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Post by Mirage on Oct 26, 2010 16:19:53 GMT -5
Mirage goes down hard. For a moment, Ultra Magnus's hand and arm will be as invisible as the spy, at least the part that stretches into Mirage's cloaking box. Mirage drops the cloak quickly, however, his hard- and somewhat ragged- expression focused on Ultra Magnus as he backs away.
Mirage stands, the movement slower than it should be, and stiff. "I don't have emotional dampers," he says, "I don't know why you might need them." He makes it clear that he is speaking of Ultra Magnus. "And Cybertron will always be my home, no matter how far it falls."
"Show me how to execute that throw."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Oct 26, 2010 19:00:16 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron looks startled when Ultra Magnus mentions that he has emotional dampers, and he starts to say, "You have emotional dampers? I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, but-"
And then Mirage says something even more surprising. Emirate Xaaron lays a finger over his lips and advises, "Mirage? Don't mention that around those of my reality. They may mean something different in your reality, but in my reality, they're standard in almost everyone and serve to keep the aggressive urges that are inherent in all of us in check. Those who are built without dampers or who have faulty dampers or had their dampers removed require a great deal of willpower to keep their baser selves shackled, and every four million years, no matter their self control, they falter and will try to kill anything and everyone around them, even their teammates and loved ones. They're known as Berserkers, and the Autobot army has an, ah... don't ask, don't tell policy about them."
Emirate Xaaron spreads his hands. "Strictly speaking, Berserkers aren't allowed to be Autobots, and while their violent natures may predispose them to Decepticon leanings, I sometimes wonder if we do them a disservice, because, after all, before the war, we were all Autobots, emotional dampners or not."
He sighs, looking wistful, despite the brutality playing out in front of him, how Ultra Magnus manages to flip an unseen opponent and Mirage's ragged expression. Emirate Xaaron finishes, "It's not something people really talk about."
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Oct 27, 2010 11:01:46 GMT -5
Magnus shakes his head at Mirage, making no move to begin instruction of any sort.
"While Shockwave ruled," he explains to Xaaron instead, and though he often speaks longingly of the peace Cybertron had, he clearly feels no such wistfulness toward the mechanism who governed it, "part of the reason we had peace was because every citizen had dampening programs installed to help us control our aggressive urges." He makes a vague gesture with one hand, having no other way to explain it when he has no other details. "I and the Wreckers were no exceptions… though ours may have had more liberal parameters than most since we still acted as peacekeepers." He frowns, murmuring, "I wonder sometimes if we were there as a preventive measure or if we were actually needed." He shakes his head faintly. "Excuse me, sir," he says to Xaaron, then turns back to Mirage.
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Post by Mirage on Oct 28, 2010 17:36:23 GMT -5
"Don't mention which, Xaaron, that I don't have them or that I don't see why Magnus would?" Mirage is being flippant in tone, but he really isn't sure which the Emirate meant.
"Given how quickly you tend toward violence with me," Mirage says, now speaking to Ultra Magnus, "I have to wonder how well the dampers took. I know I'm exasperating, but not even Nightbeat has struck me- and I certainly have him valid reason."
"And you are much more level-headed than he."
Mirage moves closer to Ultra Magnus and adopts a stance more suited to teaching than sparring. "Show me that throw," he repeats, "Your style reminds me of my spars against Oracle."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Oct 28, 2010 19:43:30 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron groans, throws his hands up, and complains, "Are none of our minds our own?"
He's seen his own death, after all, who and what he reeked of, Mirage has some Quintesson jibberish jabbering in his processors, and Ultra Magnus has Shockwave's handiwork in his head.
If any of the Autobots end up possessed by Straxus within the next month, Emirate Xaaron is going to shake someone. (Little does he know, little does he know...) Just think what he'd do without emotional dampners!
