Changing Perspectives (Part 6 - End)
Feb. 9th, 2010 12:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ante_luceTitle: Changing Perspectives (Part 6 - End)
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Characters: Jazz. Prowl. Ensemble.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Prowl returned to his quarters late in the night, stopping in his tracks when he saw a mech seated on the ground by his door, knees brought close to his chestplates, visor focused on the ceiling. That visor shifted to look at him as Jazz spoke, voice quiet.
“Hey Prowl.”
“Jazz. Has Ratchet cleared you to leave the med bay?”
“You say that like I always escape his clutches before he’s done with me.”
“According to our CMO, yes.”
The saboteur chuckled, getting up off the ground and dusting himself off perfunctorily.
“Okay, so maybe I tend to check out early and without telling him, but the doc let me go this time. Honest.”
“Then, is there something you require from me?”
The Porsche stared at his pedes, then glanced at the tactician’s door.
“Could we move this inside? Please?”
Prowl stared at him for a long moment, finally turning to his quarters with a nod. Jazz waited behind him as he keyed his door open, then followed the Datsun in, taking a few steps into the room before stopping. Prowl looked at him, then addressed the other black and white mech in a measured tone.
“If you wanted to know about the past few days, you did nothing of any particular note as a cat. There is no need to be concerned about what you do not recall.”
“About that. I remember, Prowl. Everything. Ratchet’s going to take me apart for lying to him, but it was the only way I could figure to keep the stickybeaks amongst our bots from trying to pry into your life.”
The chevroned mech stiffened, and Jazz sighed.
“Prowl, I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Your business is concluded. You can leave.”
“Don’t you want to know what I’m sorry for?”
The Datsun’s expression was closed off and unreadable as he moved to expel the Ops mech from his room. Jazz grabbed hold of the doorwinged mech, words spilling out in a desperate manner.
“I’m sorry for not trying harder to get to know you and for just letting you withdraw from everyone. I’m sorry for using the fact that you didn’t seem to mind as an excuse to do that. I’m sorry that I was selfish, you were kind to me when you didn’t have to be and in return I took advantage of that because I was curious-”
Prowl broke away from the visored mech to open his door. “Jazz. Please leave.”
“I didn’t do it to get the dirt on you, I swear. I just wanted-”
“Leave.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
The tactician did not even look at the other black and white mech. Defeated, the Porsche exited, then watched the door slide shut in his face before walking away.
= = =
Someone knocked on his door, then entered his office. Prowl glanced up, then returned to his datapads as Jazz walked to his desk and sat down. After a while, the SIC spoke.
“If there is nothing I can help you with, then you should leave.”
“… What’s that picture you have on your table in your room?”
The tactician looked at the Ops mech briefly, then went back to his datapad. “I’m sure you had ample opportunity to examine my belongings while you were in my quarters.”
Prowl’s words were icy and Jazz shook his head. “I admit that I was going to peek at it at first, but I didn’t. You don’t have to tell me. It’s your photo and I’ve invaded your privacy enough already.”
The visored mech sighed, helm dropping forward to fix his gaze on his hands and twisting fingers. “I wanted to tell you after that first night, but then I got to see you, the real you. Not the perfect Autobot SIC or the unshakable head tactician. And I couldn’t look away. And suddenly I was in too deep and telling would have hurt you, so I didn’t. Only I still managed to slag things up.”
“… Bluestreak obtained an image capture of one of the parties in the rec room. A large number of the crew are in the shot. There, you have your answer, are you satisfied now?”
Jazz looked at him, faceplates stunned, before he murmured the mech’s name softly and Prowl’s gaze went as cool as his tone. “I do not need your pity.”
“Was it pity that moved you to keep me out of Wheeljack’s cage?” The Ops mech demanded. Prowl’s demeanour didn’t change and the visored mech stood to plant his hands on the Datsun’s table, glaring at the SIC.
“You obviously care about us; why else would you hold on to a photo of the crew? Is it so hard to believe we might want to return the favour?” The Porsche leant forward, quietly beseeching. “Prowl, there’s a caring, compassionate mech behind all those walls of yours. Let someone other than Bluestreak, Prime or a dumb animal see that side of you. This war’s hard enough; we need what kindness we can share with each other.”
