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Nov 2, 2010 21:48:56 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 2, 2010 21:48:56 GMT -5
Day 18, in the Event Horizon 's sim room. Open.- - - Sentinel Prime, given the various extra chores and duties he's been given as punishment, doesn't have a lot of free time. Even soldiers are given some free time, to relax and unwind, and he just doesn't have as much of that as everyone else does. So he should use it wisely and efficiently and not spend all his free time on his bunk, staring at the wall and twitching, no matter how tempting that might be after that whole mess with the Sharkticons and Shockwave and slagging Oil Slick and Elita-1 and Arcee and Emirate fragging Xaaron seeing him go crashing into a bunch of furniture and... ...and getting too worked up about what happened isn't efficient, either, even if it is natural. One thing that the Sharkticons did remind him about is that Autobots here don't always operate in teams. They certainly do seem to still highly value teamwork, but it is not an unusual idea that one Autobot, alone, could handle a Decepticon by himself, a concept this is almost unheard of in Sentinel Prime's reality. He grudgingly has to admit that Ultra Magnus, especially back in his prime (maybe even when he was Ultra Prime), could probably handle Decepticons on his own, multiple Decepticons. Equally grudgingly, Sentinel Prime has to admit to himself that he won't become awesome at handling Decepticons solo unless he practises. He cannot just wish and hope and whine and complain and suddenly, wham bam, become an amazing super-soldier. It doesn't work that way. Sentinel Prime wishes it did, but wishes don't do carjack. He's set up the training room to clear out all private data at the end of the session, including session logs, because while Sentinel Prime does sincerely want to improve his skills and while he does know that watching his tapes would probably help, he also knows that his first attempts are going to be pretty laughable, and his pride is such that he doesn't want anyone seeing. Sentinel Prime starts small, with one of those little Vehicon things, and even there, he doesn't get very far - the thing is just so quick and zippy that it's a pain to hit with his lance and even whacking it with a thrown shield is a onerous task. Then he realises that his free time is over, and he needs to go defragment, but does he really need to go defragment? Surely, he can just keep going a little longer, catch some quick processor down-time, and be good to go for another exciting round of Q-Deck. Next thing he knows, Sentinel Prime is passed out on the training room floor, just plain exhausted by it all. He's had a rough time of it lately.
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Nov 2, 2010 22:08:09 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 2, 2010 22:08:09 GMT -5
Kup doesn't entirely trust the sim room. It's not a matter of 'old person trust of new technology' because, stereotypes aside, Kup really doesn't have that particular trait. The problem is that Kup actually knows where it comes from. But on the other hand, Autobots stealing technology from the Decepticons is almost as time honored a tradition as Decepticons stealing technology from the Autobots, so maybe Kup's worries are for nothing.
Even so, it's just as much to make sure the system isn't misbehaving as it is to get some actual training that Kup enters the room, and his first reaction when he sees that it's already operating is to assume the worst. His optics narrow, he draws his musket from subspace, and he moves into a crouch, immediately scanning the area for an enemy. When, instead, he finds a blue Autobot laying on the ground, he rushes over, skidding to a stop next to Sentinel Prime. He reaches towards the other, attempting to check his condition. "Lad, you all right?" he asks with concern. "What happened in here?"
Man, if the training room has turned against them, he is going to 'I told you so' SO HARD.
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Nov 2, 2010 22:33:00 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 2, 2010 22:33:00 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime rouses, but he's groggy and still so very exhausted, so surely, a little confusion is excusable? What blurts out of his big mouth is, "Kup Minor! I didn't put those explosives in your cy-gars - that was all Optimus! I was studying with Elita, honest to zrnk..."
Okay, what he just said probably isn't all that excusable, after all. Hopefully fasttalk.exe will be booted up soon.
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Nov 2, 2010 22:46:22 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 2, 2010 22:46:22 GMT -5
Kup's optics cycle in a blink. "Huh-wha-?" Oh, wait. Kup Minor. He snorts. "Wrong Kup, lad." Then he pauses. "Explosive cy-gar?" He's pretty sure someone explained to him what a 'cy-gar' was at one point over the radio. It had sounded pretty stupid at the time.
He narrows his optics as he studies Sentinel for a moment. "So I'm getting the impression that the training room didn't actually turn against you and attack you? Any more'n it was supposed to, anyway."
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Nov 2, 2010 23:03:45 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 2, 2010 23:03:45 GMT -5
In the future, Sentinel Prime will explain cy-gars to Kup in the database. The future is not now.
Sentinel Prime sits himself up, groaning, and he waves Kup off, insisting, "What? No! I was just getting in some training. That's what the room's for, isn't it?"
He gets up to his feet and stretches a bit, hoping that Kup won't ask him why he was passed out on the floor, but Kup's a paranoid old coot, so he probably will.
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Nov 2, 2010 23:31:06 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 2, 2010 23:31:06 GMT -5
Okay, so no one explained to Kup what a cy-gar is yet, and his player is just having a hard time keeping days straight. ¬_¬
But Kup is, indeed, a paranoid old coot, so the first thing out of his mouth, after a quick, "Uuuuh-huh," that's accompanied by a cynical expression, is, "So that's what you call sleeping on the floor? Whatcha training for, then?"
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Nov 3, 2010 0:12:35 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 0:12:35 GMT -5
"Solo combat," Sentinel Prime replies defensively, crossing his arms. "I was just a bit tired, and the floor looked comfortable."
He can even say that with a perfectly straight face.
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Nov 3, 2010 8:27:18 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 3, 2010 8:27:18 GMT -5
The cynical expression gains a smirk, and Kup responds with, "Riiiiiiiiiiiiht."
