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pluralsword · 2 years

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Image description 1 of 49: three selected Autobot Data Files from the Transformers TTRPG by Renegade Games. They read:

Anode Xenoarchaeologist Alt Mode: Bi-Wing Flyer Anode began life as a blacksmith on Cybertron, but she reinvented herself into a treasure-hunting adventurer that specialized in digging up alien cultures and artifacts. She has a sharp tongue and loves taking risks, much to the chagrin of her spouse, Lug.

Arcee Career Warrior Alt Mode: Motorcycle Arcee is an Autobot warrior through and through and will shed Energon as vigorously as any other. Despite her loyalty, Arcee enjoys defending troublemakers and outliers. A ferocious and deadly warrior who’s an expert in hand-to-hand combat, she is also one of the best sharpshooters on record, never wavering from her dedicated protection of those she has sworn to defend.

Lug Xenogeologist Alt Mode: Toolkit Backpack Lug is the bonded spouse of Anode, happily riding along as her archeology kit and backpack until she herself is needed. She has a deep understanding of dangerous environments across Cybertronian territories and gladly puts her life on the line for science and the safety of her beloved.

End image description.

As mentioned before, we keep thinking about these data files, and wanted to focus on ttrpg motorcycle Arcee’s character a bit! So here’s part one of a story told through toy photos:

Embraces New and Old

Image description 2 of 49: A kitbash of Anode kneels in front of a computer terminal, looking over at the open passageway while alongside her Conjunx Endura Lug, who is holding eight large fuel rods in her arms. Beside the the terminal are the Golden Disks, an energy sword (from T30 Arcee), and tucked away is a tiny Blaster in cassette player mode. Behind Lug, a round disc is barely visible, with armlets above the wall, where Legacy Prime Arcee sits, watching. Down the nearest hallway, Wheeljack walks casually... End image description.

Image description 3 of 49: A zoom out of the earlier shot- Arcee and the disc are now clearly visible, and Wheeljack is walking alongside a similarly relaxed Nautica who seems to be chatting with Wheeljack. Behind the next wall of the base, Ironhide is gesturing for people to follow while Sunstreaker and Tread Bolt run ahead to turn the corner to where Wheeljack and Nautica are... End image description.

Image description 4 of 49: Anode moves her hands away from the terminal to pick up her sword, while Arcee looks on, face now visible in the frame, and the platform discs on the floor and overhanging the wall start up with blue blast effects, with Lug stepping towards the one on the ground... End image description.

Image description 5 of 49: as Lug steps away she looks over her shoulder to see BBM Wheeljack around the corner arms raised in exclamation, while Nautica stands beside him reaching for her gun on her back, wrench in hand. Sureshock rolls in her motor scooter mode to sneak between Wheeljack and Nautica, with High Wire biking himself in behind, and ER Sunstreaker and Universe Tread Bolt following with rifles drawn. Arcee continues to remain still on the top of the wall... End image description.

Image description 6 of 49: a focus in on Legacy Prime Arcee looking down from the wall (a TR Arcee packaging box) by the overhang arm, her pink tri-crest bright on her blue helm in the room light, silver face in a slight grin... End image description.

Image description 7 of 49: a focus on Anode picking up her blue energy sword in Arcee’s view- and the Golden Disks nearby, while Lug’s foot is seen approaching the activated teleporter (a ground bridge). End image description.

Image description 8 of 49: behind the second wall, BBM Ironhide moves up to join Tread Bolt, followed by Thunderhowl with his sword sheathed and shield out, Legacy Elita One with her guns holsters on her back stacks, and BBM Ratchet with his rifle on his back. End image description.

Image description 9 of 49: Anode snatches up the Golden Disks close to her chest and deflects a blast effect from Nautica with her sword, while Lug leaps into the ground bridge, and Sureshock in bot mode charge at Anode, followed by minibots High Wire and Grindor also in bot mode. Wheeljack is pushing Nautica’s gun out of position to prevent her from getting another shot in- and she has her wrench raised in exclamation. Meanwhile, Sunstreaker is about dip around the corner to aim her rifle, and looks on instead at Ironhide, who has her rifle raised aloft. Tread Bolt holds position, while Thunderhowl and Elita stop behind Ironhide, waiting... End image description.

Image description 10 of 49: Lug now gone, Anode attempts to back into the ground bridge which has now caught fire in several places, while Sureshock wrestle the Golden Desk’s out of her grip... End image description.

