Title: „Symmetry in Contrasts: Prowl/Optimus" (Drabble Collection)
Status: Drabble 03 of ? (Complete); Collection WIP
Drabble Title: On Insights and Gifts
Fandom: Transformers; Animated
Characters: Prowl, Optimus, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, SariWord Count: 1755
Disclaimer: See part 1, I refuse to write it every time!
Rating: K (for this part)
Beta: none
Warning/AN: Thanks to all reviewers! Especially to Prowlersgirl, for the word list and general help!
Note: All drabbles should be considered AU. This one was a pain to write and didn't turn quite out as planned... I wrote four versions, chopped them up, using the best parts to created this one (Frankenstein's Monster, anyone?) and rewrote it twice, - then I threw up my hands and gave up! If you have any suggestions how to improve this, be my guest and let me know!
As an idea, it was funny, had some insights in Prowls character and created a "gentle" bonding/starting a friendship moment – outside, in reality... not so much. Oh well, better luck next time, I guess!
I hope you will enjoy reading this nonetheless; please R&R! Constructive criticism, both negative and positive, suggestions, comments, your interpretation – all that is most welcome!
On Insights and GiftsThe car manufacturing plant turned Autobot base was, for once, quiet.
Everyone was gathered in the main room, either watching TV or Prowls on-going training session. Surprisingly, the latter took place right in front of their optics and not in his room, which, according to Sari, resembled a Japanese karate dojo.
Optimus took that as a good sign, having noticed small changes in the ninjabots behavior ever since their random 'midnight talks' and the recent fight against Meltdown. – But he could not shake off the weird feeling of dread in his spark that this peaceful evening would soon come to an abrupt end.
Optimus wasn't much of a 'soothsayer', as humans called it, but the way Bumblebee watched Prowl, got up from the couch and stalked over to the mech just spelled trouble in a way no 'bot could possibly miss.
Bumblebee and Circuit-Su training had always meshed, even back in space, - just in the wrong way. In automatic response, Optimus handed monitor duty over to Teletraan-1, to keep a closer optic on the yellow 'bots antics.
Bumblebee watched for a moment and then tried – and failed – to copy the graceful flowing motions.
One swift strike followed the other, interrupted by astroseconds of absolute, calculating stillness, until another attack exploded forth; Prowls sleek frame a weapon in its own right.
Bumblebee, on the other servo, looked... how to put it?
Sari came unknowingly to Optimus rescue. Leaning over the seat back of the new couch, she giggled: "Bee – are you trying to catch a fly? Or did someone pour itching powder under your armor? 'Cause that looks... ah, different from how Prowls doing it."
Bumblebee continued to chop at empty air: "Ha-ha-ha; very funny! This whole 'stillness and strike' stuff just ain't my style. – Guess I have to spice it up!"
Powering his stingers up, while still in the movement of copying Prowls roundhouse kick, had Bumblebee careening straight into Optimus, who caught him reflexively.
"No active weapon systems on base, especially with Sari around," he admonished sternly. "And, if you're really interested, than you should simply ask Prowl for proper training. You can't just learn a martial art starting with advanced forms."
While Prowl continued his katas, unfazed – or just too absorbed to care, which was actually unlikely -, Bumblebee shook Optimus' steadying servo off, and his own up in frustration.
"No way! Didn't you hear him last time I tried? All that rubbish about meditation, energy alignments, auras and tuning in with your environment? I'm keen on some neat moves! Seriously, - all that nonsensical mythical stuff , - how can that be the groundwork for a martial art? He talks like that gnome from the Star Wars movie Sari made us watch last week!"
Sari erupted in a fit of laughter, imagining Prowl in a robe and with long, pointy ears, all green; sliding back down on the gray cushion and rolling around; her face going as red as her hair.
Ratchet grumbled, as she knocked one of his tools over in the process. Bending down, he picked the scanner off of the concrete floor. Then he turned around to face Bumblebee and said, with a derisive snort: "Just don't listen, kid. Ninjabots are a package deal – you don't get them without their mumbo jumbo. Honestly! 'Energy healing', bah! Never want to hear about that pseudo-science nonsense ever again!"
