Everybody learns from *somebody*

[lordmegatron]

Passing the doors into the library, Megatron was pleased he had gotten the schedule correct as he saw who was sitting at the desk. If it had been completely necessary due to his own schedule, he'd have come here when he could. But since he didn't have to...

Ignoring the faint itch interfacing hadn't properly gotten rid off, Megatron approached the librarian at a lazy, casual walk. It was a pity he hadn't seen any signs at all that the surprisingly fine-lined truck-alted mech had the inclination he was looking for. Things would have been a lot easier (and, really, pleasing) if he had.

As it was, since there was no one left in the current arena circuit that he trusted with what he had to hand over, perhaps he would have to avail himself of one of the clubs. It made an irritable twitch slither down the treads on his shoulders, the thought that he'd have to do that.

It was ages since he'd had to go to an open venue like that to simply get his needs properly taken care of.

And he really would have preferred the librarian. Orion Pax - it hadn't taken anything to find out the designation when to found the schedule - was witty, somehow diplomatically argumentative and didn't give in if he knew he was right or wanted to stand for his opinion, actually had some smarts to go with said use of words and Megatron wanted to know more.

More, and more personally (most of the earlier he'd simply learned over the few times he'd been in the library when the mech was, but hadn't actually approached him). So this time, he decided to actually use the librarian's assistance in what he was looking for... and perhaps get something more out of it.

"Excuse me?"

Comments

[lordmegatron]

"Orion, no." Megatron shook his helm, making a point of catching Orion's optics and holding his gaze. That wouldn't do, especially with the assumptions he could practically see lay behind that vehement repudiation.

"While the punishment was hardly something I liked, I didn't like it because I was being tied up, not where it was happening. The other things I had nothing against... and usually liked, too," Megatron said with an arched upper optic ridge, still not letting go of Orion's gaze.

Even if Orion was extremely far from being an exhibitionist, which was perfectly all right, he wouldn't let the mech think all of those things had been bad.

[ichooseboth]

Orion, yes.

Orion held his gaze easily, for once not afraid of messing up or doing the 'wrong' thing in their burgeoning relationship. Megatron's reassurance did little to reduce his primary objection.

"It's not just that, he grumbled, engine still growling. "Though I don't like that either."

He gestured down at himself, trying to articulate words that really only wanted to come out as snarls.

"It is foolish, but the idea of these another doms, not just employing distasteful punishments, but existing the way they did just makes me-"

He hissed quietly under his breath, trying and failing to suppress the petty possessiveness.

[lordmegatron]

... Ah.

He might have repeated that out loud, in a little 'hm' of realisation of what was going on beyond a misunderstanding. He shouldn't be grinning, but Orion dealing with possessiveness was too precious for words.

The mech hadn't seemed the type, and yet here he was, snarling like a razorcat over an intruder. And as long as that possessiveness didn't go too far - not that Megatron wasn't possessive as well, so what was 'too far' was hard for him to judge, really - there was no harm in that.

"I see." And he did, so his grin widened while his optics dimmed and he kept Orion's gaze for a moment longer, before he tilted his helm to the side and deliberately dropped his gaze to land somewhere at the height of Orion's chestplates instead. "None of them are here now, Orion."

[ichooseboth]

He's not precious, he is a fierce, angry truck-librarian.

Orion huffed, arms tightening across his growling chest.

"I know that. Logically, I'm perfectly aware of it."

He didn't look away, but something inside him was soothed when Megatron looked away first. Which was also foolish, but nothing about the situation was logical.

"But I don't like what they did. And I am so very, selfishly glad that they are gone."

He reached across the table, palm up, silently asking for Megatron's hand - and the reassurance of touching him.

[lordmegatron]

Hmmm. Maybe. Perhaps both? Because Megatron thought Orion was being very precious right now. As well as a little fierce, too, absolutely.

