Tasha Walker
Minor
She's got legs, she knows how to use them. She never begs, she knows how to choose them.
Posts: 430
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Post by Tasha Walker on Jul 3, 2009 19:15:05 GMT -5
Now that, she thinks, as Needlenose shows off his gun, is impressive. She doesn't seem too worried, even though the shot passes close to her, almost as if she's used to such displays. She raises a finger up and strokes her chin as she gives the jet a thoughtful look. The organics are weapons, obviously linked to him somehow. Likely through armour controls. Which make it an upgrade, and something she can steal, perhaps.
Most interesting.
Slanting her eyes toward her namesake, Blackarachnia asks. "So, in your reality, you're not the only one stuck with an organic form, then?" eyeing the insect-like symbol at the other's neck. She shudders, "Hmpf, not sure if that would be curse or comfort."
She can't quite stifle a snort at the "Littlerachnia" commenty from Needlenose, then smiles as the jet mentions a change in venue, "Well, then lead on, pretty flyboy. Might as well get this over and done with."
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Blackarachnia (BW)
Rookie
She lay back on the ground and let the soft earth envelope her body.
Miss Predacon Blackarachnia, at your service.
Posts: 226
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Post by Blackarachnia (BW) on Jul 3, 2009 19:28:37 GMT -5
"Show off," Blackarachnia says in a teasing tone to Needlenose. Though she grits her teeth when Needlenose gives her a new nickname, and grits all the more when her larger namesake calls Needlenose 'pretty flyby'.
"Yeah, you can stop calling me that right now, thanks." She says to Needlenose as she follows the group to somewhere else to continue the interrogation.
"As for my altmode, I'm not really 'stuck' per se. We only needed it as a means of protection from unstable energon. I can get reformatted into a fully technological mode whenever I want. I just don't see the point. This suits me fine, and I can shift out of it if the situation ever changes."
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Post by Needlenose on Jul 3, 2009 22:03:15 GMT -5
You laugh, Decepticon Blackarachnia, but that means your nickname would be Bigrachnia! Which is all sorts of wrong. Too bad the Predacon just put an end to it. Needlenose shrugs as he saves his game and tucks his gaming device away. He opens the hand holding Zigzag and allows the gun to full out. Zigzag transforms during the fall, landing on his feet. "Sorry. Was just trying to come up with something a bit shorter. You've got a long name, longer when we have to clarify!" He doesn't seem to notice the Predacon's reaction to the Decepticon's compliment, but he doesn't give much reaction to the compliment, either. Sure, he pushes himself away from the wall with supreme confident and virtually struts into the hallway, but he would have done that anyway. He is a pretty flyboy. Pretty, and vain, as a peacock! "Right this way, then. So you're saying you're a singular act where you come from? Some level of organic integration isn't... uncommon in a few realities. For example, I've always likened the small Predacons to Micromasters with Pretender suits for alternate modes. I kind of think most the folk from my reality do." As he walks, his guns trail behind, and it's not long before they've gotten to their destination. He was telling the truth! There is a lounge down here! (He knows because he installed the video game system in it.)
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Tasha Walker
Minor
She's got legs, she knows how to use them. She never begs, she knows how to choose them.
Posts: 430
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Post by Tasha Walker on Jul 5, 2009 16:39:51 GMT -5
Blackarachnia shoots the other spider a hard glance, "You can change your form. Be reformatted," she practically spits, "How goody goody for you. I can't." Envy, it is an ugly, ugly emotion. Watch yourself, little Predacon, or your big not-quite-sister may decide to try and find out how that tech works for you.
"And yes, I'm...unique," she answers Needlenose after a moment, following behind the jet. "And what do you mean, it isn't uncommon? Where I come from just talking to an organic is considered beyond the pale, let alone mimicking one. Of course, all the anti-organic propaganda put out by the Autobots doesn't help matters."
She spots a stool in the lounge and carefully seats herself upon it, legs and arms crossed. "They even made it a punishable offense to explore organic planets. Narrow-minded fascists."
No, she's not bitter at all. Why do you ask?
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Blackarachnia (BW)
Rookie
She lay back on the ground and let the soft earth envelope her body.
Miss Predacon Blackarachnia, at your service.
Posts: 226
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Post by Blackarachnia (BW) on Jul 5, 2009 17:01:18 GMT -5
The words that escape Blackarachnia's vocalizer are "Sorry. I merely corrected you when you said I was stuck. I didn't know you were trapped." And they sound pretty sincere too.
Meanwhile, inside, the Predacon glees at the notion of having a big shiny button to push on her larger namesake.
