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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on May 31, 2010 22:24:22 GMT -5
Day 4, open
Bambi isn't in the red dress and heels anymore. Grudgingly in robot mode, she's in a short mottled grey cloak that falls to just a bit above her knees. She has it tugged close around her, so it's fine enough for street wear. However, it’s not so long as she's going to get tangled in it, and it comes off with a tug if she needs to transform. No shoes. Overall, it's a bit basic, but she's here for training, and Bambi knows that field camp can be brutal.
If the cloak is inappropriate attire, she can pull something else out of hammersubspace.
For now, Bambi just leans against a lightpost, staring at the spaceport and sniffing for that particular Mirage-y scent.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 1, 2010 11:10:14 GMT -5
Hmmm, this leaves one to wonder what Eau de Mirage smells like.
Mirage, for his part, has been circling the spaceport, cloaked of course, for a short while now. He hasn't bothered with clothes here, as if needed he can present the appearance of them without dealing with the added noise they produce.
And clothes are noisy. Cloth whispers as it slides over metal, creaks as one bends, sends tiny scratches of sound out if it brushes against the simplest thing. No, now is not the time for clothes.
Of course, Mirage doesn't have Bambi's firey accents. The gray cloak will do.
Bambi may smell Mirage long before he slips up behind her. He doesn't yet know that she's got olfactory sensors as sensitive as Tiny's.
"You're prompt and show discretion," he murmurs, still cloaked, "How lovely. Perhaps this will not be the trial I expected it to be."
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 1, 2010 12:59:34 GMT -5
Probably rather clean, laced with high octane racing fuels and wax?
Not a bad smell, all things considered. Beats burnt diodes, any day.
Smell travels more slowly than sound and light, though. So it is sound that gives Mirage away and smell that confirms him. Bambi whirls around, and looks up, sniffing, at the invisible man behind her. Her hands twitch a little, and she wishes that she was in dinosaur mode.
Stilling the urge to just tear off the cloak and transform, Bambi raises a hand in the air and replies, "Look, me Bambi not even know what him Emirate Xaaron want you Mirage teach me Bambi. Me Bambi scientist. Dig up old stuff. Write papers."
Run away from inexplicable boulders.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 1, 2010 15:32:54 GMT -5
Mirage glances around once more. He's mostly in shadow on the outskirts of the lamplight's circle, and so feels it's safe enough to cycle his cloak down for a moment as he steps into the light. Stepping out of the shadows is so common a trope in noir, it shouldn't be immediately assumed that he was invisible in the shadows by casual observers.
"The Emirate tasked me some time ago with training the Dinobots in stealth maneuvers. Despite the fact that you are obviously not in the same class as they, you are still a Dinobot and as such, he desires that you receive the same training," he says, tone conversational.
He smiles wryly, "I imagine your session will be much more successful than those with Slag and Grimlock."
Mirage inclines his head toward the spaceport, "A bit of on-the-job training. I don't suppose you've any experience in circumventing security?"
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 1, 2010 16:47:57 GMT -5
Bambi mutters, a bit scornfully. "Me Bambi not even sure them Dinobots graduate from kindergarten, let alone be in same class as me Bambi." Despite who she's making fun of, there's that oh-so-typical Dinobot arrogance and derision.
Okay, back to the task at hand. Stealth training? She's knows just a bit about ambush hunting, already, so stealth training doesn't sound so bad. In fact, Bambi seems to recall railing at Grimlock once along some of those lines. So while this maybe not the most logical assignment, she's content to carry it out, for now.
Bambi raises up one of her hands and looks at it thoughtfully, replying evenly, "Could say so. Not exactly modern security, mind. Them ancient temples booby-trapped, lots of times. Pitfalls. Collapsing walls. Spring-launched arrows. Greek fire." She snorts, as if she finds the Greek fire funny. Considering her internal flamethrower and flaming hammer, she just might.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 1, 2010 18:41:49 GMT -5
Mirage looks thoughtful, "Interesting. I doubt we'll run into things like that here, but at least it means you understand the concept of caution."
He leans casually against the lamppost, "You recall the skittish fellow from the clothing store? The one assisting me with my choices? We're looking into a small matter for him."
No, Mirage isn't going into details. If she asks for more, he'll tell her, but for the most part he's keeping Bambi on a need to know basis.
"It's a very busy place, with high turnover. Nothing spectacular in either security or cargo evident on the surface, but we're going to be looking a bit deeper than that. Armed guards, of course, and military-esque checkpoint systems. Seems a bit overkill, but they may be handling sensitive cargo or some such."
He studies his finegrtips and continues, "So that you are aware, I can appear invisible or as something other than myself for a span of seven minutes before requiring a one minute cycle rest. It is not a hologram device." Mirage smirks, "I simply make the optics see what I wish them to see."
"I can cloak another if they are very close to me, but can not extend the effect much beyond my armspan. Do you object to being carried if needed, my dear?"
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 1, 2010 19:15:20 GMT -5
"Oh, him Pyrite, him Rock Lord. Him Pyrite not Autobot," Bambi confirms. Her slitted blue optics narrow. "If him not Autobot, why you Mirage doing him Pyrite favour?"
Then, her optics widen, and she looks a bit in awe. Slice it any way you want, but what Mirage just said is downright cool, and Bambi's quite young. She clasps her hands together up near her shoulder and agrees readily, "Me Bambi no mind!"
Dashing invisible spies=Adventure!
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Post by Mirage on Jun 1, 2010 22:06:04 GMT -5
"I helped save his life," is all Mirage says to her question about Pyrite, as if that explains everything.
