[Harpyformers] Uncharted Territory 01/28
Jun. 27th, 2019 06:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22Title: Uncharted Territory
Universe: Transformers AR, Flights of Fancy AU
Characters: Blurr/Starscream, Original Human Character(s), Sari Sumdac, Miko Nakadai, Ratchet, Megatron, Rodimus, Red Alert, Others
Rated: M
Enticements: Sexual Content, Harpy/Human Sexual Content
Summary: There were a lot of things Blurr knew with great certainty: his path, his future, his happiness. Then Starscream swooped into his life and turned everything upside down in the best possible way.
Uncharted Territory
Chapter One
The life of a renowned college-level sprinter was not a glamorous one.
It was a lot of work. A lot of running. A lot of proving oneself over and over again.
Blurr, fortunately, didn’t mind the latter two. It was the first one which gave him a struggle. Having to work, when so many of his peers could go home or simply write to their parents for more money, was kind of a drag. He’d much rather be out having fun, making friends, creating memories.
Instead, he spent his summers working, when he wasn’t training anyway. And every year, from the moment he’d moved onto campus, Blurr switched to a different part-time job. It wasn’t that the others wouldn’t hire him back, but that Blurr was easily bored with things he didn’t give a rip about, so he needed the variety. Otherwise he’d go mad.
After high school, and before he’d been summarily packed up and shipped away from home, Blurr worked in a grocery store. He’d cycled through the various departments by the end of the three-month stint, and discovered retail was definitely not for him. Persons were good in small doses, people not so much.
Before his sophomore year, he worked as a server at a local family-owned restaurant. The one with a ten-page menu because it served a little bit of everything, and had existed as long as Kaon had, and every table had a story carved into the food-stained wood. Heart’s was famous for its hamburger steak and tea so sweet it counted as syrup, in Blurr’s opinion.
The summer prior to his junior year, Blurr worked for a moving company and spent two and a half months hauling boxes, furniture, and the strangest odds and ends. He called it strength training when Coach complained, and walked away with a greater appreciation for people who could do that sort of thing without complaint for the rest of their working life.
This summer, Blurr decided he had enough of whiny customers and staining his clothes with sweat and questionable things. He ended up at an archive, in the rare books section, sneezing as he sorted and cataloged and painstakingly added each book to the newly installed digital system. He’d arranged it before his junior year ended, snapping up the opportunity before anyone else could get their hands on it. It was boring and tedious, but no one bothered him and the pay helped him build a nice nest egg for his last school year.
He started each shift with a list of what books needed to be compiled, and they left him alone. He’d never admit that every once in a while, he took a nap. He ate lunch in a small alcove, ankles crossed on the railing and chair tipped back, the sound of his chewing abnormally loud in the silence.
It wasn’t a bad job.
He tended to spend entire shifts alone, crouched over the ancient computer struggling to run the new software, plucking out each letter and number carefully, squinting at the tiny text. When focused, he blocked out all else. It was a pain in the ass to fix mistakes.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Blurr would never admit to the unmanly shriek he loosed as he whipped around, nearly toppling from the creaky stool he’d dragged up here to save his ass from the hard wooden chairs.
Behind him, there was a crash and a wark of surprise. Blue and red blurred in his peripheral vision. Said wooden chairs toppled in multiple directions.
Silence descended.
“Ow.”
Blurr’s heart hammered a mile a minute. He leapt up and vaulted over a toppled chair to find Starscream, sprawled on his back on the floor, one feathered leg tangled in another chair. He blinked owlishly up at the ceiling before he sucked air through his teeth.
“Starscream?” Blurr ran a hand over his head. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” the harpy bit out. He dragged himself upright, visibly wincing as he did so, and shaking the chair free of a taloned foot. “You told me you worked here, remember?”
Blurr did. But that didn’t mean he expected Starscream would show up here. He’d thought once the semester was over, Starscream would find something or someone of more interest, or he’d go back to his aerie, having satisfied his curiosities.
Apparently not.
“I remember,” Blurr said. "I'm just surprised you remember is all." He squinted as Starscream's feathers rose in a startled fluff around his body. "You okay?"
Starscream sighed and tried to smooth down his feathers. "Nothing broken but my dignity." He smiled and brushed at his chest feathers.
"Good. That's good." Blurr righted the chair which had vexed Starscream, scooting it back under a table burdened by the stacks of books that were Blurr's task for the week. "So, uh, nice to see you again. Here. In a library."
"I like libraries," Starscream said. He looked up, as if taking in the narrow ceilings and the water-stains and the drooping tile that looked a few seconds from caving in. "Though this one has a lot less window than I'm used to."
Blurr nodded and slid back, plopping down on his stool. "Yeah, this is a department archive. Not really a library. It’s more like a storage place for everything people think is important, but can't be bothered to archive properly."
Starscream cocked his head to the side. Blurr had a friend in high school who had a pet cockatiel, and the resemblance was uncanny. "If it's important, it should be cared for better," he said, and wrinkled his nose. "It smells of rot and must down here."
"Yes, it does." Blurr laughed. He spun around, clicked save on his spreadsheet, and hit a few quick keys to shift the computer into sleep. "And it's time for my break anyway. So we can get out of here for a bit, if you want."
It wasn't really time for his break, but there wasn't anyone around to tell him otherwise. Honestly, this was probably the best job Blurr ever had.
Bright amber-red eyes shifted back to Blurr, and they lit up with guarded interest. "Can I come back and look at the books?"
"I dunno." Blurr scratched his jaw and stared pointedly at Starscream's talons. "They're really old. Some of these are falling apart."
There was no other word to describe the droop of Starscream's crest feathers but 'disappointed'. He tucked his hands behind his back. "I understand." His tail made a quiet swish across the floor.
Guilt clogged up Blurr's throat. He sighed. "I have some scans I've done already. You can look at those," he tentatively offered.
Starscream perked up like a flower after a spring rain. "Thank you!"
Primus, harpies had no right to be so adorable. Blurr palmed his face and stood once again, gesturing for Starscream to follow him. "Come on. Let's take a walk first. I need some fresh air." Clearly, because the musty books could be the only explanation for Blurr’s behavior.
Starscream's nose wrinkled. He scratched the side of it. "There is something of an odor down here," he said, as if he was choosing his words carefully to try and not offend.
Blurr laughed. "It reeks, I know. You don't have to be polite about it. They aren't my books." He left his jacket on the back of the chair and patted his pocket to make sure he had phone and wallet. "Okay. Let's go."
He led Starscream up the narrow, spiral staircase, wobbly as it was since it was constructed of metal and had no weight to it. He didn't know how he missed Starscream's arrival, given how much the stair creaked and clattered when you put a foot on it. Had he been that focused? Or had he been half-asleep?