He narrows his optics, folds his arms behinds his back, and he explains, "You, Ultra Magnus, might have mentioned that sooner. I clearly need to keep a closer optic on you, so... sign me up for one of these sessions when you have the time." He pulls out one hand and flourishes it. Remember, Emirate Xaaron came here looking for a spare practise room, initially? His voice hardens, "Oh, and, you're having your neural net examined. That's an order. By Perceptor," unfortunately, given Perceptor's own issues with Shockwave, "unless we get in another suitably qualified neurosurgeon before he's available."
He then explains to Mirage, "Don't tell them that you don't have them. They'll likely assume that you're a Berserker and are prone to murder sprees every four million years. Not something you want people assuming about you." He pinches the the bridge of his nose.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Oct 30, 2010 14:29:37 GMT -5
"Understood, sir." Xaaron now, too; Magnus has opened himself up for trouble with these lessons, he's sure of it.
And Mirage does have a point; Ultra Magnus was never known for his temper. He has a temper now, however, and Mirage keeps poking it. Magnus levels a cold glare on the spy.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Nightbeat," he adds. "I don't play some role to keep up my image." I don't have an image any more. He crosses his arms loosely, closing down to Mirage's more open stance. "And if you keep needling me about violence, Mirage, you'll see it soon enough and you can forget any more training sessions. Get off your pedestal and drop it for some other time if you really must preach at me, or go back to Oracle."
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Post by Mirage on Oct 31, 2010 0:22:11 GMT -5
Mirage blinks at Ultra Magnus. What did Mirage do now? He actually was making a valid point based on observation, and actually complimented Ultra Magnus in a way. Mirage's fingers flex, clench into fists. He wants to break something. He has not wanted to do physical violence like this in vorns. Mirage should turn on his heel and leave. But he is so tired, so very tired of having his words twisted around by this... this....
He growls wordlessly, managing to just swallow the word coward before it left his lips. In two quick strides, Mirage places himself very much within Ultra Magnus's personal space and glares up at the Wrecker.
"I have done nothing here Ultra Magnus but ask for your assistance and your expertise. When you lambasted me about how I did not seek you out for social encounters, I explained myself, giving reason that any sane person would accept as valid. I give you truth, and you twist it around upon me as lie. I speak well of you, and you treat it as grievous insult."
"I sought you out because I thought perhaps that you would understand the burning need not to fail again, and because I need, so desperately need, interaction with the familiar. I don't give a tinker's damn about the difference in time. You're from home! I can't even begin an honest conversation with you because you expect the arrogant jackaft aristocrat, and everything I say you hear through that filter."
"I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. I want to spar, and I want to talk and I am fragging tired of being treated as something less because I'm not a Chaos-damned solider!"
Emirate Xaaron, for the moment, is forgotten.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Oct 31, 2010 10:27:35 GMT -5
A normal, nice, sane Autobot would definitely back off now and take the opportunity to ninja vanish.
Emirate Xaaron is a meddling meddler, and when he sees Autobots tearing into each other, his default response is to try to talk them down. He tried to talk down Flame, repeatedly, after Flame made is pretty blasted clear that he wanted nothing but ill for Emirate Xaaron and his men. Ultra Magnus and Mirage are surely much more reasonable than Flame!
Neither of them have tried to enslave people as their zombie slaves yet, anyway.
Anyway, this is probably going to end in Emirate Xaaron getting bodily flung out of the training room so that Mirage and Ultra Magnus can continue their trainwreck in peace, but he has to at least try. he raises his hands, pitches his voice so it'll carry, and tries to speak soothingly, "You're both misunderstanding each other and reading in insults that aren't intended. You've both had a rough time of it recently, and it's understandable if you're stressed." It's pretty obvious that they are indeed stressed, but he's not quite going to say that. "At this point, I think the more either of you say, the more you're going to get upset, so how about you both take a moment to calm down and then, after a bit, resume this conversation?"
Flung out of the training room in pieces. Just watch.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Nov 1, 2010 18:13:22 GMT -5
Given Ultra Magnus's already sour mood, bringing up the concept of failure and the suggestion that he would want to avoid it – however true that might be – does nothing to help Mirage's case with him. His narrow-eyed glare turns into a full-blown scowl.