Image description 11 of 49 : Anode, now fully on the burning ground bridge, reaches out to the Golden Disk’s in Sureshock’s arms, while Wheeljack outstretches arms in turn towards Anode... End image description.

Image description 12 of 49: Sunstreaker has dropped her rifle, and follows in with High Wire with only hands, Grindor close behind. Ironhide looks over to get a look at what is happening, while Elita starts to rush around him, and Nautica kneels on the ground, face looking down at the floor, gun pointing down. Tread Bolt, Thunderhowl, and Ratchet hold back, Ratchet with an arm out towards Elita... end image description.

Image 13 of 49: A zoom in on Elita stepping in between Ironhide and Nautica, who is looking away. Sunstreaker’s foot rushes onward, rifle behind her. End image description.

Image description 14 of 49: Arcee, with a sniper rifle holstered on her wheel-pack, has slid down onto the ground bridge opening that Anode and Lug crossed through, one arm on the wall and the other towards the bots who had been after Anode and Lug... end image description.

Image description 15 of 49: a zoom up of the earlier shot: Wheeljack’s leg on the ground is now visible, as is Sunstreaker’s arm, - at the top of the photo the ground bridge wall arms have come loose and broken apart... end image description.

Image description 16 of 49: a zoom in on Wheeljack hitting the floor, arms around Sureshock, who is still clutching the Golden Disks... End image description.

Image description 17 of 49: a lopsided, shaky, blurry photo of Arcee on the collapsing ground bridge, the nearby terminal and near-prone Wheeljack in view... end image description.

Image description 18 of 49: just along the corner of the wall, Sunstreaker kneels, covering her head with her arm to brace from the explosion- and perhaps not wanting to see what happens to Arcee. High Wire hits the ground, and Nautica hugs Grindor close after he ran over to her. Meanwhile, Tread Bolt, Thunderhowl, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Elita wait, Ironhide scratching her own helm, while Elita looks on at Nautica, seemingly lost in thought... End image description.

Image description 19 of 49: Blaster still behind the terminal in alt mode, Sureshock, Wheeljack, and High Wire look on at the burning wreck of the ground bridge, Sunstreaker in turn looking at Wheeljack’s drooped posture. End image description.

Image description 20 of 49: A zoom in on Blaster on the ground by the terminal, Golden Disks also on the floor... Blaster’s reflection is visible on the terminal table frame. End image description.

Image description 21 of 49: Elita One’s forearm reaches over the terminal to grab Blaster... End image description.

Image description 22 of 49: An almost top down shot of squarely and roundly robust Elita One holding cassette player mode Blaster in her hands, looking down at him... the wreck of the ground bridge is visible in the background. End image description.

Image description 23 of 49: A front shot of before, Elita’s left hand is clenched in thought, a slight smile on broad-helmed face... end image description.

Image description 24 of 49: In front of a city backdrop elsewhere, Lug holds her fuel rods in hand while Anode steps towards her, sword at her side, big blast effect tears coming out of her eyes under her crested and goggled helm... End image description.

Image description 25 of 49: Engine fuselage armor half skirts turned behind her thighs, winged curvy Anode kneels, still crying, into shorter boxier backpack Lug’s chest, while Lug holds her as well around the shoulders and wings, fuel rods on the ground... end image description.

Image description 26 of 49: Lug leans in closer with her embrace now focus on Anode’s arms and her wings, head inclined as if smooching or whispering Anode’s helm... end image description.

Image description 27 of 49: Slightly blurred from close-up of the same image as before, with Lug’s lips clearly on Anode’s helm. Lug’s blocky right ankle is clearly visible. End image description.

Image description 28 of 49: similar image as before, with more visibility of Anode’s big angled ankles and her inner engine turbine-pack on her back, sword still clutched in her left hand. End image description.

Image description 29 of 49: Lug and Anode, no longer embracing, reach out to pick up the fuel rods. Anode seems to no longer have sobbing droplets down her face. End image description.

Image description 30 of 49: Lug and Anode rush off to the left, fuel rods in hand, four carried by each. End image description.

Image description 31 of 49: Anode following along with fuel rods in her arms behind off-panel Lug. End image description.

Image description 32 of 49: the point where Anode and Lug appeared is empty, only crates, towers, and an elevated highway or rail line visible... end image description.

Image description 33 of 49: same as previous image. End image description.

