Restrictions of Freedom

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Characters: Sv19 and anybody else who wants to join.
Location: Mid town, on a street parallel to a main highway
Content Warnings: This story has written content!
Plot Summary: Sv19 is finally free of patrol duties, or any cleaning jobs on the Nemesis. The vehicon at last has time to look around. What he could run into is anyone's guess~

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Sev glided through the city like a rocket, swerving through the alleyways, the streets, close cutting red red lights as if he were racing against the wind, and giving it a run for its money. The aerodynamic car was capable of reaching higher and yet higher speeds, causing the wind to whistle around him, like a distant owl effortlessly keeping up. His tires were the only thing keeping him intact with the ground. The thrill of driving was always something that made him grin behind his mask. Sev jerked his steering wheel to the right, swerving across the road, arching perfectly around a corner, into another passageway, which extended before him, open to his reckless acceleration.

Then Sev was reminded that he couldn’t act like some unleashed animal from a zoo when he caught a glimpse of some humans in blue uniform leaning against their white and blue cars. He slowed his pace considerably, shortening his mad driving to a luxuriously drawn out cruise at about 30 mph. The man wearing the uniform narrowed his eyes at the car, just after Sev managed to turn his holo-from online. Once he was out of sight, Sev decided he’d have to occupy his free time with other enjoyments.
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Sev pulled over by a music shop, a place full of glorified wooden planks, pipes, cylinders, and other strange looking items. They looked odd. The man inside polished the instruments with great care. Others were inside, seeming to muse over things Sev had grown to know as guitars, drums, violins, and pianos. Slwoly, his holo-form exited his car. He was parked only a meter or so away from the shop, including the sidewalk that separated his parking space from the driveway. Everyone in the shop glanced at his ‘sweet ride’ with a bit of awe. Sev’s holo form simply shrugged at them, as his legs carried him elsewhere. He was dressed in what humans called running cloths. He found his eyes being laid on a narrow pipe riddles with small knobs. A flute. Sev studied the dimensions of the pipe intently. It looked…he was glad a Decepticon commander (or any Decepticon for that matter) didn’t read his mind when he thought the word ‘beautiful’.

He admired the craftsmanship of the instrument, noticing that it was made in segments. The shop owner gave him a thoughtful glance,
“Can I help you sir?”
“Negative.” He sighed, still looking at the flute. He knew it also played a large role in his favorite kind of music: classical music. He’d developed a taste for it, secretly. He didn’t want any other vehicons snickering at a mech who was programmed for was interested in being a music other than the rampant roar of gunfire. As much as he wanted this flute, he knew retrieving it legally was out of question. First of all, he didn’t have human currency. Second of all, the flute would phase through his holo image. Sev had decided it was better to memorize what it looked like. Maybe…he could get someone to design him something like this one day, or try to make it himself.

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“BWAH!! DUNLE DOOWW!” Miko sang at the top of her lungs, shredding out a few power chords on one of the store’s electric guitars. Many of the store’s customers flinched and looked to her. Miko didn’t give a flying scrap. In fact, they should really thank her for sparking a bit of excitement into their lives. Jasper did NOT live up to the entertainment capital of the world reputation that had been on that brochure.

The shop owner, frowning and cross, walked over to Miko and unplugged the guitar from the amp. “BWAH BWAH Buh…? Hey, what gives?” she asked, scowling and looking up at the shop owner. He crossed his arms. Suddenly, Miko grew a touch more sheepish. “Oh…whoops.”

“Where are your parents, young lady?”

“Uhh…” Miko scrambled for an answer. Her eyes darted around, looking for an out. Her pleading eyes fell on frowning faces that turned away. Finally, the landed on a man standing in the woodwind section. They very clearly and distinctly said: Help me.

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Sev cringed at the sound of a human females voice. He wasn't a music expert, but he knew something was off-key when it was. He glanced her way, from the corner of his eye, beholding a small girl. She was about up to his tall holo-form's shoulders. Like Sari, she wore a strange coating of apparel that complimented her epidermis's coloration. Her face didn't have any wrinkles, which meant to Sev she was obviously young. her hair was in a wacky position. Not only that, hints of pink were dyed into her thread-like strands of growth. 

Sev tilted his head in slight curiosity as he turned fully around to examine her. Humans were genuinely the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. Ignoring her loud noises, he watched her play the odd instrument she held in her hands. Suddenly her boisterous outputting was ended as the shop-owner gave her an odd look, demanding for where her parents were. Sev huffed quietly, ready to resume looking at the flutes before the girl began looking to him for help. Sev knew the look in her eyes and her body gesture immediately. Help her? Her organic faces fancy expression told him her silent request. 

