[IDW] ♡ "ORIGINS" TARN
i'm using the same reader i used for my overlord HCs hehe but i'm not sure if i want this to be tied in with that so... same reader, diff timeline i guess. i'll post my tarn x neutral reader stuff onto here someday too but rn its gonna have to stay on ao3
scenario: you're the reason he ended up where he is and he can't thank you enough for it
note: i might make extended HCs on this, i just had an interesting Tarn idea and it was sorta running through my head for a bit. written from his POV also there are a lot of timeline inaccuracies i think
this was inspired by @woradat's interpretation of Damus/Glitch! go check them out. this is kinda short.
Tarn knows its wrong. He isn't supposed to feel this way, feel such an infatuation for a colleague, for a fellow Decepticon of similar rank and status but he genuinely cannot help himself when he looks at you.
You were the one who led him to the path of the Decepticons, if it weren't for you, he may have stayed as pathetic little Glitch for who knows how long and even worse, he would've stayed an Autobot. His gaze isn't noticed by you, fortunately or unfortunately for Tarn because he did want you to notice him, badly. The mask makes it easier to stare at you as you're seated for another High-Command meeting, assisting in drawing out battle plans with your strategic processor which has yet to fail the Cause. Its no surprise that you're a high ranking commanding officer now, you were there since the start of it all, even before he was involved in this.
You are an asset in every sense of the word. Brilliant, polite, cunning and dangerous--- You had an irresistible charm to you, perhaps he was the only one allured but he'd never thought of that possibility. As you continue to propose your ideas to take over Iacon once and for all, Tarn thinks of that faithful day he met you and was introduced to the Decepticons for the first time in his functioning.
"Hey there! Can I interest you with some fliers?" You're trying your best, grinning that cheery forced customer service smile just like he told you to but so far, all you've been is shot down and dismissed by every other bot you've tried to give his stupid flier and book too. And the shiny plated bot you're talking to looks as disinterested as ever, casting you a glare so harsh you might've dug yourself into a hole had you not been toughened up by the mines so you do what you're best at: ignoring and continue walking. You're not sure how much longer you can go on like this, its not like those freaks are paying you either... You're doing this solely because Megatron is your favourite gladiator... and you may or may not have roped yourself into a terrorist organisation but its too late to think about either of that now.
You kept trying to tell them that none of the upper-class high end posh bots in a place like Iacon would sympathize with the Decepticon movement but nooooooooooooo... Soundwave insists on getting more 'high society' members, to invite them over and gather blackmail on them, no doubt but that part was conveniently left out when he shared you new 'mission' to you. However, you're not an idiot.
Soundwave chose you for this because out of every other miner/gladiator they had, you were the only one with a somewhat pleasant, innocent looking face and polite charm apparently. They even managed to get you a good wash and repaint to look more 'friendly & appealing'. But that didn't mean you weren't smart.
They're using you as a mascot to sell their ideas and you couldn't do anything but agree to it. When will they see that you're capable of so much more than being a mascot? What do you have to do to prove yourself to Megatron!
It clear what they were trying to do, they were trying to make it look like you were another high-class snob from high rise Iacon but unfortunately, the newly founded 'Decepticons' lack a good stylist in your opinion.
You're standing in some random alleyway now and you see a bot, judging from the lack of a face and traditional servos, you're certain that he must be an Empurata victim. Perfect. An ideology like Decepticonism would certainly resonate the most with the outcasts of society, with those the current system has chewed up and thrown out. The yellow bot has a rather lanky figure, he looks like he's deep in thought, his optics fixated onto the fliers you're clutching in your servos.
"Hello!" You say with that signature smile, startling the bot. He looked kind of young despite the lack of a face. he panics, visibly. The bright blue of his singular optic shining brighter, he seems to be a bit flustered like he was caught doing something he shouldn't, in this case, staring.
"Oh... uh... Hi?"
That response was all you needed, your grin grew wider. This bot, whoever he is, is one of those types. This is going to be the easiest recruiting process ever. Did you know he was an outlier? No. But Megatron clearly told you that if you didn't find a new member within this solar-cycle, he would "draw a portrait of your demise with your own energon."... Poetic but not a preferable end.
"Sorry for scaring you there." Your carefully curated demeanour never falters as your smile grows softer, the kindness clearly has the poor bot entranced, he's looking at you as if you're some sort of angel. Your forced customer service smile is one he seems to take as a genuine one, there's no way it can be this easy.
"Mind if I take a seat?" He hesitates as if he couldn't possibly fathom a reason for why a bot like yourself would spend time with someone like him--- classic case of low self-confidence, in other words, a loser. You might actually be able to save your aft from Megatron's rather if this poor Empurata victim keeps crossing off the 'easy to be radicalized' checklist like this.