Image description 34 of 49: Legacy Prime Arcee appears in a plopped crash onto the ground face first where Anode and Lug used to be... end image description.

Image description 35 of 49: Arcee kneels up using the alien bending capability of her powerful torso actuators to look onward with ease in the direction Anode and Lug went... End image description.

Image description 36 of 49: she begins to change modes- her upper half turned around so her head and wheel-pack faces the ground, legs also moving... end image description.

Image description 37 of 49: her sequence continues, her motorcycle shape apparent, one leg outstretched with a wheel at the end instead of a foot... her sniper rifle is affixed ahead on her side, and head inside her fuselage. End image description.

Image description 38 of 49: nearly done actuating her motorcycle shape, Arcee sticks her kickstand down for balance, only one more armor flip is needed... end image description.

Image description 39 of 49: side armor now tucked in and her rifle near her back wheel, still pointed forward, Arcee rushes off with an initial exhaust vapor of a blue blast effect. End image description.

Image description 40 of 49: in front of a wrecked and junk covered landscape, a sitting Lug opens up her chest compartment to reveal a single pink energon cube. Also seated Anode touches her forearm with her hand, while Lug looks at her, fuel rods on the ground between them.

Image description 41 of 49: holding hands with Anode, Lug chomps down on the energon cube with her left hand. End image description.

Image description 42 of 49: a focus on Anode and Lug hands holding each other... end image description.

Image description 43 of 49: Lug hands Anode the energon cube. End image description.

Image description 44 of 49: Anode bites in on the energon cube, while Lug gently rests a hand on her engine armor skirt. End image description.

Image description 45 of 49: Anode holds Lug’s hand again, who is looking down at her own chest compartment, which is empty. Anode nonetheless seems a little cheery, looking up at the sky.

Image description 46 of 49: Lug closes up her chest, and looks over at Anode, still holding hands... end image description.

Image description 47 of 49: the two go about picking up their fuel rods again... end image description.

Image description 48 of 49: the junk covered place is now seemingly without bots again, the two Conjunx rogues gone...

Image description 49 of 49: Arcee wheels in a turn in her motorcycle mode to where Anode and Lug had eaten their last energon cube...

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pluralsword · 1 year

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Super Mode Pyra Magna

Some things we want for the eventual 40th anniversary of Transformers regarding toys:

1) Anode & Lug

2) EXRID Arcee

3) Torchbearers (IDW1) & Companions (IDW2) with any four of the bots plus Rust Dust (Prowl retool?) & Pyra Magna combining into Victorion. Pyra Magna's top half of her alt mode can become: a base, a comb skel, and supermode armor a la Galaxy Optimus Prime in Cybertron/Yellow Splendid Convoy etc.

Listen the Motormaster comb skel has us thinking is all. There are so many possibilities.

4) Monstructor

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pluralsword · 10 months

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Anode: Gallant Sleazy Scoundrel Do-Gooder

things we realized writing chapter 17 of addendum (still need to finish uploading chapter 16 and doing the last paragraphs it's just the way time for the fic works out we've been writing by hand and uploading later):

it is so fun to write Anode as a gallant sleazy scoundrel do-gooder and have that be the basis for how she flirts with Arcee whose permission to heal her surgery side effects she is waiting on (still havent uploaded chapter 16 but it explores Anode and Lug's budding feelings for her in part and chapter 17 steps further towards doing something about them) realized part of the appeal apart from the many original aspects of the canon characters and just the sheer trans wlw of it all is:

inspired from leia - han -> arcee - springer

inversion of leia - ?indiana jones!? -> arcee - anode - lug (lug as far as we know does not have any connections to a star war indy character)

lmao now we want to write Springer, Anode, and Lug interacting in something its also fun for the reader to be uncertain of Arcee's feelings and intent through Anode and Lug's point of view oogh. Cannot wait to share. We could spoil what is actually going on in Arcee's head but we don't want to

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pluralsword · 1 year

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As a trans sword sapphic/lesbian/enbian who deeply loves thighs both aesthetically, martially, & has terminal robot brain it was inevitable that we'd do tasteful thigh posting w/ sword sapphic theming. Hard to get a full view of everybody but big bots being big makes up for it XD