Sev opened his mouth, before correcting the mistake he was about to make: He had been on the brink of beginning 'Human please-'. Sev jerked her mouth shut, quickly reformulating his words before speaking for real, 

"Pardon her kind sir," Sev approached the shop owner formally, "Her parents are absent as of now." Sev's face remained solidly calm as his experience with acting came into play. As a vehicon, he'd spent his life pretending he wasn't really who he was on the inside. It was a habit, out of necessity for his safety and for not calling any needed attention. "However, she was merely expressing herself. It's what music is for, is it not?" he asked diplomatically. He gave her a glance back with his own grey eyes, Your move. 

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Miko’s whole body sagged with relief when the man walked over and came to her rescue. The shop owner looked at him now, a bit surprised, a bit annoyed. He listened and issued a brief harrumph before looking from Sev to Miko and back again.

“So you’re her guardian then?”

Before Sev could get a word in edgewise, Miko bounced up, darting to the man’s side. “Yep! He’s my…” Miko paused briefly searching for the words, “…Foster uncle!” She shot the shop owner a big grin.

The shop owner stared at her for a moment, then Sev, then finally shrugged and sighed. “Tell your niece to not disturb the other customers again or I’ll have to ask both of you to leave.”

“Oh, yes sir! No problem-o!” Miko said with a mock salute. The shop owner rolled his eyes but returned to the counter to assist other customers. As soon as he turned around, Miko uttered a silent ‘phew’ and slumped her shoulders. Abruptly jutting up straight again, she look at the man who had come to her rescue, grabbing his hand and leading him back over to the woodwind section.

“Thanks a lot,” she whispered lowly, “I owe ya one. So what were you lookin’ at over here anyway? The good stuff’s over there,” Miko continued, jabbing her thumb to indicate the part of the store where guitars of all varieties were hung up on display.

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Sev gave a convincing nod throughout the shopowners questioning looks and words, smoothly wearing the mask of whatever this human girl needed him to be. Of course, Sev never directly lied vocally. His programming and codes of honor caused him to abhor such straight out blasphemy. The holoform mentally wondered what a foster uncle was. He knew what parents were, that they were adoptive care-takers to be precise. That was it though. These terms of ‘Daddy’, ‘Uncle’ and ‘Foster-Uncle’ were literally alien to him.

“Thank you for your patience.” Sev tipped his head at the shop owner, before the little girl, who couldn’t have been older than two decades audibly sighed. Sev’s guard was down in that moment, and was too slow to react to Miko’s hand coming for his. She phased right through him. Sev tensed for a second, as he followed her. She hand’t noticed just yet.

There was a chance he could play it off.

“No worries. I never mind lending a servo here and there.” Sev said coolly, putting silent effort into making his optics fondly set upon the flutes. He shrugged, “These instruments simply are softer, like when comparing a breeze to a gale.” He offered, giving a friendly gesture at her. If she noticed she noticed, but either way, he couldn’t afford to make a big deal out of it. Remaining calm was going to be key, especially since they’d just agreed not to call attention to one another.

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Miko could have sworn that had had grabbed the man’s hand. But apparently, she’d swung and missed. Or rather, it had looked like she had phased through him. But that…wasn’t possible. Oh well. Didn’t matter too much. He still came over. Still he said something a bit weird. Well, not weird to her, but weird in that it was someone else who said it. “Servo? What are you? Like, a mechanic or something?”

The proper phrase, of course, being lend a hand. But she had heard her Autobot buddies use similar phrases. This guy wasn’t one of them. That much she knew. At least not one of the ones in the Jasper base. Miko’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him. But, as he gestured toward the flutes, her attention went to them too.

An idea formed. And a way to pay this guy back. “Well, I’m not that into it, but to each their own I guess,” she looked at him mischievously, “Wait here, okay?”

Without waiting for an answer, Miko bounded away, grabbing what she’d come to the music store for – a new cord for her guitar amp – and something else. She hurried over to the counter, using her allowance to purchase the items, and bounding back over to her supposed foster uncle with a bag in hand.

“C’mon, c’mon,” Miko said, waving at him to follow her as he moved to exit the store. Pushing out into the harsh daylight, she dug around in the plastic bag and produced an instrument. Not a flute, but something black and plastic – a recorder. Much more affordable – only a couple bucks – and a decent enough way to pay this guy back by Miko’s accounts.

“Here, this isn’t a flute, but it’s kinda similar. It’s a recorder,” Miko proceeded to demonstrate, putting her lips to the mouthpiece and putting her fingers over the holes and blowing. The instrument emitted a little toot in response. She handled it over to him, offering it with a smile and watching with interest.

