Heligooddeals - Tumblr Posts
@heligooddeals proceeds to hang up the call.
(Just something I forgot to post here. Happy belated Valentine's day)
Exclusives are scams set up to target mechs specifically like Lieutenant, forcing him to go to places he normally doesn’t like. Especially some place so public. Nevertheless, it was worth it for the bookstore with their matte covers of a collection of historical typographies throughout the ages. Primarily containing those from the Golden Age era but some new ones were added during the war as well and he simply HAD to see which ones from the war made it.
As if that weren’t bad enough, then he had various books on recipes, planting, and other fictional books that he couldn’t wait to get to. He might need to make another stop for more bookshelves now that he thinks about it. Might be his next stop after this, but for now he waits by the elevator. He can only handle walking around public spaces for so long. Firstly, because he starts to get a headache. Secondly, he doesn’t need a scene. It was one thing during the war but now? He’d rather avoid them if he can.
While waiting he opens up one of the books to read, impatient to simply wait until he arrived back home. However, it’s short-lived when his fins pick up at hearing his name. It’s familiar, it’s been a long time since he heard that voice but he recognized it as he looked up at the speaker, standing in the elevator.
“Blackguard?” He replies in disbelief, almost as if he’d seen a ghost. Primus, there were not many from the war that he knew still alive, and certainly none that didn’t want his helm on a pike.
He enters the elevator as his mask transforms away as he looks at the helicopter with wide optics. “Wh- You- It is good to see you again, hi—! Good to see you again. How have you been?”
@unknownsoldiers
Send 🚪 for our muses to get stuck in an elevator together (Lieutenant) BAD SITUATIONS: STARTERS
Blackguard inhaled deeply, exercising all of her ventilation pathways by rushing the stagnant air through the entirety of her system. It wasn't a relieving exercise, especially since the dead-air couldn't offer any cooling for her frame, but it did help to calm her nerve some and ground her mind back into the moment again. Anymore, she was all too quick to let her mind wander off into work, getting wrapped up and twisted in all the nuances and annoyances of politics.
But then again, as she came back to the reality right in front of her and was met with a rather... interesting choice of music inside the ascending elevator she started to second guess her choice of mindfulness. Maybe getting lost in work thoughts would be more merciful than this recording.
As the elevator eases its way to a stop on another floor, she briefly considers getting off just to escape the music. Walking isn't so bad and the sights around the mall could prove to be more calming than the inside of this box.
Then, the doors slide open to let in the other patron and she sees him.
(x)
"Lieutenant?"
Lieutenant's smaller wings flick continuously as he almost nearly seems to smile, glad to hear Blackguard has been doing well. She was removed from her war as far as he remembered but one could never be too certain. War had its way of rearing its ugly head in the least likely of places. At least she, and hopefully Redstrike, were okay.
The light in his optics dimmed slightly as the helicopter mentioned how long it had been. "A long time,, funny how the multiverse works." He muses to himself, readjusting his hold on his books. "I last recall speaking to you at least two million years ago and change. However, I suppose there is some good in that given that the war in the world is over. I have more time to read now." Fins flick as he taps on the spines of the books.
He didn't quite have it in him to tell Blackguard the reason why their contact hadn't been re-established sooner. At least on his end. From how happy she seemed to see him, he determined that the crew may have not informed her what happened. As close as they all were, some things stayed between the crew for only them to know, and perhaps they decided to keep to themselves about what happened. He's not sure, but it's best not to try to bring down the mood of the reunion. "You know, until recently I had not really been in one of these 'malls.' During the war we usually purchased off of merchants like yourself for whatever was necessary. I still say I would much prefer to go back to that than this crowded trinket fest. Rather overwhelming experience after everything."
