Feed Me, Seymour

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Month 2, Week 4, Day 2. Ship mess hall. Open.

Rampage snarls and slams his fist into the wall next to the energon dispenser as it once again refuses his request for more fuel. He knows he's already used up his allotted ration for the time being, but needs more. His stint with the dead Optimus Prime had kept him satisfied for several days, but now the fatigue, that weary, gnawing hunger was creeping up on him again.

There had to be something wrong with the energon. Or something wrong with the volume of his ration. He isn't getting as much energy as he should. It's the only explanation he can accept. Because if there isn't something wrong with his rations, it means there's something wrong with him, and if there's something wrong with him, it means he needs to go see the medi- His thoughts slam to his halt as his mind floods with rejection at the very idea of going to the medbay.

He thinks that reaction might be stronger than his usual aversion to the medbay, but it's hard to concentrate on what he's feeling over this incessant hunger.

Resisting the urge to just rip out the dispenser's circuits and eat those - and why exactly does that sound appetizing? - Rampage keys in another request for more energon.

[Barricade]

"You know," Barricade drawls from somewhere behind Rampage, "they say that the true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

In other words, move your aft, psycho. Other Con's want their fuel, too.

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Rampage spins with a growl, whipping his rifle out of subspace to point at his unexpected mocker. How distracted had he been not to notice Barricade's approach? When you have a rather potent sixth sense, getting snuck up on is a rare and startling event. Which doesn't entirely explain the strength of the fight-or-flight response humming through his systems.

No time to dwell on that. Rampage quickly reigns himself in and tucks the weapon away, stepping aside to give Barricade access to the dispenser.

[Barricade]

Barricade hadn't - for once - even been trying to be sneaky! He'd just been sauntering his way up to the dispenser and watching the hilarity of Rampage's hissy fit. A relatively unprovoked hissy fit, actually. Almost as unprovoked as getting a rifle drawn on ones' self.

"Jumpy much?" Barricade asks as he eyes that rifle. Of course, if he'd thought that Rampage actually would have pulled the trigger, he'd have had his claws buried in the crab's wrist quicker than he could say, "boo". He doesn't, however, immediately step up to the dispenser to fill his ration.

That would put Rampage at his back, after all.

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Rampage shrugs off Barricade's comment on his jumpiness with a noncommittal grunt, too busy trying to ignore that Barricade looks remarkably appetizing to come up with a clever retort. When he realizes that he's eyeing the Saleen a bit like a dog might eye a raw steak, he turns away and begins to move off, because it's probably not a good idea to try and eat one of your officers.

He's not sure what he's going to do now. He doesn't want to leave the mess hall, because he's so hungry but it's not like staying is going to magically make the dispenser start providing the ration he needs. It briefly occurs to him that a division head - particular of the intel division - might know something about any rationing issues, and before he realizes it Rampage is blurting out, "There's a problem with my ration."

[Barricade]

With Rampage shuffling off, Barricade finally sidles up to the dispenser and keys in his code to draw off his ration. He's got half an optic on Rampage, though; that look the crab had been giving him had been just a little too.... Ravage-like for his tastes.

Then again, Not even Ravage had ever eyed him quite like that. Like how tasty he'd be. How much he would bleed? Yes. Plenty of times. But tasty?

Ravage was too civilized for anything that uncouth.

The dispenser spits out his allotment, the bright energon filling the cube up before the nozzle withdraws back into the wall. Mmmmm. Heavy on the electrons. Gives it a bite.

"A problem?" he repeats as he turns and takes a long sip from his own cube, savoring it. Watching Rampage as he savors it. "What kind of problem?"

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Slag, he really shouldn't have said anything. He usually doesn't let his mouth run away with him, but this energy depletion is messing with his head. He needs to be able think clearly again, but to do that he needs more energon. Clearly energon will solve all his problems, despite the fact that he's inexplicably hungering for more than energon alone.

Turning back to look at Barricade, Rampage crosses his arms defensively over his chest. He dislikes admitting to weakness. "It's not enough. I need more."

His gaze fixates on the cube in Barricade's hand, the squirming hunger screaming at him to leap up and grab it, suck down the sweet, sweet energy. And then devour the hand he grabbed it from. His own fingers twitch.