They climbed two floors, passing through collections of old textbook editions as well, before they ended up on the ground floor, the room little more than a closet with a door opening into the main hallway. Mid-afternoon in the summer? The corridor was deserted. Down the hall, the stench of tilewax stripper floated toward them, and Blurr gagged. He hated that smell.
He turned the other direction. They'd go out the back.
"What is that?" Starscream asked as he craned his neck to look behind him, one hand shielding his nose.
"They strip and polish the floors before the new semesters," Blurr answered. "It's awful, and now that smell is going to linger for days." He shoved through the double doors, the heat of the afternoon smacking him in the face, carrying with it the much better smell of freshly mown grass and recently laid mulch.
Starscream made a disgusted noise. "It's foul."
"Yep."
It was hot outside, hot and sticky, like all summers in Kaon tended to be. Blurr stripped off layers as he went, shoving them into his bookbag. The archives were, of course, freezing from the air conditioning, and he had to dress to accommodate that. But outside? Tees and shorts were the only way to survive. Sandals, too. The slap-slap of them on the pavement was a weird cadence next to the clickity-click of Starscream’s talons.
Blurr pushed his hair off his forehead and out of his eyes. "So, why'd you come to the university today? I mean, it can't just be to see me."
Starscream strode beside him, hands tucked behind his back. He cocked his head again. "Can't it? Why not?"
"Uh, because it’s summer, and there’s gotta be way more interesting things than me around here." Blurr nibbled on his bottom lip. His face was hot, and he blamed the glaring sun.
"Well, that's a matter of opinion probably." Starscream rolled his shoulders, feathers fluffing. "But should I not? I mean, am I bother?"
"I didn't say that. I just..." Blurr tugged on the front of his shirt, trying to encourage some airflow over the sweat slicking his chest. "I'm pretty boring, you know. Besides, isn't there anything else you want to do in Kaon?"
Starscream's tail flicked. "It's a school, right? I want to learn."
"Like what?"
"Everything." Starscream's eyes got big and dreamy. He looked around them as if everything was new and fascinating, and Blurr supposed if he were a harpy who'd never been anywhere with humans, it would all be fascinating to him, too.
Blurr chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about everything, but I know a few things.” He tugged on his shirt again and shielded his eyes with the other hand, squinting in the midafternoon sun. His stomach grumbled. “How about a snack? Some good old-fashioned human food?”
A sound not unlike a warble echoed from Starscream. “I like food,” he said, and his tail swished again, a longer feather tickling the back of Blurr’s calf. “What kind of food?”
Blurr debated.
They were on the outskirts of the university at the moment, walking the long sidewalk ring that circled the entirety of the campus. A block ahead was a row of small shops, mostly family-owned, half of which were closed for the season. But one of them had an overhang that rustled in the barely present wind, plastic imitations of grass skirts giving an audible rustle.
Blurr’s mouth watered. “Shaved ice,” he said.
Starscream blinked at him. “That’s food?”
“Not really.” Blurr laughed and picked up the pace. Starscream, with his unfairly long legs, should have no problem keeping up. “It’s cold, flavored water, but it’s sweet and crunchy and perfect for this kind of day.”
He tilted his head back. The sky was bright blue and cloudless. What he wouldn’t give for a summer storm right about now. They needed something to break the humidity.
Practice tomorrow was going to be miserable. At least Blurr wouldn’t be the only one complaining about it.
“I like water.” Starscream tapped the pad of one finger against his bottom lip. “I do not like the cold.”
Blurr checked the road, saw no oncoming vehicles, and grabbed Starscream’s hand. “It’s an experience,” he said. “Now come on. Quick.”
He broke into a jog, heard Starscream emit another one of those weird “wark!” noises, and then the harpy stumbled along after him. They were jaywalking like whoa, but campus police couldn’t write tickets, and there wasn’t an actual cop in sight. Thank Primus the road was only two lanes, because Starscream was slow on the uptake.
“Why did we have to run?” Starscream asked, nearly tripping on the curb as Blurr pulled him up onto the sidewalk.
“Cars are dangerous, and you don’t want to get hit by one.” Blurr wiped another bead of sweat from his brow. He could feel more trickling down his spine. “Consider that a lesson in humans.”
“Maybe next time, a little warning.” Starscream frowned and peered at his feet, lifting up one to look at the underside. He scowled, and flicked at a rock embedded in the sole, plucking it out with a talon.
Blurr still had his fingers wrapped around Starscream’s other wrist. Oops. He let go, and dusted off his hands.
“I’ll remember that. Promise.” He shielded his eyes again and looked ahead. There wasn’t even a line.
He patted his pockets, double-checking for wallet and phone, then made a beeline for the shaved ice. Starscream muttered something behind him – a weird amalgam of clicks and whistles – before he followed.
Blurr approached the counter, leaning against it to peer up at the menu behind the glass and up on the wall. They had over three dozen flavors, and it was always hard for him to decide which one he wanted most. Starscream ducked down to join him, and then stayed hunched when his head knocked into a dangling light, setting it to swinging.
"Hi! What can I get for-- uhhhh." George, according to his name tag, met them at the window and then trailed off when he spotted Starscream. "Nice costume, man. It's a bit hot, and a bit early, but the detail is on point." He gave Starscream two thumbs up.
Starscream blinked. "What in Adaptus' name are you talking about?"
"He's a harpy," Blurr said with a sigh. "Can we get a couple shaved ices, please?"
George's eyes widened. "A real one?" He leaned forward, peering harder through the glass, looking Starscream up and down. "Wow. I've never seen one alive before." He paused before flushing a deep red. "I mean, not that I've seen any dead ones either. Just, you know, blurry pictures in a textbook or a magazine or--"
"Shaved ice," Blurr said, a bit loud. He didn't like the way George kept staring at Starscream. "You sell those, don't you?"
Starscream chuckled. "It's okay. I'm not bothered," he said, and of all things, started to preen. His feathers fluttered around his body. "Would you like to take a picture?"
George was already fumbling in his pants pocket. "I mean, if it's no bother or anything..." He paused and slanted a look at Blurr who was trying not to fume. "Your treats can be on the house?"
Blurr shrugged. It was up to Starscream if he wanted his picture taken or not. Which apparently, he did, because George came through the employee door, cell phone in hand, a look of glee on his face. Starscream stepped out from the overhang for better light, and his feathers took on something of an opalescent sheen in the direct sunlight. Blurr had to admit, from a purely aesthetic perspective, Starscream was quite beautiful.
At least it gave Blurr plenty of time to choose what flavor he wanted. When George finally returned behind the counter, grinning ear from ear, Blurr's annoyance had yet to fade.
