Chubformers drabble #332!
Character: Reflector (G1)
Word count: 1.5k
Reflector snickered as they flipped through the assortment of pictures they had taken that day, their amusement rising with each and every new shot. It was an art form, really, the way they had learned to alter and warp pictures like this, and as they perfected their technique, the shots just started coming out better and better.
They studied a picture they’d taken of Cliffjumper, their snickers turning into laughter as they traced their fingers over the dramatic curves they’d put onto the minibot. He looked huge in the shot—not anything like he did in real life, unfortunately, but with his belly bigger than his helm and his frame as round as their home planet, Cliffjumper looked absolutely ridiculous… and slag, was it funny.
Reflector had plenty of other big body shots, too, and they kept them tucked away in an assorted pile of pictures dedicated solely to making fun of whatever Autobots they came across during recon missions and petty squabbles. Getting the shot was the easy part. Marking up the photo and making their own silly rendition of Autobots that looked too big to be moving around on the battlefield was where the fun came into play.
There were so many pictures in their collection now. They had shots of Optimus with a beer belly, pictures of subordinates and soldiers all lined up together sporting the same guts and flabby guns for arms, and enough ridiculous self-made portraits of whatever poor Autobot scum they had come across striking awkward poses and embarrassing faces just long enough for Reflector to transform in the servos of whoever he was scouting with for the next best shot.
It was funny. Hell, it was fragging hilarious, and after word had spread about Reflector’s new ability (and new hobby, as once they had learned they could warp pictures they took of the enemy, they were hooked), everyone was in on the fun. It became a running joke between all of them, too—the enhanced pictures, the silly nicknames Reflector gave to all of their ridiculous creations, and the fun of finding new ‘Bots for them to snap shots of.
Reflector had been just as shocked as everyone else to find that not only could they store a plethora of pictures for their own use, they could also enhance said pictures as little or as much as they liked. They were going all out now that their new talent had been discovered, that was for sure, and now that they had shared their fun with the rest of the ‘Cons, it had become the latest source of amusement for everyone… and the most prominent topic of gossip between the Decepticons ranks.
In the mess hall, Reflector sat altering a few of their latest snapshots from a scouting mission earlier that morning. As was common for them and their scouting partners anymore, most of the mission had been spent sneaking around and collecting good shots of Autobots they hadn’t yet gotten the chance to alter.
It wasn’t long into their work that their companion for the day, Skywarp, was pushing his way through the crowds and moving in to take the empty seat right next to Reflector. He sat down and fanned his wings a few times before slinging an arm over Reflector’s shoulder and leaning in close, curious about the latest findings and eager to see what had been created so far.
“Got the pics?” Skywarp said, his grin wicked and wide as his optics twinkled with mischief.
Reflector was looking similarly excited as their snickers died down long enough for them to fold their newest pictures back into order and hand them over to Skywarp, who snatched them right up.
The pictures were low quality and mostly blurry shots taken from afar, and each of the Autobots in the center were standing at terrible angles with their bellies and frames enlarged three times bigger than normal. The rolls of fat hanging from their fronts were prominent, and the confused looks they all wore seemed clearer than the alterations Reflector had made to each picture.
It was perfect, and as soon as Skywarp saw the first piece, he was caught in a fit of roaring laughter.
“Oh, Primus, look at them!” Skywarp cackled, his helm thrown back as he held up a terrible shot of Bumblebee. “Look at him—look! He’s got a huge fragging belly!”
Poor Bumblebee was caught mid-glance down at the ground as he studied something Skywarp had thrown his way. It was the perfect pose for Reflector, who then took the shot and stored it into their memory for later adjusting. The yellow scout had a big, rounded pot belly hanging from his front, and from the way he was angled, it almost looked as though he was staring right down at it.
“Look at this one,” Reflector said through their smile as they pointed at a picture of Hound sitting slumped forward on a rocky cluster in the distance. “See how he’s all slouched like that?”
“Nck—yeah,” Skywarp snorted. He wiped at his optics and flicked away the condensation pooling in the corners, then added, “looks like he’s nursing a hell of a belly!”
He really did, Reflector thought. From the way he sat with his arms at his sides and his knees spread, the belly Reflector had added just fit so nicely in his lap. It was hilarious, if not perfect, and it was one of their favorite shots.
Reflector watched as Skywarp sifted through their newest pictures, snickering in between each shot. Once he had gotten to the end, Reflector nudged him gently before pointing at the first of the group.
“I’m calling him Bumble-belly,” they said as Skywarp held up Bumblebee’s altered shot.
“Nice,” Skywarp chuckled. As he pulled Hound’s picture, he pointed, saying, “this is Round now.”
“Hmm,” Reflector hummed as they sifted through the pictures together. “Wideswipe for him.”
“Yeah?” Skywarp said, raising a brow. “What about the big guy? Old Prime?”
Reflector couldn’t have looked any more smug if they tried. They sat back, their arms crossed, and said, “Op-tummy Prime. You can’t go wrong with a nickname like that when he’s got such a big belly.”
Skywarp sat there for a moment, processing the latest nickname, before breaking out into loud laughter.
“I can see why everyone wants to be paired up with you now!” he laughed as he patted Reflector’s back. “You got the best jokes around, mech!”
Amused, Reflector laughed along as Skywarp began showing off their latest designs with the added nicknames. All was well for the time, until…
“Decepticons!” Megatron’s booming voice echoed through the mess hall, startling them all to attention. “What is this nonsense I hear?”
As his optics landed on Reflector and Skywarp, he scowled.
“Don’t tell me you’re still playing that silly little game.”
“It’s nothing!” Skywarp tried to say. “They’re just—“
“Wasting precious time?” Megatron sneered. “We have work to do, Skywarp, and none of that work involves wasting time with their frivolous shenanigans!”
Reflector couldn’t help but roll their optics at the complaint. There was no reasoning with him—not really. Instead, as Megatron turned to leave, they turned to Skywarp and began to whisper.
“Hey,” they said as they rose from their seat with a mischief that could rival the seeker’s. “Watch this.”
Before Megatron was gone from sight, they transformed and snapped a shot midair. As they fell to the bench and shuddered in place, they produced a picture moments later. Skywarp reached down to pick it up with furrowed brows, and as Reflector transformed back into their root mode, began to smirk anew.
“Oh, you slagger,” Skywarp whispered.
Reflector snickered back and gave him another nudge. “I’m calling him Mega-aft.”
Sure enough, the shot of Megatron walking away with a massive, jiggly aft following behind him was perfectly sculpted in the Reflector way—big, dramatic, and amusing.
The mess hall fell back into a chorus of laughter. It was the best one yet, Reflector was sure. They couldn’t have been prouder, either, until… yet again, something had to go wrong.
Two new ‘Cons joined the group in the mess hall, looking nervous. As soon as they saw Reflector, they were rushing over to them, their servos wringing and their faces twisted with anxiety.
“Hey, uh…” the one began, “you know… you know those and pics we’re always laughing about? The ones you create with snapshots of the ‘Bots?”
“Yeah,” the other ‘Con began as he scratched the back of his helm. “So, as it turns out, the, uh… the ‘Bots you’ve taken pictures of? Those guys actually are starting to get fat now.”
Uh oh.
Nervously, Reflector shared a look with Skywarp before glancing down at their most recent shot—Megatron with a big, huge aft following him from behind. They couldn’t be certain that their pictures had enough power to alternate the real world as they did their shots, but for their own sake…
They hoped and prayed that it was all just a very big, very strange coincidence. Alas, something told them otherwise, and they only hoped when the truth came out, they wouldn’t be around to hear it.
