Fandom Hopping: Transformers

Some may say we’re easily distracted.

Some may accuse us of giving up on Twilight. NEVER!

We say, “Why limit ourselves to just one fandom full of smut when there are soooo many other possibilities out there?!?!”

So we give you Fandom Hopping, a place to poke your nose into another universe, meet some new characters, and enjoy all the pervy possibilities when a writer fucks with the universe someone else created. Don’t worry, friends, Edward & Co. will all be there waiting for you when you get back, but for now, take a walk with us down a different path.

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The Fandom Hopping Pick is...

Fandom: Tranformers (movie-verse)
Fic: Experiments in Human Nature
Author: Keelywolfe
Category: Slash
Pairings: Sam/(holo) Bumble Bee, Optimus/Ratchet, Sunstreaker/Sideswipe
Summary: Set after the first movie, Sam isn't going to be safe from the Decepticons if he stays at home. SLASH Sam/Bumblebee, various other pairings.

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Chele - If your slash-loving heart has ever been tempted to dabble in another fandom, you need to start right here. Now.

Experiments in Human Nature is a story of love among soldiers caught in a seemingly never ending war. The main pairing is the unlikely and reluctant human hero, Sam, and the Autobot’s scout, Bumblebee. Yes, Bumblebee is the giant, yellow, mechanoid alien who turns into a Camaro.

Now, before you start to picture the happenings and mechanics of it all, let me explain that some of the Autobots have a program which allows their receptors to create a holoform, which lets them take the physical shape of a human with all the benefits of the flesh.

The erotic content is perfectly mated with plot and character development. There is not a moment of this that I don't believe completely. There is a life and depth to these characters that I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined, and yet every moment seems completely plausible. The balance between humor, thrill, and emotion is masterful. I read the first posted 36 chapters engrossed,one after another, and now I jump and clap every time an alert comes in my inbox. The level of intensity and dramatic revelation never wanes, just follows a perfect rhythm.

"Wait-" Bee tried, too late, Sam was already shifting, arching back and whimpering a little at the feel of it, finally, Bumblebee inside him and here was what he needed, connection, yes, hot flesh invading him in all the best ways. A faint ache of pain layered beneath it, a deep stretch but it didn't matter, nothing mattered but this connection.
Yes, Sam thought he said, yes, but there was no sound, only an echo from Bumblebee, purple/electric, that almost-taste that meant Bumblebee heavy in his mouth, inside his head, the pulse point of their bodies moving together and Sam was shuddering with it before he even fully realized what it was, collapsing against Bee in a damp, shivering wreck.
Shhh, it's all right, a faint little murmur, slim fingers threading tenderly through Sam's hair as he trembled, clutched at Bee with one hand like he was the only thing keeping him on the ground. I have you. I have you, it's all right...

The most amazing thing about the way that Keelywolfe writes this story, is how she is able to impart emotions and create soulful beings from what could easily be disregarded as mechanical programming. There is such intense love between Bee and Sam, ache between Optimus and Ratchet and anger-fueled lust between Sunstreaker and Sideswipe that it’s hard to imagine a relationship dynamic that isn’t represented in this cast of characters. It's all so spot on that I will never be able to see canon without my slash goggles firmly in place.

I completely love it.

I’ll admit, I may be a little prejudiced. I’ve had a major crush on Optimus Prime since very early in my youth. What’s not to love? A mature, battle-weary leader whose strength and ferocity is only matched by his desire for peace. Fucking swoon. However, even if patriotically painted 18-wheelers aren’t your particular kink, never fear. If you love a well-written love story with depth of emotion and vivid characters? This story is totally for you.

Jeanne - I am a hardcore, old school fan of the Transformers. I watched the cartoon religiously (and even saw the movie in the theaters). I owned the action figures, they sat next to my He-Man and She-Ra figures on my dresser. These characters and the concepts of the Transformers resonated deeply with me as a child. That is why when Chele pimped this fic to me I seriously hesitated. Transfomer slash? Seriously? I mean, where would Sam stick his dick? Do Autobots have dicks? I never thought I would contemplate things like Mech-sex, but I never thought I’d have a crush on a sparkling vampire either.

That’s the crux of what I found so compelling about this story. Not how different it was from a lot of the Twi slash that I read, but how similar it is to the canon of Twilight. Or rather the soul of that original story. The idea that a normal girl, or in this case a normal boy, could share a deep, emotional connection with a creature that is so completely different from him. The physical differences that separate Bee and Sam are not unlike what divides Ed and Bella. However, the intensity of their connection is not deterred by those hindrances.

Keelywolfe creates a wonderfully ingenious way to side step the inherent sexual incompatibility of the Autobot’s mechanical bodies to that of a human’s. Holoform gives all the appearance to every human sense of a solid, human form. Through this very believable mechanism she opens the door to new different kind of love. So much about the emotional, and sexual relationship that develops between Sam and Bee (who happens to physically resemble a certain Texan from Twilight that many of us love) mirrors similar themes you see in slash fiction in countless other fandoms.

If it’s not hard to believe that love knows no-bounds within the realm of human genders, or even species lines (human and vampire), then is it so out of the questions that love could also transcend the line between man and machine? Experiments in Human Nature subtly, and eloquently makes this argument while also weaving an enchanting story that would satisfy any hardcore Transformers fan, like myself.