"Hmm. I'll try to minimise talking about anything specific they've done, or mention them directly. How's that?" He was still amused as he put his hand in Orion's questing one, but that still didn't hide the faint, warming thrill caused by Orion's possessiveness.

He couldn't say he didn't like it, because he did. More than that, it stirred interest and heat as well.

[ichooseboth]

Accepting Megatron's hand, Orion gave his fingers a squeeze, soaking in the reassuring contact.

"No, no, you shouldn't have to."

Orion sighed, vents rattling with the lingering - but slowly fading - growls. He kneaded a thumb across the back of Megatron's hand.

"It at least lets me know what things never to do. And -occasionally - the things that I should try."

The last bit looked like it was almost painful for him to admit, but he managed it.

[lordmegatron]

Ah, Orion was such a treasure, it was almost painful to have to sit here and listen to him be so mature and self-aware of what he and Megatron both should and shouldn't do.

"I'm not sure what I've done to deserve you, but I'm not letting you get away now." Laughing quietly, Megatron briefly squeezed the wrist he had wrapped his fingers around and grinned faintly, mostly visible by the slight reflections and highlights from the muted and coloured lights of the club.

"I think I have mentioned that I don't like being restrained with no easy way of getting loose myself, but if I haven't - I don't. You holding my wrists or telling me to keep my hands somewhere wouldn't count, but actual restraint aren't... something I'm fond of," Megatron said with a tilted shrug and a smooth, nearly bland tone of voice that tried to hide the hidden and faint tension.

There weren't many things he didn't like, but that was one of them

[ichooseboth]

"Understandable. And you did," Orion agreed, again committing that dislike of Megatron's firmly to memory. Growls firmly abated, his helm ducked slightly at the praise, audials twitching.

"And you can hush about that. There is nothing to do with 'deserving' - but that is reassuring. I can agree I'm not letting you go, either."
He managed a grin, giving Megatron's hand another squeeze.

"So. What can we do around here that won't send me into a fit? Dancing, maybe?"

[lordmegatron]

Megatron just grinned in response, pleased at the similar claim, and then shrugged.

"If you want to do that, certainly. That's why I suggested today, since there's no particular event going on. But whichever you want to do," Megatron said, lips quirking into another grin, "I suggest you acknowledge the mech aimed for us when she stops beside the table, because she's not going to intrude before you've given her permission."

The mech in question was tall - but slender. Her altmode was questionable, but there were bunches of kibble in several places that could be housings for hover mechanisms... or something else entirely. Despite the suggested flimsiness of her frame, there was a certain weatheredness to her armour that could be seen even under the muted, flashing lights in the club.

A gladiator, probably.

[ichooseboth]

"I wouldn't mind giving it a try...what?"

He started, only to reset his optics in surprise at the sudden shift in conversation. He glanced over, surprised to see the femme stop aside their table, optics down.

Glancing between her and Megatron, silently asking if he was serious about that- and quickly grasping that it was no silly joke, he glanced back toward the fragile-looking gladiator.

"Ah. Can I help you with something?"

Though rather bewildered, he managed something close to his best 'helpful librarian' voice.

[lordmegatron]

No, not a joke at all, and Megatron said nothing when Orion glanced at him, merely tilted his helm in what could be a nod just as much as waiting for Orion to do something... and since he did, there was nothing he needed to do.

"Yes, sir. May I speak to your submissive?" She continued to keep her gaze lowered, though she was otherwise relaxed - if in a somewhat military way what with her pose.

She knew Megatron well enough to have been able to tell that him and his... companion wasn't actively engaging in the general... atmosphere of the club, but she wasn't about to reveal that. And this mech had 'newbie' written all over him, so why not help him along?

The faintly amused buzz of Megatron's field briefly against her own confirmed her assessment.

[ichooseboth]

::Hrmpf. You're no help at all.:: Orion grumbled over their shared comm-line, giving Megatron a quick side-eye before focusing on the waiting visitor.

"...Yes. Go ahead."

