#flirtations

[justseventeen]

March 1988. ‘Magical evenings begin with Flirtations …designed by Michele Piccione in sizzling brights and moonlit pales… sizes 3 to 20.’ 

[mama-yokai]

Flirtations

D-16/Megatron x GnReaderBot

Constrains, My totally unnecessary analysis of how his flirtation and love changes from miner to Warlord.

Summary, How D-16 loves you vs how Megatron does.

D-16

D-16 in Transformers One is not the cold, untouchable warlord yet. D-16 is earnest, passionate, loyal and funny when he isn’t trying to be. Also he feels things very intensely.

That intensity is exactly what would shape his flirting.

D-16 is not smooth.

He’s a miner. A laborer. Someone who spent his life putting faith in people he admired and working hard. His emotional intelligence is actually fairly decent but his romantic intelligence is underdeveloped.

So his flirting tends to look less like charm and more like overwhelming sincerity.

Early Attraction

The first sign he likes someone is that he starts paying attention to them.

A lot.

He remembers details.

You mention liking a particular energon blend once? He remembers.

You complain your shoulder joint hurts after shifts? He notices every time you rotate it.

You mention wanting to see the upper levels someday? Three weeks later he’s pointing out routes that would get you there.

At first he doesn’t realize he’s doing anything unusual.

To him, he’s just.…Interested. Maybe just a bit curious.

Then Orion points out he’s been staring at you for half a cycle.

And D-16 immediately denies it. Semi violently as this is new to him and therefore he’s being bad at emotions.

“I was not staring.”

“You absolutely were.”

“I was observing.”

“That’s worse.”

His Version of Flirting

Protectiveness.

Not in an overbearing way initially.

More like constantly positioning himself nearby.

You don’t have to carry that.

He’ll walk with you.

He’ll wait. He’ll help.

Need something lifted?

He’s already got it.

Someone giving you trouble?

Suddenly there’s a very large miner standing behind you asking if there’s a problem.

The funniest part is that he genuinely doesn’t think this is flirting.

Meanwhile everyone else is watching him practically orbit around you.

Compliments

D-16 doesn’t hand out compliments casually.

When he admires something, he means it.

So if he tells you: “You did well.”

That’s not a throwaway remark.

That is praise he genuinely believes you’ve earned.

If he’s further gone?

The compliments become startlingly specific.

“You solved that faster than anyone else on the team.”

“Your welding work is cleaner than mine.”

“I’ve noticed you’re always the first one to help new miners.”

He notices competence.

Kindness. Determination.

Things he personally values.

And because he’s sincere, the compliments hit harder.

You get the feeling he really means every word.

Because he does.

Physical Affection

Before a relationship?

Accidental or what he claims is accidental.

A hand on your shoulder.

Standing close.

Leaning down to hear you better.

Offering a servo to help you climb somewhere.

The issue is that D-16 grows to be enormous once he gains a cog.

What would be normal proximity from another Cybertronian suddenly feels very intimate coming from him.

Especially when he starts unconsciously turning toward you whenever you’re speaking.

Giving you his full attention.

Like you’re the only one in the room.

Jealousy

This is where things get dangerous.

Not dangerous in a violent way.

Dangerous in a ‘he has absolutely no subtlety whatsoever way.’

Someone else starts flirting with you?

Everyone knows immediately that he’s upset.

His posture changes. His expression hardens. His responses become shorter.

Orion is sitting there watching this train wreck unfold.

“You know you could just tell them you like them.”

“I will not.”

“You literally glared at that mech for ten minutes.”

“He was suspicious.”

“He asked them what their favorite energon flavor was.”

“Exactly.”

Once He Knows He Loves You

This is where D-16 becomes devastating emotionally because his love language is trust.

Not gifts. Not words.

Trust.

He tells you things.

His fears. His frustrations. His dreams.

The things he doesn’t show or tell others.

The moment D-16 starts seeking your opinion before making decisions, you’ve crossed into very serious territory.

Because he doesn’t trust lightly.

So when he places that trust in someone, it means everything.

Megatron

The thing that makes this version of Megatron attractive is that he loves with the same intensity that he eventually hates.

Before the corruption and betrayal, D-16 is someone who throws his entire spark behind the people he cares about.

His friendships are wholehearted. His loyalty is wholehearted. His affection is wholehearted.

Which means his flirting often feels less like a game and more like someone slowly deciding that you matter.

A lot.

And once that realization settles in, he’s the type to look at you with complete seriousness and say something that leaves you speechless.

Not because it’s poetic.

Because it’s honest.

Something like: “When something good happens, you’re the first one I want to tell.”

And he says it as if that’s a completely normal thing to admit.

Meanwhile you’ve just taken critical emotional damage.

When he becomes Megatron

The thing about Megatron is that D-16 never really disappears.

He changes. He hardens. He becomes crueler, more ruthless, more suspicious. But underneath all the armor and anger, he’s still the same mech who once cared too much.

His emotions don’t get smaller. They get weaponized.

Attraction Becomes Possession

D-16 notices everything because he cares.

Megatron notices everything because he trusts almost no one.