"So what would you like?" George asked as he snapped on some sterile serving gloves. He was flushed, beads of sweat gathering under the brim of his employee visor. Ugh.
Blurr fluffed his shirt and shifted from foot to foot. Inaction irritated him the most. "Bahama Mama for me," he said and looked up at Starscream. "What kind of flavor do you think you want?"
"Hmmmm." Starscream's tail flicked from side to side. He tapped his bottom lip as he peered at the menu before flashing George a smile. "I have no idea. What do you suggest, my new human friend?" His eyes sparkled. "Something sweet."
"Tutti Fruitti it is. Just a moment." George's grin brightened even further before he turned to assemble their desserts.
Starscream beamed down at Blurr. "I didn't realize humans were so nice," he said. "Your Coach Sylvester still gives me the stink eye whenever I come by."
"That's Coach Sylvester and you did kind of interrupt my race," Blurr said with a little laugh. "She's a bit protective of me, but it's okay. I still qualified, and I won the invitational so she can't complain too much."
"Maybe that means I am good luck," Starscream suggested. He paused, shifting in place, and on a human, Blurr would think he was nervous. "It’s still all right for me to come watch you, right?"
"Sure, but won’t you be bored? We’re just running in circles or back and forth all day." It was rare for Blurr to participate in relays, really only when they were short on runners or had a weakness. He mostly went for the dashes, that was where he shone.
Starscream nodded, a quick bob of his head that was very bird-like. "Harpies have sports, too, though they are very different." He lifted up each foot pointedly and gestured to his talons. "We are not so much for running."
"Do you have races where you fly?" Blurr asked.
"Of course." Starscream preened again, head tossing back, feathers unfurling from his crown. "I am one of the fastest smols in my Aerie. Well, of my birth flock at least. I do not know about my current flock."
Interesting.
"I'd love to see that." Blurr could well imagine it, harpies of all sorts of colors, streaking across the sky like colorful airplanes. He was kind of jealous. What would it be like to fly?
"Maybe someday I can show you," Starscream said.
Blurr smiled. "I'd like that."
"Here you are!" George appeared in the window, plunking two large cups down on the counter, spoon and straw poking jauntily from a mound of colored ice. He'd given them the large size, which was far more sugar than either Blurr or Starscream needed. "Compliments of the house. Or straw hut. Whatever you want to call us."
Starscream’s eyes went wide. He took the cup, carefully cradling it with the pads of his fingers. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Blurr grabbed his cup and turned away, relieved when Starscream followed suit, and they ducked out from the overhang, back into the bright sunlight of the afternoon. He took a huge bite of his own colorful mound and grinned around a mouthful of coconut and pineapple, cold and crunchy against his teeth. That really hit the spot.
He licked his lips and glanced at Starscream, who was watching him with a tilt to his head.
“You just bite it?” he asked.
“Or use the spoon,” Blurr said with a laugh. “I’m just impolite.”
Starscream hummed. He peered at the colorfully striped mound of ice before he shrugged and took a big bite of it, even bigger than Blurr had, enough to completely remove the entire top layer. The loud cruuunch! of the ice echoed around them and Starscream chewed, head tilting the other direction, tailfeathers swishing the sidewalk.
“Good?” Blurr asked as he pulled out his spoon and started to eat the rest of his, grabbing a huge scoop of the orange first.
“Sweet,” Starscream mumbled around his mouthful. “And cold.” He visibly swallowed and peered at the cup. “The description said this flavor was made of berries and fruit, but I can’t taste either.”
Blurr laughed. “That’s the joy of being human. I don’t think anything we eat is genuine anymore.” He took a huge bite of his.
Starscream, he noticed, didn’t seem all that interested in his own cup now. He frowned, tilting it this way and that, making the colors run together. “It’s interesting,” he said as he fiddled with both straw and spoon.
“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it,” Blurr said, because Starscream was acting like picky eaters everywhere, playing with it and contemplating it, while trying to psych himself up to consume it. “There’s a trash can right there.”
Starscream followed his gesture. He peered at the receptacle for a moment before dumping the cup inside, where it landed with a loud thunk.
“I apologize,” he said as he returned. “I don’t think that was to my tastes.”
Blurr shrugged. “I’m not offended.” He shoved a scoop of cherry into his mouth. “At least you tried it.”
“True.” Starscream bobbed on his heels. “It’s the first thing you’ve shown me I didn’t like.”
Blurr squinted and pointed at him with a spoon. “I distinctly remember you not liking the pickle.”
“It was too sour!”
“Exactly.” Blurr laughed. “There will be other things, too. But don’t worry, I’m sure there are things you eat that I’d turn my nose up over.”
Starscream’s head tilted, cocked in that odd bird-like manner he sometimes had. “Maybe. Our diets are limited in comparison. So maybe not. We’ll have to see.”
Blurr hummed thoughtfully and shoved a bite of the pineapple into his mouth, teeth crunching on the ice. “It’s only fair, right? You see my home, and then eventually, you show me yours.”
“You’d actually want to?” Starscream asked.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Blurr stirred the shaved ice a little. “I mean, I’m not a scholar or anything, but you’re my friend, and that’s what friends do. They learn more about each other.”
Starscream beamed. On a human, it would have been stunning. For a harpy, it was a bit disconcerting, taking into account the sharp and overlarge teeth. But then his feathers fluffed, and his tail swished, and it veered right back into charming.
“Good. I’m glad. Thank you.” He bobbed in place then pointedly smacked his lips. “I’ll leave you to your work then. But come back again… soon?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks for the shaved ice. It was an experience,” Starscream looked as if he’d had to search for the last word, to find something that wasn’t insulting. “Farewell.”
Blurr swallowed a laugh. “Later, Starscream.”
He stepped back, and just in time, too. Because Starscream stretched out his arms, unfurling the full length of his wings, crouched, and launched into the air with a whoosh of sticky-hot wind. Envy crept into Blurr’s belly as he watched Starscream take to the sky, the bright blues and reds of his feathers seeming to glimmer in the sunlight.
A bell jingled as George rushed out of the hut, phone raised, eagerly snapping photo or video of Starscream in flight. Blurr supposed he couldn’t blame him.
It really was a gorgeous sight.
Blurr begrudgingly went back to work.
He didn’t expect to actually see Starscream again. He figured the harpy was being polite or would be distracted by something or someone far more interesting. But for the rest of his summer vacation, Starscream showed up every Wednesday in the middle of his workshift without fail.
Blurr took that as his cue to take a break.
