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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 14, 2011 19:58:43 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime makes a contemptuous face and tries to swat Optimus on his shoulder, seeming much his usual self. Defensive, he protests, //What? No! I'm fine. But I offer to make it up to you, and you say there's nothing I can do, just like El-er-Blackarachnia and Wasp...inator did. What am I supposed to think? Hmm?//
Sentinel Prime's always been vigilant, shading into paranoia on his bad days, and rank has only exacerbated his paranoia.
//My firewalls are fine! The best!//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 14, 2011 21:22:04 GMT -5
Optimus is swatted on the shoulder sags with relief. //Oh, I get it now. Sentinel, I'm not Blackarachnia or Waspinator. You've apologized, I don't need you to do anything else for me.//
He returns the other Prime's swat and transmits. //Well, you of all people should know, Rulesmeister Prime, that if you do start having thoughts of suicide, you should consult your morale officer. Hand me one of the curvy pieces, would you?// Did Optimus Prime just make a joke to Sentinel Prime? Yes he did.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 14, 2011 21:37:10 GMT -5
If Optimus was Blackarachnia or Waspinator, this morass of tragic back-stories would reach a critical weirdness mass and implode.
Sentinel Prime makes a face when he's swatted and another face when Optimus calls him 'Rulesmeister Prime'. He says quickly, //Yes, yes, I can quote you the chapter and verse if you want, but we don't even have a morale officer.// Farlane doesn't count. //Anyway, you loons would be lost without me. I am far too magnificent to die.//
Sentinel Prime passes Optimus one of the curvy pieces, but he's just a bit rough about it. Surely an accident. //Say. Speaking of morale. Could you take Elita-1 to see a movie in the lounge or something?//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 14, 2011 22:41:52 GMT -5
If Optimus is Waspinator, maybe Sentinel can be Blitzwing.
Okay, so no joking around. Sentinel seems not to like it. And here he thought they were getting along! Oh well. Optimus takes the curved rib from the other Prime and begins to weld it into place. He's quite proud of himself for not giving any outward sign of surprise, like melting his own fingers, when Sentinel radios him.
//Are you asking me to take Elita on a date?// Nevermind the fact that as things stand now, she's way too young for either of them. It's their younger, more carefree selves she liked. It's more the fact that Sentinel is asking him to do it that weirds Optimus out. //Er, is there a reason you aren't asking her yourself?//
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 14, 2011 22:57:55 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime has a daily humour quota he cannot exceed.
He puts up his hands and protests, //No no no!//
An awkward pause. //Yes.//
Sentinel Prime rubs the back of his helmet and looks away. He could swear something dark is moving against the stars, but he's sure if there was anything dangerous, Mayday would flip his lid and take ridiculously cautious measures, so it must be nothing.
//Uh... look. I used to teach cadets, okay? It would be weird for me.// Also, a member of the Elite Guard dating a cadet would get drummed out so fast his wheels would spin. Optimus is on maintenance duty for life. What would they do to him, demote him to Major? Like Optimus would even notice.
Antennae twitching, Sentinel Prime forces out, //And I've said some things to her that... weren't really well thought out,// like that she should kill Blackarachnia, her future self and go home with the Bayverse characters instead of back to Animated.
//So uhm, she could use a friend to make sure she's doing all right?//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 15, 2011 20:21:36 GMT -5
//Because it wouldn't be weird for me,// Optimus replies as he gives the newly-welded thruster ribs an experimental wiggle. They seem sturdy enough. He sighs inwardly.
//Do I even want to know what you said to her? Pass me another straight one, please. And yes, I'll check up on her.//
Are Sentinel and Elita not speaking to each other? He has to go back and forth between them ferrying messages like they're teenage girls who are angry with each other? Their friendship never used to be this complex. What the heck happened?
. . .
Oh yeah.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 15, 2011 20:38:16 GMT -5
//You never taught cadets!// Sentinel Prime protests. That makes it less wrong for Optimus, anyway, too old or not.
He hands off the longeron, and there are no 'accidents' this time.
//You probably don't want to know,// Sentinel Prime says, deciding he doesn't want to specify his lack of tact to Optimus. //Anyway, thanks. But uhm... she did tell me to be nicer to you.//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 16, 2011 18:54:15 GMT -5
Optimus will just have to ask Elita-1 what Sentinel said to her, then. He begins welding the longeron in place, but pauses once again to look over at Sentinel Prime.