Teal - One day I said, “I need something new to read!” and Chele came back with this story. I started immediately, curious and also slightly tantalized by the idea of Bumblebee’s holo bearing quite the resemblance to my favorite vampire, and then I couldn’t stop. Could. Not. Stop. With each chapter, I had to know what was going to happen next, but I dreaded getting to the most recent update because it meant I would have to wait. Booooooo.

Why so addictive? For Autobots? And slash? How is that even possible? Oh, I get it. I had many of the same questions myself, but they were quickly resolved by those holos my fellow Pervs mentioned. Although they aren’t exactly what Sam thinks of them, the Bots can create a solid, human version of themselves, and when they do, Vroom, Vroom!


Let’s just take a peek at this little nugget from the opening chapter:

Holo-Bee smiled, his head tilting slightly in a way that made his hair slip down over his eyes. Without thinking, Sam reached out and pushed it back, fingers sifting through incredible softness that wasn't, quite, like any hair he'd ever touched. It made him want to touch it again, slipping one hand into it to curve around his head.

"Can you feel this?" Sam asked curiously. Quietly.

Wide green eyes were on his. "I...could. A hologram that is within close proximity can be connected with receptors. It would be similar to human touch sensory."

He felt the change that he hadn't seen before when Bumblebee had made it solid, a low humming vibration just beneath the skin that wasn't nearly as strange to him as it would have been...had it only been a few months? It felt like the Autobots had already been here forever, that life before Bumblebee hadn't even existed and the hologram beneath his hands had closed his eyes, lips parted and damp and Sam realized he'd been practically massaging Bumblebee's scalp, fingers sliding through oh, so soft hair and...

Sam didn't think, really, that he'd meant to do this. Didn't actually mean to be practically straddling the anthropomorphic personification of his best friend, seriously didn't think he'd meant to be feeling him up. Kissing him, though, pressing his mouth against Bee's open one, well. That he'd meant to do. Seriously.

In the beginning, it’s so new to both of them, and there is that sweetness that comes with the transition of a relationship from friendship to more, and the discovery of being attracted to someone of the same sex (even if he is your Autobot guardian/best friend).

The more I went on to read this fic, the more I found myself thinking, “My mind is BLOWED.” It’s completely unlike TwiFic, of course, because it’s a different kind of universe with a completely different species of creature. Ones that are mechanical and run computer programs, yet think, feel, and love. That’s what makes this story so captivating, not to mention the electric sexual chemistry this author keeps coming from every angle.

Although the Sam/Bumblebee plot is my favorite pairing of this story, I’m still in love with the complexities of all the other relationships that take place. While Ratchet seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, thus making him come across as a grumpy old man, we learn that a lost love still haunts him, making it nearly impossible to move on, even when something genuine and special is staring him right in the face. It’s easy to see the way Keelywolfe humanizes him in that sense, continuing with a physical/mech relationship yet being so emotionally detached because his mind is always some place else.

Mikaela even plays her part, sticking around as Sam’s friend, since she too needs to be protected from the Decepticons, but also finding her own sort of relationship. Though not the complicated romance Sam has jumped into, it’s no less interesting to watch that part of the story unfold and see how if effects everyone else.

Through it all, the ultimate mission - to protect Earth and defeat the Decepticons - is still a constant struggle, woven expertly into all the personal story lines and conflicts to create a well-rounded and fun story.

One of the most interesting parts of the story, to me, is the strange, toxic relationship between the twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Though they are considered “brothers,” their relationship is certainly not like that of siblings. Of course, there is rivalry and tension, but their connection stems from being created by the same Spark, which doesn’t actually make them related, more . . . dependant upon one another than anything else. Two halves of a whole. They are a roller coaster, constantly fighting for and against one another, to the point you might believe they’ll self-destruct, taking the other down with them. It’s an intense battle of wills, crafted by past experiences and a struggle to dominate, but it’s gorgeous in its excessive mess.

[A]ll his systems focused with laser precision on the link between them, on the warm pulse of growing pleasure that was tinted with Sunstreaker, Primus, yes. Sunstreaker may have been fucked up, as he put it, but he didn't feel it now, his presence was as cool as a caress, a deep indigo that merged perfectly with Sideswipe's very spark.

love/pleasure/love/mine/pleasure/mine/mine/MINE

The hot blend of their emotions sparked through them sharply and Sideswipe was dimly surprised to realize that fiercely possessive urge was his, fed through the link between them and echoing back. He tried to deny it, no, he wasn't like that, he wasn't—

Yes, you are. Darkly amused and Sideswipe arched up as Sunstreaker brought their consciousness's together with a hard, mental crash, sharing their emotions, the chaotic rush of their desire. Dimly, he felt the creak of metal under his fingers as they dug into his brother hard enough to leave dents, and he keened aloud at the backlash of knowledge mixed with ecstasy. You are, of course you are. You're my other half.

It was too late for protest, excess current was building between them and his temperature sensors were screaming into the red, it had been so long since they had merged like this, so long, and Sideswipe's vocalizers cut out in the middle of their shared pleasure, woven as tight between them as a hardline and Sunstreaker was trembling against him, physically shaken even as his mental touch shuddered against Sideswipe's, tangled together in one instant of perfect alignment.

*BRB, rebooting*

Every description in this story, whether regarding an emotional or sexual encounter, or just the way a Bot functions, is incredibly detailed unlike anything else I’ve ever read. You really feel like Keelywolfe is a mech expert the way she writes them, but one thing is for certain - she’s a fabulous writer, had a great sense of humor, and makes incredible smut (especially slash)!

You don’t need to be a Transformers geek to love this fic, but it may turn you into one!