A Book By His Cover

[Nimbus Tsura]

Day 22, open

---

Skyblast, who is currently an exact copy of Dinobot's not-to-scale dinosaur mode, is stalking toward the medical ward. Skyblast doesn't usually stalk, but the body he's wearing just seems built for stalking. He doesn't even know he's doing it.

There's a puncture wound on his leg, courtesy of Impactor. It's not too bad, really, and it'll heal on its own if he leaves it, but he just wants to clean it up a bit and put some kind of cover on it to keep from getting junk in there.

His tail swishes as he walks. Skyblast doesn't know he's doing that, either, but it's an automatic balancing routine. He just might tickle someone with the tail-tip by mistake.

[Mirage]

After the decoding session with Glyph and Rodimus, Mirage decides to make his way toward Medical. He needs another pain med ration, plus if Perceptor is there, Mirage can give the scientist a heads up on what little progress they made.

As he walks, Mirage is trying out some of the commands they did figure out. One causes an array to pop up that distracts him so much he can't see for a few seconds. As such, he almost trips over that swishing tail. "Terribly sorry,' he murmurs as he sidesteps and moves around the reptile and into the medbay.

Hmm. When did they get another dinosaur?

[Nimbus Tsura]

'terribly sorry'? That's all Skyblast gets? He doesn't reply at all to Mirage, aloof creature that he is, and he stalks over to one of the medical cabinets, looking for something to clean out his wound.

Skyblast transforms, legs splitting in the thighs and shins, dinosaur head flipping down his back, chest splitting open, ribcage dividing onto his arms. His helm still looks distinctly familiar, and he pops open a cabinet and bends down to pull out a bottle of detergent with those lightly clawed black hands, now segmented, bladed tail swishing behind him.

[Mirage]

Mirage goes straight to the medical energon dispenser and punches in his access code. Perceptor set it up so that if Mirage pulled his rations from here, the pain killers were auto-mixed into the ration. It's starting to bother the spy. He doesn't want his reactions to be dulled because this mess is in his system.

He turns at the sound of transformation. Best to introduce himself properly. Hmm, the dinosaur's movements are familiar in robot mode, and that helm...

"Is that...," Mirage asks, tone at once surprised and cautious. He moves closer to the smaller robot. "Skyblast!" The sheer joy and relief in Mirage's voice is almost painfully clear, as the spy steps forward to try and envelope the jet-turned-dinosaur in a hug.

"What happened to you?"

[Nimbus Tsura]

A lot of Transformers look a lot alike in strange ways. Won't Mirage be embarrassed if this is a new Transformer who just happens to look like the blade-like dromaeosaurid lovechild of Dinobot and Skyblast?

Skyblast could pretend to be someone else. It would be a real jerk move, which means he at least considers it. However, that pain-laced happiness is just too raw for Skyblast to consider such a petty thought even a second longer. He tries to gracefully twist around in Mirage's arms for a more comfortable position, and he attempts to return the hug, his smile crooked, just barely revealing one his shiny new fangs.

He shrugs and dismisses, "Oh, Impactor shot me in the leg. Not too bad. Just wanted to wash it out." Yes, Skyblast, this clearly explains why he turns into a dinosaur now.

[Mirage]

"What? Why did he do that?" Mirage asks. He tries to lift Skyblast up onto one of the tables, and unless stopped will set about cleaning the skypainter's wound. Mirage isn't a medic; heck, he doesn't even really know first aid. But he knows how to clean a wound.

"I didn't even know you were back on board the ship. I've been cloistered with Glyph and Rodimus, trying to decode the mess that is in my head now."

Mirage reaches up and tries to stroke his hand along Skyblast's cheek, thumb sliding over one of those delicate fangs. "And why, beloved, are you impersonating Dinobot?"

[Nimbus Tsura]

A lot of human beings have never taken a proper First Aid class but know how to wash out a cut, apply antiseptic, and slap a bandage on it.

Skyblast doesn't object to being put on a table or Mirage fussing over him. He likes it, actually, and he even arrays himself a little more carefully on the table to better show off his new body. Skyblast lazily flicks out an anachronistically forked tongue as Mirage examines his fangs and explains, "Eh, I was flying down the hallway. Not breaking the sound barrier, mind you. Impactor objected. So I challenged him to a duel, of course." That's just what you do. "Sim room. He picked tunnels as the location, so I picked a body better suited for it. It was this or a Class 3 Ruination tank, and I liked the mobility better."