“… Are you quite finished?” The doorwinged mech forced his optics back to his work. Jazz nodded in satisfaction, chalking up a win for his side, then fired up his next argument.
“Frag no I’m not finished! The amount of time you spend on work is insane! Sideswipe is worried about you! Sideswipe!”
The saboteur gestured in disbelief and the tactician swapped one datapad for another, perfectly calm in the face of the Porsche’s outburst. “Someone has to do it. If Sideswipe were truly concerned, he’d stop getting into trouble and adding to my workload.”
“Mech, delegate something already. Primus knows some of the crew could use a little work to keep their hands from becoming the devil’s playground.”
“You would assign our troublemakers to the most tedious duties in the Ark? We’d end up with them acting out even more.”
“You don’t know that for certain. Take a chance on them. They might surprise you.”
Prowl’s doors shrugged in a sceptical manner, and Jazz vented air tiredly.
“Fine, be that way.” And suddenly there was an Ops mech lying half way across the SIC’s desk, right on top of the files Prowl had been working on. “Cling to your slagging workload all you want, but you need to take a break. Now.”
“Jazz!”
Jazz glared at the tactician who’d finally discarded his controlled expression for one of sheer disbelief. The Porsche opened his mouth to start arguing again when- movement! He caught himself before he left the tabletop this time, watching the paper ball bounce lightly off the ground before turning to stare incredulously at the chevroned mech.
Said chevroned mech met his visor with perfect composure, before a roguish light gleamed in Prowl’s optics and Jazz started to laugh. “Frag, you really hate that treaty, don’t you?”
“With the passion of a thousand fiery suns.”
Jazz laughed even harder at the mild reply, so at odds with the sentiment being expressed. A hesitant voice interrupted his amusement to ask. “Does this mean everything’s alright, or do I need to get Ratchet ‘cos you two just glitched something fierce?”
They looked up to see Bluestreak hovering in the doorway, looking somewhere between warily optimistic and wigged out. Jazz glanced at Prowl, then grinned at the other Datsun.
“I think we’re okay.”
Bluestreak looked at the tactician and when the mech sighed and nodded, beckoning the gunner over with that faint smile of his, the grey mech beamed, then ran into the room to hug Prowl.
= = =
“Hey now, that’s a little unfair, isn’t it?”
“A little? Try a lot. Heck, try massively unfair. Prowl’s got a battle computer! Why are you playing chess against him, Bluestreak?”
The two Datsuns looked at the mechs watching them and Bluestreak explained. “Prowl doesn’t use his battle computer or his tactical programs when playing, Streetwise.”
The Protectobot blinked as his gestaltmate sat down to watch the game more closely. “He doesn’t? Why not?”
“Apart from it being unsporting and an inefficient use of resources? I do not wish for the game to be over too soon.” Prowl said as he shifted a piece and Bluestreak frowned, considering his next move.
“Well frag, then that means I could beat Prowl at chess!”
Without looking up from the game, both doorwinged mechs and Blades replied.
“That is unlikely.”
“Nope.”
“Not a chance, Streets.”
“Oi!”
The outraged Streetwise was ignored by all as Blades spoke up. “Whoever wins, next game against me?”
Prowl nodded and Bluestreak shot the helicopter a quick grin.
“Sure!”
= = =
“Prowl?”
“Yes, Skydive?” The SIC stopped outside his office when the jet came running up to him, wings flicking nervously.
“Sir, I was wondering if I could help with some of the paperwork.” Prowl just looked at him and Skydive fidgeted. “Just the routine stuff! You don’t have to give me anything more than you feel you can trust me with.”
“Hey, Skydive! Quit bugging Prowl, our SIC’s got more important things to do than stand in the corridor chatting with you.”
The tactician looked at the red minibot who’d hurried over to berate the startled flier. “Thank you for the concern, Cliffjumper, but Skydive was just offering to help me with my ‘important things’.”
Cliffjumper eyed the Aerialbot suspiciously, and Skydive rushed to placate him. “I promise I’ll learn fast so Prowl won’t lose too much time teaching me the ropes!”
The red mech ‘hmph’-ed, then looked at the Datsun for confirmation. Prowl nodded and Cliffjumper went away, muttering something about keeping an optic on the twins. The doorwinged mech then turned back to Skydive.