In a way, it does.
With a smirk, he leans down and scoops Bambi up in one arm. He places one finger on her lips as he fades into the shadows, and then they both fade out of sight.
On a very limited projection of the Autobot broadband.
//I'd like your frequency, if you're willing, just in case.//
Scooping of Bambi done w/ permission.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 1, 2010 22:45:48 GMT -5
Okay, this is so not helping remove Bambi's assessment of Mirage as Ye Dashing Spy.
Mirage does charity work for random golden dudes after saving their lives? And eee, he just picked her up! Bambi's feet kick just a bit in delight - Mirage'll want to be careful about her heels. Her killer claws fold up back there, which makes her robot mode kicks pretty savage.
She's quiet though, curling in against him, since he said that his field doesn't extend very far. Luckily she is small, though not to scale.
//Hmm. Me Bambi no like give it out, but...//
Maybe she can be convinced.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 2, 2010 10:04:03 GMT -5
//Well, I'll not force the issue, but my own is <random numbers>.//
//Normally, I'd prefer radio silence. However, such places often have a lot of radio traffic on numerous frequencies, making it easy to overlook the occasional personal transmission. Chatter on a more open band is a bit worrisome to me, however.//
Mirage smirks down at Bambi, and since she's inside the field she should be able to see it.
//You could simply give me a secondary frequency, leaving your main unknown, or rotate your personal frequency to something different after this encounter.//
Look, Bambi, Mirage is giving you spy tips!
Mirage pauses at the outer gate, getting the lay of the land before attempting to slip past. Again, a finger to Bambi's lips, and then where an audio receptor might be and he hopes she understands he wants silence on all fronts.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 2, 2010 15:35:19 GMT -5
Bambi is, apparently, collecting random Autobots' frequencies. She adds it to her virtual mental Rolodex. The Dinobot looks thoughtful at Mirage's suggestion of giving out a secondary frequency or just rotating hers, laying a finger along her nose. She thinks she likes giving out a secondary frequency better. There are a few people from home who would know her main; she doesn't want to rotate if she doesn't have to.
The suggestion is definitely... nice. Appreciated. Gentlemanly, even, for him to not only not force the issue but give her not one but two good outs.
But since Mirage wants silence, she doesn't make any radio reply just yet, instead reaching to trace out a frequency on his shoulder, if he'll let her.
The gate should be easy enough for Mirage to slip past, if he but shadows a truck inside the complex before the wire mesh doors close. The checkpoints weren't really designed to keep invisible people out. Just mesh fence, barbed wire, security cameras, guards in booths, and spotlights mounted above, for times of need. Not lax security by any means, but it's not exactly maximum security. If someone's shipping something really expensive, they'll have their own security crews.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 2, 2010 22:26:11 GMT -5
Mirage does his best to always be a gentleman!
He quirks a brow as she traces on his shoulder, but only for a second as he recognizes what she's doing. The dashing smile and almost imperceptible nod should let Bambi know he understands- and appreciates her carefulness.
Mirage does shadow a plot device passing truck, though he has to wait a bit longer than he'd like for one to petition for entry. It's done easily enough, however, and they're in.
He just needs to find a good place to cycle down his cloak. His optics scan the walls as he slips between buildings, checking for recessed doorways, places of shadow- and for security cameras.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 2, 2010 22:36:42 GMT -5
This is Pz-Zazz. Mirage won't have to look too hard to find something shady!
There are countless warehouses, grey, depressing, and pre-fab, and half-shell hangars. Despite the glow of lightposts and landing lights, there is plenty of shadow to go around, likely why the towers have mounted search spotlights. Not that Mirage is giving any reason for those spotlights to be used. Consider it a world of high contrast.
Bambi looks a little blank at that quirk of a brow, but she's quiet, very, very quiet, like a cat stalking in the grass.
Pretty much exactly like that, actually.
She does smile back when Mirage smiles, though, without even thinking about it. Smiles are infectious! This is totally going to ruin her Dinobot image.
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Post by Mirage on Jun 3, 2010 18:49:21 GMT -5
Who wouldn't smile back when a dashing, handsome gentleman smiles at them?
Oh wait, a Dinobot. Hrm. Maybe Bambi's right to worry about her street cred.
Mirage finds a warehouse that appears to not be in use, the door open to indicate that it can be used as a drop facility. He ducks inside, and after a quick turn to confirm that, yes, it is empty of people, he decloaks.
"Well, done, my dear," he murmurs, setting Bambi down gently, "Now. If you were going to sneak about unoticed, what are some things you should consider?"
She seems to have a decent intellect. Let's see how much common sense she has to go with it.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Jun 3, 2010 19:27:50 GMT -5
Bambi lands lightly on her feet, flexing up onto her 'toes' and then back down again, stretching a little. She looks around and sniffs.
"Tracks, " Bambi replies quietly, one clawed finger on her lower lip thoughtfully. "No want leave tracks. Be clean, but no so clean that soap smell get everywhere. No step in puddles; no track mud around; no scratch off paint and leave flecks lying around; no get clothes caught on stuff..."
"Be quiet. No catch game if game get spooked."
"Pay attention. Know where others are. Keep alert. All senses important."
"Use terrain." She looks up, looking at the ceiling of the warehouse, how there are buttresses and trusses. "Be where people no look." Bambi takes a few steps back and takes a running leap, grabbing onto one of the support columns with her hands and legs. She wants, very badly, to sink in claws, but that would leave marks. So this takes just a hair longer for her than usual to shimmy up the column to a cross-brace and peer down at Mirage, crouching.
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