Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Tanya sat in her seat, transfixed by the images flying past her. Building after dark, ominous building sped through her vision and faded into the distance. Each one was like a weight being lifted from her shoulders, a burden she no longer needed to carry. She no longer needed to worry about the cold or the coins or her mama, she was free.
Before she knew it, the city had slipped away and vast swaths of snow covered trees had her smiling in wonder. Never had she seen such clean, white snow. It had always been a gray mush, something she never touched, never picked up. She had learned long ago that the salt filled snow was too harsh on her fingers, but this, this white fluff was something else. It covered the trees, it was almost magic, a whole different kind of winter than what she was used to. She wanted to hold it, to fall into it, she had to validate that it wasn’t a dream. So she gently patted Jazz’s door, and looked down at her feet as she made her demure request.
“Um, do you think we could stop, please?”
In response Jazz slowed, and came to a stop. Concern colored his tone as his smooth voice issued from the speakers.
“Everything ok?”
She nodded.
“Yeah, I just wanna see something.”
She heaved his door open and stepped one foot onto the snow. She felt it crunch under her old shoes in response to the her weight, but cautiously continued. She put her other foot down and stood on the cold, cottony material beneath her feet. She took a step, and reached out to catch a falling snowflake, only to open her palm and notice the small puddle in the center. She smiled at the little drops of water that rested in her had and walked further into the woods.
Cold was quickly sapping the heat from her, but she could care less. Each little speck that floated down from above caught her attention. They were all magic, it was the first time she had ever really experienced what she thought a winter wonderland should be. There was something ethereal, and other worldly about the frost on the bark of the bare trees. It had her staring in wonder at the landscape in front of her. It was inviting, like it had been waiting for her the whole time.
This was nothing like the ugly snow that bit at her finger tips each year. It was still very cold, but also very clean and crisp. Its white perfection unmarred by the grime that infested the cities, hypnotic in its purity. Her gaze shifted to the trees, they seemed to go one for days. They glittered in their own right as the sun sent rays of light through them and onto the earth below. A blank slate, both she and the world could start over.
She reached out to wipe a finger through the cold crystals that had formed on a lone leaf that clung to a low hanging branch. She had to validate that it was real. She looked back to Jazz before she continued a little way into the forest, taking in the vision that had entranced her so thoroughly.
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Jazz scanned the area for heat signatures, nothing, just him and little Tanya. He transformed and stood watch as the kid walked off, staring at the snow that fell all around them. His attention drifted for a moment as he mulled over the decision he had made.
They were going back to his base, not the main base, but a temporary one that he had set up for this mission. An old barn on a large deserted piece of land, Kup was there. He was going to get an ear full from the old bot, but he had to face the music someday, and maybe Kup could help. Tanya shouldn't stay with them.
It pained his spark, but he was sure she needed an actual human family to raise her, not an autobot. Plus, the possibility of the decepticons getting to her was always in the back of his mind. She had trusted him so completely, and without hesitation, he knew he could never let anything happen to her. He needed to find a safe place for her to grow up, a place where she could have a family that loved her.
He looked over, Tanya looked up at him as she tried to force the powdery snow into a circular shape with her hands. She opened her palms and the snowball quickly broke apart becoming the sugar snow it had been before. She let out a small giggle, and let the snow fall through her fingers, and back to the ground. She brushed her hands together, wiping the extra snow from her gloves as she made her way back to him.
He smiled down at her, as he banished the thought of decepticons from his mind. He would protect the little human, even if it cost him his life.
She walked up to him, tilting her head back to look up at his face. The motion threw her slightly off balance as she slid back, and fell into the powder beneath her. He bent down and held a finger out to help her up.
She stood and wiped the snow from her body, and Jazz realized, as she started to shiver, that it was time to go. They had a bit of a drive ahead of them, and he still wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to Kup.
“You all done?”
She nodded, and he transformed again making sure to leave his passenger door open.
“Alright, buckle up kid, we gotta go meet someone.”
He could hear her teeth chattering as she answered. If he could shake his head, he would have. She knew it was cold, but the temperature couldn’t stave off her curiosity. He made sure to pump the heat her way.
“We’re meeting someone? Is he a friend?”
Jazz winced inwardly, and let out a nervous laugh.
“Yeah, but maybe not today.”
