|
Post by Kup on Nov 17, 2010 19:35:51 GMT -5
Day 11. Semi-private thread.
Kup knocks on the door to Xaaron and Rodimus's office. Then, if it's not locked, he goes in, not waiting for an answer. It's not that he's eager to do this, mind - he's certainly not. But he's not really one to wait on formal 'enters' or 'come ins.' If they don't want to talk to folks, they'll lock the door, so really, they're lucky he gives them the warning of a knock!
He looks around, checking to see if either Xaaron or Rodimus are in. He supposes that he technically can say this to Rodimus, which would probably make his life easier, although the veteran can't help but view that as the coward's way out. Consequently, he's not really sure who he'd rather find...
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 17, 2010 21:28:26 GMT -5
Ain't no better devil, ain't no better devil, ain't no better devil than the devil you know.
So it's Emirate Xaaron instead.
He's going over a stack of bills, fees, and fines. He doesn't look up as he goes over a line, tracing his pointer finger over it and squinting. Tap water fee? Why is there a tap water fee? Does he even want to know? With his free hand, he waves to Kup. Emirate Xaaron greets, "Good cycle, Kup. What can I do for you?"
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 17, 2010 21:47:13 GMT -5
"I would say 'listen,' but that's what you're good at, anyway, huh?"
Kup sighs and remains standing, for the moment seemingly not noticing the extra seats in the office.
"I... understand you know about Swerve's overheating problem now, right"
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 17, 2010 22:17:02 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron finally looks up and smiles beatifically at Kup, confirming with a nod that he does, indeed, listen. Pointing at a chair with a whole hand, he offers, "You could sit down, if you'd like. As for Swerve's heating problem... not in so many words."
He smirks slightly, looking Kup over. If he's hearing correctly, Kup did? How terribly interesting. He waits to see where Kup means to go with this.
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 17, 2010 22:22:28 GMT -5
Wait. Wait. So Xaaron didn't know? And now Kup's just told him?
Racer's gonna blow a gasket. But then, he does that pretty easily, anyway, and it's not like there's any backing out now.
Kup remains standing, though he does rub the back of his head. "So... how many words did you know?"
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 17, 2010 22:42:10 GMT -5
"Mm. Suit yourself," Emirate Xaaron comments mildly, glancing at the still-unused chairs. He admits honestly "I was aware that Long Haul had to fit Swerve with an external heating unit after that mess down on Pz-Zazz. I was uncertain if the issue was perennial or merely a result of his damages. What does it matter, how much I did or did not know?"
Kup is acting oddly, for Kup, and Emirate Xaaron is watching him like the buzzard he is.
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 17, 2010 22:49:15 GMT -5
Yup. Racer's gonna blow a gasket.
"It matters innat it helps me figure out how much you don't know so I know how much to tell you, but really..." Kup shrugs. His not choosing a seat isn't so odd - Kup's not much of a sitter, anyway. That doesn't mean his behavior isn't odd, though. "I already summed up the first bit. Swerve's got an overheating problem. Seems pretty severe, too, though I ain't no specialist in these things. I think that's probably the reason for at least some of his temper, though - what wasn't the result of life grinding its heel into him repeatedly back home, anyway."
"And I... I've known since Gillanan. You remember that first major training session we ran?" The one that got interrupted by the Unicron broadcast, of course.
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 17, 2010 23:00:45 GMT -5
"Sounds something like Broadside's little flaws," Emirate Xaaron muses, "and Broadside dealt with it by complaining constantly."
He's certainly not shocked by Kup's revelations. They do go a good ways toward explaining why Swerve is so Swerve.
Emirate Xaaron smirks slightly and says, "I do recall. Interesting, that you would keep such information secret even from medical staff. Swerve must mean a great deal to you."
Sometimes, Emirate Xaaron pushes buttons. Right now, he's doing nothing so crude, sliding the slenderest needles under armour instead, ever-so-carefully.
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 17, 2010 23:09:45 GMT -5
Kup twitches just faintly, then frowns, studying Xaaron as though trying to determine his angle that way. "Well, he's an Autobot," he answers, as if that should explain what Swerve might or might not mean to Kup. "And he asked me to."
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 17, 2010 23:26:30 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron has many, many angles, and a great deal of them are non-Euclidean, horror and all. Trying to understand them is bound to give a mechanism a headache, and that mechanism is getting off lightly if a headache is all that is inflicted.