Over time, he introduced Starscream to tacos from the taco truck, and learned that Starscream did not eat meat at all, but he liked the crunch of corn shells, and could apparently eat sour cream as if it were its own food group. He brought Starscream to visit the local fruit stand, and Blurr’s pockets were emptied of cash as he walked away with a basket of various fruits, and Starscream ended up with a woven bag of his own.
Starscream made a new friend that day, unsurprisingly. Traci had been as delighted to meet a harpy as George had been, and she’d insisted on taking a selfie with Starscream, and they’d chatted about different types of berries until Blurr finished off a whole pint of blackberries while waiting.
He paid for those many blackberries later. But that’s a different, unpleasant story.
Once, when a storm broke and Starscream showed up dripping and miserable, they stayed in the archives for lunch, Blurr sharing with Starscream the cheap, tasty alternative to a healthy lunch in the form of two cups of noodles, steaming hot from the microwave. He’d given Starscream the vegetable flavor, kept the shrimp for himself, and laughed as Starscream dumped the broth out and rinsed the noodles with hot water before he ate them.
“Why is everything so salty?” he’d asked with a grump that should not have been so adorable.
“We’re trying our best to kill our taste buds,” Blurr’d said with a laugh.
Starscream had wrinkled his nose and stolen the rest of Blurr’s yogurt. He found he liked the kind with the fruit on the bottom the best.
It was probably the most entertaining work summer Blurr had ever had. When the job came to a close, he was almost sad to receive his last paycheck. If he’d had the time to keep it up during the school year, he would. But with classes and practice, he didn’t.
So he bid adieu to two classrooms still full of old books that needed cataloging and started to prepare for the beginning of the fall semester.
It didn’t occur to him, until the shadow passed by overhead a few days later, that Starscream would keep up their weekly meeting. He realized he probably should have informed the harpy of his plans when Starscream swooped down in front of him, looking flustered and maybe a little worried.
“You weren’t at the archives,” he said, his feathers fluffing, no matter how much he tried to smooth them down.
Blurr scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry. I forgot to tell you that was my last week working.” He gestured over his shoulder. “I’ve got training every day this week, and I’m prepping for the new semester.”
“Oh.” Starscream’s shoulders sank a little. “You are busy then.”
“Not at the moment.” Blurr gestured for Starscream to join him, and the harpy fell in step beside him. “I’m heading back to my dorm to shower and change. We could watch a movie and order in lunch, if you want.”
Starscream peered at him. “A movie? And what kind of lunch?”
“I haven’t introduced you to pizza yet.” Blurr’s stomach grumbled. He adjusted the swing of his backpack. “You know what movies are, don’t you?”
Starscream waved him off. “Yes, I’ve watched movies. Dr. Morgan lets me watch any of her materials any time I want.”
Dr. Morgan. Blurr chewed on the name. It sounded familiar. Wasn’t she the head of the Avian Studies department? Not just head, but founder of the entire Avian Studies major and minor program. Blurr had done a little research on his own, when Starscream had flown into his life, so he knew Kaon was a haven to the Kaon Aerie, and it was largely in part to Dr. Morgan’s efforts, plus the assistance of a harpy named Perceptor.
“Okay, but my movies are not at all educational. They’re for fun,” Blurr said with a laugh. Primus, what was even appropriate for a harpy to watch?
“I can have fun, too,” Starscream said, indignant.
“Well, then let’s go.”
Fortunately, Starscream had not caught him far from his dorm. Blurr had gotten lucky enough to snag a room near the practice track and field. He wasn’t sure how Starscream had spotted him, but couldn’t help imagining the harpy flying over Kaon, searching for him. It couldn’t have been too hard. Freshmen and returning students wouldn’t start trickling in until the end of the week.
Move in day was going to be hell. Blurr planned on hiding in his room, with a pair of headphones, and attaching himself to his game system.
Starscream balked at the elevator. “It’s safe?” he asked as he peered down the gap between the elevator and the floor. To be fair, last time they’d taken the stairs.
“As safe as it can be,” Blurr said. “We could take the stairs again?” He eyed the weight limit posted on the inside. Was it rude to ask a harpy how much they weighed?
Starscream sighed and gingerly stepped inside. The elevator creaked, but didn’t honk at them, so that was good news. Blurr honestly was only two floors up. He just happened to be feeling lazy, his legs heavy and tingling from practice this morning.
Blurr hit the button for the third floor before Starscream could change his mind, and watched with some amusement as the harpy backed against the wall, clutching the tiny railing.
“It’s kind of weird, isn’t it?” Blurr asked.
Starscream’s throat bobbed. “Disconcerting is a better word.” His eyes slanted to Blurr. “Might prefer the stairs next time.”
“Deal.”
The elevator bobbed as it deposited them on the third floor, and Starscream was out before the doors had a chance to fully open. Blurr’s pace was more leisurely. He guided Starscream down the hall, to the end, where he had point of pride in one of the few singles on the hall.
“Welcome back to my humble home,” Blurr announced as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, relieved that he’d cleaned it before leaving this morning.
It wasn’t much, admittedly. He had a bed with storage above it, a desk, and a wardrobe for his clothes with his TV perched on that. A small sink took up space near the entrance, and a closed door connected to the bathroom he shared with the room next door. He had a window, but the shades were drawn, and the walls were covered with posters and papers and various things he’d collected over the years.
He’d never bothered applying for a different room. He’d kept this one since moving in freshmen year. It was home, as much as Blurr had one.
“It’s still cozy,” Starscream said as he came inside, turning in a slow circle to take it in.
Blurr chuckled and dropped his pack in his desk chair. “As much as it can be anyway.” He poked the TV on and the DVD player, causing the title screen for ‘The Princess Bride’ to come into view.
Thank Primus Starscream had no idea what that was. Otherwise Blurr might have been embarrassed.
“You should watch this one, it’s a classic,” Blurr said as he keyed it up to play. He turned and looked over his shoulder.
Starscream was peering at his desk with obvious interest, staring at every item on it as though each required individual contemplation.
“You still have a lot of things,” he observed.
“Well, I’ve lived here a while. It adds up.” Blurr toed off his shoes, kicking them toward the door where they thumped under the sink. “I’m going to shower and then I’ll order the pizza. You can just, you know, make yourself at home or whatever.” He was not the least bit concerned about Starscream stealing from him.
Starscream’s attention was stolen by the television as the opening strains of the music began to play. “All right,” he said.
Blurr grinned and gathered up a change of clothes, vanishing into the bathroom. For now, the connecting room was empty of residents, but that would change by next week. He could enjoy his solitude for a little while yet.
Well.
His solitude plus one inquisitive harpy.
