A last fic to end the year

[yami_samuraiflo]

A couple more hours before 2013, so it's time to post a little something to officially end the year. This is a continuation of the Perceptor/Swindle/pet prompt I posted on Christmas, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
Still not beta'ed, sorry.

And now, if you permit, I'll go crawl bakc into my bed and hope I'll feel better soon -_-

Prompt: Perceptor/Swindle/pet continuation
Warnings: Allusions to nonconsensual reformating into a partial animal frame and forced animalisitc behavior, and Perceptor starting to enjoy having a 'pet'...
Summary: Swindle craves warmth. Perceptor doesn't mind. Swindle, however, does...

Maybe it was a quirk in programming or, more likely, a deliberate code installed to further humiliate the mechs-turned-pets. Whatever it was, one or the other, it ended with the same result.

Petformers, for a lack of better term to coin them, craved physical contact. More than contact, they craved warmth. Warmth produced by another living being especially.

Two petformers or more together and not on what they had dubbed ‘heat cycles’ usually cuddled and curled against each others, purring and trying to groom each other, with mixed enthusiasm and results. Very mixed enthusiasm even, Perceptor mused.

Whatever made them act like that was part of their new programming. That much, they were certain of. Had they been actual animal, it wouldn’t have been a problem, because it was… well, instinctive and part of some sort of social code between members of a same pride/pack/whatever.

But still, when it came to petformers, there was a sentient mech still present under the animalistic behavior. A sentient mech who was very unhappy and/or horrified by what he was doing. Some of the most sensitive among the new ‘pets’ were often seen breaking down emotionally even during the act, leaking coolant from their optical cleaning systems.

Perceptor couldn’t blame them, really. It must have been very distressing indeed to not be able to control yourself when faced with such events. Inwardly, he was appalled and angered by the obvious anguish it caused their patients. How could someone be cruel enough to do that?

Had they been totally turned into animals, with no recollection of their past selves, it would have been atrocious enough, especially for their friends and comrades. But for them to keep their memories, feelings and education, and to be forced into complying with far reaching coding they couldn’t explain and couldn’t fight against… to be forced into committing act no self-respecting mech would have done…

It was torture, pure and simple.

Acting close and friendly and in a rather degrading manner with perfect unknowns or former enemies wasn’t the worse, however.

The scientist lowered his gaze on the trembling ball in his laps. “I… I don’t mind, really. You can stay here as long as you want,” he said softly.

But Swindle minded. He really, really minded. Had he the choice, he would have run away after clawing the Autobot scientist’s optics out. However, more shivers run through him, and with a soft, pathetic mewl, the former jeep-turned-cat-like curled even more upon himself, hiding his face against his arms, feeling his cheeks heating with shame.

He needed warmth, plain and simple. There was no other petformers near for him to cuddle with. Perceptor, after all, could only take care of one unfortunate victim at the time, his apartment and expenses being rather smalls.

So Swindle had to resort to the one method petformers used when alone with normal mechs.

He had, deftly, jumped on Perceptor’s laps as soon as the scientist had sat down, curling up against him in an attempt to get warmer.

It was humiliating. It never ceased to be. He hadn’t even had the time to correctly process the thought before he had acted. He just knew he was cold, and the moment his optics had registered the Autobot’s position, his body had acted on his own.

There was a time a cruel chuckle or a slap would have greeted him.

The microscope hadn’t chased him away, though. In a way, Swindle would have preferred him to. He didn’t want to be here… but at the same time, he didn’t want to leave his place here. He was feeling warmer, almost ready to drift off to recharge.

It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. But it was still damn humiliating.

Perceptor nibbled at his lips component and, slowly, tentatively, let a hand run over Swindle’s back. He didn’t know why he did so. It seemed just… natural. The yellow and purple mech’s back arched up under his touch, and he let out a noise… a purr. That came at a surprise for the microscope… as well as for Swindle, he noted when the former Decepticon tensed.

Lowering his gaze, Perceptor caught a flash of startled, ashamed purple optics before they were once more hidden from view. Worse than the almost horrified optics, however, was the distressed mewl Swindle emitted. Perceptor could hear the statics underlying the little noise.

Swindle tried to rise and get away, but Perceptor’s hands became surprisingly firm, forcing him to stay in his laps. The mech turned pet started to hiss and mewl in panic. The microscope, however, didn’t let go like he usually would. Instead, he petted Swindle slowly. And the touch made Swindle involuntarily relax. This small betrayal from his own body distressed Swindle more than Perceptor sudden firmness in not letting him go at the first sign of unhappiness.

Swindle mewled and mewled, asking to be let go off. Forget getting warmer and comfortable, he just wanted to go hide in a corner for a while.

The Autobot had different thoughts.

“That’s… that’s alright,” Perceptor managed to say. “I know… I know it is distressing. I… I shouldn’t have petted you… and probably shouldn’t still,” he added, though he didn’t stop. “I know you don’t actually want to be here… That I’m certainly not helping matters. But… but… I want to help, Swindle. Not just those of my friends who share your fate. I want to help you too. I… I don’t exactly understand all your reactions, I admit. We don’t know nearly enough about your behavioral patterns to discern what can be helpful in curing you just. Perhaps you’ll find me callous, but I really need to understand you better… I need to observe you and your reactions in different situations. Situations like this one. Stay on my laps for now. Let me continue pet you. Perhaps… perhaps it will help me to get a better idea of what I am doing, and how much you’re affected,” he tried to justify himself.

In truth, Perceptor also found the act scarily natural and soothing. Sure, perhaps he could get some insight by provoking more reactions from Swindle’s body. But, honestly, he just… wanted to enjoy himself a bit. Caressing Swindle‘s trembling frame was probably the most relaxing thing that had happened to him in a long while.

If he believed him or not, it was hard to tell. Swindle didn’t answer in any way, but he didn’t try to get away anymore. Perceptor continued to gently pet him. Swindle sometimes purred, and other times, he seems to sob. On the whole, however, he just curled in a tighter ball, and let his tail gently sweep through the air.

Comments

[dellessa.livejournal.com]

Ooooo...the coding messed up in this.

Like what I read of the story though.

[yami-samuraiflo.livejournal.com]

Uh oh, I hadn't noticed. I'll fix it as soon as possible!

EDIT: Apparently fixed, though I can't be too sure; the problem didn't appear at first when I overlooked the entry yesterday, after all...

[dellessa.livejournal.com]

It looks fine now! \o/ Yay!