Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on Apr 28, 2010 13:30:01 GMT -5
"And what do you gain?" asks Wreckage, pointedly not answering any of the other Decepticon's questions. Misfire puts on a grand show, but even Wreckage acts out of his own brand of selfishness when he offers aid, and Misfire is trying very hard to convince the Stryker. Even appealing to self-consciousness. So long as no-one doubts his loyalty or interferes in the performance of his duties, Wreckage has little concern for what they think of him.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on Apr 28, 2010 13:48:09 GMT -5
"Gain?" Misfire looks surprised. No one ever asks him that!
He rubs the back of his head, the confidence he'd come into the room with starting to fade. "Um, I hadn't really thought about that. You just..overall seem like a decent guy. You didn't make fun of me or beat me up when I gave you good reason to that time, and you don't go out of the way to deride me like some do, so I wanted to help."
"If I get anything...maybe an occasional flying partner who doesn't think I'm useless? That's the only gain I can think of, really."
He sighs again, "It isn't always about gaining an advantage, you know."
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on Apr 28, 2010 23:35:59 GMT -5
Wreckage cannot quite suppress the dismissive snort that takes him.
"Mocking you would serve no purpose," he says. "If others have done so, they are foolish." Mocking and nothing more does not rectify the problem. Perhaps Misfire's clumsiness with the gun is beyond repair; even in that case, abusing him still does nothing for the Decepticons as a whole and at worst risks injury to a soldier who can run interference or do something that does not involve trying to fire on anyone. It is command's decision, not the troops', to dispose of someone who has made himself a burden on the unit, and Wreckage will defend that point with combat if need be.
Finally, and with immense resignation, the swordsman heaves a shallow sigh and moves to stand. He does not want to try flight again; it is a miserable and disorienting affair. But he cannot deny that it is a disadvantage to not understand how to use such a secondary mode in the unlikely instance he takes it again – a quick check of his directories turns up the data of Skystrike's secondary mode and Wreckage wonders briefly why he never wiped it – and Misfire is at least willing. Hopefully, Misfire flies better than he shoots.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on Apr 29, 2010 11:17:34 GMT -5
Misfire just sort of..stares at Wreckage for a few seconds. Wait, what? Did he just say that bullying Misfire was a foolish thing to do? But...but...bullying weaker or flawed mechs is what Decepticons do! Even Misfire has done it- more to fit in and try to assert himself than out of true meanness, but still!
Oh hey, but Wreckage seems to be coming with! Yay! Flying!
"Um, right. Thanks- I think. Anyway, let's head down to the sim room. Glad you're gonna give this a go after all. It isn't nearly the trial you think it is, once you get the hang of it!" Misfire grins.
OOC: skip on down to the sim room?
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on Apr 29, 2010 11:32:51 GMT -5
Wreckage has noticed, much as he notices Misfire's baffled reaction to his sentiment, is little like other Decepticons in that respect. He has participated in spars before, during the maddening downtimes between sieges when combat-hungry soldiers could otherwise get up to trouble and the controlled fighting kept them all sane and in high spirits. He never did it solely because he enjoyed the outlet. It, not preying on each other because there were no Autobots on hand, was good for the unit as a whole. Command has a reason for keeping Misfire and it is hardly Wreckage's place to question that. Openly, at least.
And while that final minute and a half is up, Wreckage stays right where he stands; his relief has not yet arrived and Wreckage refuses to leave himself open for accusations of abandoning his post. He only moves once the doors open and the next watchman trudges in ot take his place.
He again questions his decision to go along with this plan of Misfire's when the sim room doors close. The trial is getting the hang of that hell Misfire seems to adore.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on Apr 29, 2010 13:46:02 GMT -5
Misfire is humming softly to himself as he chooses a simulation. It's very, very pedestrian, a nice open, sunny sky filled with fluffy white clouds over a stretch of flatland, long grasses bending into waves with the wind. It won't be any sort of test for Misfire, but should be pretty non-threatening to Wreckage.
Misfire can always show off afterward.
He pops up on his antigravs, then looks over his shoulder at Wreckage. "Did you ever get these? Even if you aren't a flyer, they can be kinda useful. Seriously, I'm not sure how I managed before. They make you so much more versatile!"
"Anyway, I'm just going to make a few turns, works the kinks out of my wings first. If you can manage it, go ahead and get in the air. I can get a feel for your form while I'm stretching."
Misfire hops and transforms, zipping up into the air. He'll do some loops and rolls as he makes his passes.
Maybe, just maybe, he's trying to prove to Wreckage that he's actually good for something, because Misfire knows exactly how graceful he is in the air.
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on May 3, 2010 13:47:16 GMT -5
If Wreckage knew Misfire was choosing a scenario because of its non-threatening design, he would delete the stored data, then turn and abandon this entire effort. Possibly never speak to Misfire again, and certainly leave the jet to his own devices no matter if Mistwind or Bonecrusher was bullying him. Wreckage can appreciate a challenge, especially in training. He simply dislikes the idea of training off the ground.
Cowardly is the soldier who runs from something he dislikes, however, even the soldier who has found no interest to date in those antigravity lifters, versatility or no. Wreckage has simply always operated on the ground. He sighs and shrugs to himself, not really looking at Misfire's antics, while he loads the data from his scan of Skystrike. If Misfire happens to look Wreckage's way while systems engage and armour plate ripples and begins to shift, he will see the midnight blue spilling across white and grey; this time, there is no drain on Wreckage's energy reserves from his body attempting to repair jet burns to interfere with the transition. Misfire may even catch glimpses of wing edges hanging from the former Stryker's hips and a flash of canopy on his back before Wreckage transforms. Grasses burn to char as he pushes off the ground with none of his usual finesse.
