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Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 24, 2010 18:23:39 GMT -5
Day 20 - Event Horizon , biosphere, open to Team Good. Twins mentioned with permission.- - - Make no mistake, Sentinel Prime doesn't like being in the biosphere. It goes against everything he's ever been taught, everything he's ever parroted back in hopes of being in the 'in' crowd, everything he's internalised so deeply that he really believes it. Except he's learning now that there's a different definition of the 'in crowd' here, and it involves some axle grease about tolerance, acceptance, respect for other cultures, and open-mindedness. Sentinel Prime will do anything, anything at all as long as it serves his ambitions. So he'll fake being able to tolerate the biosphere. He'll even fake a sense of pride over his punishment. Elita-1 breaking his head makes it easier on him. The she-bot really did him a favour, though she probably doesn't see it that way. She-bots. Who can figure them? With most of his fear processes offline, replaced by an unnerving quiet in his head, Sentinel Prime can get by with convincing himself that a good, long shower after this work will suffice to cleanse him of the organic lifestain. Sentinel Prime has just a bit of time before he really has to start his shift here, so he turns to the Twins and explains, ticking off on his fingers, "There are paths. You stay on the path. Under no circumstances do you leave the path. You don't touch anything. Those little satellite-dish looking things? Those are flowers. You don't pick them. You don't pick anything. You don't set anything on fire. You don't knock anything over with wind. You..." he pauses, rubbing his chin, "...I'm forgetting something. Anyway. This is the biosphere, a true achievement of Autobot and Maximal engineering know-how!" Sentinel Prime can turn anything into a propaganda commercial. It's a gift and a curse.
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Nov 25, 2010 18:55:15 GMT -5
Jetstorm is walking rather rigidly now that Sentinel Prime has given them a proper rattling about behaving in the biosphere. Perhaps he shouldn't mention when they were flying around here before...
"...I am not having had idea that this place was so fragile before," the jetboy comments, looking rather nervous.
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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Nov 26, 2010 18:27:23 GMT -5
"Myself neither, brother," Jetfire says, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously. "Is very nice, though!"
He watches his feet carefully as he walks, sticking to the path. Allspark-forbid he steps on a butterfly or something.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 26, 2010 18:32:05 GMT -5
"It's not fragile," Sentinel Prime snaps, "but just because it's not fragile doesn't mean you should break it! Botanica told me, some of these 'seed' things - they're like protoforms for plants - have to be set on fire before they'll activate." When Sentinel Prime thinks about that logically, that gives him the willies. During the Inevitable Plant Revolution, they'll crack out the napalm, think they've won, and then - bam plant protoform rush as all those seeds activate! "But don't set them on fire. Unless Botanica says so. Anyway, so... speaking of protoforms," because Sentinel Prime loves his segues, "...how do you two feel about your rebuilds, anyway?" - - - OOC: Mention cleared with Botanica.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Nov 27, 2010 21:06:27 GMT -5
Emerging from the trees as he rounds the corner, here comes Optimus Prime. He's got a tangle of vines bundled under one arm and he's watching his feet as he walks. He doesn't want to get chewed out over stepping on any plants. As such, he doesn't register Sentinel Prime and and the jet twins until he's right in front of them.
"Oh! Jetfire, Jetstorm . . . Sentinel," he says, coming to a stop. "It's been a while," he says awkwardly. And really, this is the last place on the Event Horizon he'd expect to find Sentinel Prime. "How've you been?"
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Nov 29, 2010 2:56:36 GMT -5
"Growing from the fire? That sounds weird... Fire is normally being destroying thing, I thought," he ways, looking at his brother curiously. Jetfire should know! Fire is his power, after all!
Jetstorm pauses at Sentinel's question, but is interrupted by Optimus! "Ah! Optimus Prime, greetings!"
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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Dec 1, 2010 10:52:36 GMT -5
Jetfire just gives his brother a shrug. Creating things with fire? Far out! He should ask Botanica if she has any plants that are in need of setting on fire.
"Hello, Optimus Prime!" he greets, before answering Sentinel. "Rebuild is being much awesomeness!"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 1, 2010 11:32:23 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime, who must forever be the wise old drill sergeant, explains to the Twins, "Protoforms come from foundry forges that get pretty hot and fiery, so that's fire making something right there. Fire's dueling like that." He pauses and rubs his chin, then corrects. "Dualistic. Anyway, it has a two-fold nature - like us! Two modes: break stuff and make stuff."
