Wouldn't It Be Loverly?

[Mirage]

Mirage doesn't realize how much he mentions Rodimus, or really how often his thoughts turn to the young Prime. He'd probably be terribly embarrassed to have it pointed out.

He gazes thoughtfully at the drawing, "Not exactly," have to account for stylistic differences, "but similar. Quite similar." He purses his lips and muses, "Similar to Skyblast's as well, and if I understand him correctly the basic design for it is the same in most from his reality, I- oh, er..."

Mirage looks a bit sheepish and rubs the back of his head, "Apologies. That's not a topic for polite company."

"But yes, that would be a spark chamber I'd say."

Mirage snags another pastry and nibbles on it, then says at length, "Yes. My reality has a Grimlock."

An observant bambiraptor might notice that Mirage's tone is a shade guarded now, and his posture a tad less relaxed.

[Lynn Deanna Payne]

Bambi quickly pages away from the spark chamber sketch when some of Mirage's reactions lead her to believe that this topic is somewhat taboo. She makes a bit of a face and doesn't say what she was going to say. Well, if these robots believe that the glowy balls inside them are their souls, yes, she supposes that might be a bit taboo.

But if it's taboo, why does Mirage know what Skyblast's looks like? Fascinating and frustrating at the same time.

She also frowns when Mirage gets bit... uptight over the confirmation of Grimlock.

Hrm. Bambi flips more pages, back to her notes on tonight, and she inexpertly completely changes the subject, "...uh, economy?"

[Mirage]

Mirage nibbles at his pasty some more. It isn't that he's actually hungry; mainly, he's nibbling to give him time to consider his answers.

"Oh, we're an energon-based economy for the most part, though some metals and gems are valued in certain markets." Though likely not for the same reasons the humans value them. "For example, I have an appreciation for gemstones," Mirage smirks, "Which is how I've paid for everything here, by trading some gems from my collection in at the exchange. Thankfully, I know enough about their value to not get rooked."

"I've never had to worry too much about funds. I was given a small estate, inherited it if you will, and a periodic stipend, and over time increased my estate exponentially. I am- er, I was one of the richest, before the war."

He gives Bambi a thoughtful look. "So, you were distracted by a butterfly, eh? It must have been a rather fascinating butterfly, for you to have missed your brothers leaving."

[Lynn Deanna Payne]

Bambi looks pleased as punch when Mirage confesses a love of gemstones. C'mon, she wouldn't be a proper cartoon archaeologist if she wasn't interested in finding shiny things... and then putting them in a museum. She rummages about in subspace and pull out a pyritized ammonite, in fact, chattering happily, "Oh, can talk shop later?"

She sets the ammonite off to the side, absent-mindedly, and she muses, "Wonder what me be if born on you Mirage's Cybertron. Hnn. Me probably never meet you, there."

Already, she thinks she'd regret that.

Bambi makes an odd face, and she sputters, "Oh! So that why you have Prime in you living room, asking you sign on!" Armies need money like... like... a car needs gasoline, speaking of which...

"...oh, him Megatron tell me brothers cars no good, so they go off to smash Autobots. Me think that dumb, so me wander off, and me was distracted by... butterfly. Uhm." She rubs the back of her helmet, looking deeply embarrassed and a bit haunted. This has to be the dumbest way to acquire a case of survivor's guilt ever. "...me know that sound dumb, but me had work hard to get curiosity under control in early days. Me meant go back and check on them, but by time me go look, they smelted. Or fake smelted. Maybe."

[Mirage]

Mirage pushes back his chair and moves to kneel beside Bambi all in one fluid motion. He tries to take one of her hands in his, and use the other to turn her cheek toward him.

"My dear lady, you do understand that whatever did or did not happen to them is not your fault, yes?" he says softly "I was not faulting you for your curiosity, merely asking for some clarification. It is obvious you have an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and I can only imagine that to be newly born into such a world without any guiding direction must have been terribly disorienting."

He smiles fondly at the little Dinobot, "I am sure that had you been born on my Cybertron, you would have been exactly as you were meant to be: a lady of fiery temper with a passion for history and need to learn, one with an innate sense of quality and breeding."

Mirage's optics twinkle, "Even if you are a bit rough around the edges. But so are diamonds before they are cut."

[Lynn Deanna Payne]

'Disorienting'. Yeah, that's a nice way of putting it. Her only advice upon entry into the world was to go commit vandalism and assault. All things considered, it was a good thing she didn't listen, she thinks. If she had stayed, she would just be dead, too, or... whatever it is actually happened to them.

But...

Maybe she could have spoken up for them. Would anyone have ever listened to her, though? Would she have been a doomed Cassandra? Or could she have turned the tide? Maybe she should have argued from the first.

And then Mirage is kneeling before her and has her hand and her cheek. Bambi wants to recoil and swat him away, but he's... been nothing but nice, and he has no reason to be that nice. He's not getting anything out of this. In fact, to make a terribly haphazard guess, based off his talk of 'friends' and whom he keeps mentioning, she's not even sure if he's interested at all in women. (Excavating Greek pottery was very optic-opening.)

So Mirage is nice, and he has no reason to be nice, no reason at all. Bambi doesn't trust that, but she can at least not insult him, so she doesn't yank away her hand and instead looks at him, still a little haunted, and mumbles in reply, a bit numbly, "Should have done something then, though, so maybe... maybe should do something now." Evil wins when good men do nothing, and even if bad girls get to go everywhere, Bambi thinks she's found enough here to keep her interested for a long, long time.

Bambi can't help but smile wanly, lips closed and teeth hidden, as Mirage really turns on the charm, and she rubs her optics and sighs, "That nicest thing anyone ever say about me Bambi."

But if he tries to cut her, she's still running.

[Mirage]

Mirage likes ladies well enough. There just aren't as many of them about, either here or in his own reality. There is a stronger preference to males, yes, but it doesn't mean he doesn't find ladies attractive.

Bambi, however, isn't likely to ever be on the receiving end of that type of attention. She really is just a child in Mirage's optics, and is quickly on the way to be regarded with something along the lines of sisterly affection by the spy.

Mirage runs his thumb over the backs of her fingers, "And I meant every word. Now, " he stands, still holding her hand, "It is getting quite late. Will you allow me the honor of escorting you back to the ship? I'll be happy to have another question and answer session with you later if you like."

[Lynn Deanna Payne]

Again, Mirage could be lying, but Bambi would like to believe him, foolish as that may be. Her smiles widens, and she replies, "Me Bambi would like that very much, thank you, but honour all mine, me assure you."

And if anyone messes with them on the way back, she's got a flaming hammer burning a hole in her pocket.