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 Jun 6, 2011 15:22:44 GMT -5
Month 6, Week 4, Day 5, Follows Death Be Not Proud, Semi-Private.
It has already been established that when one desires to stalk the Wild Perceptor, one should first check the Wild Perceptor's natural habitat. Which in this case is the scientist's private lab space.
Today, we see the Wild Perceptor in his customary distracted and easily startled position, his back to the door of his lab while he studies the readouts from his latest set of experiments. Or maybe his is insuring his position in the pack by creating a more flavorful food source. Either way, he certainly does not seem to hear the Wild Cala Lily as she enters the lab, resplendent as usual in her plant form, her vines trailing slightly along the floor.
"Perceptor," Botanica says, "I would like to see your records on your treatment of Sentinel Prime after the incident on Pz-Zazz."
"The ones you did not enter into the database as protocol dictated you should, please."
OOC: posing of Percy w/ permission.
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Post by Perceptor on Jun 6, 2011 23:35:28 GMT -5
...carry the one, and--
"GAH!"
The stylus that said Wild Perceptor had been alternating between nibbling upon, and using to scribble notations down goes flying as the scientist jerks upright with a startled shout. The half-full beaker beside him wobbles briefly, unbalanced by his sudden movement, before he snatches it to steady it before it can tilt over and spill it's contents.
Wild Perceptors are not known for tolerating untidiness in their environment, much less for appreciating having their work spoiled.
He jerks upright and turns, a very brief flicker of suspicion and guilt peeping out of his expression before he assumes a carefully neutral mask. He does, however, edge just a step closer to Drift as he squares his shoulders.
"What notes would those be?" he asks coolly.
ooc: posing of Drift done with permission
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Post by Drift on Jun 6, 2011 23:49:58 GMT -5
What...the...?
Drift's drawn one of his swords before he even realizes it, well before he can ascertain 'friend or foe'. And the sudden startlement Perceptor gives...doesn't help him decide much.
He snatches the stylus out of the air as it falls, holding it pinched and ready to throw. A sword's a good weapon, but not a lot of range. A stylus was a nice miniature dart, he thinks, as he steps out, between them, legs bent in a crouch. Whatever you are? Drift is ready to turn you into salad.
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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 Jun 7, 2011 0:07:41 GMT -5
Botanica eyes Drift with a cool, measuring glance. Her voice just as cool as her gaze as she addresses the swordsman, "You would be Drift. I recognize you from the details entered into your medical file. I am Botanica."
"I am the head of our Medical, Science, and Engineering division."
She tilts her head to take in Perceptor with that look. Finally, she sighs, and says in a more conversational tone, "Really Perceptor, if you are going to be that focused on your work, you should lock the door. Though I'd wager a knock would have garnered the same reaction."
"I refer to the notes regarding Sentinel Prime's emotion protocols and programming. You are too good and too thorough a scientist to have missed that his emotions are damped to an extreme degree."
"Something that was not the case prior to that incident."
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Post by Perceptor on Jun 7, 2011 0:26:56 GMT -5
One moment, Perceptor is calmly studying his notes and the properties of his experiment, while Drift quietly occupies himself nearby - a habit that Perceptor has... rather encouraged, actually - and the next moment, he finds himself staring at Drift's back as the swordsmech shifts instantly into Protector-mode. Normally, Perceptor would be fascinated by the abrupt shift, perhaps even flattered by Drift's reaction.
Except Botanica is not a foe, but is, in fact, his boss.
"Drift, no!" he yelps, striding forward to rest a quelling hand upon Drift's upper arm, the one holding his stylus. He reaches forward slowly, telegraphing his movements to take the stylus back before it can be put to use as a projectile, while trying to project calm into his EM field. "Botanica is my superior. She means me no harm. All is well. Truly."
He does not answer Botanica's assertions, however, but, instead, keeps his attention focused on Drift for the moment.
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Post by Drift on Jun 7, 2011 10:04:12 GMT -5
Oh great. Another one who's read his file. JUST what Drift's nascent paranoia needs. Well, two can play at that game.
Kind of.
"Kup's told me all about you." Okay, part of that was true. Kup had mentioned a Botanica and that it was in charge of Medical. "You're female."
Thankfully before Drift can vent his rage about mechs who somehow decide they deserve different pronouns, Perceptor pulls the stylus from his grip. Which also saves him the awkwardness of agreeing with Botanica. Frag. Half the reason he was here was because the nerd seemed to not even have a newframe's understanding of basic security protocols. Doors have locks for a reason, Perceptor.
He steps back, thrusting the short sword back in his hip scabbard, scowling. Fine. Sure. He won't chop up Botanica...yet. Even though assassination is a pretty well-accepted Decepticon promotion strategy.
He'll just consider himself...an etiquette enforcer.
...what have these Autobots done to him?!