If this leads to Jetfire trying make fire sculptures or something, Sentinel Prime will have only himself to blame.
Sentinel Prime looks at Optimus Prime's load, and he agrees, "It has been a while," and not long enough. "Nice to see you well and whole, buddy old pal," not like Sentinel Prime, not that he's bitter. "You need help with that? You look like you need help. Here." Then he transforms. Sentinel Prime has room in the back to dump that stuff. Perfectly logical.
Except that Sentinel Prime's a xenophobe and the junk Optimus Prime is carrying is all dirty and organic and gross, and moreover, he hasn't treated Optimus like this since they were cadets. He also didn't actually answer Optimus's question about how he's doing, and Sentinel Prime normally loves to yak about himself.
He switches to the Elite Guard band, the poor, lonely, unused Elite Guard band, that losers like Optimus can't hear, //Let's just continue that rebuild talk here, boys. It's a need to know matter, and Optimus really doesn't need to know. The way you two entered the Autobot army was... unusual, let's just say. In times of peace, we Autobots are a volunteer army! As in, I joined by choice, and I could have left if I felt like being a worthless washout. First day of Autoboot Camp, my drill sergeant, good old Kup Minor, asked me what I wanted to be. When I was just a Minor, I asked all my students that. I never asked you two.//
Do they even get where he's going with this?
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Dec 1, 2010 22:59:54 GMT -5
"Plants are weird," Optimus agrees.
And whoa, is Sentinel ever acting un-Sentinel like. Optimus raises one eyeridge slowly, face quirking into a puzzled expression. Is the other Prime playing some sort of mind game, trying to make him feel guilty for not being there? "Well and whole, right. I'm not the one who got dumped in a pit of . . . what was it? Sharkticons?" Not to mention all the other horrible things. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You don't need to transform, I can carry this just fine, the compost pile is right over there," he says, pointing.
Optimus rubs the back of his head, sheepishly. "Look Sentinel, I know you're busy with Jetfire and Jetstorm right now and all, but . . . I wanted to apologize. I should have been there at the asylum, for. . ." For what? For old times' sake? For Elita-1? Autobot solidarity? (They're all cogs in the great Autobot machine, after all.) "I should have been there. I'm sorry I wasn't," he finishes, lamely.
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Dec 2, 2010 1:15:11 GMT -5
Jetstorm ponders.
//Well, Sentinel Prime sir, I...don't think we had any real aspirations. We were content, working on the refinery, though... We kinda were wanting to acrobats, sometimes.// His tone is a bit sheepish. //But we were always being too busy with work. The rebuild has been giving us better chance at doing that, though!//
Externally, his expression is neutral, until Optimus mentions the Asylum. "Is...is not being your fault. By the time we are figuring out where Sentinel Prime was, our radios were being blocked." He frowns. "Maybe we should have been making trouble with officers so we could have chance to report location sooner?" he muses, looking at Jetfire again.
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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Dec 3, 2010 20:42:26 GMT -5
Jetfire looks contemplative. Huh! He'd never thought of fire that way. He was always just using it to blow stuff up!
//Brother was always being stuck-in-mud!// he says, giving Jetstorm a good-natured elbow-in-the-side. //'We are energon refinery bots, not cyber-circus performers'! And I am thinking 'Why can we not be both?'// More seriously, he adds, //It is being much more interesting to be Elite Guard than energon refinery worker. Also, rebuild is allowing us to fly!// Jetfire thinks he probably wouldn't give up the ability to fly for anything. It makes him feel so free!
He frowns as Jetstorm looks at him, and he gives another shrug. "Normally I would just be blasting my way out of the trouble, but we were not wanting to get in further trouble with the law..." He's not very pleased about how that incident turned out. For all his ability to learn quickly and think creatively in combat, Jetfire can be a bit helpless without guidance in unexpected situations.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 3, 2010 21:54:03 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime has a perfect poker face as a truck. It's easier to cover slips if he has no real expressions of which to speak. However, since Optimus seems to have acknowledged that it is his unique talent in life to perform garbage duty, Sentinel Prime transforms, pushing up with one hand, clapping, and then finishing all the way up, standing. The whole transform-up, one-handed, with a clap, looks quite fancy, is great for putting new recruits in their places, and is absolutely useless on a battlefield.