If he’s interested in you after becoming Megatron, he’s far less likely to stumble into feelings.

Instead, he’ll study you.

Observe you. Figure you out.

Not because he’s trying to manipulate you necessarily but because trust has become a resource he guards fiercely.

The old D-16 would have walked up and started a conversation.

Megatron watches first. For weeks.

Learning. Evaluating.

Deciding whether you’re worth the risk.

And for a mech who believes almost everyone eventually disappoints him, that is a very high bar.

Flirting Becomes Deliberate

One thing I think people often miss about Megatron is that he’s actually incredibly charismatic when he wants to be.

He led revolutions. Inspired armies. Convinced people to follow him.

That’s not something an awkward miner could do without developing presence.

So unlike D-16’s accidental flirting, Megatron knows exactly what effect he has.

When he compliments someone, it’s usually intentional.

When he steps closer, it’s intentional.

When he lowers his voice, it’s intentional.

The terrifying part? He doesn’t waste words.

Imagine spending weeks wondering whether Megatron even likes you.

Then one day he looks at you and says: “You’ve become important to me.”

That’s it.

No buildup. No warning.

Just a statement.

As if he’s informing you of a fact.

Becomes Much More Protective

D-16 would help because he wanted to.

Megatron helps because he has decided you are his concern.

That distinction matters.

If you’re hurt, he takes it personally.

If someone threatens you, he remembers.

If someone disrespects you, he remembers that too.

The difference is that Megatron’s version of protection can become intimidating.

Not necessarily toward you.

Toward everyone else.

The room gets noticeably quieter when he enters.

People become careful with their words.

And eventually you realize that some of that caution exists because everyone knows you’re important to him.

Vulnerability Becomes Rare

This is the biggest change.

D-16 wore his emotions openly.

Megatron absolutely does not.

If he loves you, you become one of the very few who gets to see cracks in the armor.

Moments when the exhaustion shows.

Moments when the anger slips.

Moments when he stops being the leader and becomes a tired, lonely mech carrying far more than he should.

The catch is that these moments are precious precisely because they’re so rare.

He doesn’t tell you everything.

He doesn’t even tell you most things.

But the things he does tell you? Nobody else hears them.

Ever.

Jealousy Gets Quieter

And therefore much worse.

D-16 sulked. Megatron observes.

You might not even realize he’s jealous at first.

He’ll simply start asking questions.

Who was that?

How long have you known them?

Do you trust them?

The questions sound casual. They’re not.

Because unlike D-16, Megatron has learned how to hide his reactions.

Mostly.

The giveaway is that he suddenly becomes very interested in whoever has your attention and that’s rarely a comfortable experience for them.

Physical Affection Changes Dramatically

D-16’s affection is spontaneous.

Megatron’s is deliberate and surprisingly private.

In public, he tends to maintain control.

In private, however?

That’s where the intensity comes back.

He’s the type who rests a hand against yours during strategy meetings without looking at you.

The type who automatically pulls you closer when he’s exhausted.

The type who stands with you in silence because words feel unnecessary.

Megatron doesn’t strike me as someone who needs constant affection.

He needs certainty.

The knowledge that you’re still there.

That you chose to stay.

The Most Dangerous Part

The most dangerous thing about being loved by Megatron isn’t his temper.

It’s his loyalty.

Because despite everything, despite the war and the bitterness and the choices he makes, Megatron remains someone who loves absolutely. I will fight anyone who disagrees.

There’s very little middle ground.

If you’re important to him, you’re important.

Period.

And that is as beautiful as it is terrifying.

Because Megatron is not a mech who knows how to care halfway.

When he lets someone into his spark, they become part of the foundation holding him together.

Which means betrayal hurts him far more deeply than he’d ever admit and loyalty means more than almost anything else.

The really heartbreaking part is that his romantic love would still carry traces of D-16.

Every once in a while, when he’s tired, when his guard is down, when he’s alone with someone he trusts completely, you’d catch a glimpse of the miner he used to be.

A crooked smile. A dry joke. A moment of genuine excitement over something small.

And for a few seconds, you’d see the mech Orion Pax once called his best friend.

Then the moment passes, the armor goes back on, and Megatron returns.

But those rare glimpses? Those are probably the moments he’d never intend for anyone else to see but the ones that would mean the most to him.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

[vinyl-artwork]

Josephine Baker / Vocal Trio "Flirtations" ‎– At The Golden Orpheus '70 (1970)

[jocelyn-wellson]

The heat was overwhelming in Joci’s top floor flat. She ran her fingers through her mussed hair. She hadn’t had it properly styled in almost two years. It was time. She opened her closet, choosing the only straight-line pastel sundress she had, and one of the sets of undergarments paid for by Fiske. Much cooler than my sweater and denims, she admitted to herself. 

When she stepped out of the salon she nearly bumped into Melody, the server she’d been getting to know. She was wearing a similar outfit, a frilly shoulderless white dress. She had gone shopping and was carrying a tiny bag from the seamstress who had made Joci’s nautical suit in one hand and a foldable paper fan in the other. Sweet perfume seemed to emanatre from her. Joci was feeling good about herself, pretty like her and the seamstress. She decided to ask her out for a drink. They’d found an outdoor cafe within sight of a pond. It was much nicer than the bars Joci had been frequenting, and Melody seemed far too classy for those kinds of places. Besides, the breeze felt nice on her legs.