Orion couldn't help but think that this was a bit much, but he gave the femme a nod, lightly gesturing Megatron's way with his 'permission'.

[lordmegatron]

::I'm not trying to be, Orion.:: Yes, he'd admit that outright, his tone over the comm. teasing and amused, turning to her after Orion had given his permission and she'd dipped her helm, murmuring a thank you reflected in the flickering wave of her EM field.

"I see you finally managed to get rid of that waiting disaster. You should've beaten him up more." The gladiator, compared to her subdued (or maybe restrained) behaviour when aimed at Orion, seemed to swell out beyond her field's reach as she turned to Megatron, using her hands and field both to underscore her words.

"I'm starting to think thrashing Maul was encouraging him, despite that he professed to only be a sadist," Megatron said with a snort and a shake of his helm, before he half turned back to Orion.

"Orion, this is Ragna. Ragna, Orion Pax. We are... proceeding." His little grin was mostly amusedly teasing again, but the glow of his optics and his gaze on Orion was warm.

"Ah." And by the glance she threw Megatron, apparently that single-word description of his and Orion's relationship meant something, something that made her grin before she turned back to Orion and gave him a half bow, optics low.

"Sir. And thank you."

[ichooseboth]

He settled for huffing at Megatron over the commline before letting it drop, focusing instead on the interaction taking place before him. The difference in Ragna's words and tone and even field when addressing Megatron versus himself was as fascinating as it was occasionally confusing. If he didn't know the cause, he'd almost be insulted.

Instead, Orion's stiffness melted away at Ragna's words, his own field control relaxing to more friendly levels.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ragna," Orion said with a nod of his helm, giving her a somewhat sly grin.

"It's no problem at all, really. Anyone who shares my dislike of that mech is welcome."

[lordmegatron]

For a brief moment, Ragna's subdued respect... or rather, submissiveness, disappeared into a burst of static as she snorted, shaking her helm.

"He was bad business from the start, but I didn't know Megatron was involved with him - and didn't know him well enough at that point, until later," Ragna said with a shrug, her and Megatron's optics meeting, even if he looked vaguely annoyed, "so there was no chance to warn beforehand."

"I'm hardly helpless, Ragna. Even if he did prove to be hard to be rid off, without something unpleasant happening," Megatron growled, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chestplates.

That was the issue trying to get involved with the scene in a place that you weren't familiar with yet - running afoul of unpleasant individuals with no scruples, who could take advantage of someone who didn't know them or their reputation.

[ichooseboth]

But it still did, Orion barely kept himself from saying aloud, though it was probably obvious in his expression. He sighed, forcibly shaking himself free of the bad mood mentioning Maul threatened to bring on.

"Yes well, he's gone now."

Orion allowed himself to smile faintly at Megatron's pouting expression, reaching across the table to pat a crossed arm.

"Yes, you're perfectly capable of defending yourself, as I well know. So. How do you two know each other?" he inquired politely, turning to Ragna.

[lordmegatron]

"Orion, you better not be patronising me," Megatron said, upper optic ridge arched - even if he was also exaggerating for show, because Orion's smile had been quite cute. He did narrow his optics at Ragna as she grinned at him, though.

"Oh, we met in the arena a few times before we got to know each other," she said with a wave of her hand, grinning even as she tilted her helm and kept her optics lowered from Orion's faceplate.

"Ragna is quite notorious, and has participated in circuits and tournaments outside of Iacon. But we met... properly, I suppose after I got here and I was trying to find the... ah, 'spots' of the scene."

[ichooseboth]

"Of course not," Orion teased, flicking his audial nubs in exaggerated innocence. He raised an optic ridge at the stress Ragna put on her words, curiosity piqued.

"Impressive. Are you old partners?"

In whatever capacity that implied...

[lordmegatron]

Snorting at that, Megatron smiled, far too amused to remain even mock-annoyed at Orion - but that better not become a habit either way, humph.