He crosses his own arms and studies Sentinel Prime for awhile, expression thoughtful. Finally, he lowers his arms and says, "Lad, you're not going to do anyone any good falling asleep on watch, or in he middle of battle." He pauses. "Just how bad is your schedule, anyway?"
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Nov 3, 2010 10:30:20 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 10:30:20 GMT -5
"Why wouldn't I be doing solo combat training?" Sentinel Prime sputters, face twitching. "AllSpark knows, I sure need it!"
Whoops, that didn't really come out like he meant it. He quickly amends, "Those of my reality are extremely team oriented in their combat styles. Most of us, you tell us, 'Handle that blue Seeker,' and we'd completely freak out."
Oh wait, Kup meant the defragging on the training room floor issue. Whoops again. That's what Sentinel Prime gets for charging blindly, but when all he has is a shield and a lance, charging seems awfully good. Not that there's any proof he was doing the training he says he was, given that he opted for private settings.
Sentinel Prime pulls out a copy of his schedule on a datapad and answers, after a moment of thought, honestly, "It's not that bad, really. It's what I deserve." He seems to recall that Kup doesn't like slick, and perhaps a show of contrition to command will serve him better than immediately trying to weasel out of his punishment.
He does keep his thumb over the part where it says he should be in his bunk right now.
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Nov 3, 2010 13:04:39 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 3, 2010 13:04:39 GMT -5
"While for us, sometimes 'keep the blue Seeker busy' is teamwork." Another contrast - in Sentinel's reality, there are fewer Decepticons, but they all overpower the Autobots significantly. In many others, the Autobots and the Decepticons are on a more even footing power wise, but also numerically. "I gotcha," he adds nodding. "Good to see you workin' to adapt, actually."
When Sentinel shows him the schedule, he automatically reaches over to grab up the datapad and look at it. This action, of course, removes Sentinel's thumb from the front of it. "Seems to me, you've fallen a bit behind on your schedule there, lad." And then he looks down at the spot of the floor where the Prime had been resting. "Or you're trying to knock out a few too many of the things on your list at once."
OOC: Grabbing of the datapad done with permission.
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Nov 3, 2010 13:53:50 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 13:53:50 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm not saying it isn't!" Sentinel Prime quickly agrees. Then, he looks just a bit dumbstruck for a moment. Did Kup actually just express approval? Sentinel Prime lives for praise; craves it, and he's been so badly denied so very long. Even if Elita-1 shut down some of his vainglory, she couldn't stamp it out entirely; it's him. A somewhat goofy grin plants itself on his face, which makes him looks younger somehow, softens the lines and angles of his features, and he blurts, "Really, sir?"
The moment passes when Kup grabs away the datapad, and Sentinel Prime is back on the defensive, scowling and sulking, "I don't need that much rest. I figured I could train just a bit longer, then zip back and rack out and boot up ready for my shift, no harm done."
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Nov 3, 2010 14:17:58 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 3, 2010 14:17:58 GMT -5
"Yeah, really. Wouldn't have said it if didn't mean it," Kup answers, handing the datapad back.
"But if you don't need that much, why'd you schedule that much? I'm assumin' you made this schedule yourself. But more importantly, if you don't need that much," and now Kup points back at the floor. Then the veteran smirks. "Listen, lad, I'm not lookin' to punish you for slippin' up or anything - already looks like you got about all the punishment on your plate you can handle right now, anyway. I just wanna make sure you're also making time to get what rest you need done, that's it. Got it?"
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Nov 3, 2010 14:33:30 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 14:33:30 GMT -5
"Ah, a true bot of your word," Sentinel Prime muses. He only halfway means that; flattery of superior officers comes easily to him. So while Kup might be, Sentinel Prime definitely is not.
AllSpark, Kup is hassling about getting his rest! This is like boot camp all over again, except without anything to look forward to when he gets done, because he's never going to get done. There is no end to any of this in sight. This endless drudgery is his life.
Sentinel Prime grabs the datapad back, glaring, and he snaps, "Of course I made myself a schedule. Everyone should. You get things done, when you have a schedule!" Blast it all, when Sentinel Prime is Magnus, the astrotrains will run on time! "I just... didn't feel tired, that's all," exhausted isn't tired! Oh, semantics, Sentinel Prime loves semantics, "and I wanted to get some more training in, okay? Is that such a crime?"
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Nov 3, 2010 15:25:54 GMT -5
Post by Kup on Nov 3, 2010 15:25:54 GMT -5
"I just said it wasnt!" Kup snaps back, annoyed. "Now why don't you just calm the slag down?" After all, Sentinel started snapping first! "Now, I'm gonna give you the benefit of a doubt and assume your snappin' at me was 'cos you just got woke out of a defrag on the grill-crackin' sim room floor, unless you wanna argue that too? And all I'm saying beyond that is make sure you get enough rest in your own room that you ain't doing it here. No matter how 'comfortable' the diode-busted floor might look, other people might want to use this room."
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Nov 3, 2010 15:49:07 GMT -5
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 15:49:07 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime bristles, and he's ready to snap back, but then, he catches himself, something he doubts he would have before, and it is a near thing even now. Kup's a superior officer. Kup is his superior officer. Kup can make Sentinel Prime's life much more miserable than it already is.
He calms down. Kup might not know Sentinel Prime very well, but given the trouble he got into and his interview, he cools down oddly rapidly for someone as obstinate and stubborn as he seems to be. One moment, he's all fired up, and the next, he looks like nothing's happened, as if a switch flipped in his head.
That's about what happened.
Sentinel Prime takes a step back, salutes Kup, and he replies politely, "Yes, sir. If there's nothing else, sir, I'll be in my room?"
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