"Woah, grumpy much, old-timer?"
"Now, Autobots, I think that's enou-"
"Uh – guys," Bulkhead chimed in, abandoning his documentary; pointing to the spot from where Prowl had just vanished. The transom window clattered shut behind a streak of black and gold.
"Oops – guess we touched broody-bots sore point."
"Bee!"
"What? You laughed too, Sari! And he did talk like those 'miracle healer' and 'wish from the universe' guys on TV!"
While the two friends started bickering, with Bulkhead caught in the middle to separate them, Optimus vented a sigh, wishing he had stepped in sooner, - and not just tried.
If Prowl training here had been some sort of improvement, they were back at square one. – So, what to do?
BREAK
"Prowl –" Optimus tried again to reason, but was interrupted.
"My answer, I fear, would only lead to more 'mythical nonsense'," the ninjabot was clearly unamused, although his tone was, as always, a neutral monotone.
Optimus vented a sigh in an attempt to cool his circuits. Searching him out to try and talk about Circuit-Su, to understand the art better and maybe repair the damage done, hadn't gone as well as he had hoped. – A miscalculation on Optimus part.
Just because Prowl listened to him during rechargeless nights, sometimes even offering advice, didn't mean that they had become friends by any stretch of the imagination. With other mechs, it would have been different, but not so with the ninjabot. – To a degree, it intrigued him. He was curious, - what made Prowl tick?
"My apologies. I merely asked out of interest. I did not mean to offend you."
"If you did, then so did Bumblebee and Ratchet." Prowls visor dimmed, adjusting as he raised his helm to gaze at the full moon. "I really..."
After a breem passed in silence, Optimus probed with a gentle: "Yes?"
"... I try to at least tolerate, and not belittle, each of your... – personality quirks. I would merely wish to be paid the same courtesy." As the ninjabot was wont to do by now, he vanished into the shadows without another word.
He was right, of course.
Prowl did tolerate Bumblebee's pestering; him constantly interrupting his meditations and, since arriving on Earth, the audio shattering music he played. And Prowl did far more – he subtly encouraged Bulkhead to pursue his new art hobby, and never yelled at the mech for being clumsy, even when he had crushed one of Prowls shuriken in his servo, while trying it out. Furthermore, he kept an ever watchful optic out for Sari, when she decided to play a prank or whenever she was present during a fight.
Prowl did all that as stealthily as he did everything else and some would say that it was no big deal, even considering that he was a mech who liked to keep to himself. – But Optimus had noticed, because Prowl had ended up as part of their team only by accident. And, thinking of the ninjabot as some sort of coincidence acquaintance, an almost stranger, all things considered, put all those small things into a new perspective.
All in all, Prowl was, by far, not as aloof and cold as he seemed on first glance. In fact, being as observant as he was, he tended to show up right when you needed him – which he would deny vehemently, of course.
And, Optimus realized with sudden clarity, Bumblebee had probably been right with his callous observation: They had hurt Prowls feelings by ridiculing the art of Circuit-Su, to which the mech dedicated his whole existence.
Optimus was far from figuring him out – he was too much of a walking contradiction – but it was a start.
So, - he had to properly apologize. But how?
BREAK
Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots on Earth, felt utterly stupid. - In his right servo rested a tiny present box...
Primus knew how that notion had come over him, but since Prowl had avoided any further attempts at an apology, Optimus had bought the mech... a gift. A ridiculous one, for a ninjabot, one which seemed appropriate then and now... not so much.
"Did you want to come in?"
Prowls muffled voice drifted through the closed door to his quarters; preventing Optimus' processor from slipping into an infinity loop. – He actually flinched, jarring his red-blue frame, like a sparkling caught with one servo full of forbidden energon goodies. On instinct, Optimus knocked, as if he hadn't lurked around the door for breems, before he let himself in.