ID In front of a windowsill with a trans flag across the sill and a scifi polityscape backdrop are a number of transformer toys holding swords, guns, each other, or posing or dancing. Some of the ones at the front have feet apart stances that accentuate their thighs (and the bots have thighs of all sorts of shapes from boxy to round to thin to curvy and so forth). From left to right: Minerva (Fans Hobby Athena), SG Strongram custom, Shutter custom, PotP Elita w/sword, Rust Dust, TR Windblade holding her sword in one hand and T30 Chromia with her halberd in the other, prereformat Arcee custom, Clobber, Pyra Magna, Anode custom patting custom Lug's head who is touching the bottom of her lower thigh, MMC Azalea, S86 Rodimus kneeling, both with visors and grasping pistols on thighs and ankles respectively, TR Overlord handstanding, Nova Storm, T30 Cosmos, Aileron custom, IDW1 Arcee custom, Greenlight, Ultra Slipstream, MP Road Rage holding her cannon up, and a fat Nautica custom dancing. End ID.

Look we like thighs. We could go on about why but we think somehow back stacks (Arcee’s in particular but certainly not only hers) turned us on to thighs instead of the other way around. But also Aileron and Greenlight, shipping art of chromeblade and anolug and nautilotty and rodimus with whomever are responsible prior/in tandem to the realization back stacks are thighs. We had a queer reawakening from diving into the transformers fandom

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dustbunny105 · 2 years

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Bashir/Garak and Lug/Anode for the domesticity meme!

Whee, thank you!

Bashir/Garak (about to be obvious I haven't watched DS9 in a long time, lol):

big spoon/little spoon: Garak is the big spoon because it's hard for him to relax with someone at his back, even Julian.

favorite non-sexual activity: Arguing literature, natch.

who uses all the hot water: Whoever gets to it first.

most trivial thing they fight over: Oh, Garak will pick a petty fight over absolutely anything.

who does most of the cleaning: It's pretty even.

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: Julian thinks he does.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: Julian, if Garak doesn't fix it first.

who steals the blankets: Garak steals them first, Julian steals them back and so on.

who leaves their stuff around: Garak; he insists he has A System-- and, tbh, he's probably telling the truth this time.

who remembers to buy the milk: They both remember they need it but Garak acts like he's forgotten so Julian will get it. Julian knows what he’s doing but also knows he’s the only way they’re getting milk.

who remembers anniversaries: Both of them.

Who cooks normally: Garak.

How often do they fight: Constantly but it's all in the name of keeping the flame burning.

What do they do when they’re away from each other: Make mental lists of things the want to say to each other when they're back together.

Nicknames for each other: "My dear doctor" or just "my dear" by Garak for Julian. Julian drops occasional endearments but nothing consistent.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner: Julian.

What would they get each other for gifts: Books and treats.

Who kissed who first: Julian kissed Garak first.

Who made the first move: Garak, of course. I mean, come on, he made it the first time they met.

Who remembers things: Both of them but Garak more so.

Who started the relationship: Both of them claim credit and neither is exactly wrong. Garak started it but Julian made it official.

Who cusses more: Julian.

What would they do if the other was hurt: Julian would treat Garak to the best of his considerable ability. Garak would make sure Julian was in good hands-- and, if necessary, call in a couple favors.

Anolug:

big spoon/little spoon: All else being equal, Anode is the big spoon because the reverse is a little too much like being out on the field. It sometimes comes down to who was in the most life-threatening danger most recently, though.

favorite non-sexual activity: Star-gazing

who uses all the hot water: Anode carelessly, Lug intentionally as payback

most trivial thing they fight over: They don't fight over trivial things as a general rule-- too many legitimate grievances to bother-- but both of them are prone to fits of backseat driving.

who does most of the cleaning: Lug, by a mile. Anode keeps herself and her tools in pristine condition and cannot be bothered to clean a single thing more than that.

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: Lug would but Anode impulse-pirates basically everything they watch.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: Lug, if Anode can't fix it herself.

who steals the blankets: Anode would if they didn't cocoon themselves into the blankets together.

who leaves their stuff around: Neither, generally. Lug is organized by nature and Anode doesn't own anything that she would be careless with.

who remembers to buy the milk: Lug.

who remembers anniversaries: They both forget and then blame each other for not reminding them.

Who cooks normally: Lug again. Anode would go out for every meal if she could get away with it.

How often do they fight: Pretty rarely overall but their bickering is the soundtrack for every bad job Anode gets them into.