[Grimlock]

One of the doors to medical is knocked upon. Or more accurately, headbutted in an attempt to knock, for Grimlock has a big head and little arms in dinosaur mode. Transforming would make too much sense, you see.

Eventually the door opens as Grimlock was about to headbutt it again, and thus stumbles in. He gets his footing again before smashing into anything, thankfully. He snorts, brushing himself off and giving the door a Look™. "Where Perceptor at--" he mumbles, looking around and spotting Mirage and ...Dinobot?

"What Mirage doing to make Dinobot-that-not-a-Dinobot big?"

[Mirage]

Mirage's lips purse and his brow wrinkles. Impactor shot Skyblast? Just for flying? "Hmpf. Good thing he didn't do you more damage than this." The spy is most unamused.

He finishes up with Skyblast's leg, then leans in to murmur, "I know it is terribly selfish of me, but, I have missed you...," Mirage tries to trail soft kisses along Skyblast's helm- just as Grimlock barges in.

"Oh.... bother!" Mirage's tone indicates he'd prefer to use a much more volatile word.

"I am merely helping Skyblast dress his wound Grimlock. I haven't seen Perceptor today."

[Nimbus Tsura]

Okay, anyone unexpected walking in on kissing is awkward. Grimlock is even more so awkward. What next, Spy Shot 6? Skyblast sighs and murmurs to Mirage, promising, "Later."

He cheerily explains to Grimlock, "I'm not a Dinobot! I'm just Skyblast, though 'just' doesn't really do me justice. No idea where Perceptor is. I've been off-ship. Have you tried radioing him to ask where he is, or are you trying to ambush him?"

[Grimlock]

All your awkward are belong to Grimlock!

Grimlock walks over, looking back and forth between the two. Skyblast's wound is on his leg. Mirage was up in his face! Grimlock is not convinced.

His head tilts at Skyblast, and now upon closer look, he does look different from Dinobot. However, Skyblast and Dinobot are in the same size class (Even if Skyblast was a bit bigger), and since Skyblast is in Dinobot drag, it was enough to confuse Grimlock.

"Me Grimlock...actually forget what me looking for Perceptor for now," he answers, then looks at Mirage. "But me do remember that me had bone to pick with you!"

[Mirage]

But Skyblast's wound is now clean and the fuel lines crimped off, Grimlock, so technically Mirage did not lie! He just wants jetboi snuggles!

The spy groans softly and his head drops forward enough to possibly rest on Skyblast's helm. "You and everyone else on this damned ship," he sighs, some of the pain and loss from his earlier breakdown slipping into his voice.

He lifts his head and asks tiredly, "What now, Grimlock? Please, enlighten me as to how I have managed to wrong you. I'll add the failure to my collection."

[Nimbus Tsura]

Skyblast does let Mirage lean his helm against his own for a moment, and he reaches up a hand for Mirage's cheek, but he doesn't touch it, wary of his own new claws. Instead, he just asks quietly, "What happened to your face?"

Flippantly, he suggests to Grimlock, "Why don't you call Perceptor and ask him if he knows why you were looking for him?" Why not? Perceptor seems to know everything else.

However, Skyblast frowns at what Grimlock has to say next. He tries to extricate himself a bit from Mirage and transforms back into Dinobot's doppelganger, ready to jump if need be.

[Grimlock]

Grimlock does not care about your snuggles! Nor is he affected by your angst, Mirage.

He growls at Skyblast's remark, though. "Me Grimlock don't need help remembering!" He ignores the tranformation, peering back at Mirage. "Me Grimlock want to know why you drag faker away! Me Grimlock could have smashed him good!"

[Mirage]

Mirage shrugs and answers Skyblast, "Sentinel Prime." He doesn't attempt to keep Skyblast from slipping away, though when the skypainter transforms into a Dino again, Mirage gives him a puzzled look.

Then it dawns on him. Skyblast is preparing to defend Mirage if need be.

Hopefully, Skyblast had no plans for the next, oh six or ten hours. >_>

Oh wait. Grimlock.

"No, Grimlock, you wouldn't have," Mirage says tiredly, "You have no idea how to handle an invisible opponent, and what's more, he was copying all of our abilities. He wanted to capture me, and Pyrite, and you so they could have a matched set to sell into slavery."

"What's more, my getting captured was the only way to find Bambi before they shipped her off planet. I really had no choice in the matter."