Prowls decoration was, unsurprisingly, sparse, with some bonsai's and Asian ornaments – the sole optic catcher was the tree, growing from the middle straight up through the damaged roof.
Tiny brown birds stopped in their happy twittering as Optimus moved hesitatingly closer. – Prowl was sitting cross-legged, leaning against the thick trunk; getting up in a fluid movement without the slightest noise of grinding gears.
"Prime. What do you need? You look... nervous," he stated smoothly in greeting.
"I-I wanted to give you this. It's – as an apology for yesterday," Optimus offered the small box lamely; forcing the words from his vocalizer. – Feeling even more ridiculous for it.
Prowl looked actually puzzled, before his faceplate went blank again. He accepted the present and unwrapped it with careful servos; cutting the string easily with the sharp edge of one digit. Setting the blue paper aside, he opened the carton.
Reaching inside, he took hold of a small metal ring; pulling a wind chime out of yellow polystyrene flakes. The movement caused the six copper rods, dangling from a wooden circle, to clatter against each other and a round middle piece, producing a ringing sound; like bells.
The frequency had something soothing, almost hypnotic to Optimus' audios.
Observing the ninjabots reaction intently, he was held on edge, as Prowl just stood and stared; studying the wind chime like some abstract art piece. – Or so Optimus guessed, because in reality, nothing gave Prowls thoughts away.
Finally, one optic ridge rose from behind Prowls visor – Optimus felt the energon rushing into his faceplate. "I, well, it's supposed to help with meditation. And – if you don't like it, then-"
"No," Prowl interrupted firmly. "Thank you. Although an apology was... unnecessary, your gift is appreciated."
Something akin to a smile may have flashed around Prowls mouth plates; there and gone too quickly to really register within Optimus' processor. – If his optics hadn't deceived him in the first place. The branches swaying overhead created odd flickers of light, shining on the black and gold armor.
With a slight bow, Prowl leaped up onto the lowest bough and kept going, till he reached the treetop. There, he wound the string around a sturdy twig, securing the wind chime with a tight knot.
Moved by the gentle breeze, it rang, sending a vibrating, high note through the whole room. – Forgetting about his company, or maybe just ignoring the 'bot on the ground, Prowl settled down to meditate to the sound.
Which Optimus notched up as a full, if slightly embarrassing, success...
...
Well, weirder things had happened to him in the last vorn, that was for sure.
End
AN: R&R, please ^-^ Please help me and point out every mistake you can spot!
I'm afraid to ask... bad? Good? Something to ask or add, anyone? Please tell me, don't hold back, I won't take it the wrong way ^v^ Just don't roast me with flames. And: I'm still looking for prompts/ideas for this Drabble Collection. Thank you in advance!
Note: Some things... Firstly, I didn't want to bash Bumblebee or Ratchet. I just think that Bee is a bit too quick with his vocalizer and doesn't always consider the effects his words may have on others. As for Ratchet, I think he's really kind underneath his gruff behavior. He lives to safe as much mechs and femmes as he can – of course he wouldn't be too happy about something like energy healing, which can work or not...
Secondly – if Prowl were a human, Optimus would totally have bought him matcha tea and both would have had a Japanese tea ceremony LOL But since that wasn't possible, I went with something I read while doing a bit of research; I wanted to know how mediation feels and what different methods are applied.
Last but not least: I do realize that Optimus acts as if he's trying to give his girlfriend a gift... °-° But, really, he seems to me quite young, even in canon. Not during a fight or when his leadership counts, but he's far different from his Bayverse incarnation, so yeah...
And Prowl, well, he acts like I perceive him. – Let's face it, the first four episodes, he acted like some kind of arrogant, lone-wolf jerk (he did change kinda rapidly; I love him LOL). If that had been a "Tales of" Game, I would have guessed only from that, that he will either turn out as a traitor or will sacrifice himself to save his best friend, cause that's how it's always goes with Tales Games... Sadly, I was partly right anyway T-T