"The Autobots are anti-organic? In our history, they love those little Earthen flesh creatures. Well, anyway, first lesson for here is that you cannot assume that just because something is similar where you come from that it is the same in other worlds. There's plenty of differences."
Blackarachnia climbs up on one of the larger chairs--there's no way that she can sit down on a smaller chair without it looking ridiculous, so she at least wishes to look the new Decepticon in the optics by standing on a larger chair.
"For example, since when does Autobot law influence the Decepticon's stance on organics?"
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Post by Needlenose on Jul 5, 2009 22:03:34 GMT -5
Needlenose seems as shocked as Pred Blackarachnia when 'Con Blackarachnia mentions the organic bans. "Seriously? Autobots? Seriously?" He rubs his chin and looks towards the ceiling. "Maybe it's some sort of moronic, misguided attempt to protect the rest of the universe from us."
Needlenose assumes this because Needlenose doesn't know that the Autobots of Blackarachnia's universe 'won' their war by sending the goal off into space, which, in turn, sent the Decepticons chasing after it and effectively dumped their problem on the rest of the universe.
"In my reality, we have these things called 'Pretenders.' It's an outer shell that a Transformer can 'wear' to pass themselves off as organic. Fools sensors and everything, but for it to work, you have to be some level of tied into the armor," Needlenose explains, heading towards a dispenser and entering his rations code. "Don't know if any of those crew have gotten a new body or anything, but I think you can end that just by destroying the shell. Feedback's supposed to be pretty painful, though, maybe even deadly. Oh, hey, you two want any cubes?"
As he waits for an answer he peers curiously at the large Blackarachnia. "So what's stopping you from just having your brain module, or whatever the hell you call it, transferred into another body? I've done that a few times myself." He leans towards the smaller Blackarachnia, holds his hand near his mouth, and stage whispers, "Even spent some time as a Seeker, when that mold first took off."
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Tasha Walker
Minor
She's got legs, she knows how to use them. She never begs, she knows how to choose them.
Posts: 430
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Post by Tasha Walker on Jul 6, 2009 11:00:11 GMT -5
"That would most appreciated. Thank you," she responds to Needlenose's offer of refreshment.
Blackarachnia is quiet for a few moments while she processes the information received from both sources. She would really prefer not to discuss the full nature of her curse, but there seems to be no way around it. Here's hoping they don't decide she's a lab experiment to be kept as such.
If they do, they will find out rather quickly the folly of such thoughts.
She shrugs and waves her hand at the other spider in a dismissive gesture, deciding to answer in the order of questioning. "What, Goldie, your leaders make no habit of cultivating followers from amongst the dissatisfied and disenfranchised? Autobot ideals may not matter to the few Decepticons left clinging to Megatron's coattails, but that doesn't change the fact that popular opinion is still popular opinion."
"As for the Autobots themselves," she snorts, "They don't give a tinker's damn about the rest of the universe, only preserving their status quo. Ultra Magnus and the Guard didn't defeat Megatron back in the day; they shot what he wanted off into space so that he'd pack up and leave. Then they doctored up history so that after awhile hardly anyone but the old bots and the government knew the Allspark existed."
"They aren't any better, you see. They're just better at faking it."
She uncrosses her arms, shifts her leg about so that one foot is propped on a higher rung of the stool than another. Her hands loosely grip the stool's edge, and she is ready to leap at a moment's notice. Her attention is fixed on Needlenose.
"I can't just swap my spark about. Thanks to an accident and the most looovely of friends, I gotta little spider DNA fused directly into my circuits. So, what's a Seeker, pretty boy?"
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Blackarachnia (BW)
Rookie
She lay back on the ground and let the soft earth envelope her body.
Miss Predacon Blackarachnia, at your service.
Posts: 226
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Post by Blackarachnia (BW) on Jul 6, 2009 15:09:34 GMT -5
"You're too kind," Blackarachnia says to Needlenose.
Blackarachnia offers a bleak chuckle. "Kind of reminds me of the Maximals. And don't worry, we got plenty of help from the dissatisfied. It's just that the dissatisfied were other Predacons. Long story."
She decides to answer the question put to Needlenose for him. Pretty boy. Grrr. "Seekers are a generic make of Decepticon, mass-produced air warriors. We have a couple here already--Starscream, Duskwing, Fleetwind, to name a few." A pause. "Oh, I suppose I should fill you in. Starscream is the leader of the Decepticons, Predacons and Vehicons here. Shockwave and Hook are our respective second-and-third-in-command."
