Customs

[niyazi-a.livejournal.com]

G
TFA Inamorato AU
Wing, unnamed customs agent
for tf_speedwriting prompt 'first time in Iacon'

The customs agent frowned, staring at the white chassis. “Identity marking.” He was halfway between puzzled and impatient.  Another off-planet shuttle, another pile of datafiles. He didn’t need any glitches in the rolling wheel of bureaucracy.

“Oh!” the white jet in front of him said, brightly, holding out his left arm. “Here it is.”

The agent grunted, holding out the scanner. “Most mechs have it integrated into their tampograph.”  Most, as in, this was a needless hindrance.  He read the name off the scan plate. “Wing.”

“I don’t have one of those,” Wing said, as though it weren’t already obvious. 

“Yeah. Noticed.”  The agent clicked on the scanner.  “Originating planet, Theophany, huh?” He looked up. “Never heard of it.”

“We keep to ourselves,”  Wing said.  “And we have no ambition to be well-known. Just happy.”

“Right. That’s not suspicious at all.”

“We’re…not?” Wing tilted his helm. “We merely pray. I don’t think that’s suspicious, is it?” He seemed to be honestly asking, as though he was trying to see the world from a whole new perspective.

“Depends what you’re praying for.”

“Peace and happiness for our kind, of course.”  Wing grinned. “What better thing could you ask for?”

The agent shot him a weird look. “If you say so.” He tapped at the scanner. “Reason for visit?”

“My oblation.” Wing gave an excited wiggle. “We have a law that we must experience life in the outside world before becoming full Arcs of the Circle.”

The scanner pulled up an entirely empty file. This Wing sure was from Theophany, and he had the emptiest record the agent had ever seen. No one was this ‘good’. No one.

 “Sounds…geometric.” Religious mumbo-jumbo.

Wing blinked, then burst out laughing, as though it were the funniest joke he’d ever heard. As far as the agent figured, it might have been. This jet looked sheltered. Beyond everything. And way, way too happy. If he was some sort of criminal, he was really not doing a good job staying under the radar.

“Right. So, how do you intend to earn your keep here?”

A blink of confusion.

“You know. A job?”  The open line of the form blinked, impatiently.  “Do you have any actual skills?”

The wingpanels gave an awkward riffle. “I learn fast.”

“Right.” The agent huffed. “Let me guess. You don’t have any credits on you for food or lodging.” 

“I have this,” Wing said, confidently, holding out a small chit reader with a glyph on it. The scanner read it as being legitimate: a religious dispensation for these Circle of Light monks. So that checked out, too.

“…a begging slot.”

An eager nod.

“You think that mechs are just going to give you money.”

“Well, not a great deal of it, of course. But charity is, after all, a great virtue.”

“Does that actually work?”  Seriously. This was like something from the ancient past, before the Great War or something.

“Why wouldn’t it? I am willing to work for it, after all.” Work for it. Right. That could go horribly wrong. The agent could already see the white jet slumped in an alley somewhere, stripped for parts. Ouch.

“Because…,” he gave a growl of frustration. This Wing was unreal.  “Listen. There are bad mechs out there who are going to take advantage of you if you let them.”

“I have heard such a thing,” Wing said, solemnly.  “I shall be on my guard.”

No. No no no. This mech didn’t get it. The agent pulled his credit chit out, swiping it through the slot. “Listen. You go to Gasket’s hostel, on level three, okay?  He’ll set you up with a room and some energon. Maybe a job. No promises.” 

Wing’s smile was dazzling, saying, ‘see? I told you.’  “You’re very kind.”

“Eh. No I’m not. Just, I don’t know, pray for me while you’re at it.”

Wing stepped closer, hands cupping the agent’s helm, planting a chaste kiss on his crest. “I shall, my friend. And I shall always remember this as my welcome to Iacon.”

Comments

[toyzintheattik.livejournal.com]

Oh Wing, you're so precious I want to eat you up! ^^

[lithium223.livejournal.com]

-face palm- oh wing, you really have no idea what you're getting into.

[akufu.livejournal.com]

This is like the sweetest thing ever <3
I would really like to read more of him and his trip to Iacon, can imagine it would have some very interesting and funny moments~

[playswithworms.livejournal.com]

Awwww, Wing <3 Happiness, EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS I KNOW *sporfle*

[cmdrtekk.livejournal.com]

You always do such a great job giving your characters (minor ones included) personality, just by how you write them.