What do they do when they’re away from each other: Lug stays in and plays her mood pipes, Anode goes out and gets herself, if not both of them, into more trouble.

Nicknames for each other: Nope.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner: Dine and dash all the way, baby.

What would they get each other for gifts: Things that were lost or destroyed on the last job. After they settle down, knick-knacks that remind them of each other and of past adventures.

Who kissed who first: Anode almost went for it several times but Lug is the one who finally pulled the trigger.

Who made the first move: Anode.

Who remembers things: Anniversaries notwithstanding, they both do.

Who started the relationship: Neither of them can pinpoint a beginning; they feel like something that's always been.

Who cusses more: Anode generally, Lug out of anger.

What would they do if the other was hurt: Minor injuries in the field or around the house, they help each other with and maybe tease each other about (Lug can get away with this second bit better than Anode, since it's more likely to be Anode's fault). Lug frets over serious injuries and seeks any necessary assistance; Anode treats serious injuries with professionalism and relative calm, unless she can't. And if someone was responsible for hurting Lug, she does her utmost to hurt them back.

#star trek #star trek: ds9 #julian bashir #elim garak #barak #transformers #mtmte #lost light #anode #lug #anolug

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dustbunny105 · 4 years

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Title: What Do You Say? Fandom: Lost Light Pairing: Anolug Rating: G Word count: 642 Summary: Lug is owed an apology and she’s not saying a word until she gets it. A/N: Idk, I’ll just never get enough of Anode apologizing to Lug. Probably gonna change the title later.

“Alright,” Anode says when the silent treatment feels fit to hollow out her brain module. “Alright! I know when I’m beat--”

Lug snorts from her seat, never looking up from her book. It’s the closest thing to conversation that she’s offered in the past three days.

“No, really,” Anode insists. “The only reason I don’t literally throw in the towel is it’d clutter the place up. So, here goes.”

It at least gets her a suspicious look, flicked from her head on down like a spot-check for weapons, when she takes a knee in front of Lug. Anode doesn’t risk touching, not yet, instead settling her hands on the edge of Lug’s seat. After a moment’s thought, she shifts to be certain that Lug has space to slip by her.

“We shouldn’t have taken the job-- I shouldn’t have taken the job and dragged you along,” she amends when Lug sends her an acidic glare. “It was reckless. It was dangerous. You were right. I was... Well, what’s important is that you were right.”

Lug does Anode the courtesy of looking her full in the face, at least, but her expression isn’t promising. Or, rather, it isn’t promising anything Anode especially wants. There is certainly the promise of an ongoing silent treatment.

Anode is then pleasantly surprised when Lug huffs and opens her mouth. Unfortunately, she doesn’t open it to express how silly she feels for dragging things on this long or how much she regrets neglecting her loving wife. No, she opens it to say simply, “And?” She doesn’t seem terribly impressed by Anode’s blank stare. In fact, she seems rather terribly unimpressed. Her face crinkles and she shakes her head, bringing her book up to eye level to block Anode out.

“And!” Anode blurts, catching the top of the book and pressing, gratified when it lowers without any resistance. “And… I owe you an apology.”

Silence. Lug lifts one optical ridge to a sharp peak. She then lifts one hand and rolls it through a meandering “get on with it” sort of gesture. The second roll, a moment after Anode just stares with twisted lips, is coupled with a much ruder gesture.

“Now you’re just being unreasonable,” Anode says without thinking it through.

Lug makes a sound of disgust and her plating shifts like she means to fold herself into alt mode, the better to pretend Anode isn’t there.

“I--” Anode’s vocalizer clicks, shutting down the rest of the sentence. Lug watches her with her eye ridges raised, plating ruffled like she might still transform at any moment. Anode draws out a sound unheard of in the known universe. Her chin hits her chest and just as quickly snaps back up. Gathering all her strength, she says, “I made the wrong call, I was reckless and I owe you an apology and-- and this is me apologizing. I’m apolo-- I’m sorry.”

Lug just stares and Anode groans, dropping her head onto Lug’s knees. She can’t even be mad if Lug is still mad, not really. Her arms wrap up around Lug’s legs without conscious thought; when she squeezes, as much as to reassure herself that Lug is there as anything, she knows exactly what she’s doing.

Almost inaudibly, she repeats against Lug’s plating, “I’m sorry.”