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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 Jun 7, 2011 13:04:42 GMT -5
Botanica has only read the medical notes, since she doesn't get to pour over Kup's Cryptic Metal Sheet. For that matter, she couldn't read it if he showed it to her!
One brow raises high at Drift's mention of Kup, "Did he now? Odd then, that you seem to deem me a threat to Perceptor. I am a guardian, not a destroyer." Mostly.
She gives Drift another look over when he brings up her gender. "You actually look quite a bit like Override, so I can see where some of our company unused to female models might have confused your gender at first glance. Override, you see, is very masculine in appearance, and most tend to mistake her for a male. Interesting, no?"
She looks from one to the other, "While I am glad to see what ever issues there were between you seem to have been resolved, I must confess some surprise. I seem to recall seeing in the archives that there was a bit of a misunderstanding earlier in regards to Perceptor, but there was nothing further beyond that."
Waving a hand, she continues, "But no matter. Perceptor, in all seriousness, we do need to discuss this issue of Sentinel."
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Post by Perceptor on Jun 7, 2011 22:31:15 GMT -5
Locking his door would be silly! Who would hurt him, after all? He had just been startled, not scared!
At least Drift has decided not to messily ventilate Botanica, nor himself, which is definitely a step toward progress. That he has come to this decision with a minimal amount of argument is an even more promising sign. Perceptor manages - barely - to squelch his pleasure at this development, though he does allow himself the continued contact of his hand upon Drift's arm, until Drift shakes him off, at least.
"Drift deems everything a threat to me, I think," Perceptor remarks with gentle amusement. "Especially myself. He strives to mitigate those threats as he may." Botanica may note, in fact, that there seems to be a great deal fewer incidents - as in, none - of a certain scientist skipping rest and fuel since Drift has arrived. If she looks, that is.
"The misunderstanding was mine," Perceptor replies, the fond amusement cresting for a moment as he accepts the burden of blame for that whole mess. Not precisely true, really, but he doesn't mind taking that on himself to salve Drift's ego. "The issue has been suitably mitigated."
And now the amusement fades as he turns to face Botanica again, and Drift may feel him... tense slightly, as he straightens and squares his shoulders again. "Very well. May I inquire as to where you have obtained the information which you mentioned?"
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Post by Drift on Jun 7, 2011 22:46:27 GMT -5
Oh yes, because someone else knowing about his Sword of Sucky Death is really reassuring. "Maybe it was your approach," he says, through narrowed optics. Words are weapons, and Drift is all about some Blunt Force Trauma. He doesn't like the implication that Perceptor's holding something back. Decepticons were expected to lie. How else do you know who to trust?
"No." NOT interesting. "She have tentacles, too?" Because those vines Botanica has are really creeping him out. One of them moves toward him and he's going to turn Botanica into Topiary.
"And it wasn't a misunderstanding." It was a Mirage. And Drift had a feeling it was more than a little deliberate. Another reason he's taken to spending so much time in the Nerd's lab. He calls it 'give me a reason to stab you'.
He snorts. Botanica's not going to spill her Secret Source. Not if she had any processors in all those petals and vines and bark and such. "Better question is who'd you tell it to, Perceptor?" That's where your snitch is. And Drift has pretty solid Snitch Eradication Skills.
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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 Jun 7, 2011 23:16:55 GMT -5
The tentacle comment? Yeah that gets Drift a Looktm.
"No. She does not posses vines as I do because her alternate mode is a car not a plant. If you find this form so discomfiting, I suppose I could shift to my robotic one." She doesn't shift immediately however. If Drift admits to the discomfort, she will, but right now, the ball is in his court.
She moves to sit on on one of the various stools near Perceptor's workbench. Obviously, Drift is going to stay put, so she'll just push on regardless.
"Actually, he told me himself. Even after he finished his punishment shifts in the biosphere, Sentinel has continued to request work shifts with me. I think perhaps he finds them... therapeutic to an extent. We usually discuss ethics and morals, and various related subjects."
"It did not take me long to notice something amiss, but I only recently confronted him about it. He replied that he has dampened emotions, as if it were perfectly normal, and commended my noticing where others hadn't. However, I know for fact that this was not always the case."
"Hence this visit."
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Post by Perceptor on Jun 7, 2011 23:47:07 GMT -5
Except in this case, Drift, Perceptor is holding something back, and for what he feels is a very good reason. A good enough reason that Drift's final question cuts Perceptor deeply, and he turns a look upon Drift that is very, very reminiscent of the look he'd had when ordered to go to the morgue - hurt and scared, but with quite a bit more hurt than fright.
Perceptor would never compromise important, confidential medical information in such a way, which was the whole reason Botanica is there to Have Some Words with her wayward Second. Drift's implication that Perceptor had done so... cuts to the quick.
He is much deflated when he turns back to Botanica. "If Sentinel has shared the information with you, then why are you here? You may obtain more direct answers from Sentinel, himself, if he has taken you into his confidence."