Wreckage is now stuck with this mode for at least a day. This had best be worth it.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on May 3, 2010 20:38:15 GMT -5
Misfire does catch the edge of that transformation, and he banks slowly around. Huh. That's different.
"You're paint color isn't set? Wow. Gotta say, blue isn't your color. Coulda sworn you were white still in the vid files though..."
"Anyway," Misfire transforms and hangs in robot mode as he eyes Wreckage critically, "that's Skystrike's mode, right? She's got some really nice maneuverability, despite that bulk, not nearly so much as myself, but still graceful. Hmmm...."
That "hmm" is Misfire's way of saying Wreckage Is Not Graceful. The Stryker-turned-Berkut looks about as graceful in the air as Bonecrusher might.
This will be a challenge.
"Let me see you make a turn, at a decent speed, if you can."
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on May 4, 2010 11:28:25 GMT -5
Wreckage is certain he was never meant to be graceful in the air. Calling him graceful even on the ground is a challenge; he may fight with an economy of movement and he may know his way around the intricacies of close-quarters combat, but he is simply not meant for grace.
"Hn," is the only answer he gives Misfire. Air passing over his wings does not give him the same physical sense of speed as terrain beneath his tires and the velocity reading back to him from his indicators approaches levels he has only achieved before in entry mode. He does as directed, however; Misfire is the more experienced in this field and, by that default, holds a form of rank over the frontliner. Orders are orders. The "turn" Wreckage executes is less an actual turn than it is an inadvertent skid.
This was so much easier when all he had to focus on was killing Thundercracker.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on May 4, 2010 22:08:31 GMT -5
Misfire watches as Wreckage flies, turning on his lifters to watch the Berkut fly into a turn- and to watch Wreckage mangle the simple move horribly.
"Watch yourself! You're over-compensating and trying to make the movement too sharp. You do much of that, you'll find yourself in a stall and headed straight down."
Misfire transforms and tries to pace Wreckage. "Here, just fly with me a bit and try to match my movements." The Targetmaster sets an easy pace, and then tries a wide turn.
"So, you obviously don't pick up any ability with your new alt. How are you doing at reading your instruments and all that? Are you clueless, or do you at least get some sort of base understanding?"
Misfire isn't being mean here. If Wreckage can't even understand his altimeter then they have a problem!
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on May 5, 2010 10:03:49 GMT -5
A sputtering noise from Wreckage's intakes is the closest he can come to a long-suffering sigh as Misfire warns him of stalling. If Wreckage starts to fall, he can simply transform and take the landing in primary mode where he can better compensate for the impact rather than crash in secondary mode. Surely Misfire knows that. Or perhaps he does not, amends the swordsman; Misfire hardly seems to understand how Decepticons like Wreckage work.
Wreckage will forgive it this time. He is still relying on Misfire for instruction, at any rate. Skystrike knows the mode better, but Skystrike will probably try to kiss him again. That is… counterproductive to training. So he quietly follows Misfire into the turn. This one is much smoother with Wreckage paying more attention to Misfire's movements than his own.
The only thing that saves Misfire from a summary mid-air ramming is the lack of scorn in his tone when he asks Wreckage about the instruments. Wreckage still dives and transforms a few meters from the ground, landing in a crouch. Turf shreds beneath his feet his exhaust nozzles are not jammed with grass and soil only because of their position above his ankles. He stands once his momentum peters out. He does not move after that; he waits there, silent and still. He rarely cares what other Decepticons think of him so long as they cannot be certain of his motives, but he has his pride, and it has been pricked.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on May 5, 2010 10:46:02 GMT -5
It doesn't matter to Misfire if Wreckage can transform to survive a stall and drop; technically, so can Misfire. The point is that relying on that is Doing It Wrong. Plus, what happens if you stall out over mountains or ocean?
Misfire uses his radar as much as anything else to keep an eye on Wreckage's form. He notes that the frontliner is doing better, that he takes the turn in a much more reasonable way. Misfire is about to compliment Wreckage when the other drops out of the sky.
"What's wrong?" Misfire asks, transforming mid-air and tumbling down. He uses his lifters at the last second to pop himself back up so that he's floating a few feet before and above Wreckage.
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on May 5, 2010 11:16:36 GMT -5
Wreckage does not answer Misfire. Nor does he so much as turn his optics toward the other Decepticon. He stares directly ahead, hands at his sides, and he will remain that way until Misfire decides to land and hold a proper conversation.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Post by Misfire on May 5, 2010 14:29:46 GMT -5
Misfire frowns and tilts his head, studying Wreckage. As far as Misfire is concerned, he's having a proper conversation, or trying to. He hasn't been mean or cruel or bullying. At least, he doesn't think he has been so.
He drops lower, so that he's only just hovering above the ground. Sorry Wreckage, but that's about as close as Misfire's gonna get to touching dirt unless he has to. Misfire gives the stoic mech before him a honestly puzzled look.
"Seriously Wreckage, what's wrong? You were getting the hang of it, looked like. Why stop?"
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Wreckage
Major
One of the Quiet Ones
Posts: 554
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Post by Wreckage on May 9, 2010 10:08:10 GMT -5
With Misfire finally at optic level – he still refuses to land, but he is close enough at this point – Wreckage levels a stare on him. For a moment, Wreckage still says nothing. Then his expression turns cold and arch, and he sets one hand on Misfire's shoulder. He makes no attempt to hold the flier, or to drag him down, but leaves his hand resting there.
"I am not Brawl," he says. "I can read and understand altitude. And velocity." Only now does he tighten his fingers meaningfully, and he does so very slightly as his optics brighten. He will not be spoken to as if newly hatched. "If I require an explanation, I will ask."
He leaves it to Misfire to break contact.
OOC: Touching Misfire with permission.
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