He points out lightly, "But you put other Autobots in danger by not informing them of Swerve's flaw. We could have compensated for it in plans, you know. He isn't the only Autobot with an annoying weakness." Emirate Xaaron smiles ruefully. "My transformation still acts up a bit."
Emirate Xaaron finishes more pointedly than he began, sliding in another probing needle, "You make a habit of endangering other Autobots whenever an Autobot asks you to?"
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 18, 2010 9:30:54 GMT -5
Kup sputters and takes a step forward, lifting a hand to jab a finger towards Xaaron by way of emphasizing his point. "Now look here! If I thought for a moment another Autobot might be in danger, I'd have spoke up! That was part of the deal from the beginning!"
He lowers his hands and then slumps slightly, palms towards Xaaron and slightly lifted, in a motion resembling the 'look, no weapons' pose. "Look. You know the lad's got trust issues. Tryin' to get him past that's been a long road, and we ain't there by half. Me blabbin' something like that after he'd gone an told me not to, way back at that state of the game, woulda been a huge setback. I was hoping we'd get to a point where he'd be willing to tell folks himself, but... looks like that time's passed, anyway." Then he rubs his forehead. "And now I get to go back and admit to him that it turns out you didn't know about it already." He finishes with a mutter, "I've about had my fill of confessions today."
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 18, 2010 10:52:19 GMT -5
Depending on whether or not Kup is paying attention to Emirate Xaaron or if Kup's just too angry now, Kup might notice that there's not even a flicker of fear in Emirate Xaaron when Kup steps forward and jabs that fingers. Emirate Xaaron's expression and pose stay the same.
Hands laced together before him on the desk, he can't help but ask softly, "So did you think at all when Autobots called in on the radio on [Day 5]?" Kup really does seem like he has some blind spots about how not telling anyone about Swerve was a liability, and Emirate Xaaron would at least like to let Kup know how those blind spots come off to another. How Kup frets about having to tell Swerve that he told Emirate Xaaron!
"I do understand that he has trust issues." Delicious trust issues, so fun for poking, though Emirate Xaaron never pokes just for the sake of poking, only if there's a need for the greater good of society. "It may help your case to observe that Long Haul did have to affix an external cooling unit to him in front of me. I believe I would have had the whole of the truth eventually, one way or another, from you or from a follow-up medical examination from Long Haul."
He observes thoughtfully, "Swerve is quite lucky to have you looking out for him, though I suspect he does not see it that way."
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 18, 2010 20:12:16 GMT -5
Kup, for his part, wasn't actually trying to frighten or intimidate Emirate Xaaron - he was just reacting. At Xaaron's question, Kup starts, once more returning to his anger, "I-" He pauses, a moment, then scowls. "I didn't think, actually," he almost growls, hating the admission.
As Xaaron mentions Swerve being lucky to have him looking out for the racer, Kup shrugs.
"To tell the truth... I think he's just plain lucky to have fallen in with all of us. You're right about him not seeing it that way, though."
And then he smirks. "But I got reason t'think he's getting there."
|
|
|
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 18, 2010 22:12:02 GMT -5
A tiny smirk at the corner of Emirate Xaaron's mouth is the only reaction he gives to Kup's admission; even Emirate Xaaron cannot resist that small measure. However, he lets the matter pass without comment or further needling. Kup knows what he did (or, rather, didn't), and that's the important thing.
He agrees, "Swerve's miserable, but he would have been even more miserable as a Decepticon. Mmm. Or dead." Emirate Xaaron tilts his head, the tiny smirk shifting to a subtle smile. "Now do you? I should be most glad to hear, if you'd care to elabourate. I'd also be happy to go with to see Swerve, if you feel it would help at all."
|
|
|
Post by Kup on Nov 18, 2010 23:59:10 GMT -5
"Well, when I left, he was about curled up on himself, about a step away from sobbing about how he 'scrapped everything,'" Kup smiles, but it's a gentle, somewhat sad smile. "And when I backed away to give 'im time to cool down, he thanked me." Really. Swerve thanking anyone for anything should suggest that something's changed.
Kup shrugs. "It may not seem like much, but it's a start."
Emirate Xaaron may well have cause to remember this conversation when, a few days from now, Swerve makes his un-asked for offer of help after Perceptor's run-in with a hallucinogenic gas.
When Emirate Xaaron offers to accompany him, Kup shakes his head. "Naw, I got this." He smirks. "But I'll keep you in mind as back-up, huh?"
|
|