Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Mar 31, 2011 20:04:27 GMT -5
Month 1, Week 3, Day 4, Event Horizon, Semi-private
Optimus Prime hasn't really spent a lot of time alone with Elita-1 since she arrived, and he's nervous. He feels like he shouldn't be, though. She's one of his oldest and dearest friends, after all. Sure, she's back from the dead, and her evil future self is running around somewhere. Maybe he's right to be a little nervous. And Sentinel asking him to take Elita on a date makes him more nervous. He knows Sentinel too well not to suspect him of having an ulterior motive.
Nonetheless, here he is, knocking on her door.
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Post by Elita-1 on Mar 31, 2011 20:27:51 GMT -5
Elita has been ready and waiting for Optimus for about ten minutes now. Even so, she waits until he knocks again before slowly getting up off her berth and opening the door.
She managed to wheedle a complete repaint out of Skyblast. The skypainter even added these awesome purple stylized designs over the back of one hand and up the same arm. The purple really stands out on the gold, and she loves it. It took very little convincing to get Clipper to help Elita with finishing touches, making sure the older girl was properly polished to a better-than-military grade shine. When Elita looks at herself in the mirror, she thinks she looks striking, cool, and confident.
When the door slides open though, she doesn't feel like that at all. She smiles a bit shyly and ducks her head a bit to one side.
"Hi, Optimus. So, um... what do you have planned?"
Mention of date night help with respective players permission
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 1, 2011 12:47:56 GMT -5
Optimus blinks. "Wow, Elita, you look great," he blurts out. Now he feels underpolished. He just did a quick wash and wax cycle in the decon chambers. The young Prime resolves to concentrate on how stunning Elita-1 looks, and ignore the fact that the last time he saw her wear purple she was also wearing extra legs.
"Oh, I reserved- Well, I mean, you can't reserve them, but I sort of let folks know that we were going to be using the little lounge on C Deck, the one that has the view of the stars over the engines. They sort of look like a skyline with the damage to them. I saved up some energon rations to fabricate some goodies, and I thought we could watch an entertainment datatrack?"
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 1, 2011 22:13:26 GMT -5
Elita smiles at the compliment. It's a real smile too, not one of those, "I know I look great but thanks for stating the obvious" smiles.
"Thanks. So do you." He always does, at least to her.
"Let folks know...? Well, I guess that might keep us from getting interrupted," Elita says. Hopefully, no one will decide to prank the dating cadets.
Except- Optimus isn't a cadet anymore. He's a Prime. She pushes those thoughts away for now and steps up to try and take his arm.
"It sounds great. I've... missed just spending time with you." Her tone turns teasing, "I was beginning to think you and Sentinel had decided I was too young for you."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 2, 2011 19:07:07 GMT -5
Optimus Prime naturally tends to look shiny and leadery. It is a multiversal constant. He's more than happy to let Elita-1 take his arm, and when she does he starts walking toward the lounge.
"I've missed you too, Elita. What with one thing and another we haven't really gotten a chance to just hang out," he agrees. He's careful not to let his feelings show on his face when Elita teases him. The truth is, she is too young, and it's awkward being alone with her like this. But the older version of her . . .
Why can't he get these thoughts out of his processor?
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 3, 2011 9:57:31 GMT -5
Elita-1 is a mere thousand stellar cycles younger than this Optimus, give or take a cycle. To beings who live for millions of years, that's barely an age difference worth mentioning. The maturity level between them however....
"Yeah," she says, "things have been a bit crazy." She sighs softly as she tries to lean her head against Optimus's shoulder. Sure, it will make them walk slower, but last she checked, they had all night.
After a few minutes, during which she starts to say something and stop several times, Elita finally asks Optimus, "Have... you spoken to Sentinel since he was let out of medical? I haven't and well... I know he was hurt pretty badly."
"I think... I think Sentinel has a harder time dealing with me than you do."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 3, 2011 19:22:46 GMT -5
Optimus doesn't mind Elita-1 leaning on him. Quite the opposite, in fact!
"That's the understatement of the millennium. Things have been completely crazy. Even disregarding the alternate universes thing, I never thought I'd see this many Decepticons in one place."
"We've spoken a few times, yes. He-" Optimus was about to tell Elita-1 Sentinel apologized to him, but he gets the feeling Sentinel wouldn't appreciate that. "He's been a lot easier to deal with lately. He said you asked him to be nicer to me?" He pauses, attempting to put an arm around Elita's shoulder.
"Don't let Sentinel get to you. He's not good with people, but his spark is in the right place."
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 3, 2011 21:00:30 GMT -5
Elita allows Optimus to put his arm around her. Cuddles are always welcome!
"Hmpf. I never thought I'd see this many Decepticons period. They were supposed to be a near-defunct rebel group, after all."
"And, yeah, I did ask Sentinel to be nicer to you," Elita says with only slight hesitation, "It's... selfish. I shouldn't have interfered but-"
She stops, tries to turn into Optimus and place her hands on his shoulders, "I know you and he aren't the same people I know. Too much time between us and too much bad oil between you two. But you're still my guys, my best friends. I can't look at you as anything else."