**
a/n: And there it is, chapter one of twenty-eight, the beginning of a very long first arc. yeah, you read that right. FIRST ARC. *wipes sweat from brow*
Universe: Transformers AR, Flights of Fancy AU
Characters: Blurr/Starscream, Original Human Character(s), Sari Sumdac, Miko Nakadai, Ratchet, Megatron, Rodimus, Red Alert, Others
Rated: M
Enticements: Sexual Content, Harpy/Human Sexual Content
Summary: There were a lot of things Blurr knew with great certainty: his path, his future, his happiness. Then Starscream swooped into his life and turned everything upside down in the best possible way.
Chapter One
The life of a renowned college-level sprinter was not a glamorous one.
It was a lot of work. A lot of running. A lot of proving oneself over and over again.
Blurr, fortunately, didn’t mind the latter two. It was the first one which gave him a struggle. Having to work, when so many of his peers could go home or simply write to their parents for more money, was kind of a drag. He’d much rather be out having fun, making friends, creating memories.
Instead, he spent his summers working, when he wasn’t training anyway. And every year, from the moment he’d moved onto campus, Blurr switched to a different part-time job. It wasn’t that the others wouldn’t hire him back, but that Blurr was easily bored with things he didn’t give a rip about, so he needed the variety. Otherwise he’d go mad.
After high school, and before he’d been summarily packed up and shipped away from home, Blurr worked in a grocery store. He’d cycled through the various departments by the end of the three-month stint, and discovered retail was definitely not for him. Persons were good in small doses, people not so much.
Before his sophomore year, he worked as a server at a local family-owned restaurant. The one with a ten-page menu because it served a little bit of everything, and had existed as long as Kaon had, and every table had a story carved into the food-stained wood. Heart’s was famous for its hamburger steak and tea so sweet it counted as syrup, in Blurr’s opinion.
The summer prior to his junior year, Blurr worked for a moving company and spent two and a half months hauling boxes, furniture, and the strangest odds and ends. He called it strength training when Coach complained, and walked away with a greater appreciation for people who could do that sort of thing without complaint for the rest of their working life.
This summer, Blurr decided he had enough of whiny customers and staining his clothes with sweat and questionable things. He ended up at an archive, in the rare books section, sneezing as he sorted and cataloged and painstakingly added each book to the newly installed digital system. He’d arranged it before his junior year ended, snapping up the opportunity before anyone else could get their hands on it. It was boring and tedious, but no one bothered him and the pay helped him build a nice nest egg for his last school year.
He started each shift with a list of what books needed to be compiled, and they left him alone. He’d never admit that every once in a while, he took a nap. He ate lunch in a small alcove, ankles crossed on the railing and chair tipped back, the sound of his chewing abnormally loud in the silence.
It wasn’t a bad job.
He tended to spend entire shifts alone, crouched over the ancient computer struggling to run the new software, plucking out each letter and number carefully, squinting at the tiny text. When focused, he blocked out all else. It was a pain in the ass to fix mistakes.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Blurr would never admit to the unmanly shriek he loosed as he whipped around, nearly toppling from the creaky stool he’d dragged up here to save his ass from the hard wooden chairs.
Behind him, there was a crash and a wark of surprise. Blue and red blurred in his peripheral vision. Said wooden chairs toppled in multiple directions.
Silence descended.
“Ow.”
Blurr’s heart hammered a mile a minute. He leapt up and vaulted over a toppled chair to find Starscream, sprawled on his back on the floor, one feathered leg tangled in another chair. He blinked owlishly up at the ceiling before he sucked air through his teeth.
“Starscream?” Blurr ran a hand over his head. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” the harpy bit out. He dragged himself upright, visibly wincing as he did so, and shaking the chair free of a taloned foot. “You told me you worked here, remember?”
Blurr did. But that didn’t mean he expected Starscream would show up here. He’d thought once the semester was over, Starscream would find something or someone of more interest, or he’d go back to his aerie, having satisfied his curiosities.
Apparently not.
“I remember,” Blurr said. "I'm just surprised you remember is all." He squinted as Starscream's feathers rose in a startled fluff around his body. "You okay?"
Starscream sighed and tried to smooth down his feathers. "Nothing broken but my dignity." He smiled and brushed at his chest feathers.
"Good. That's good." Blurr righted the chair which had vexed Starscream, scooting it back under a table burdened by the stacks of books that were Blurr's task for the week. "So, uh, nice to see you again. Here. In a library."
"I like libraries," Starscream said. He looked up, as if taking in the narrow ceilings and the water-stains and the drooping tile that looked a few seconds from caving in. "Though this one has a lot less window than I'm used to."
Blurr nodded and slid back, plopping down on his stool. "Yeah, this is a department archive. Not really a library. It’s more like a storage place for everything people think is important, but can't be bothered to archive properly."
Starscream cocked his head to the side. Blurr had a friend in high school who had a pet cockatiel, and the resemblance was uncanny. "If it's important, it should be cared for better," he said, and wrinkled his nose. "It smells of rot and must down here."
"Yes, it does." Blurr laughed. He spun around, clicked save on his spreadsheet, and hit a few quick keys to shift the computer into sleep. "And it's time for my break anyway. So we can get out of here for a bit, if you want."
It wasn't really time for his break, but there wasn't anyone around to tell him otherwise. Honestly, this was probably the best job Blurr ever had.
Bright amber-red eyes shifted back to Blurr, and they lit up with guarded interest. "Can I come back and look at the books?"
"I dunno." Blurr scratched his jaw and stared pointedly at Starscream's talons. "They're really old. Some of these are falling apart."
There was no other word to describe the droop of Starscream's crest feathers but 'disappointed'. He tucked his hands behind his back. "I understand." His tail made a quiet swish across the floor.
Guilt clogged up Blurr's throat. He sighed. "I have some scans I've done already. You can look at those," he tentatively offered.
Starscream perked up like a flower after a spring rain. "Thank you!"
Primus, harpies had no right to be so adorable. Blurr palmed his face and stood once again, gesturing for Starscream to follow him. "Come on. Let's take a walk first. I need some fresh air." Clearly, because the musty books could be the only explanation for Blurr’s behavior.
Starscream's nose wrinkled. He scratched the side of it. "There is something of an odor down here," he said, as if he was choosing his words carefully to try and not offend.
Blurr laughed. "It reeks, I know. You don't have to be polite about it. They aren't my books." He left his jacket on the back of the chair and patted his pocket to make sure he had phone and wallet. "Okay. Let's go."
He led Starscream up the narrow, spiral staircase, wobbly as it was since it was constructed of metal and had no weight to it. He didn't know how he missed Starscream's arrival, given how much the stair creaked and clattered when you put a foot on it. Had he been that focused? Or had he been half-asleep?