Those legs squirm and Anode relinquishes her grip, biting back another groan. A sigh falls from her lips, hitting the floor with the dull thud of defeat, and she leans back so that Lug has space to storm off and sulk in peace, if she’s not going to just tell Anode to beat it.

One might say she’s surprised when a kiss is dropped between her eyes but one would be underselling her reaction.

“There now,” Lug says, a little-- but just a little-- too soft to be smug. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

#femslash february #transformers #tffemslashweek #idw1 #lost light #anode #lug #anolug #my writing #mtmte

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dustbunny105 · 5 years

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Title: Where the Heart Is Fandom: Lost Light Ship: Anolug Word Count: 2449 Rating: PG Summary: Lug and Anode are due to unload their junker of a ship but Anode needs one last thing from it first. A/N: I didn’t want to repeat fandoms for FemFeb but I also really wanted to post at least four fics so, eh. Same continuity, different title, so, I mean, technically... Anyway, been sitting on this idea for a long little bit and it’s about time I got off of it. Might edit some more later, when I’m less sleepy.

Lug comes awake slowly, responding to movement across her abdomen. Anode is sprawled over her, engine humming a little too loud in the dark, and the arm she has slung over Lug is moving like she’s stroking something.

Something other than Lug, for sure, because otherwise that’s what would have woken her. She frowns, trying to make sense of Anode stroking the recharge slab, and turns over to curl into Anode’s chassis.

“What’s up?” she asks into Anode’s neck. “Is the slab scared of the ion storm?”

“No, the storm passed-- told you it’d be fine,” says Anode, a little too slowly. Her next stroke goes from the slab up Lug’s back, then higher until she’s running her fingers along Lug’s antenna.

“So, then?” Lug asks, a little more awake. It never bodes well when Anode avoids answering a question-- less so when she tries to change the subject. She props herself up on one elbow and searches Anode’s face for signs of mischief but finds her expression closed. “Anode?”

“I’m just not tired,” Anode says, but she’s not looking at Lug when she says it. She rolls onto her back, shifting to cuddle Lug against her side, and stares at the ceiling. “I did recharge a few days ago.”

“Yeah,” says Lug, “before running yourself ragged dealing with the navigation systems and autopilot all failing at once.” She wraps herself around Anode, curling her arm around Anode’s chassis to stroke at the plating on her side. Distracted, she mutters, “I’m surprised this junkheap is worth what we’re getting even for the scrap parts.”

Anode shifts at the words. Lug couldn’t explain what it was about the movement that tips her off to what the problem is, but she jerks up to stare down at Anode, who is now showing more than the usual interest in a far corner of the ceiling.

“You’re going to miss this junkheap,” she says in astonishment. “That’s what’s keeping you up?”

“Oh, come on,” Anode says, almost snaps, dropping all pretense of ignoring Lug as she sits up and frowns at her, arms crossed. “Won’t you, even a little?”

“No.”

“Even a little?” Anode wheedles, somehow looking truly taken aback.

“I already said no,” says Lug, though this time it makes her feel just a little bit bad to say it. Even if it is the complete truth. “Anode-- this thing has gotten us nearly killed almost as often as you have, you realize that, don’t you?”

“Well,” says Anode, flustered, “sure, but-- almost! Almost as often as I have. And you love me, don’t you?”

“In spite of my better judgement, yes,” Lug says. “But you have redeeming qualities.”

“Such as?” Anode asks. Rather than wait for an answer, she holds up one finger and then points it at Lug. With all the confidence of someone striking a finishing move, she declares, “Such as, I haven’t gotten us killed yet, right? Just like the Junkbucket here!”

“I told you not to name it,” Lug mutters, burying her face in her hands. “I told you not to name it, didn’t I?”

“Oh, that’s just an affectionate nickname.”

“You’ve gone and gotten attached,” Lug despairs. Anode’s weak excuse, she ignores; she’s gotten pretty good at that through their time together. Not as good as she’d like to be, but still. “This is why I told you not to name it.”

“I thought you told me not to name it because you hate all the names that I come up with.”

“Well, that too.” Lug sighs, resigning herself to being awake when she really isn’t ready to be. They aren’t to hand over the ship for hours yet and they have nothing to do until then. The planet where they had docked to meet their buyer isn’t the worst that they’ve ever visited but also isn’t one that she’s about to wander around on. “If you’re going to try to talk me into keeping the ship…”

“Oh, good grief, no,” says Anode, though it is painfully obvious that her spark isn’t in it. She looks around their cramped little quarters with a wistful expression. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m committed to turning this thing over to be scrapped. It’s like you said, we’re lucky to be getting as much for it as we are now. I can’t begin to imagine how much the value will have decreased by the next spaceport we hit, even if we don’t hit it on fire.”