@unknownsoldiers
Send 🚪 for our muses to get stuck in an elevator together (Lieutenant) BAD SITUATIONS: STARTERS
Blackguard inhaled deeply, exercising all of her ventilation pathways by rushing the stagnant air through the entirety of her system. It wasn't a relieving exercise, especially since the dead-air couldn't offer any cooling for her frame, but it did help to calm her nerve some and ground her mind back into the moment again. Anymore, she was all too quick to let her mind wander off into work, getting wrapped up and twisted in all the nuances and annoyances of politics.
But then again, as she came back to the reality right in front of her and was met with a rather... interesting choice of music inside the ascending elevator she started to second guess her choice of mindfulness. Maybe getting lost in work thoughts would be more merciful than this recording.
As the elevator eases its way to a stop on another floor, she briefly considers getting off just to escape the music. Walking isn't so bad and the sights around the mall could prove to be more calming than the inside of this box.
Then, the doors slide open to let in the other patron and she sees him.
(x)
"Lieutenant?"
Lieutenant's larger wings spread out, pinching between the sides of the elevator just as it lurched. His fins pick up, fretful of another potential scheme to claim the bounty on his head. However, from what he could tell with his sense, this wasn’t a set up.
“Seems you are fated to be cooped up.”
His optics offline for a long blink, “Possibly the cabling. Either the elevator in this building survived the war and was repurposed or the technicians were not careful installing this new one. If it was f—“ The Decepticon pauses, looking at Blackguard. Most fliers— mainly his Conjunx— are claustrophobic, so probably best not to introduce the potential of freefalling on top of that. He didn’t want to stress her. “—at another floor we could pry the doors open, but I sense a wall on the other side.”
Lucky them, they could cut a hole in the top, and just jump out. Never mind those emergency services when they could simply get results now. Lieutenant put his books down to at least prepare for that notion, depending on Blackguard.
"It's good to see you too!" She has half a mind to grab him and pull him in for a hug, but stays her hand. Mainly because she doesn't want to risk toppling his load out of his arms and making a mess of things, thus ruining a perfectly good moment, and secondly because she can't remember if he was touch-averse or not. Something in the back of her memory files says that he is though so she opts to play it safely rather than regrettably.
All the while though, her field is buzzing with excitement while her visor beams down at him with the brightest 'smile' she has. "I've been--" Swamped. Busy. Almost became bound to Unicron at some point. "--I'm good. Busy, but, good. What about you? I haven't seen you since... Well. A long time now." In which no answers or explanations had been given, which was worrying considering the circumstances around that moment too. Sometimes, she almost convinced herself the lieutenant had been a casualty of some battle the others never elaborated on, but she didn't ask. Couldn't, really, with how they all fell off the face of the multiverse.
Lieutenant presses his lips together being called out. His optics Avery from the helicopter momentarily. “It is best we do not challenge fate anymore than we already have by finishing what I would have initially said.” The last thing they need is him jinxing the situation.
He cycled a vent and knocked his visor over his optics. “Stay still for a moment,” It’s an enclosed metal space so he really hates to do it, but he's not waiting around to see if they will fall or not. With that, he steps, a bit firmer this time, banging both fists against the walls of the elevator. His fins twitch rapidly, irked by the overwhelming reverberation in the elevator. It's at least not hard enough to shake the walls, but Lieutenant's own armor ruffles, as he shakes his helm.
"It was the latter," he says, trying to smooth his frame back down, "This car is new, but the cabling coupled with the wheel in the back corner--" he points down at the floor to his right foot, "--seems to have hitched. Nothing too dangerous, so long as we do not move around too much, but we are not moving any time soon. Even with emergency services, it will take a couple of hours to get us out."
With that, he gingerly lowers himself to sit down with a soft groan, pushing his visor back into its original place. "Since we will be here a while, how are you, really?" Might as well use the time to actually catch up.
"Very funnily." So funny, in fact, she couldn't remember it being that long since they had last spoke. But she didn't know, nor could she tell, if it was an anomaly on her end of the multiverse or his.
Does it matter? She thought, before ultimately deciding that it did not. They were here now, which was a gift in itself. It would be best not to scrutinize the details and risk either an upset or another abrupt loss upon her life. She couldn't afford to experience much more of those these days.