They climbed two floors, passing through collections of old textbook editions as well, before they ended up on the ground floor, the room little more than a closet with a door opening into the main hallway. Mid-afternoon in the summer? The corridor was deserted. Down the hall, the stench of tilewax stripper floated toward them, and Blurr gagged. He hated that smell.
He turned the other direction. They'd go out the back.
"What is that?" Starscream asked as he craned his neck to look behind him, one hand shielding his nose.
"They strip and polish the floors before the new semesters," Blurr answered. "It's awful, and now that smell is going to linger for days." He shoved through the double doors, the heat of the afternoon smacking him in the face, carrying with it the much better smell of freshly mown grass and recently laid mulch.
Starscream made a disgusted noise. "It's foul."
"Yep."
It was hot outside, hot and sticky, like all summers in Kaon tended to be. Blurr stripped off layers as he went, shoving them into his bookbag. The archives were, of course, freezing from the air conditioning, and he had to dress to accommodate that. But outside? Tees and shorts were the only way to survive. Sandals, too. The slap-slap of them on the pavement was a weird cadence next to the clickity-click of Starscream’s talons.
Blurr pushed his hair off his forehead and out of his eyes. "So, why'd you come to the university today? I mean, it can't just be to see me."
Starscream strode beside him, hands tucked behind his back. He cocked his head again. "Can't it? Why not?"
"Uh, because it’s summer, and there’s gotta be way more interesting things than me around here." Blurr nibbled on his bottom lip. His face was hot, and he blamed the glaring sun.
"Well, that's a matter of opinion probably." Starscream rolled his shoulders, feathers fluffing. "But should I not? I mean, am I bother?"
"I didn't say that. I just..." Blurr tugged on the front of his shirt, trying to encourage some airflow over the sweat slicking his chest. "I'm pretty boring, you know. Besides, isn't there anything else you want to do in Kaon?"
Starscream's tail flicked. "It's a school, right? I want to learn."
"Like what?"
"Everything." Starscream's eyes got big and dreamy. He looked around them as if everything was new and fascinating, and Blurr supposed if he were a harpy who'd never been anywhere with humans, it would all be fascinating to him, too.
Blurr chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about everything, but I know a few things.” He tugged on his shirt again and shielded his eyes with the other hand, squinting in the midafternoon sun. His stomach grumbled. “How about a snack? Some good old-fashioned human food?”
A sound not unlike a warble echoed from Starscream. “I like food,” he said, and his tail swished again, a longer feather tickling the back of Blurr’s calf. “What kind of food?”
Blurr debated.
They were on the outskirts of the university at the moment, walking the long sidewalk ring that circled the entirety of the campus. A block ahead was a row of small shops, mostly family-owned, half of which were closed for the season. But one of them had an overhang that rustled in the barely present wind, plastic imitations of grass skirts giving an audible rustle.
Blurr’s mouth watered. “Shaved ice,” he said.
Starscream blinked at him. “That’s food?”
“Not really.” Blurr laughed and picked up the pace. Starscream, with his unfairly long legs, should have no problem keeping up. “It’s cold, flavored water, but it’s sweet and crunchy and perfect for this kind of day.”
He tilted his head back. The sky was bright blue and cloudless. What he wouldn’t give for a summer storm right about now. They needed something to break the humidity.
Practice tomorrow was going to be miserable. At least Blurr wouldn’t be the only one complaining about it.
“I like water.” Starscream tapped the pad of one finger against his bottom lip. “I do not like the cold.”
Blurr checked the road, saw no oncoming vehicles, and grabbed Starscream’s hand. “It’s an experience,” he said. “Now come on. Quick.”
He broke into a jog, heard Starscream emit another one of those weird “wark!” noises, and then the harpy stumbled along after him. They were jaywalking like whoa, but campus police couldn’t write tickets, and there wasn’t an actual cop in sight. Thank Primus the road was only two lanes, because Starscream was slow on the uptake.
“Why did we have to run?” Starscream asked, nearly tripping on the curb as Blurr pulled him up onto the sidewalk.
“Cars are dangerous, and you don’t want to get hit by one.” Blurr wiped another bead of sweat from his brow. He could feel more trickling down his spine. “Consider that a lesson in humans.”
“Maybe next time, a little warning.” Starscream frowned and peered at his feet, lifting up one to look at the underside. He scowled, and flicked at a rock embedded in the sole, plucking it out with a talon.
Blurr still had his fingers wrapped around Starscream’s other wrist. Oops. He let go, and dusted off his hands.
“I’ll remember that. Promise.” He shielded his eyes again and looked ahead. There wasn’t even a line.
He patted his pockets, double-checking for wallet and phone, then made a beeline for the shaved ice. Starscream muttered something behind him – a weird amalgam of clicks and whistles – before he followed.
Blurr approached the counter, leaning against it to peer up at the menu behind the glass and up on the wall. They had over three dozen flavors, and it was always hard for him to decide which one he wanted most. Starscream ducked down to join him, and then stayed hunched when his head knocked into a dangling light, setting it to swinging.
"Hi! What can I get for-- uhhhh." George, according to his name tag, met them at the window and then trailed off when he spotted Starscream. "Nice costume, man. It's a bit hot, and a bit early, but the detail is on point." He gave Starscream two thumbs up.
Starscream blinked. "What in Adaptus' name are you talking about?"
"He's a harpy," Blurr said with a sigh. "Can we get a couple shaved ices, please?"
George's eyes widened. "A real one?" He leaned forward, peering harder through the glass, looking Starscream up and down. "Wow. I've never seen one alive before." He paused before flushing a deep red. "I mean, not that I've seen any dead ones either. Just, you know, blurry pictures in a textbook or a magazine or--"
"Shaved ice," Blurr said, a bit loud. He didn't like the way George kept staring at Starscream. "You sell those, don't you?"
Starscream chuckled. "It's okay. I'm not bothered," he said, and of all things, started to preen. His feathers fluttered around his body. "Would you like to take a picture?"
George was already fumbling in his pants pocket. "I mean, if it's no bother or anything..." He paused and slanted a look at Blurr who was trying not to fume. "Your treats can be on the house?"
Blurr shrugged. It was up to Starscream if he wanted his picture taken or not. Which apparently, he did, because George came through the employee door, cell phone in hand, a look of glee on his face. Starscream stepped out from the overhang for better light, and his feathers took on something of an opalescent sheen in the direct sunlight. Blurr had to admit, from a purely aesthetic perspective, Starscream was quite beautiful.
At least it gave Blurr plenty of time to choose what flavor he wanted. When George finally returned behind the counter, grinning ear from ear, Blurr's annoyance had yet to fade.