//She told you to be nice to me,// he repeats, incredulity creeping into his voice. And here he thought Sentinel had decided to turn over a new leaf on his own. He'll take what he can get, he supposes. //I'll have to thank her, then,// Optimus says a bit stiffly. //It's been pleasant having you be nicer.//
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 16, 2011 19:17:18 GMT -5
//'Friendly' might have been the word she used,// Sentinel Prime quibbles, mostly for the sake of quibbling, and he shrugs a shoulder.
Him? Do on his own anything he doesn't have to do? Something that doesn't get him anything valuable? Something unpleasant? Please!
Sentinel Prime frowns at the stars again. If that dark thing was ever there, it's gone now.
He supposes he should also takes what he can get. 'Pleasant'. Uuuurgh, Sentinel Prime might as well be yanking out his own dental plates with rusty pliers, and Optimus just finds the difference 'pleasant'? Sentinel Prime spends a little of his precious humour quota to deadpan, voice entirely serious, //Yeah? I could make a monthly survey, if you like. Rate how it's going...//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 17, 2011 16:16:08 GMT -5
Actually, Optimus finds Sentinel suddenly acting friendly to be a bit weird, truth be told. Other things that are also weird include Elita-1 being alive and not having aged, Elita-1 being alive, being from the near future, and being an evil Decepticon spider, and oh, being in a strange universe where Autobots are a match for Decepticons and use guns and no-one knows how or why they're here. Also: Maximals. What is up with them?
However, he wants to encourage Sentinel Prime to be nice to people, so instead of telling him how weird it is, he positively reinforces the behavior. //Who were you planning to survey?// he asks in the same deadpan tone, turning his head to follow the other Prime's gaze. //Did you see something?//
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 17, 2011 18:22:13 GMT -5
//You, you hex-head!// Is this not obvious? If Optimus is the one Sentinel Prime is supposed to be nice to, shouldn't Optimus be the one filling out the survey on whether not Sentinel Prime is being nice to Optimus? //Who else would I be surveying to get your opinion?//
Sentinel Prime rolls his optics and crosses his arms. He insists, //It was nothing.//
He's not going to let Optimus, of all bots, think he's going crazy and seeing things that aren't there!
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 18, 2011 17:11:38 GMT -5
//I just thought a survey implied more than one, uh, survey-ee. Sorry. The punchline went over my head, I guess,// Optimus transmits back. //Hand me a Type 3 Panel, would you?// There's a pause, and then //Oh, those are the medium-sized ones with a slight curve.//
Optimus spares a glance over his shoulder. It's all well and good to let down your guard in order to make yourself seem less paranoid, right up until you get attacked by invisible space demons from space. //If you're sure.//
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 18, 2011 18:19:53 GMT -5
//That's the wrong kind of punch to duck.//
Sentinel Prime is reaching for the third panel he sees in the bunch when Optimus specifies a medium-sized panel with a slight curve. Why didn't he say that in the first place? Optimus thinks he's so great, knowing all these confusing specific terms.
Sentinel Prime then reaches for the correct panel and hands it over. He insists, //I'm sure that I'm sure.//
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 18, 2011 19:08:58 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime made two jokes in one cycle! Optimus Prime would comment on this, but then Sentinel might stop.
Optimus only picked up thruster bell part terminology really fast because he already knows space bridge part terminology so well. It's nothing to be especially proud of.
//Okay then,// he says lamely as he welds the panel into place. It's large and he has to weld around the entire perimeter of it, forcing him to move hand-over-hand along the exposed ribs of the thruster bell to reach it all.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Mar 20, 2011 21:32:04 GMT -5
The conversation has well and truly petered out. So now it's just time to sit awkwardly on the back end of the ship, pass Optimus things, and make poor attempts at conversation.
What do they even have in common, anymore, aside from their past and their meaningless rank? Sentinel Prime is sick to death of talking about their mutual tragic past, and talking about rank isn't liable to stay friendly for long.
He stumbles on, //So uh... this place. How are you finding it?//
Sentinel Prime may as well have just asked Optimus about the weather in space. How about that solar storm?
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