"No," he agrees icily, spurred on by the sting of that reminder whether or not Mirage intended it, "you aren't a soldier. But you do like to play war, don't you? Until you tire of it, at least, and give up your crew's location when I show up to arrest all of you and take you home." Only then does he lean back and acknowledge Xaaron with a nod, taking suggestion as order. "Sir."
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Post by Mirage on Nov 2, 2010 18:21:02 GMT -5
The naked, stricken expression which suddenly takes the place of Mirage's usual mask of arrogance proves well enough that first blood in this spar goes to Ultra Magnus.
"I-," he starts, voice crackling with faint static. Abruptly, he brings one hand up and covers his optics, thumb and forefinger pressed to either temple. He cycles his ventilation hard, once, twice, before lowering his hand.
The mask is back, harder and so much colder than before, and his voice unwavering as he speaks. "You dare to judge me by the choice of some Mirage from a nebulous future that may never be, a Mirage so different from me that we might as well be different people, a choice you admit to not know the reasoning thereof."
"Peace, you said you had, peace and a world reborn, a world with cities and culture and life. Peace that you yourself had longed for, had fought and worked for in vorns long past. Peace, promises spoken from you, someone who should be considered trustworthy, a chance to avoid harm and possible death to people who would at that point would be considered both comrade and friend. Yet still you would condemn that future me for such a choice," Mirage's tone has turned scathing, sharp as a blade.
"At least I did not run and hide while some demigod nearly destroyed those I called friend, wallowing in self-pity and insecurity simply because I was not the dead brother everyone wanted me to be," Mirage finishes, turning on his heel and striding toward the far wall before he breaks his hand on Magnus's chin.
Mirage does not answer Xaaron. Mirage doesn't trust his voice or his words, and Xaaron hates him enough as is.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 2, 2010 18:59:07 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron has the distinct feeling of being a substitute teacher walking in on a war between the drama club's treasurer and a rugby player. Or maybe a neighbourhood watch kid. When the drama club treasurer just asked the rugby player for homework help and the rugby player proceeded to get royally torqued off at the drama club treasurer for daring to insinuate that the rugby player is good at school. Just... what is this? Some weird morass of cross-time class warfare?
Neither of them can lay off, either. They both keep trying to get their digs into each other even when Emirate Xaaron suggests they should stop.
Emirate Xaaron stares at them both and rubs his temples, his voice getting a bit sharper, and he suggests again, "Ultra Magnus. Whatever Mirage has done or may do in the future, and whatever he hasn't done that you wish he'd do, he is an Autobot, and he's asking you for your help. His actions are showing that he values your experience and skills in this matter, and he's trusting you to be able to help him. If you can't, you can't, and if you won't, you won't, but don't string him on. It's wasting both your time and his for no gain. Mirage, I don't think you realise how your attitude comes off to others. Do you really expect Ultra Magnus to want to do anything with you after you've called him a coward?"
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Nov 3, 2010 10:56:19 GMT -5
There is no single word in Cybertronian to fully describe Magnus's feelings the instant Mirage calls him out. There is pain there – deeper than the self-absorbed spy will likely deign to realise – and a rage bordering on the homicidal. So much of Magnus wants to break Mirage in half.
"Condemn me for something that hasn't yet happened to you," he says in a tight, low voice, "but absolve yourself of something that hasn't yet happened to you because it hasn't happened and may never even though I've already gone through it." To be told his own past matters so little, to be told his present was possibly a fluke of the timestream and nothing more by not one, but two different people – to be told that he's the criminal for following the experiences he has suffered, regardless of his right or wrong in the matter – is as maddening as being mocked for having the gall to be afraid even once in his long life. Two of his fingers snap at the knuckles, unable to cope with the way his fists ratchet more and more tightly closed, but he ignores them. His optics are laser-bright and narrow to thin slits with the glare he turns on Mirage's retreating back.
