Work Text:
DSHHHH
“Urghhhh….”
Lap Top, a minicon who just been reading evening newspaper, hopped up and down on his chair at the reception of Piston Tower, second-rate hotel at the outskirts of Nyon.
Right in front of him there lied a black transformer, at least five times bigger than him and with bags hanging by his hips. A band of bigger carryall lead over his shoulder and the carryall itself now lied limp on the ground.
The stranger groaned out and tried to get up, but obviously it was a big problem for him. A puddle of pink lightning energon cumulated underneath him.
The receptionist petrified with fear at first, afterwards he spotted a transparent bottle in the mech’s right servo. At the bottom there was lazily lying a rest of special distillated energon.
The minicon relieved. He reached for the communicator and called security. Piston Tower wasn’t luxurious but it wasn’t a pigeon house for drunkards as well.
In the moment a night shift security guard mech came and pick the newcomer up. Lap Top watched them closely.
“Gaaaaahhh,” the black exhaled when the guard helped him to his feet.
“This is a hotel not a parking house, you get it? For sleeping you have to pay.”
The one who he was talking too looked absolutely worn-out. It was clear he was barely keeping himself conscious. He tried to speak but it was only a mumble.
But even so he succeed in pulling out a card and handing it to the security. “One. Night. Only,” he said.
Security guard took the card. When he was handing it to Lap Top, so he can bill the visitor’s demand, the black mech arched his back and spilled alcohol out of his mouth onto floor under his feet.
“Scrap!” swore the guard. “Call the cleaners I’ll take him upstairs.”
The minicon returned the card to him and added a room key. Then he arranged the cleanup and soon the welcoming hall was full of droids which took care of the mess by wiggling here and there.
A few cybertronian hours later Lap Top’s shift ended. He was replaced by a femme who was mostly grey with red helmet, chest, shoulders, forearms, hips and lower parts of legs.
“Hey, Top,” she greeted and sit down to the receptionist’s place she adjusted to her figure. “Did something interesting happen?”
“Nothing much. Only, at the hour of Onyx Prime, a drunkard shuffled in. Knot pacified him and accompanied to his room in one of the lower floors, second I guess. He paid just for one night but if he wants to stay, don’t hinder him.”
“Knot had a duty?” the femme wondered. Minicon nodded. “With the new one we’ll see. If it goes well, I’ll delay him here. He might spend one or two nights here and spent some shanix. If he appears, I’ll refer him to our canteen. Thanks Top, you can go recharge.”
A few more hors left. To the Piston Tower a few new guests arrived and departed. Femme had, practically, full servos of work during her shift.
When she didn’t accommodating guests and didn’t some administrative works, she recounted hotel’s budgets. Here and there she took some time to care about herself, to polish her finish or oil her body with a special covering cream against stain. Sometimes she spoke with other employees.
The whole day she waited to the mech who appeared in the hotel so late. At the beginning of her shift when Knot visited her she asked him about the stranger. He showed him on recordings and appealed, if the black transformer tries something, she had to call security immediately.
“And Sympha?” he added, “If he appears, try to find out something about him. Where’s he from, what does he doing here, why did he messed up himself like that and so on. You know what to do.”
“Don’t worry I’ll pull it out of him,” she blinked at him.
It was almost evening when the black mech came. He wasn’t fully black actually. His color scheme was next accompanied by very dark blue and green, plus when the light beams of setting Hadean reached him his paintjob reflected a living colors of purple, light blue, yellow and red.
To Sympha, who’s whole name was Symphony, one look was enough to know that he’s not an ordinary person.
She watched him as he walked through the welcoming hall and gazed around. He probably studied the architecture. She waited patiently for him to stop by her, but he didn’t. It seemed that he was avoiding the reception with his walk as well as with his look.
When he stopped walking around the whole hall he sat down in an armchair positioned in a corner and took one of datapads from a table in front of him. He shortly looked inside but in the moment he returned it to its place. He looked through the rest likely but he closed everything without further interest after all.
Sympha cleared her throat to get his attention. “Do you need help?”
This time he looked at her.
“No, it’s alright.” He reached into his carryall still having it by his side. It was like he was searching for something and actually found it but he didn’t pull it out. He held his servo in the carryall for a moment as he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. The he pulled the servo out, empty, and with click he closed the bag.
Femme watched him folding his head in servos. Something was bothering him.
She got up from her working place and left space behind the reception. She walked over the hall, passed the entrance door and stopped by the stranger.
“Can I help you?” she offered.
He didn’t answer. He behaved like he didn’t hear her. Sympha started to have a bad feeling. She put her servo on hip where her communicator should be. Or where she should have it but didn’t. But if she returns back to the reception, it won’t make a good impression. On the other hand she hadn’t anything with her to use for a help call. She was defenseless and suddenly she wished to have Knot here with her.
“In our canteen we have many to offer. There are very good meals and drinks. If you’re interested, I can order you something.”
Finally he moved and looked up at her. He said something in foreign language. It didn’t sound unfriendly, nothing what would raise concerns.
“Excuse me, I don’t understand that language,” the femme said and hoped that she didn’t say anything harsh to him.
“I’m leaving soon,” he announced, comprehensibly this time. “I would be pleased, if anybody didn’t learn I recharged here.”
“But you’ve just arrived. Don’t you want to stay for one next day? You can refresh yourself in our canteen and if you’re interested we offer some special services too, like guided tour to some of the sights in neighborhood, trip around the city or countryside and if–“
“I said I’m leaving,” he interrupted her calmly. “I’m not interested in other services.” He looked out of the window to the street outside. Hadean already set down and the day light was vanishing. “It’s time to go.”
He got up, passed the receptionist and went out by the main entrance. There he stopped for a moment, then transformed and drove away in direction leading out of Nyon.
Only a room key lying on the table next to datapads remained after him.