“… If that is what you want to do, report here tomorrow at the start of your duty shift.”
“Thank you!”
The Aerialbot ran off and the Datsun resumed his journey back to his quarters. Spotting a smirking Ops mech, he huffed as if annoyed, then pulled a scrap of blue ribbon out of subspace to brandish at Jazz.
“Grin. Off. Now.”
“Yessir Prowl sir! But I’m still gonna say I told you so!”
The saboteur saluted, still grinning, then fled before Prowl could do anything about it. The tactician sighed, but he was smiling as he continued on his way.
= = = Endfic = = =
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Characters: Jazz. Prowl. Ensemble.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Prowl returned to his quarters late in the night, stopping in his tracks when he saw a mech seated on the ground by his door, knees brought close to his chestplates, visor focused on the ceiling. That visor shifted to look at him as Jazz spoke, voice quiet.
“Hey Prowl.”
“Jazz. Has Ratchet cleared you to leave the med bay?”
“You say that like I always escape his clutches before he’s done with me.”
“According to our CMO, yes.”
The saboteur chuckled, getting up off the ground and dusting himself off perfunctorily.
“Okay, so maybe I tend to check out early and without telling him, but the doc let me go this time. Honest.”
“Then, is there something you require from me?”
The Porsche stared at his pedes, then glanced at the tactician’s door.
“Could we move this inside? Please?”
Prowl stared at him for a long moment, finally turning to his quarters with a nod. Jazz waited behind him as he keyed his door open, then followed the Datsun in, taking a few steps into the room before stopping. Prowl looked at him, then addressed the other black and white mech in a measured tone.
“If you wanted to know about the past few days, you did nothing of any particular note as a cat. There is no need to be concerned about what you do not recall.”
“About that. I remember, Prowl. Everything. Ratchet’s going to take me apart for lying to him, but it was the only way I could figure to keep the stickybeaks amongst our bots from trying to pry into your life.”
The chevroned mech stiffened, and Jazz sighed.
“Prowl, I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Your business is concluded. You can leave.”
“Don’t you want to know what I’m sorry for?”
The Datsun’s expression was closed off and unreadable as he moved to expel the Ops mech from his room. Jazz grabbed hold of the doorwinged mech, words spilling out in a desperate manner.
“I’m sorry for not trying harder to get to know you and for just letting you withdraw from everyone. I’m sorry for using the fact that you didn’t seem to mind as an excuse to do that. I’m sorry that I was selfish, you were kind to me when you didn’t have to be and in return I took advantage of that because I was curious-”
Prowl broke away from the visored mech to open his door. “Jazz. Please leave.”
“I didn’t do it to get the dirt on you, I swear. I just wanted-”
“Leave.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
The tactician did not even look at the other black and white mech. Defeated, the Porsche exited, then watched the door slide shut in his face before walking away.
= = =
Someone knocked on his door, then entered his office. Prowl glanced up, then returned to his datapads as Jazz walked to his desk and sat down. After a while, the SIC spoke.
“If there is nothing I can help you with, then you should leave.”
“… What’s that picture you have on your table in your room?”
The tactician looked at the Ops mech briefly, then went back to his datapad. “I’m sure you had ample opportunity to examine my belongings while you were in my quarters.”
Prowl’s words were icy and Jazz shook his head. “I admit that I was going to peek at it at first, but I didn’t. You don’t have to tell me. It’s your photo and I’ve invaded your privacy enough already.”
The visored mech sighed, helm dropping forward to fix his gaze on his hands and twisting fingers. “I wanted to tell you after that first night, but then I got to see you, the real you. Not the perfect Autobot SIC or the unshakable head tactician. And I couldn’t look away. And suddenly I was in too deep and telling would have hurt you, so I didn’t. Only I still managed to slag things up.”
“… Bluestreak obtained an image capture of one of the parties in the rec room. A large number of the crew are in the shot. There, you have your answer, are you satisfied now?”
Jazz looked at him, faceplates stunned, before he murmured the mech’s name softly and Prowl’s gaze went as cool as his tone. “I do not need your pity.”
“Was it pity that moved you to keep me out of Wheeljack’s cage?” The Ops mech demanded. Prowl’s demeanour didn’t change and the visored mech stood to plant his hands on the Datsun’s table, glaring at the SIC.