Unable to help herself, she chuffs in amusement at the lieutenant's observation and turns her gaze back to the door, idly watching the floor numbers tick by while the elevator continues on its trajectory. "There's definitely a convenience and a comfort to online and catalog shopping," she muses, "But I needed to get out of the house for the day. I've been cooped up too long, you know?"
And, as if on cue, fate decided right then and there to coop her up again as the elevator suddenly lurched, then halted on its tracks before going completely dark within the confines of its interior. Seconds later, a singular emergency light hung up in the corner by the door came on, dimly illuminating the box with just enough light so that passengers could see, but not make out any hard details in the opposite corner.
Thankfully, the emergency information panel was hung just beneath the light and was visible enough - for any beings with decent eye sight, anyway.
Lieutenant tries making some room by drawing his crossed legs to be as completely under him as possible. They’re of similar size but Blackguard could use more of the space. Not to mention the quivering rotor blades meant she really could use some breathing space. He gestures as such to let her know it was fine.
If he was being honest, the only reason he wasn’t panicking was because Blackguard was here. Had he been by himself, there would be a whole lot of property damage in his panicked wake. He wasn’t alone thing time, he had Blackguard, an old friend that he could catch up with and not have another thought about the situation at hand.
His relaxed expression, however, became slightly quizzical as Blackguard mentioned ‘council.’ That’s new to him. Lieutenant drops a fin back while slightly tilting his head, “Working with a council? Do you mean as part of them?”
Their universes are a bit different. Lieutenant’s— rather his universe— hasn’t quite found their footing yet given that their ruler is still Starscream of all mech’s. However, they both have peace, which isn’t a bad start. “In that case, no wonder you would be tired. Rebuilding is no easy feat and will take years to feel as though headway is made.”
"Of course I am..." Blackguard wearily sighs, because why wouldn't she be? She tested the fates - challenged them even! - and they answered with a resounding fuck you in turn.
Still, she can handle the circumstances a little better than most. They're not ideal, and her rotors are fidgeting about with a nervous energy to them, but her anxiety isn't rooted in the tight spacing. It's more about what comes next, and what their next move should be.
The hitch in Lieutenant's voice doesn't go unmissed either and Blackguard stares at him in utter silence, letting him speak and taking everything he had to say with consideration. "What else were you going to say?" She still presses though, unable to just simply accept that something was being withheld at the moment.
The forced laughter almost confirmed Lieutenant's hypothesis. Blackguard likely was just tired. A councilor position is great news, but it's clearly worn her down. Perhaps, in time, things will get better as Cybertron moves forward and improvements are made. She might seem like herself again.
"With work piling up, things are unfortunately bound to slip through the cracks," Lieutenant nods, "It is good to have Rigel helping you as a trusted set of optics and audios. It also gives him good experience and learning the nuances of rebuilding society. How is he doing with everything? And, if I may, what is Restrike doing these days? You did not mention him being a part of the council but he is likely to still be pitching in somewhere in all of this."
"Ah!" She trilled, realizing the gap of information just a little too late. That seemed like such old news to her at this point that it was easy to forget not all of her friends were aware of the development. But-- Gods, had it really been that long since they'd last seen each other..? Or did she just get too wrapped up in all the political business to keep everyone informed?
It was hard to say. Most likely though, if she had to take a guess at it, the answer was a mix of the two.
"Yes, I'm apparently a councilor now!" And Lieutenant could hear just how excited she was about that in all the forced laughter she was doing, just to break tensions for a second. "I was vocal enough about my opinions and concerns that they made a seat, just for me. So, now all my complaining is considered work and not just harassment.
"It is.. slow and exhausting sometimes though." She hummed, not quite in amusement or in sadness, but something more passive. Like it was an observational note, even though she was speaking about her own life. "Rigel started taking up a secretary position for me whenever he has spare time and he found delayed paperwork on authorizing energon dispensaries almost right away. It was embarrassing."