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Post by Needlenose on Jul 6, 2009 22:39:42 GMT -5
Needlenose pulls two cubes from the dispenser and glides back over to slip one in front of Con Blackarachnia, one in front of Pred Blackarachnia... and then he slides into his seat, with no cube of his own, and props his head up on his hands.
"Blasted this 'Allspark' thing into space, huh? What is it with Autobots and spending important aspects to randomly cavort about the universe?" He leans back and gestures to himself with his right hand. "Mine did that with the Underbase. And the Matrix. Well. Optimus Prime's body. Which held the Matrix." And then his antennae droop. "And as of the moment I was pulled from, Cybertron is on the brink of being destroyed because of that little bit of idiocy. We haven't found anyone pulled from further along yet. Not my branch of the timeline, anyway."
He perks up and rocks back in his seat. "You talking about recruiting disenfranchised Autobots, though, that's pretty much the definition of a Decepticon back home! Heck, I used to be an Autobot!" His antennae perk up as he pauses to see the reaction. That statement usually gets a reaction from realities with a different history than his. After the moment, he then leans forward and confides, "Once upon a time, that was just another name for the whole species. Transformer. Cybertronian. Autobot. All one, y'know? Anyone built before the great war was an Autobot." Oh, dear, he's expositioning again. Although in his defense, this does seem to border on a 'explain my universe'. He waves a hand absently. "Then Tarn blew up Vos and Vos blew up Tarn and the refugees all ent up in Iacon and Megatron convinced them that it was all Iacon's fault for not stepping in sooner."
Needlenose barks a laugh and shrugs. "I don't know, something like. I was Iaconian, I just joined in because the Iacon to military brass consisted of a bunch of idiots who couldn't appreciate art." He straightens up and deepens his voice, saying in a very stuffy, mocking tone, "'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, but only to do things that I approve of and that I don't consider frivolous, and art in wartime is frivolous!'" He snorts, rocks back in his chair again, and gestures to 'Con Blackarachnia, "So I'm hearin' you the not being better thing, sister."
He doesn't answer the question about Seekers because, well, Pred Blackarachnia has it. So instead, exposition over, he lets the front of his chair fall forward and taps his fingers against the table. The occasional annoyed glance at an energon cube indicates his desire to have something to occupy himself with. It's unpleasant to be the only one not drinking, but he's been topped off since takeoff!
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Tasha Walker
Minor
She's got legs, she knows how to use them. She never begs, she knows how to choose them.
Posts: 430
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Post by Tasha Walker on Jul 7, 2009 11:11:38 GMT -5
One thing that didn't change that very faithful day was her love of history, and Blackarachnia finds herself actually leaning forward slightly and listening to Needlenose with rapt attention. Mentally, she's already imagining how much collective knowledge must be in this odd group of Decepticons and Decepticon offshoots. Perhaps, even, there might be someone with knowledge of how to truly fix her, get rid of her taint. She casts a sidelong glance at her fin house double. Especially if some can take such forms at will.
She picks up her cube and takes a slight sip, not able to quite hold back a small sigh of satisfaction. It has been entirely too long since she had more than filtered rations stolen from Earth machines. She isn't particularly hungry, but only a fool turns down a free meal, after all.
"So, unless things are really different in some reality of another, if Starscream is leading, then there isn't a Megatron here." She shakes her head, "I think it's safe to assume as well that he isn't my Starscream. Though I'm curious as to if his arrogance and ambition are universal constants or no."
"I don't know a Hook, nor a Shockwave, not really. I know there was someone named Shockwave who intermittently reported in to Megatron. Off doing some super secret mission or some such. Never could find out what, and his com image was always blurred out." She sounds a bit miffed.
Blackarachnia inwardly smirks a bit as she notices Needlenose's restlessness. She doesn't know the cause, but if she can keep him talking about himself, maybe he'll forget to go back and pry into her secrets. Another sip from her cube, and her posture relaxes. She leans her elbows on the table and props her chin in her interlaced fingers.
"All and all though, sounds like you and I might have quite a bit in common, though I'm more of a historian than an artist. Or wanted to be," she adds bitterly. Her voice lightens once more, "So an artist and a trendsetter then, and now you're in the Decepticon version of the Elite Guard. Quite a leap that."
Oh, wait, is there another person in the room?
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Blackarachnia (BW)
Rookie
She lay back on the ground and let the soft earth envelope her body.
Miss Predacon Blackarachnia, at your service.