“You obviously care about us; why else would you hold on to a photo of the crew? Is it so hard to believe we might want to return the favour?” The Porsche leant forward, quietly beseeching. “Prowl, there’s a caring, compassionate mech behind all those walls of yours. Let someone other than Bluestreak, Prime or a dumb animal see that side of you. This war’s hard enough; we need what kindness we can share with each other.”
“… Are you quite finished?” The doorwinged mech forced his optics back to his work. Jazz nodded in satisfaction, chalking up a win for his side, then fired up his next argument.
“Frag no I’m not finished! The amount of time you spend on work is insane! Sideswipe is worried about you! Sideswipe!”
The saboteur gestured in disbelief and the tactician swapped one datapad for another, perfectly calm in the face of the Porsche’s outburst. “Someone has to do it. If Sideswipe were truly concerned, he’d stop getting into trouble and adding to my workload.”
“Mech, delegate something already. Primus knows some of the crew could use a little work to keep their hands from becoming the devil’s playground.”
“You would assign our troublemakers to the most tedious duties in the Ark? We’d end up with them acting out even more.”
“You don’t know that for certain. Take a chance on them. They might surprise you.”
Prowl’s doors shrugged in a sceptical manner, and Jazz vented air tiredly.
“Fine, be that way.” And suddenly there was an Ops mech lying half way across the SIC’s desk, right on top of the files Prowl had been working on. “Cling to your slagging workload all you want, but you need to take a break. Now.”
“Jazz!”
Jazz glared at the tactician who’d finally discarded his controlled expression for one of sheer disbelief. The Porsche opened his mouth to start arguing again when- movement! He caught himself before he left the tabletop this time, watching the paper ball bounce lightly off the ground before turning to stare incredulously at the chevroned mech.
Said chevroned mech met his visor with perfect composure, before a roguish light gleamed in Prowl’s optics and Jazz started to laugh. “Frag, you really hate that treaty, don’t you?”
“With the passion of a thousand fiery suns.”
Jazz laughed even harder at the mild reply, so at odds with the sentiment being expressed. A hesitant voice interrupted his amusement to ask. “Does this mean everything’s alright, or do I need to get Ratchet ‘cos you two just glitched something fierce?”
They looked up to see Bluestreak hovering in the doorway, looking somewhere between warily optimistic and wigged out. Jazz glanced at Prowl, then grinned at the other Datsun.
“I think we’re okay.”
Bluestreak looked at the tactician and when the mech sighed and nodded, beckoning the gunner over with that faint smile of his, the grey mech beamed, then ran into the room to hug Prowl.
= = =
“Hey now, that’s a little unfair, isn’t it?”
“A little? Try a lot. Heck, try massively unfair. Prowl’s got a battle computer! Why are you playing chess against him, Bluestreak?”
The two Datsuns looked at the mechs watching them and Bluestreak explained. “Prowl doesn’t use his battle computer or his tactical programs when playing, Streetwise.”
The Protectobot blinked as his gestaltmate sat down to watch the game more closely. “He doesn’t? Why not?”
“Apart from it being unsporting and an inefficient use of resources? I do not wish for the game to be over too soon.” Prowl said as he shifted a piece and Bluestreak frowned, considering his next move.
“Well frag, then that means I could beat Prowl at chess!”
Without looking up from the game, both doorwinged mechs and Blades replied.
“That is unlikely.”
“Nope.”
“Not a chance, Streets.”
“Oi!”
The outraged Streetwise was ignored by all as Blades spoke up. “Whoever wins, next game against me?”
Prowl nodded and Bluestreak shot the helicopter a quick grin.
“Sure!”
= = =
“Prowl?”
“Yes, Skydive?” The SIC stopped outside his office when the jet came running up to him, wings flicking nervously.
“Sir, I was wondering if I could help with some of the paperwork.” Prowl just looked at him and Skydive fidgeted. “Just the routine stuff! You don’t have to give me anything more than you feel you can trust me with.”
“Hey, Skydive! Quit bugging Prowl, our SIC’s got more important things to do than stand in the corridor chatting with you.”