Lug waits a moment and, when Anode seems unlikely to continue on her own, prompts, “But…?”

“But,” says Anode, sighing herself, “it’s… home, isn’t it?” Anode curls around her and rests her head on Lug’s, drawing the conversation close around them. Her fingers are restless, whispering across Lug’s plating not unlike her confession. “This has been our home for… a lot longer than I expected it to hold together, honestly.”

Lug considers this, her spark humming. She runs her hands over Anode in turn, soothing comfort into her seams, and tips her head so that they’re looking each other in the face. Cautiously, she points out, “That’s not really your style, is it, though? Having a home.”

“I never really thought of it as,” Anode admits with a wry quirk to her lips. She stares off into the distance; through the walls, through space. Her eyes are back on Lug’s before she goes on, “But I guess a ship is the best of both worlds that way, isn’t it? It’s not one place but it is someplace... safe.”

Safe is about the last word that Lug would ever use to describe their ship. The thing is a death trap cobbled together from centuries of desperation. Still, wrapped in Anode’s embrace, Lug supposes that she can at least understand the sentiment. It’s less about their junker of a ship and more about having somewhere, anywhere, to go back to at the end of an adventure. And she has to admit, for all that it’s held together by its own dying prayers, it’s done as well by them as it can. Better than they could reasonably have expected, when they first picked it up. And if it can help Anode acclimate to the idea of having one place to settle down in, Lug supposes it’s only right that she be grateful for that. It’s more than she’s managed, anyway.

That still doesn’t mean she’s going to miss it. Not even if giving it up means they have to use the worst public transport that the galaxy has to offer for the rest of their lives. Which, given their clientele and success rate both, it very well might.

“I don’t get it,” Lug admits, “but... I understand.” She leans to nuzzle Anode and to brush a kiss over her lips. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, no,” says Anode. She shifts, still wrapped around Lug but with that restlessness crawling from her fingertips out through the rest of her. One hand jerks twice, thrice in the air, before dipping into a compartment that’s popped open on her side. “None of that now, I--” she draws something out of the compartment but keeps it hidden in her fist. Her fingers twitch around it as if whatever it is wants to be freed. “I’m sorry, y’know? It’s just…”

“What’ve you done?” Lug asks, tense but not for reasons that she recognizes. In another moment, she realizes that she’s reacting to Anode’s field roiling against hers. “Anode?”

“It’s more what I haven’t done,” Anode says on a sigh. She’s using the tone she favors when she wants to redirect or dismiss, so familiar that it makes the wholly foreign nervousness all the more stark. “I didn’t think this the whole way through, not really.”

“You didn’t think what through, the sale?” Lug hazards to guess. “The trip out? You did buy the tickets, right?” Anode stares at her with flat optics and Lug almost panics before remembering, “No, wait, I bought the tickets.”

Anode huffs a laugh and hugs Lug tight to her, her still closed fist disappearing behind Lug’s back. “You’re making me feel just a little better about this now,” she teases; her field says that it’s the truth, thick though it still is with tension. She draws back and looks at Lug like she might never seen her again; her mouth moves, wordless. Then the look clears and she stares over Lug’s shoulder, deliberately blank, and blurts, “The reason I’m afraid of scraplets is that I fell into a nest of them while I was exploring someplace I wasn’t supposed to be. No one knew I was there. No one ever would’ve known where I’d gone, if I hadn’t gotten out. I’ve never told anyone, but that’s why.”

Lug wriggles and reaches to hook her fingers in Anode’s seams; she meets instead smooth planes of metal, Anode having slicked her plating flat. She can’t help but gawk, caught between this little information dump and Anode’s strange behavior. “Anode--”

“I wasn’t sure what to get, is the thing,” Anode says over her, a non sequitur as far as Lug can understand it. She shifts again, handling Lug so that she ends up perched on Anode’s crossed shins, and leans back on one hand. Her other hand, she opens at last between them, showing off a new set of mood pipes. “And we were coming down to the wire. But then your old set got dinged on that job yesterday and I figured I might as well.”