"So what would you like?" George asked as he snapped on some sterile serving gloves. He was flushed, beads of sweat gathering under the brim of his employee visor. Ugh.
Blurr fluffed his shirt and shifted from foot to foot. Inaction irritated him the most. "Bahama Mama for me," he said and looked up at Starscream. "What kind of flavor do you think you want?"
"Hmmmm." Starscream's tail flicked from side to side. He tapped his bottom lip as he peered at the menu before flashing George a smile. "I have no idea. What do you suggest, my new human friend?" His eyes sparkled. "Something sweet."
"Tutti Fruitti it is. Just a moment." George's grin brightened even further before he turned to assemble their desserts.
Starscream beamed down at Blurr. "I didn't realize humans were so nice," he said. "Your Coach Sylvester still gives me the stink eye whenever I come by."
"That's Coach Sylvester and you did kind of interrupt my race," Blurr said with a little laugh. "She's a bit protective of me, but it's okay. I still qualified, and I won the invitational so she can't complain too much."
"Maybe that means I am good luck," Starscream suggested. He paused, shifting in place, and on a human, Blurr would think he was nervous. "It’s still all right for me to come watch you, right?"
"Sure, but won’t you be bored? We’re just running in circles or back and forth all day." It was rare for Blurr to participate in relays, really only when they were short on runners or had a weakness. He mostly went for the dashes, that was where he shone.
Starscream nodded, a quick bob of his head that was very bird-like. "Harpies have sports, too, though they are very different." He lifted up each foot pointedly and gestured to his talons. "We are not so much for running."
"Do you have races where you fly?" Blurr asked.
"Of course." Starscream preened again, head tossing back, feathers unfurling from his crown. "I am one of the fastest smols in my Aerie. Well, of my birth flock at least. I do not know about my current flock."
Interesting.
"I'd love to see that." Blurr could well imagine it, harpies of all sorts of colors, streaking across the sky like colorful airplanes. He was kind of jealous. What would it be like to fly?
"Maybe someday I can show you," Starscream said.
Blurr smiled. "I'd like that."
"Here you are!" George appeared in the window, plunking two large cups down on the counter, spoon and straw poking jauntily from a mound of colored ice. He'd given them the large size, which was far more sugar than either Blurr or Starscream needed. "Compliments of the house. Or straw hut. Whatever you want to call us."
Starscream’s eyes went wide. He took the cup, carefully cradling it with the pads of his fingers. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Blurr grabbed his cup and turned away, relieved when Starscream followed suit, and they ducked out from the overhang, back into the bright sunlight of the afternoon. He took a huge bite of his own colorful mound and grinned around a mouthful of coconut and pineapple, cold and crunchy against his teeth. That really hit the spot.
He licked his lips and glanced at Starscream, who was watching him with a tilt to his head.
“You just bite it?” he asked.
“Or use the spoon,” Blurr said with a laugh. “I’m just impolite.”
Starscream hummed. He peered at the colorfully striped mound of ice before he shrugged and took a big bite of it, even bigger than Blurr had, enough to completely remove the entire top layer. The loud cruuunch! of the ice echoed around them and Starscream chewed, head tilting the other direction, tailfeathers swishing the sidewalk.
“Good?” Blurr asked as he pulled out his spoon and started to eat the rest of his, grabbing a huge scoop of the orange first.
“Sweet,” Starscream mumbled around his mouthful. “And cold.” He visibly swallowed and peered at the cup. “The description said this flavor was made of berries and fruit, but I can’t taste either.”
Blurr laughed. “That’s the joy of being human. I don’t think anything we eat is genuine anymore.” He took a huge bite of his.
Starscream, he noticed, didn’t seem all that interested in his own cup now. He frowned, tilting it this way and that, making the colors run together. “It’s interesting,” he said as he fiddled with both straw and spoon.
“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it,” Blurr said, because Starscream was acting like picky eaters everywhere, playing with it and contemplating it, while trying to psych himself up to consume it. “There’s a trash can right there.”
Starscream followed his gesture. He peered at the receptacle for a moment before dumping the cup inside, where it landed with a loud thunk.
“I apologize,” he said as he returned. “I don’t think that was to my tastes.”
Blurr shrugged. “I’m not offended.” He shoved a scoop of cherry into his mouth. “At least you tried it.”
“True.” Starscream bobbed on his heels. “It’s the first thing you’ve shown me I didn’t like.”
Blurr squinted and pointed at him with a spoon. “I distinctly remember you not liking the pickle.”
“It was too sour!”
“Exactly.” Blurr laughed. “There will be other things, too. But don’t worry, I’m sure there are things you eat that I’d turn my nose up over.”
Starscream’s head tilted, cocked in that odd bird-like manner he sometimes had. “Maybe. Our diets are limited in comparison. So maybe not. We’ll have to see.”
Blurr hummed thoughtfully and shoved a bite of the pineapple into his mouth, teeth crunching on the ice. “It’s only fair, right? You see my home, and then eventually, you show me yours.”
“You’d actually want to?” Starscream asked.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Blurr stirred the shaved ice a little. “I mean, I’m not a scholar or anything, but you’re my friend, and that’s what friends do. They learn more about each other.”
Starscream beamed. On a human, it would have been stunning. For a harpy, it was a bit disconcerting, taking into account the sharp and overlarge teeth. But then his feathers fluffed, and his tail swished, and it veered right back into charming.
“Good. I’m glad. Thank you.” He bobbed in place then pointedly smacked his lips. “I’ll leave you to your work then. But come back again… soon?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks for the shaved ice. It was an experience,” Starscream looked as if he’d had to search for the last word, to find something that wasn’t insulting. “Farewell.”
Blurr swallowed a laugh. “Later, Starscream.”
He stepped back, and just in time, too. Because Starscream stretched out his arms, unfurling the full length of his wings, crouched, and launched into the air with a whoosh of sticky-hot wind. Envy crept into Blurr’s belly as he watched Starscream take to the sky, the bright blues and reds of his feathers seeming to glimmer in the sunlight.
A bell jingled as George rushed out of the hut, phone raised, eagerly snapping photo or video of Starscream in flight. Blurr supposed he couldn’t blame him.
It really was a gorgeous sight.
Blurr begrudgingly went back to work.
He didn’t expect to actually see Starscream again. He figured the harpy was being polite or would be distracted by something or someone far more interesting. But for the rest of his summer vacation, Starscream showed up every Wednesday in the middle of his workshift without fail.
Blurr took that as his cue to take a break.