The tactician looked at the red minibot who’d hurried over to berate the startled flier. “Thank you for the concern, Cliffjumper, but Skydive was just offering to help me with my ‘important things’.”
Cliffjumper eyed the Aerialbot suspiciously, and Skydive rushed to placate him. “I promise I’ll learn fast so Prowl won’t lose too much time teaching me the ropes!”
The red mech ‘hmph’-ed, then looked at the Datsun for confirmation. Prowl nodded and Cliffjumper went away, muttering something about keeping an optic on the twins. The doorwinged mech then turned back to Skydive.
“… If that is what you want to do, report here tomorrow at the start of your duty shift.”
“Thank you!”
The Aerialbot ran off and the Datsun resumed his journey back to his quarters. Spotting a smirking Ops mech, he huffed as if annoyed, then pulled a scrap of blue ribbon out of subspace to brandish at Jazz.
“Grin. Off. Now.”
“Yessir Prowl sir! But I’m still gonna say I told you so!”
The saboteur saluted, still grinning, then fled before Prowl could do anything about it. The tactician sighed, but he was smiling as he continued on his way.
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Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-16 03:33 am (UTC)Jazzes (and for that matter any pokemon) are easier to catch when you have a Bluestreak (much more common, but easily mistaken for Smokescreens if you're not careful and don't look at the names when you run into either) in the party. Bluestreak has an ability called 'Be Adorable' that lowers a wild pokemon's wariness and hostility to trainers. Though you might find that progressing through tall grass slow going, since encounter rates skyrocket. This ability causes a halving of all stats in trainer owned pokemon.
*puts up fliers*
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-16 05:45 am (UTC)Bluestreaks are actually ridiculously easy to catch (provided, of course, it is a Bluestreak and not a Smokescreen), provided they don't charm all your pokemon with "Puppy Dog Optics". There has been talk about banning use of this move, as Fireflights have it as well, and players have been complaining that its use is too much of a game breaker.
*helps*
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-16 09:07 am (UTC)Fireflights do best when in a team of related pokemon (or at least a Silverbolt, if you haven't caught the full Aerial set), otherwise their attacks can be random and sometimes they don't listen to you, no matter your badge level. A truly devastating combo is a Bluestreak and Fireflight in a pair battle. If both use 'Puppy Dog Optics', all attacks against them fail or miss. Your best bet when encountering such a pair is to bring out a Prowl and/or Ratchet. While still susceptible, you should be able to do enough damage to take out Bluestreak and Fireflight.
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-16 11:28 am (UTC)Of course, most players prefer a full set of Aerials, as it's the only way to catch Superion (this, incidentally requires you to use all five in a single battle against one opponent, after which, if you have a free slot, you get an egg which will hatch into Superion). It is, unfortunately, the only way to successfully USE Superion, as they won't listen unless there is a full set of Aerials as well. This applies to all "gestalt" pokemon, and is believed to have been put in place to prevent players running around with nothing but gestalts.
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-17 10:28 am (UTC)You could use a gestalt pokemon without the related set team as a damage sink and pp waster, their defense stats and hp are pretty high. Most players don't do this, for obvious reasons. Hmm, when Superion goes up against Menasor, attack stats go up. The same is true for Defensor and Bruticus.
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-18 11:15 pm (UTC)Bruticus and Menasor also lose Intelligence but gain "Rage" as a status effect when fighting their rivals. Also any gestalt base pokemon gains a general increase in their stats if there is at least one other member of their gestalt in your team
Re: Highly enjoyable!
Date: 2010-02-21 03:33 pm (UTC)Having members of different gestalts in the same team is a bit of a hit or miss affair though. To be safe, members of the 'Superion' and 'Menasor' sets should not be on the same team, same goes for the 'Defensor' and 'Bruticus' sets. Speaking of stat boosts when certain pokemon are in the same team, an Orion, Ariel and Dion trio (or their evolved forms) will get a stat raise. A similar effect is seen when you have three seekers, or one Sunstreaker and one Sideswipe, or one Prowl and one Jazz on the same team. Bluestreaks, Prowls and Smokescreens benefit from stat increases too when in the company of each other (Prowl: Boost attack for the others, Smokescreen: Evasion, Bluestreak: Defense), Bluestreaks also boost with either one or both of the 'Twin' pokemon.