“Did you steal those?” Lug asks, thinking of the dangerous-looking mechanism who’d been standing over the booth where she remembered having seen them. It’s a silly question but it saves her from shorting out over the creeping realization of what’s happening here.

“Of course I did,” says Anode. “We haven’t sold the ship yet. Do you like them?”

“You wouldn’t have stolen them if you didn’t know I would like them,” Lug points out. Reaching for the pipes is like reaching for a dream, except that they don’t fade away under her fingertips. “Thank you.”

She doesn’t take them, not just yet. Just rests her hands around them, Anode’s palm warm against her. Nervous static snaps between them, sparking in the dark.

“O-oh,” she says, dizzy as reality at last smacks her upside the head, so quickly tired of being ignored. Anode looks at her like she’s trying to see her spark through her eyes and Lug blurts, “I’m sorry-- I don’t know what to do.” Anode’s expression turns puzzled and Lug goes on, “I mean, it’s my turn, isn’t it?”

Her turn, what seals the deal. A demonstration of devotion in return for a secret disclosed and a gift proffered, following a display of intimacy. They’ve been together so long that they’re conjunx in all but the formalities of the matter. Lug can honestly say that she forgets sometimes that they’ve never walked through the ritus-- the idea that she could forget such a thing feels ludicrous in this moment, as she finds herself stumbling on this last leg of the journey.

“Then it’s yes?” Anode asks, leaning forward and catching Lug by the shoulder. There’s a smile on her face but it looks less sure of its place than any smile Lug has ever seen her wear before.

“Of course it’s yes, what kind of question is that?” Lug demands. “But we’re not done until the Act of Devotion and I don’t know--”

“That’s it,” Anode says, shushing her, swooping in to sprinkle kisses across her cheeks. She laughs at Lug’s sputtering and pulls back, eyes sparkling down on Lug like she’s never seen greater treasure. Her hand goes from Lug’s shoulder to her cheek, thumb stroking over the curve. “All I drag us through, all we both know I’m going to drag us through, now without even our so-called ship at our disposal-- and you’re saying yes?” There’s a series of clicks and the smooth slide of metal as she opens her chest to bare her spark, never taking her eyes off of Lug. “How much more proof of devotion could I ask for?”

“But that isn’t how it goes,” Lug grumbles even as she leans back to give her own paneling room to slide away, a clumsier process than Anode’s thanks to the way her compartments are built in. “I’m supposed to make you some kind of a grand gesture!”

“Oh, you make grand gestures at me all the time-- don’t think I don’t notice,” Anode says. All traces of nerves melt away and she presses the mood pipes properly into Lug’s hand before gathering her up in her arms and flopping them both onto the slab with a dull clang. “Besides, since when do we live our lives based on how things are supposed to be?”

Lug curls against her, cradling the mood pipes against Anode’s back, protests giving way to shivers as realization strikes her anew in the dance of their spark light. If Anode is willing to accept nothing more or less than Lug’s agreement, then it’s done. Neither of them is about to make a speech, so-- that’s it. They’ve done it, just like that.

Well. Of course they did it just like that-- Anode has never been one to look before she leaps and Lug has never been far behind. No point looking twice at it now, she supposes, a smile wobbling across her face. The mingling of their fields and sparks is at once familiar and new.

“My conjunx,” she murmurs, one hand sliding forward to trace the edge where their open chambers press together. “You’re my conjunx now.” Then her thoughts back up and she can’t help frowning. She tucks the pipes away into a compartment for safekeeping and takes Anode’s face between her hands, stroking concern across her cheeks. “Are you really okay about selling the ship?”

“Going to insist on an Act of Devotion?” Anode teases. Lug’s thoughts on the matter must be plain on her face, because Anode softens and goes serious all at once. She turns away, like maybe if she doesn’t look at Lug, Lug will forget somehow that Anode needed the questionable safety of their rundown ship to chance making her proposal. The glance askance soon becomes a wistful look around the room.

“Anode?” Lug asks, drawing her attention back. “If you really--”

“I don’t want to watch it get scrapped,” Anode says with real melancholy, “but-- yeah. Yeah, I’m sure. And I’ll be okay.” She lets go of Lug long enough to pat the slab and nuzzles a grin against Lug’s cheeks. “Anyhow, I’d say that the old tub finished on a high note, wouldn’t you?”

#femslash february #tffemslashweek #transformers #idw1 #lost light #anode #lug #anolug #my writing #mtmte

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