"I just want some semblance of normalcy in all of this mess. Does that make sense?" she asks as she gives Optimus a pleading look.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 4, 2011 20:46:24 GMT -5
"According to the 'bots from our future, the Decepticons aren't all that defunct, especially once they hear the AllSpark has been found. I can personally attest that Starscream is alive and kicking."
Optimus frowns. "I don't think it's selfish to want your friends to get along. And we are still your friends! I care about you very much, Elita." That's why it's important that he not stop trying to save her. Both of her.
The Prime gives a wan grin and snorts. "Define 'normal,'" he quips as they reach the lounge.
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 4, 2011 22:27:37 GMT -5
The problem with being the Designated Hero is that one tends to be blind to the idea that some people are too far gone to save- or that they were lost from their very creation.
Stupid writers and their stupid Tragic Backstory trope.
"Normal," she repeats, the makes an exasperated sigh when he makes his joking request for a definition. She tries to punch him lightly in the arm, "You know what I mean!" Elita-1 tries to sound annoyed, but the smile she can't quite hide is a match to Optimus's.
She detaches from Optimus as the reach the lounge and moves up close to the viewing window. "You know, I never really expected to ever really get of Cybertron. Knowing how big the universe is intellectually and actually getting a taste for it are two different things."
"It was a lot simpler then, wasn't it?" she asks softly
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 5, 2011 21:37:19 GMT -5
No-one is beyond saving and no-one is completely evil. Everyone has some tiny spark of goodness in them that's worth saving. Optimus has to believe that. What kind of person would he be if he didn't? What kind of Optimus would he be if he didn't? Since coming to this reality, he's not just trying to be the best he can be. He's trying to live up to his name.
Don't talk to Optimus Prime about being the Designated Hero.
"I'm not sure I do anymore!" he protests, returning Elita's amusement. "At breakfast this morning I sat with a bot who turns into an organic, a bot small enough to fit in the palm of the first bot's hand, and two bots who could fly. What's 'normal' going to be tomorrow?"
"It was," Optimus agrees, joining Elita at the window. "Are you glad you're off Cybertron? Getting to see the universe?" Well, a universe, anyway. "Or would you rather be back home?"
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 5, 2011 22:24:07 GMT -5
"I'm not sure," Elita answers as she once more slides an arm around Optimus and leans her head on his shoulder, "I wanted the chance to study our history, and I wanted to see more of the universe firsthand. Overall, it's been really interesting. I can't quite shake the gut reaction of 'ew' to the organic alien things though."
"I get the propaganda stuff, the Great Autobot Machine spiel. I did a lot of poking around in the archives, you know. There's... a lot of stuff in our history that never makes it to the average citizen- at least not in an unvarnished form."
She shrugs, "So getting out and seeing it for myself, drawing my own conclusions is good. When we get back home, maybe I can speak out from experience, get some policy changes rolling."
After a few moments, she softly adds, "Sentinel told me not to go home, though."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 6, 2011 20:56:59 GMT -5
"Here you get the chance to study the history of completely different Cybertrons," Optimus counters. "Some of the Autobots here have really interesting stories to tell. Especially Kup. That seems to be one of those universal constants."
He frowns, giving Elita a squeeze. "Our history isn't perfect, but we know a lot more about our history than most of the other realities seem to." Maybe if everyone had an all-encompassing Almanac for their reality, they wouldn't all seem so squeaky-clean in comparison.
"We don't really know what'll happen when we go home, Elita. Or even if we can go home. I don't think it's worth stressing over right now. We've got more immediate problems." Like a warship full of Decepticons. "Like whether I followed the recipe right when I made these energon goodies." The Prime gestures to a tray of softly glowing pink confections.
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Post by Elita-1 on Apr 7, 2011 21:59:06 GMT -5
Elita's optics cycle as she looks skyward in approximation of an eyeroll. "Kup is an interesting story. I think he's held together by baling wire, electrical tape, and the power generated by all that hot air. Seriously, no one person can fight fifty-plus Regulan Metal Mongers alone and win."
She looks over toward the tray. "Oh, I'm sure you got it right. They aren't that hard to make," she says as she moves toward the couch, gently trying to tug Optimus after her. Once they are seated, she pops one of the goodies in her mouth.
"Oh! These are sweeter than I expected!"
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 9, 2011 12:38:17 GMT -5
Optimus smiles. "I guess ol' Kup Minor did have a tendency to exaggerate. His stories are part of what got me interested in history, though!"
Elita doesn't really need to pull him over to the couch, he would have followed her easily enough. The Prime takes a seat on the sofa beside the cadet and samples one of the confections for himself. He's already had a couple when they were fresh from the apparatus, of course. He had to make sure they were good.
"They're not too sweet, are they? I infused the mixture a little faster than it said to in the recipe, but it was already starting to glow, and it says you're supposed to be done with the infusion once it starts glowing." He also dropped a couple pipettes and broke them, but he synthesized new ones out of his own rations.
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