"You sound just like Shockwave," he spits; the name comes out like a curse. It takes monumental effort to step back and every inch of him trembles with the strain of holding himself in check. "You're right, Xaaron. I want nothing whatsoever to do with him." Every step toward the door is a struggle against the almost blinding fury that's welled up so suddenly and if Xaaron reaches for him, he will warn off the smaller Autobot. Once. Commander or not, it will get physical after that. "I'm done here." He'll be just starting in the simulation room, however.
OOC: Exiting the training room for the sims and out of thread unless someone REALLY feels up to pursuing.
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Post by Mirage on Nov 3, 2010 21:30:28 GMT -5
Actually, Mirage has a very strong idea of exactly how much his words hurt Ultra Magnus- and right now, the spy hopes the Wrecker's mental and emotional wounds are bleeding just as badly as Mirage's.
Distantly, it bothers Mirage, just how much part of him is glorying over having dealt a blow strong enough to chase away Ultra Magnus. Mirage knows what he said was unfair. Cruel.
"Those who cast stones in glass houses should not cry over the broken shards," Mirage says pitched just enough that Magnus should hear the words as he stalks off. Mirage isn't absolving himself, and he isn't condemning Magnus. Mirage... right now Mirage isn't entirely sure what he's doing because he doesn't fully understand what happened here.
He slumps against the wall, face cradled in one hand.
"I tried," he murmurs, though it's unclear if he's taking to himself or to Emirate Xaaron.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 3, 2010 23:06:39 GMT -5
What in the name of Primus's wounds is going on here? Ultra Magnus and Mirage seem to be ready to murder each other. Yes, yes, Emirate Xaaron is learning all kind of fascinating buttons that he can push on the two of them, but for once, he could do with less of learning buttons and more of Autobots getting along with each other. No amount of leverage is worth seeing two other sapient beings put each other through such sheer and utter torture. (Okay, if it would instantly win the war, it would be all right.)
Did Ultra Magnus just break his own fingers?
As much as he wants to follow and reach out, he lets Ultra Magnus go. He'll pick Ultra Magnus's mind later, as he threatened to do. He sees he should have done so much sooner. Now, Emirate Xaaron casts a stern look over at Mirage and comments with a bit of levity, "You're never going to get what you want out Ultra Magnus if you keep sinking barbs like that into him."
Really, that parting crack about crying over broken shards? Does Mirage have no filter between his random impulse generator and his voicebox?
Then, he steps over closer to Mirage and tries to grab him by the chin to make sure that Mirage is looking at him as he concludes, much more seriously, "And as much as Ultra Magnus tortured you with the sins of your future self, breaking a fellow Autobot like that was entirely uncalled for, Mirage. I understand that you're not well, but if you do it again, you do not want to know what I'll do to you, though it's the very same thing I'll do to him, too, if he pulls that Spires-damned slag again."
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Post by Mirage on Nov 4, 2010 23:41:53 GMT -5
Mirage keeps his face covered and stays slumped against the wall when Xaaron chides him. What Mirage is thinking is that he will never get what he wants from Ultra Magnus regardless of how Mirage asks. What Mirage murmurs instead is, "Depends on what I want."
Then Xaaron grabs Mirage's chin and forces the spy to look at him, warm yellow optics clashing with cold. It's Mirage's optics that are cold, empty, drained as his expression.
"I didn't break him, Xaaron. He broke me, finished what he started the moment I hailed him on radio. He attacked, and I countered, and for once held nothing back. There are times when I am deliberately baiting, and I know that, times when I poke for emotional responses and buttons because it is too much an ingrained part of my function. I am supposed to ferret out people's secrets and thoughts."
"But not this time. I just wanted...," Mirage shakes his head. he straightens and pushes himself off the wall with visible effort.
"I have a watch to stand in a few hours. I should try and get some rest in."
He doesn't move, however. Not yet.
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