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 Sev mentally cringed when he realized the verbal mistake he'd made. 'Servo?' He'd failed drastically. Then again this was his first shot at being a human. Other species were easier to blend into. Humans just seemed to be such a spontaneous bunch, each human varying greatly. Sev just nodded at her question, 
    "Just used to saying it I guess. When you work with machinery a lot you become accustomed to certain terms. Sorta of how a science class or music class might have terms." He replied, adding some of the slang he'd heard from the humans. 

Sev stood where he was as he waited for the girl to come back. It gave him a brief moment to think as he looked to the ground. The girl was going right back where she'd gotten into trouble. While he was sure not to look exactly where she was going, or try to peer through the shelves at her, he was sure to keep an audio out for her.  The chances of her making more loud noises were enough to concern him. After all, her 'foster uncle' had just "pulled her aside". The shop owner was likely confused as to what she was doing...

before he knew it she came right back to the flute isle, just like that. He tilted his helm up, observing a small bag she carried. He followed her out the door at her beckoning, wondering exactly what she was planning next. Now that they were out the door, they'd likely go their separate ways. Their minute-made act was coming to a close now. 

After the girl showed him the recorder, he arched his brows. She'd just bought him a miniature flute? He'd never been given something like this before. The girl, out of her generosity and own budget was willing to give him a Recorder? Sev blinked, as he watched the miniature flute work it's magic. It's music seemed to be more abrupt and noisier than the flute, but it was still a flute of sorts. He loved it already. Not to mention it was new, not worn or made of scrap. It was tiny, and delicate compared to his instruments of war. Then she handed it over to him. Again. He was a holo-form. He couldn't pick it up.

Sev politely held his hand up, 
    "Now I can't let you give me something without giving you something in return." he then stretched an open palm to his vehicle form. It was an amazing looking car to say the least: it was black and grey with small red accents, something extremely sleek and boasting be able to reach speeds over a hundred miles per hour easily. 
    "Before I accept your gift, what do you say to me riding you home?" He offered, "We can pick your favorite radio channel to listen to as well." he added. 

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Well, this guys certainly was tripping over his English. Sorta of? Yeah, no. Miko was pretty sure at this point that he was one of the Autobots. But he didn’t sound like any of the ones that she knew. She’d have to take a look at his ‘ride’ for that. In any case, he followed her out and failed her final test. He didn’t take the recorder. Pretty sure.

“Aw man! Rad!” Miko said when she saw his ride. Or vehicle form. She scurried over to it, putting her hands on the hood and looking it up and down. “Awesome!”

Turning back to the man, Miko shot him a big smile. “Sure! I’ll go with.” Back to home base! Maybe. She had to look for more evidence. Like, like, an Autobrand or something. Maybe there’d be one inside. “Let’s go!”

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It was now that Sev began realizing another error within his making: there was a Decepticon insignia right in the dead center of his steering wheel. Why the engineers wanted to arrange the faction insignia right where a passenger vcould first glance in contrast to a more obscure area had yet to be seen. Why hadn’t the insignia been put on the inside of his trunk? Sev could only hope the human wrote it off as something fancy.

Really though. What were the chances she actually knew of Autobots and Decepticons?

Sev let his holo form walk over to the other side of his car, pretending to open the door with his holo-form, then sliding it in the driver’s seat. The doors shut as he continued his act as a human, pushing buttons in his “automatic” vehicle.

Sev’s engine revved.

“Alright. Now, where to?” He asked, being sure to emit his voice from his human projection. While he waited her answer his processor reviewed the roads and best destinations to power through at high speeds. Maybe some stunts would let the awkwardness of stepping into a complete stranger’s vehicle settle down to nothing. Then again Miko seemed rather eager to step in. She seemed adventurous---or was she used to this sort of thing? The thought caused Sev to review his predicament…

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Opening the door to the car, Miko plonked herself in with her characteristic gusto and slammed the door shut. She glanced around then shrugged, putting the bag with the recorder in the backseat. It would work as well as anything. She make sure to grab her own purchase – the cord – setting it in her lap as she very quickly glanced around for hidden Autobrands, her eyes alight with curiosity.

Then she saw it.

Uh-oh.

Miko stiffened. She didn’t really want to go to that home base. Not like this anyway. Scrap! What was she gonna do?! She was dead! So dead! Wait. Maybe…maybe he didn’t know it was her. That was possible, right? Scrap, scrap, scrap. Play it cool, play it cool. Maybe…maybe it’d be okay.

Who was she kidding? This was a Decepticon! One that…had a weird interest in flutes. Bit of an oddball. What Con wanted to music it up on their world? She thought they were all…blam! Pow! Death to hoooomans! Type guys. Hm. Maybe she could play it cool.

“I’m meeting up with a few of my friends here,” she said, finally answering his question. She wasn’t gonna bring a Con to her house! Maybe she could call Bulk or one of the others. Tapping on her phone, she brought up a map with a route to the dinky little fastfood joint that Jack worked at. “There.”