review for the chapter, and make sure i am able to PM you or E-mail you in some way.
MAY THE ODDS BE IN YOUR FAVOR MY FRIENDS!
Alice gone Madd: Yeah, I know. Nut she had to leave sadly
Guest: Yes, there will always be more chapters for this story
Katie Gibbs: I'll make sure to call you up if something happens XD
Bee4ever: Danka!
GhostofaGirl03: Thank you! I made sure to stay a little slower with this story, make sure everyone understands MoonStrider's character first before going into everything :3
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Till All Are One!