He agrees, a wicked glint in his optics, "Yeah. You're sorry." Sorriest excuse for an Autobot I ever did see. Then, Sentinel Prime laughs to break the edge on it and brags, "But Jetfire and Jetstorm did a bang-up job. Of course they did. They're Elite Guard. It's not like they would have needed your help. But really, Optimus, what have you been holed up doing?" He waggles an optical ridge, glancing at Optimus sidelong, a slight smirk on his face. Sentinel Prime even tries to elbow his old 'friend' to punctuate his last jab, "Compost duty? Yeah, I guess I wouldn't want to show my face, either."
Then Sentinel Prime's optics bug out, and he promptly barks at the Twins, "Jetstorm! You were... very resourceful in finding me, but you caused about exactly as much trouble as you'd want to be causing. Pz-Zazz may have barbaric alien laws," he grimaces, "but we have to respect them while we're here." Then, he thinks for a moment, and he rubs his chin. "Unless they're unjust laws, and..."
He raises a hand up to his helmet, and looks around, wondering where Botanica is. She blends into the biosphere like a... robot in disguise. Guh, where is she? He's giving himself a headache!
"...yeah, nevermind. Anyway!"
//So, if I have this right, you're all right with the rebuilds because your new bodies are pretty much better than your old ones in every way and your new jobs are beyond the wildest dreams of most recruits, let alone civilian Cybertronians.//
//Okay.//
//What if our Perceptor decided that the Decepticon code he put in you made you too likely to flip out and attack Autobots and decided to deactivate the both of you as menaces to society?//
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Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on Dec 4, 2010 17:08:24 GMT -5
"I'd be careful what you say about the plants, Optimus. They have ears and eyes as surely as you have optics and audials."
Botancia's highly amused voice comes a thick bunch of curling vines and twisted tree trunks just off the path. The vines part as the plantformer moves carefully out of the clutch.
"Good to see you again Sentinel, though I think you're a tad early. I don't usually schedule you and Optimus for overlapping shifts." She consults the datapad in her hand. "Hmmm, but I seem to have done so by roughly half an hour. My apologies. I've been rather busy- and a bit distracted lately."
She eyes the group for a moment. "I could actually use you both for a project, if you don't mind. And perhaps you two as well, Jetfire, Jetstorm. How finely controlled are your abilities? Can you handle finessed work?"
OOC: Bottie posting in puts this thread on 24hr timer
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Dec 4, 2010 20:46:05 GMT -5
Ah, Sentinel's back to being a jackaft, complete with 'good-natured' ribbing and unwanted elbowing. For a minute there Optimus was worried something was wrong with him!
"I've been holed up following my orders and doing what needs to be done, Sentinel." Instead of haring off after weird pink jets and spider-women. (Okay, maybe there was a little haring off after spider-women, but at least he didn't get locked up!) "I'll have you know I volunteered for duty in the biosphere, even if it is 'just' manual labor. There's a dignity in honest work, though I don't expect you to understand that." Sentinel Prime has never been much for work. Or for honesty. "I'm proud to help out anywhere I can, repairing space bridges, pulling weeds, or fighting Decepticons. Whatever's necessary, not just what looks good on my record," he finishes, jabbing a finger at Sentinel and stopping just short of touching the other 'bots chestplate.
"Botanica, ma'am," he says, attempting to straighten his already excellent posture when she appears. "I didn't mean you were weird. I just meant it's a bit odd some of them have to be set on fire to hatch." He pauses. "Do they really have eyes and ears? I did some research and I know they're photosensitive, but . . ." If the weeds can seriously see him coming, that's a bit unsettling.
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Dec 4, 2010 22:46:25 GMT -5
Jetstorm is ignoring most of the bantering Sentinel Prime is doing with Optimus. It's not his place to interverne in that.
Then Jetstorm frowns at his brother, and Sentinel Prime. He holds his hands out, gesturing as people do when they're pleading their case. "But...if we were ignoring Pz-Zazz laws, we could have been getting you back to Event Horizon sooner so you could get fixed faster!" Because Sentinel Prime being off his lugnuts was...well, terrifying to totally understate it.
The next question over the comm brings a blank stare from Jetstorm. //But... Perceptor was helping repair us from accident. He knew what he was doing when he did it...// Trusting 'bot is trusting!
Then there's Botanica! "Ah, hello! Um...I am thinking so, though I am doubting what use mine are, unless you are needing leafblower," Jetstorm says, shrugging. Maybe he's just a little jealous that his brother's power can grow things!
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