Over time, he introduced Starscream to tacos from the taco truck, and learned that Starscream did not eat meat at all, but he liked the crunch of corn shells, and could apparently eat sour cream as if it were its own food group. He brought Starscream to visit the local fruit stand, and Blurr’s pockets were emptied of cash as he walked away with a basket of various fruits, and Starscream ended up with a woven bag of his own.
Starscream made a new friend that day, unsurprisingly. Traci had been as delighted to meet a harpy as George had been, and she’d insisted on taking a selfie with Starscream, and they’d chatted about different types of berries until Blurr finished off a whole pint of blackberries while waiting.
He paid for those many blackberries later. But that’s a different, unpleasant story.
Once, when a storm broke and Starscream showed up dripping and miserable, they stayed in the archives for lunch, Blurr sharing with Starscream the cheap, tasty alternative to a healthy lunch in the form of two cups of noodles, steaming hot from the microwave. He’d given Starscream the vegetable flavor, kept the shrimp for himself, and laughed as Starscream dumped the broth out and rinsed the noodles with hot water before he ate them.
“Why is everything so salty?” he’d asked with a grump that should not have been so adorable.
“We’re trying our best to kill our taste buds,” Blurr’d said with a laugh.
Starscream had wrinkled his nose and stolen the rest of Blurr’s yogurt. He found he liked the kind with the fruit on the bottom the best.
It was probably the most entertaining work summer Blurr had ever had. When the job came to a close, he was almost sad to receive his last paycheck. If he’d had the time to keep it up during the school year, he would. But with classes and practice, he didn’t.
So he bid adieu to two classrooms still full of old books that needed cataloging and started to prepare for the beginning of the fall semester.
It didn’t occur to him, until the shadow passed by overhead a few days later, that Starscream would keep up their weekly meeting. He realized he probably should have informed the harpy of his plans when Starscream swooped down in front of him, looking flustered and maybe a little worried.
“You weren’t at the archives,” he said, his feathers fluffing, no matter how much he tried to smooth them down.
Blurr scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry. I forgot to tell you that was my last week working.” He gestured over his shoulder. “I’ve got training every day this week, and I’m prepping for the new semester.”
“Oh.” Starscream’s shoulders sank a little. “You are busy then.”
“Not at the moment.” Blurr gestured for Starscream to join him, and the harpy fell in step beside him. “I’m heading back to my dorm to shower and change. We could watch a movie and order in lunch, if you want.”
Starscream peered at him. “A movie? And what kind of lunch?”
“I haven’t introduced you to pizza yet.” Blurr’s stomach grumbled. He adjusted the swing of his backpack. “You know what movies are, don’t you?”
Starscream waved him off. “Yes, I’ve watched movies. Dr. Morgan lets me watch any of her materials any time I want.”
Dr. Morgan. Blurr chewed on the name. It sounded familiar. Wasn’t she the head of the Avian Studies department? Not just head, but founder of the entire Avian Studies major and minor program. Blurr had done a little research on his own, when Starscream had flown into his life, so he knew Kaon was a haven to the Kaon Aerie, and it was largely in part to Dr. Morgan’s efforts, plus the assistance of a harpy named Perceptor.
“Okay, but my movies are not at all educational. They’re for fun,” Blurr said with a laugh. Primus, what was even appropriate for a harpy to watch?
“I can have fun, too,” Starscream said, indignant.
“Well, then let’s go.”
Fortunately, Starscream had not caught him far from his dorm. Blurr had gotten lucky enough to snag a room near the practice track and field. He wasn’t sure how Starscream had spotted him, but couldn’t help imagining the harpy flying over Kaon, searching for him. It couldn’t have been too hard. Freshmen and returning students wouldn’t start trickling in until the end of the week.
Move in day was going to be hell. Blurr planned on hiding in his room, with a pair of headphones, and attaching himself to his game system.
Starscream balked at the elevator. “It’s safe?” he asked as he peered down the gap between the elevator and the floor. To be fair, last time they’d taken the stairs.
“As safe as it can be,” Blurr said. “We could take the stairs again?” He eyed the weight limit posted on the inside. Was it rude to ask a harpy how much they weighed?
Starscream sighed and gingerly stepped inside. The elevator creaked, but didn’t honk at them, so that was good news. Blurr honestly was only two floors up. He just happened to be feeling lazy, his legs heavy and tingling from practice this morning.
Blurr hit the button for the third floor before Starscream could change his mind, and watched with some amusement as the harpy backed against the wall, clutching the tiny railing.
“It’s kind of weird, isn’t it?” Blurr asked.
Starscream’s throat bobbed. “Disconcerting is a better word.” His eyes slanted to Blurr. “Might prefer the stairs next time.”
“Deal.”
The elevator bobbed as it deposited them on the third floor, and Starscream was out before the doors had a chance to fully open. Blurr’s pace was more leisurely. He guided Starscream down the hall, to the end, where he had point of pride in one of the few singles on the hall.
“Welcome back to my humble home,” Blurr announced as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, relieved that he’d cleaned it before leaving this morning.
It wasn’t much, admittedly. He had a bed with storage above it, a desk, and a wardrobe for his clothes with his TV perched on that. A small sink took up space near the entrance, and a closed door connected to the bathroom he shared with the room next door. He had a window, but the shades were drawn, and the walls were covered with posters and papers and various things he’d collected over the years.
He’d never bothered applying for a different room. He’d kept this one since moving in freshmen year. It was home, as much as Blurr had one.
“It’s still cozy,” Starscream said as he came inside, turning in a slow circle to take it in.
Blurr chuckled and dropped his pack in his desk chair. “As much as it can be anyway.” He poked the TV on and the DVD player, causing the title screen for ‘The Princess Bride’ to come into view.
Thank Primus Starscream had no idea what that was. Otherwise Blurr might have been embarrassed.
“You should watch this one, it’s a classic,” Blurr said as he keyed it up to play. He turned and looked over his shoulder.
Starscream was peering at his desk with obvious interest, staring at every item on it as though each required individual contemplation.
“You still have a lot of things,” he observed.
“Well, I’ve lived here a while. It adds up.” Blurr toed off his shoes, kicking them toward the door where they thumped under the sink. “I’m going to shower and then I’ll order the pizza. You can just, you know, make yourself at home or whatever.” He was not the least bit concerned about Starscream stealing from him.
Starscream’s attention was stolen by the television as the opening strains of the music began to play. “All right,” he said.
Blurr grinned and gathered up a change of clothes, vanishing into the bathroom. For now, the connecting room was empty of residents, but that would change by next week. He could enjoy his solitude for a little while yet.
Well.
His solitude plus one inquisitive harpy.
a/n: And there it is, chapter one of twenty-eight, the beginning of a very long first arc. yeah, you read that right. FIRST ARC. *wipes sweat from brow*