[Barricade]

"Really?" Barricade drawls, drawing the word out into a multitude of syllables before he takes another sip from his cube. Rampage is eying his cube rather intently. He's actually eying Barricade rather intently, and if he weren't used to facing down mechs like Wreckage and Bonecrusher on a fairly regular basis, it would freak him out.

As it is, he doesn't take his attention off of the crab as he keys in a quick query to the console beside the dispenser.

"Hm, according to this, you got your full ration," he replies with a shrug. "Just like you have every other cycle. No alterations in amount or potency."

"Not trying to... cheat the system, are you? Bosses wouldn't like that."

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

"That can't- It's wrong." If his ration was correct for him then he wouldn't be so hungry. Maybe his ration has been too small all along, and the effects of it are just now showing up as his energy reserves were gradually depleted and never fully replenished. That must be it. Maybe.

Slaggit, what do the details matter? He knows there's something wrong with his ration, what specifically that is isn't important.

Glaring at Barricade, he repeats himself, a hint of desperation leaking into his voice, "I need more!"

[Barricade]

Hmmm, this has potential, even if for nothing more than amusement. Barricade makes a show of eying Rampage thoroughly, examining him speculatively from head to toe and all the little crabby legs in between.

"Hm, you are looking a little grey around the edges," he considers in that calm, low drawl of his. "You seen anyone in Medical yet? Maybe your systems need adjusting?" As he speaks, he's toying with the dispenser controls, keying in random codes.

Well, not really random. If Rampage is paying attention, they seem to be some sort of override code to queue up another cube. Just needs an officer's key to activate it.

Huh, Barricade happens to be an officer. How about that?

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Rampage straightens up and stiffens at the mention of Medical, and he growls, "My systems are fine. I'm just... hungry."

So very hungry, and in denial. Which is exactly the way his undetected little hitchhikers want it.

It's not easy for him to pay attention to what Barricade is doing with the dispenser. First he has to drag his optics away from the cube of energon, and then he gets distracted staring hungrily at Barricade's fingers rather than what they're doing. Finally he tugs enough self control together to watch Barricade keying in a code.

He feels a small surge of hope - maybe he'll get an additional cube after all? - followed quickly by trepidation. Barricade is a Decepticon. If he does offer Rampage something, it certainly won't be for free.

[Barricade]

"Didn't say there was anything wrong with your systems, Rampage," Barricade replies smoothly, turning away from the dispenser... while it blinks mournfully, requesting that final authorization code.

"Just thought, you know, that maybe the medics should give you a once over and re-compute your energy requirements. Never know if someone made a mistake the first time, you know?" He's all innocence as he pauses to take a sip from his cube.

"You okay there, Rampage, buddy?" he asks, taking a half-step closer once he's finished that sip. "You really do look a little rough. I can walk you down to medical." That's what pals do for one another, right?

Authorization Code: blink... Authorization Code: blink... Authorization Code: blink...

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Rampage backs away from Barricade uneasily, his gaze flicking back and forth from Barricade to the dispenser. His innards churn at the thought of being escorted to medbay, his hunger warring with his growing wariness. Barricade was being far too nice, and it was setting off warnings in his head.

"That's... quite unnecessary," he says. Part of him is warning him to just leave, but another part isn't willing to give up on that blinking dispenser just yet. He wants that energon far too badly.

[Barricade]

Hmmmm... The crab is nervous about Medical, huh? Interesting. Barricade files that away for later. He's having too much fun tormenting Rampage right now, though, to bother coming up with a reason to force him down there just to watch him squirm.

"Oh. Well.... if you're sure," Barricade replies, all innocent concern and obvious skepticism. He turns one shoulder, just enough to use his own bulk to hide the input keypad, one hand slipping up to key in a sequence too quickly for anyone to catch, even if his bulk wasn't in the way.

The dispenser begins filling another cube as Barricade offers Rampage a friendly grin. "Maybe a snack to tide you over will do the trick, eh?"

[Rampage/Xavier Goodkind]

Rampage wants to make some sort of clever retort, but the moment the dispenser starts filling that cube it's about all he can think about. He lunges forward slightly, but catches himself before he gets too close to Barricade and reaches out his hands greedily instead. Finally he manages to compose himself, letting his hands drop to twitch at his sides as he watches the cube intently.

"Yes," he answers simply. Give him snacks! All of them!