"Sure..." He says softly, adjusting and sitting aside so that the snake could settle to sow its seeds into his brain module. But he doesn't think of it as a threat, he's inviting your poison with open arms here!
"So, why're you sitting here all alone, hm?" The first step was to appeal to them personally, make it about them and figure out their weak points so that you could exploit them. Recruitment is methodological, there is a system to this. A rulebook. Steps, to say in the most simplest of words. Your tone is soft, making it seem as if you're curious about him. As if your goal is to get to know him better and not to recruit him into a militia, your optic locked onto his and you can see he's nervous. Its almost cute in a way.
"Ah.. uh..." Again, he seems reluctant to share and he's failing miserably when it comes to keeping his EM field tucked to himself. That's where step two comes in, make sure they feel comfortable in your presence.
"Oh, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." You look away, the sweetness of your words and gentleness of your demeanour already has the poor mech stumbling around.
"N-No! Its... Its nothing like that! Its just..." He sighs, there's a sadness to his tone that you catch on quickly. "I don't... really have any friends."
Unbeknownst to you, not only was this bot an outlier but he was also a member of the Jhiaxian Academy. Skids had just... left him. Shockwave was subjected to the same punishment he was. This was without a doubt, one of the worst times in his entire life, the most vulnerable... of course, he wouldn't say that to you. But he is left alone, no social support, no social net, nothing--- making him even more of an ideal target for the likes of a recruiter like you, a golden opportunity you wouldn't want to squander.
"Well, that's unfortunate. You're seem like a really great bot. Nicer than most of the high end snobs here anyway." You manage to get a chortle out of him and you grin wider, playfully almost. You want this moment to feel organic to him. "You really think so?"
This poor bot. You can't help but laugh a bit at how gullible he is. But he probably thinks you're being friendly! How has he survived out here on the streets for so long by himself? Perhaps miracles from Primus were a thing though you earlier denounced such ideas.
"Mhm. You're funny." You can't really tell that he's smiling given he can't because he literally doesn't have a face but you can feel the warmth from his EM field radiating onto you, jovial as if not a single bot in his life had ever uttered those words to him.
What a miserable mech.
You'd almost pity him if you weren't a bot on a mission.
"That means a lot." He says ever so earnestly, his singular optic drops back down to the fliers in your servo with bubbling interest, you can tell he is curious, painfully so but just can't seem to ask. Did he think it was rude? Was he unable to articulate himself? Or was he just admiring the lousy design?
"Are you interested?" You raise you servo, waving the same which holds the fliers right to face and he just nods.
"I guess? I'm kind of curious..." He admits and you just smile, happily handing out a flier to him.
"Its about a new movement. We call it the Decepticons. The flier covers the most basic information." You say, gaze focused onto the flier now in his servos, he's holding onto it tightly with his single optic focused on you instead of the subject of conversation.
"But if you are ever interested in more..." You reach for your subspace, pulling out a datapad. "You can always read this." You hand it to him and he reads the title with a lot of interest.
"Towards Peace... By Megatron." He's studying it, you've caught his attention well and you feel proud about yourself.
"Yup. I'm giving you my signed copy by the way so once you're done reading it, you better give it back." You add on as you get up, dusting yourself as you stand. Damus' attention is quickly refocused onto you again.
"Wait, you're going?" Poor thing is already disappointed. You try your best to make it seem as if you too are disheartened as you supress a snicker.
"Yeah, I gotta give more fliers.. Maybe one day, you could join me." You offer and his optics glow brighter again, as if he would genuinely enjoy spending more time with you. Sorry fool. But it was sorry, easily swayed fools like these Megatron required.
"I'll... I'll definitely give it a read!" He says as you start walking away. The golden bot eagerly looks at the datapad in his servos.
You stop in your tracks when you realized that you didn't know this guy's name. How would you ever get your signed copy back if you didn't know how to find the mech? Or at least know his name so that you could ask others...
"By the way, what's your name?" You ask, turning around for a moment.
"Oh, uh, my name is Glitch."
No wonder. No wonder why he didn't have any self-confidence. You're not sure how but you managed to stifle the laugh that dared to escape your vocalizer upon hearing his designation but by some luck, you managed to keep yourself composed and just smile at him, waving a goodbye and saying farewells as you two part you ways. You just hope to get your signed copy back and when you do, you're sure you'll forget about this bot.
But he never gave back your signed copy. In fact, Tarn still has it. And the flier. He would give it back to you but... should he? Would you even remember him? Would it even matter?
Besides, he sees no reason to give it back. You probably got another signed copy at some other point in your functioning given how close you were with your Lord, Megatron. That copy of 'Towards Peace' was what started it all, set in motion his origins. Tarn has kept it safe for eons, it still even smells like you.
A reminder that you're the reason he's here.
And he could never thank you enough for it. Even if you two don't really talk.
