Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jun 27, 2011 18:24:50 GMT -5
"It's never easy," Optimus agrees. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to seeing death. In a way, I hope I don't."
"Sure, I'll trade with you." He didn't know trading duties was allowed, but the fact that Elita-1 suggested it means it's either allowed, or if it isn't everyone does it anyway.
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 1, 2011 10:22:51 GMT -5
Elita-1 gives an exaggerated sigh and drops her chair forward, the legs hitting the floor hard.
"We better not. Sentinel will certainly find out we did it and give us both hell. You know how he is about schedules. I'll deal."
She takes another drink. "I just hope that if... if something happens to me, that there isn't enough of me left to salvage. A body may just be a vessel, the idea of one of my parts winding up in someone else, even in another form, makes my fuel tank turn over. It's cannibalism, and I don't like it."
"Anyway, change of subject!" she says brightly, "I've been looking at the charts and all, and it looks like we're heading toward where Earth would be if it exists in this reality. You've been there before, and I wanted to ask if you'd tell me more about it?"
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 3, 2011 16:19:55 GMT -5
"It's odd to think of him as our CO," Optimus says, nodding. "Alright. I'd be willing to switch if you wanted, though."
The Prime frowns. "I . . . It's no good being squeamish about it. If your parts could save another Autobot's life once you no longer need them . . . " he trails off. Elita-1 already know the intellectual reasons for recycling parts, but there's nothing he can say that'll change her visceral reaction to the concept.
"I haven't actually spent all that much time on Earth, though according to Sentinel, I would have made it my home for a while. From space it's mostly blue, covered in water, with patches of green and brown. Oh, and white. Water vapor clouds. It's a really watery planet, which affects the climate in weird ways. From the ground, the sky is blue during the day, because of the way the atmosphere refracts the light. And you can't see the stars because the planet is so close to its sun. And there's the humans of course. They're a lot like us, once you get past how different they are. What I mean is, they're tiny and organic, but they're not really frightening, and each is a unique individual. Oh, they mostly don't have factions, either, is my understanding. They look a lot like us, really. They're kind of like little squishy Autobots," he says with a note of fondness in his tone.
Sari may have talked to the Autobots about political parties and such at some point, but it seems unlikely she would have gotten around to it so soon after they first met.
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 5, 2011 20:17:02 GMT -5
Elita looks very attentive as Optimus talks, but she also looks puzzled. Optimus wasn't on Earth very long, he says, but he seems to feel rather strongly about it and its people.
"Sounds like the little exposure you had to it was... pleasant."
"But you say they're like us. They don't have any natural enemies like we do?"
Because the Decepticons are totally the Autobots natural enemies.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 6, 2011 16:30:55 GMT -5
"I guess you could say it made an impression. We got to know one little human, named Sari, quite well. She and Bumblebee really took to each other and she pretty much adopted us." Optimus has the sense to look a little abashed when he adds, "Her father was a wealthy business tycoon, so we were pretty comfortable. Really though . . . when we first woke up- we were in stasis for a while when we crashed. When we woke up, some sort of experiment had gone awry, and a monster was attacking the city. We got to be heroes Elita, all of us. I . . ." the Prime pauses for a moment, wanting to communicate clearly. "You know I'm not the kind of 'bot to do the right thing for the glory or the attention, but because it needs doing. But I'd always really wanted to be a hero. It felt good to get the chance."
"Natural enemies? They're at the top of the food chain, the same as we are. Their only real enemies are each other, just like us," he responds, missing Elita-1's point entirely.
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 7, 2011 10:04:14 GMT -5
Elita smiles fondly at Optimus, then reaches over to try and take his hand.
"You've always been a hero Optimus," she says, her expression holding quite a bit of warmth, "You don't have to save lives or fight monsters to be show it. You just are."
And that's part of the problem. Because she? Isn't.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 7, 2011 20:42:21 GMT -5
"Of course you have to do something to be a hero," Optimus objects, even as he allows Elita-1 to put her hand on his. "You can't just get up in the morning and decide to be a hero. Our actions make us what we are, not our intentions. Anyway," he says, waving his free servo dismissively, "that's enough about me. How are you holding up since your fight with Blackarachnia? Are you getting used to the way your power works now?"
This may be a very insensitive question, but Optimus can be insensitive sometimes.
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 14, 2011 23:28:52 GMT -5
Um, yeah. I totally lost track of this thread. I am sorry!
"I thought the AllSpark made us who we are," Elita says distractedly.
She looks down and fiddles with her gloves. "Ah, yeah. Some. It's... uncomfortable. I haven't worked with them much since... well since then. Feels off. My power isn't supposed to cause harm. And I think-"
Elita looks up at Optimus with a lost expression, "I think it can cause a lot of harm now. Maybe more than hers."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 15, 2011 12:49:51 GMT -5
Scrap, more philosophy! It keeps sneaking up on Optimus.
"I've always thought the AllSpark shapes some of who we are initially, but we have to choose for ourselves who we'll ultimately become," Optimus replies earnestly. Don't look so distracted, Elita-1. At least one of the people in this room is destined to turn into a horrible spider in an alternate timeline. This destiny and free will stuff is important! For instance, even if you have lots of ugly legs on the outside, doesn't mean you have to be ugly on the inside.
The Prime reaches out to grab both of Elita's gloved hands in his. (Transformers wearing clothes. So weird. At least it's not a helmet.) "Just because your power can hurt people, doesn't mean you're a bad 'bot. It's no different than having a built-in weapon."
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 15, 2011 20:38:44 GMT -5
Elita looks down at her hands in Optimus's, then back up again. She gives the Prime a lopsided shadow of a smile.
"You wanna try that line on command if I go home like this?" she asks.
"It's more the fact that I can't touch people that bothers me. Yeah, these things are thin enough that it's almost like having nothing but... it's still a barrier."
And a reminder.
"Either way, I'd say you were made to be a hero and you are."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 16, 2011 18:42:41 GMT -5
"Yes, I do," Optimus states flatly. "Our highest leaders ordered the creation of the Omega Sentinels and Jetfire and Jetstorm. The problem wouldn't be getting them to accept the changes you've gone through, it'd be trying to keep them from weaponizing you."
He sighs. "Ultra Magnus used to say being a hero wasn't in my programming. I still say we can rise beyond our programming if we try."
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 17, 2011 19:48:32 GMT -5
Elita gives Optimus an incredulous look before pulling her hands away from his.
"You know, you might want to stop and think about some of your arguments before you make them. Because you are so not making me feel better."
She shakes her head and adds, "And you two are still surprised at where she ended up."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 28, 2011 15:23:46 GMT -5
Optimus makes a face. "Sorry," he says, abashed. "We'll find some way to keep anyone from hurting you when we go home, I promise." He doesn't mean a way to keep anyone from hurting her forever, obviously. That would be quite the undertaking. He just means a way to keep her from being dissected or turned into a spider.
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Post by Elita-1 on Jul 29, 2011 21:24:57 GMT -5
Except that chances are, she will go back home only to become a technoganic spider. They can all hope, but still.
She reaches over and tries to grasp Optimus's hand again. "No, I'm sorry. I keep expecting you to act in a way contrary to how you were taught to act. A way I, myself, didn't question overmuch before coming here."
She looks down at her nearly empty cube. "Guess we should finish up soon. Don't want to be late for our various duties."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 30, 2011 19:25:53 GMT -5
Optimus sighs inwardly. He botched this so badly! Stupid, stupid. "Yeah, I guess we should," he says resignedly. "I'll talk to you when my shift's over, alright?" he adds, forcing a smile.
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