Posts: 226
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Post by Blackarachnia (BW) on Jul 7, 2009 14:49:32 GMT -5
Blackarachnia chuckles. "That sounds like Starscream all right. He seems to be from my past. Needlenose recognizes him, but apparently he's some kind of variant reality or something." She shrugs it off with a swig of her cube. What she says about Shockwave was interesting, though.
Unfortunately the problem with keeping one person talking and completely ignoring the other is that the other is free to keep things on topic.
"So who was this Meltdown you were mentioning? Whoever he is, you weren't happy with the work he was offering." Probably your typical Decepticon mad scientist, she assumes, but she doubts 'Bigrachnia' will be happy to talk about it.
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Post by Needlenose on Jul 7, 2009 20:34:50 GMT -5
Needlenose shrugs as 'Con Blackarachnia comments on his 'leap.' "They had openings after the Time Wars. A lot of them. You know how it goes. I threw my name in, I got picked. Never heard of no Elite Guard. We're sometimes compared with the Wreckers, but they do a bit less internal policing."
He nods as Pred Blackarachnia mentions his reality being a variant, and adds, "That's usually a safe assumption, by the way, but not always. Leadership changes hands pretty often where I'm from and our Megatron... uhm... well, let's just say that one of his more notable actions was to nearly commit suicide with a spacebridge because our Optimus Prime committed suicide over a video game. And it only gets crazier from there! Hell, the Earth-based folks have had Ratbat in charge, and the only thing that kept him from being the most successful of that lot was that he thought he could trust Starscream as his second!" Then he tilts his head, one antenna pointed up and one quirked to the side. "'Course, he was in charge while Grimlock was leading the Autobots, which might have had something to do with it."
Then he shrugs and bounces backwards in his seat once more. "Blackarachnia - I mean, the little one - has a point, though. You're the one we need to interview. My reality's already got a file. " He gestures towards the small spider. "That's a good enough place to start."
The Nebulans are still here, by the way, but they've gone and gotten themselves human drinks. And, in fact, it would appear that someone (probably Needlenose) has installed a television of some sort in this room. Zigzag is flipping through it to see what space channels they can pick up, but so far, nothing interesting.
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Tasha Walker
Minor
She's got legs, she knows how to use them. She never begs, she knows how to choose them.
Posts: 430
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Post by Tasha Walker on Jul 8, 2009 12:13:15 GMT -5
Fascinating as listening to Needlenose is, Blackarachnia is deciding that his reality is a bit nuts. Grimlock? Leading? Seriously?
She shoots the other spider a sharp look. Annoying little bint, isn't she? Hmpf. Well, Needlenose, likely wouldn't have been distracted for too much longer, if he's any good at his job.
"Meltdown was a human chemist who had done quite a lot of work in several areas of biochemistry and genetic manipulation, including integration of organic and inorganic technology." She barks out a laugh, "I say "was" because thanks to his own hubris, he's now a walking, talking pile of metal-eating sludge. Still brilliant, though."
She studies her fingertips. "We were...in the midst of a disagreement before I woke up here."
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Blackarachnia (BW)
Rookie
She lay back on the ground and let the soft earth envelope her body.
Miss Predacon Blackarachnia, at your service.
Posts: 226
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Post by Blackarachnia (BW) on Jul 8, 2009 15:03:11 GMT -5
Blackarachnia places her head in her claw-hand as Needlenose offers information on his reality. She's been aware of Needlenose's reality for some time, but every time she hears about Optimus and Megatron she cannot help but cringe.
"A human? Huh." She doesn't press anymore as to what 'disagreement' might mean, she's got a good idea. She then turns to Needlenose. "So; All Spark, Xenophobic Autobots led by Ultra Magnus rather than Optimus Prime. Do we know anyone from a reality that fits that description?"
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Post by Needlenose on Jul 8, 2009 20:40:49 GMT -5
Needlenose notes the lack of a real answer about the nature of Meltdown's 'disagreement'. Don't think he misses that. However, he first answers the Predacon's question.
"Oh, yeah, sure. That nutty lug, Lugnut." Needlenose rocks back in his seat once more, then lands the front legs on the floor. "Glad to see you're not all Megatron worshipers there. That's kind of creepy, really." Then he adds, rubbing his chin, "Well, Motormaster isn't that bad, come to think of it."
Needlenose seems completely unphased by the idea of a powered human, but then, he would be; his reality has a Spider-Man, after all!
(Something that would be really amusing to mention in this company, actually.)
"So, what sort of disagreement were you having with this powered human, if you don't mind my asking?" Then he rests his elbow on the table and props up his head. Behind him, Zigzag and Sunbeam look up from their television attempts, and Sunbeam even stands.
"Or even if you do mind," he adds.
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