Orion's comment had both of them looking at him, and then Megatron laughed softly, engine rumbling, as Ragna shook her helm.

"We spar together regularly, but that the closest to 'partners' we've ever been," Ragna said with a shake of her helm as Megatron grinned.

"She showed me this place as well, but that was before we got to know each other better. We simply recognised each other and that we shared the same... interests." Shrugging, Megatron leaned back in his seat.

[ichooseboth]

Can't blame a mech for being curious.

"Ah, I wondered," he nodded, pleased and intrigued. He wondered how one figured out someone else was into the same sort of 'interests' like that without outright asking, but it wasn't worth the awkwardness to ask it himself.

"If it wouldn't bother either of you, I'd love to watch sometime?"

He gave them a hopeful grin.

"It seems like it would be a good fight."

[lordmegatron]

"If you want, sir," Ragna said with a little twist of a smile and a dip of her helm, though her flicked gaze at Megatron carries more open amusement, especially in the way her field pushed out against his.

"We're due for another sparring match soon, I think, and if you want to watch, you're certainly welcome to," Megatron nodded, and, completely unintentionally (subconsciously) made a very, very similar dip of his helm as Ragna had. It added a far more obedient tone to his words, despite there being nothing really submissive in the way he'd spoken.

"Ragna can usually put up a fight," Megatron said with a toothy grin in his fellow gladiator's direction, getting a whack to his shoulder in retaliation.

"I could say the same for you!" then she shook her helm and did the same sort of shallow little nod-bow she had when Orion had first acknowledged her, "either way, thank you, sir. Perhaps he'll be more well behaved soon."

Ragna gave Megatron a rather toothy smirk herself before she slipped away, and he snorted at her back, shaking his helm. There... might have been half a shade of a blush to his optics and EM field, if someone was paying attention.

[ichooseboth]

Orion laughed, falling into a more comfortable relaxation as the pair's friendly banter soothed his nerves.

He'd worried, deep down, that everyone in Megatron's 'scene' was more like Maul had been.  Cruel or disparaging. He'd feared for others with Megatron's 'preferrences' as well, fretting for the safety of mechanisms he'd never even met.

He was foolish to worry, but it was still a relief to see their happiness first hand.

"It would be my pleasure." He nodded at Ragna as she left, the double meaning obvious in his tone.  He gave Megatron a somewhat sly grin, field pulsing happily when he caught that blush.

"Oh, I like her."

[lordmegatron]

Blushing was such an embarrassing thing to have happen, but at least no one else caught it - not even Ragna, as she had her back to him by then and was several steps away - besides Orion. That would have to be... all right.

... Especially with that little flare of his field and the grin, even if it was at his expense.

"Doesn't surprise me, but I'm glad you do," Megatron shook off his embarrassment and grinned faintly, nodding, "feeling more relaxed about this, now?"

[ichooseboth]

"Hard not to like someone so friendly," Orion said, pleased. His grin at Megatron's embarrassment didn't fade at all - catching the gladiator in such a state was so rare, Orion couldn't help but savor it a bit.

"And yes. I admit, I had my misgivings at first, but it's nice to see how 'normal' things are, even in a place that is technically not your average, ah, location."

[lordmegatron]

"Outside of here, you'd get the full force of her personality, but you probably saw enough to give you an idea," Megatron agreed with a snort, and then leaned forward, resting his arms on the table between them.

"Orion, most people involved in this are like anyone else, and decent mechanisms," he smiled, something between 'reassuring' and dry, "you sometimes get unpleasant people, yes, but that happens everywhere, and while there's some structures in place here that can make it easier to get away with abuse, we're also more vigliant against it, in general."

Shrugging, Megatron's smile turned into a sharper grin, amused.

"And I didn't take you here on a night when things are... even less average, as you just termed it. I chose a night when nothing was going on." For this reason exactly - not everything was about hardcore play, after all.

General socialisation among others you knew shared your interests was part of it as well.