"As for why it was not detailed within my notes, it was a private matter that I felt should remain private, except with those that Sentinel, himself, chose to entrust the information with. In such a case, any further information could be obtained from him, rather than from file notes which could be compromised, or by a verbal interview which others," like Drift, for example, "could overhear inadvertently. Given that his dampened emotions do not pose a physical threat to his health, or anyone elses', and that he has been advised to not perform such modifications without supervision again in the future, I felt that it would be compromising his trust to share confidential information beyond the treatment room."
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Post by Drift on Jun 8, 2011 9:47:05 GMT -5
Drift would argue with Botanica about the distinction between 'prehensile vines' and 'tentacles', but he hasn't gotten up to 'prehensile' in his word-a-day calendar. Oh yes, he's not going to be this dumb for long, Event Horizon. Instead he returns her Look with a steady glare.
And you bet your leafy green aft Drift is going to stay. Whatever you have to say to the nerd, you can say in front of Drift. Uh...unless Perceptor asks him to leave or something. He folds his arms over his chassis, looking Decidedly Unimpressed.
Until he sees the hurt look on Perceptor's face. Which completely baffles him. Drift is all about information that doesn't appear in official documentation, and can think of a dozen reasons, entirely valid, why that might be the best course. In his mind, that's just good Craftiness and hardly anything to be upset about, unless someone who shouldn't have said something, said something.
Drift's aggressive smirk fades, replaced by outright confusion.
Drift, for the record, and yes you can put this in the Official Records, does not like being confused. He defaults to...angry. "Nice to know some mechs get a little privacy for their sensitive issues," he snaps. Like the Sword of Death, like being pawed and emotional about their angsty pasts...?
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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 Jun 8, 2011 11:22:16 GMT -5
Botanica looks from Drift to Perceptor as the two seem to be sharing a moment of... something. Hrm.
Then Perceptor begins to try and explain why Botanica shouldn't be bothering him and the lily starts to get visibly unimpressed. She's about to break in when Perceptor, in his attempts to not give her any information, gives her a very large piece of mini-plot pie.
"What!?!" She comes off the chair with that exclamation, and has taken a few steps toward Perceptor before she even realizes it, "What do you mean he did that to himself? I assumed it happened during that torture session the Decepticons put him through, which was why I did not press the issue with him. I would never dream that such a maiming was self-inflicted!"
"How can you even begin to justify that he is no danger to himself having done such a thing? And that he is not a danger to others remains to be seen. He has to stop and think before he can react to emotional stimuli. He is leading a team. What if that leads him to ignore warning signs and puts them in harms way?"
"Perceptor, I completely understand patient/doctor confidentiality, but this should have been brought to me, if for no other reason than so that there were two of us monitoring his well-being then simply one."
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Post by Perceptor on Jun 8, 2011 18:46:03 GMT -5
Perceptor isn't sad about the whole keeping information compartmentalized thing, Drift. He's sad that Drift had thought that Perceptor might not have kept that information strictly to himself. And now Perceptor is afraid that Drift will trust him even less now.
"I have not violated your confidence," he murmurs sulkily to Drift. "And the only notations in your medical file are pertinent to specific situations which may yet occur." You know, like Drift showing up drained to the dregs, or something as spectacular and mysterious.
His hurt feelings notwithstanding, Botanica is utterly invalidating the very reason Perceptor did not make those specific notations to Sentinel's files with her outburst. Perceptor's expression hardens again, his lips thinning before he holds up one quelling hand and drags his attention from Botanica to Drift.
"As you admirably point out, however, Drift, these are sensitive issues that Botanica and I need to discuss." He shoots a brief flicker of a glare in her direction; not only is she dressing him down, not only has she interrupted his work, now she is driving his company off. Perceptor is displeased. "Would you prefer to return later? Or wait for us to complete our discussion over there?" he asks, jerking his chin toward the corner secluded by a set of tall shelving units where Perceptor has placed the berth he uses when he remains in his laboratory.
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Post by Drift on Jun 8, 2011 19:01:50 GMT -5
Drift and Perceptor share many moments of ...something. If 'something' means clumsy confusion, yes.
Drift glowers at Botanica's little planty-rant. Seriously. "Have you ever led mechs into combat? Last thing you need is 'emotions' getting in the way of what you need to do to win." Sounds to him like this Sentinel was probably better off. And in Drift's experience? Emotions kind of suck. He wishes HE had less of them.
No, he would not 'prefer' either of those sucktastic choices, Nerd. But he knows when he's being dismissed. Fine. He'll go be dismissed. But not graciously.
He stomps over to the berth, throwing himself on there as though he were channeling all of the Sulk in the entire universe, grabbing one of his short swords and pulling a whetstone from his storage.
Don't mind him, Walking Salad: Drift will just be over here sharpening his swords.
(ooc: most likely skippable: presume glower, though he may pop up to say something...Driftish)
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