“I’m kinda su’prised ya came ou’ wit’ me,” said Joci. “I mean all las’ minute an’ th’ like.” She offered a lopsided smile. 

“This is what friends do, Joci,” she replied with a bubbly laugh. “I always hate it when people I know are deployed. I never know if I’m going to see them again.”

The smile faded a bit. “So ya go ou’ wit’ all of ‘em...” 

“Well,” said Melody as their tall kal’dorei server returned to the table. “They’re not all my close friends. I only take up drinks with those people I actually enjoy talking to.”

Joci tucked her hair behind her ear. “Yer too nice ta me,” she said. As the two mint juleps were placed on the wrought iron table, she slipped the server 5 gold pieces. He bowed slightly and left. Joci continued: “I ain’ tha’ special.”

“Maybe not to everyone,” Melody shrugged, her braided blonde hair slipping over her shoulder as it dropped. “Nobody is special to everyone, you know?”

Joci knit her brows. “I donnae... me bruv seemed pret’y special, nah, important ta lots o’ people.” She took a sip of her drink, the mint cooling her mouth and the syrup puckering her lips. This is ... sweet, she thought. 

“What was your brother’s name?”

“Brian,” said Joci. She set her drink down. 

“Brian Wellson,” she said, “Brian...” Melody lazily fanned herself. “Sounds familiar, sure. He was in the Courier quite a bit for awhile. I think he’s the guy who died but came back to life—”

Joci’s jaw dropped as far as her heart felt like it had. “He’s alive?”

Melody stopped fanning herself. “No, no,” she said, watching her friend experience a mishmash of emotion. Fuck, she thought. Fuck fuck fuck. She set the fan down and slid her hand across the table. “Years ago, he was shot, then came back to life. He’d been in hiding, Joci.”

Breathe in. Jocelyn peered down at the woman’s hand, smooth and with slender fingers. She advanced her own, resting it atop Melody’s. Breathe out. “Et still hurts,” she said simply. 

“It’s ok — I... I know what it’s like to lose a brother. I’ve lost all five to these damned Wars,” she said, eyes watery. “I’m the only one of my family left.”

Joci squeezed her hand. “Yer bruvs — di’ they join ‘cuz they wan’ed ta?”

“Yeah,” said Melody. She pulled the cloth napkin she’d placed on her lap and dabbed her eyes. “Yeah, they did.”

“They was ‘eroes then,” said Joci. “Et was th’ choice they made, yanno?”

“This right here,” said Melody as her napkin down, “this is why you’re special to me.” She placed her other hand atop Joci’s, fingers tracing the former brawler’s misaligned knuckles. She smiled; it was small but genuine. 

Breathe in. Joci’s faced burned; she wanted to pull away, but to be spoken to with such candour about something so intimate outside of a clinical setting‽ This was something to which she unaccustomed. It made her feel real, seen, like an actual person. Breathe out, she thought. She’s not going to hurt you.

“I donnae why anyone woul’n’ be kin’ to ya,” she said. 

“Just like we can’t be special to everyone, others can be cruel.”

“Bu’ why ya? Yer—”

“I’m just a waitress, Joci. I’m not special to many, especially the rich.”

“Ya be special ta me,” said Jocelyn. She didn’t even think about it. She was shocked she had said it. Those words, they had just rolled off her tongue. Like a reflex. Her body warmed, her hands began to sweat. The fuck? She took a drink.

Melody squeezed Joci’s hand tighter. After a moment, she lifted the one atop Joci’s. She took it into hers. She dipped her head, bringing Joci’s hand to her cheek. She let go. Joci inhaled sharply, her hand touching her friend’s face with all the delicacy she could muster. Melody leaned into her hand and kissed her palm. She looked up. Joci was shocked and humbled, caring and vulnerable. They locked gazes. 

Joci slowly retracted her hand. She was shaking. She swiped at her eyes, never breaking their connection. Melody took up her julep and sipped from it. The scent of fresh mint and aged bourbon and her perfume, sweet and floral, enveloped them. Joci desperately wanted to freeze the moment, to live in it for as long as they could.  

“I’m glad I know you,” said Melody after a time. Her cheeks were pink, as was her neckline. 

“Yea?”

“Yeah,” she replied before draining her glass. She smacked her lips. “You know,” she said, setting the glass down. “I’d like to know you better, more deeply.”

Joci froze. Breathe in. Memories of who she had been washed across her mind’s eye. Inwardly, she cringed. She knew that someday she would have to tell Melody about who she had been. She’s not going to hurt you, she told herself again. Breathe out. 

“I...” she stammered, disarmed by her companion's sincerity. “I’d like et, to know ya bettah,” she said. “I’d like et more than ya know.”

( @kat-hawke for Fiske )

[artfortheages]

Flirtation - Federico Andreotti  

[sharkatk]

Hmmmmmmmm

[saint-vhs]

Hong Kong Express - Flirtations (Music Video)