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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 7, 2011 22:00:47 GMT -5
Month 3, Week 1, Day 1, Event Horizon , private, mention of Mirage done with permission - - - Providence, today, has been kind to Sentinel Prime. He's been assigned to pilot watch with Mirage. Now, he'd normally be kind of leery of being stuck alone in a boring room with a mentally unstable Autobot who might be a serial killer, but Mirage is seriously hard to track down, and Mirage will be here. That solves the hard part. Now, Sentinel Prime just needs to talk an aloof, arrogant loner of noble into doing something he doesn't want to do. That'll be easy-peasy. He settles into his duty, doing all the checks by the book. Whenever Mirage arrives, Sentinel Prime's greeting is friendly but not overly obsequious, a simple, "Good cycle, Mirage." Then he waits. Sentinel Prime can do boring duties like a boss. The pampered noble is going to want some distraction after a while.
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Post by Mirage on May 7, 2011 22:53:55 GMT -5
"To you as well, Sentinel," Mirage responds automatically. The spy stifles a yawn. This is an early shift, for him, and his rest has been bothered lately by all sorts of dreams. The only time he sleeps well is when he doesn't sleep alone and that isn't nearly as often as he'd like. The lack of sleep isn't enough to bother anyone over, though. Yet.
Some time passes, during which Mirage makes a few notes about a debris field the ship passes. He purses his lips as one of the sensors blip. The blip is not repeated, however, so he relaxes back into his seat. Mostly.
"Strange," he murmurs.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 7, 2011 23:07:41 GMT -5
Oh, look. The noble is yawning. Didn't get all his beauty sleep?
Sentinel Prime leans over to look at Mirage's screen when Mirage comments, 'strange,' quite possibly uncomfortably encroaching into Mirage's space. He'd like to make Mirage a little off-balance, if he can. Sentinel Prime frowns at what he sees or, rather, what he doesn't see. He decides to bite and asks, "What? I don't see anything."
That worries him and plays upon his paranoia. Sentinel Prime takes meticulous notes that probably make whoever reads his reports cry tears of energon.
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Post by Mirage on May 8, 2011 20:33:29 GMT -5
"The sensors picked up a life sign or a ship, or seemed to for a moment, but it's not showing anything now," Mirage says, still frowning.
"And nothing's showing on the viewscreen. A glitch, perhaps."
Sentinel Prime is all up in Mirage's space. This really doesn't bother the spy; he is pretty flexible with his space bubble. However, needling Sentinel Prime is more amusing than watching monitors.
"You know, if I activated my cloak right now, your head would seem to disappear," Mirage says conversationally.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 8, 2011 20:58:46 GMT -5
"False positives. Feh," Sentinel Prime says, clearly unhappy. He writes some very strongly worded notes!
Then he twitches and resists the urge to boot Mirage in the head. How does Mirage know that Sentinel Prime has issues regarding to beheading? Did he mention that around Mirage? Stupid button-pushing maybe-sociopath.
Sentinel Prime replies back, just as conversationally, "Yeah? That's a neat trick. Now, could you make yourself appear with one of these?" He absently brushes his hand over his own chest, with the winged symbol. "Because that'd be a better trick."
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Post by Mirage on May 9, 2011 11:03:29 GMT -5
Mirage turns his head to look more fully at Sentinel when the Prime makes his not-so-oblique reference.
"I had not planned on it," Mirage smirks, "I'm not known for being the best team player, as I'm sure you know."
He settles back a bit in his chair. "I work better alone."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 9, 2011 11:33:02 GMT -5
"What, you don't want to meet new and exciting species and learn novel ways of insulting their parentage?" Sentinel Prime pokes. Yes, he is deliberately provoking Mirage. If Mirage comes out at him with claws bared, Sentinel Prime is a lot more justified in getting nasty with Mirage.
Sentinel Prime doesn't feel he's being entirely unfair, however. Most of what Mirage does appears to be 'discovering new methods of enraging the crew'. It's an honest call to make about Mirage, he feels.
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Post by Mirage on May 9, 2011 22:34:24 GMT -5
Mirage quirks a browridge at Sentinel. "Personally, I've found that sticking to the classics works in most any language," the aristocrat says dryly, "But I'm sure that if I decide to expand my vocabulary, Glyph will happy to assist me."
"I would think that for something like this, you'd prefer people who actually enjoy working on a team. Why bother me about it?"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 9, 2011 22:43:12 GMT -5
Of course Mirage plays it cool as a cucumber1 when Sentinel Prime wants him to get angry. Mirage was a cat in a past life, right? A lazy old temple cat, full of contrary.
Sentinel Prime shrugs and replies, smirking, "Is there anyone in Intel who likes working on a team?" Or is it just Rattrap's much-bemoaned division of lone wolves? "Who likes working on a team and would be actually good at this. You're a spy, you're a sharpshooter, and you know what fork to use when. You're a noble, which matters on some planets. And you're popular with the ladies and gentlemen." He's definitely still smirking, even as he plays to Mirage's ego.
"You don't think you'd be an asset to your cause in such a role?" There's the obligatory appeal to patriotism. Serntinel Prime made it. Can't say he didn't.
1 Still Botanica's fault.
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Post by Mirage on May 9, 2011 23:59:21 GMT -5
Mirage shrugs, "It's lonely work, intel is. It tends to fall to those with natural loner inclinations. Not that I am such. I am fairly gregarious by nature, preferring company more than not."
"However, my talents are best suited to individual missions, not team efforts, so...," Mirage trails off as he spreads his hands.
He frowns, "I think putting me in a position where I would be expected to be highly visible and involved in diplomatic affairs would completely negate my use as a spy and sharpshooter. People who are Somebody tend to be noticed when they are not where they would be expected."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 10, 2011 0:05:27 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime counters, "Who says you have to be visible at all, See-Through-Bot? We could use having someone there that isn't known to be there. While I'm playing ceremonial bodyguard while Rodimus Prime's yakking with the High Technocrat about the price of actuators, we sure could use someone out there, getting the lay of the land, seeing if the Technocrat's got a secret mistress, seeing if they're planning on having us for dinner... as the main course."
Do not ask Sentinel Prime to Fallen's advocate. He will Fallen's advocate all day long. Sentinel Prime runs on a 50/50 diesel/spite blend.
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Post by Mirage on May 10, 2011 18:15:47 GMT -5
The spy turns so that he can more fully look on Sentinel. Mirage's expression is his typical neutral as he examines the Prime, seeming to think over Sentinel's words.
"Sentinel, I have no desire to try out for your team. Why do you continue to push the subject?"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 10, 2011 18:35:26 GMT -5
Spite improves the cetane rating, causing the fuel to ignite faster.
Sentinel Prime smiles beatifically and replies perfectly innocently, "Because the team needs an Intel agent for the reasons I just outlined, and you're all lone wolves. None of you are going to want to join a team without a push."
The real question, Mirage, is why Sentinel Prime is asking Mirage and not any one of those other lone wolves. Think about that just a moment. Maybe he's just going to go ask them all one by one until he gets a 'yes'. Maybe he's asked some already. Maybe Mirage is number three or even lower!
But does Sentinel Prime seems the type to waste his time like that?
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Post by Mirage on May 10, 2011 19:44:44 GMT -5
"Jazz or Prowl would be better options," Mirage says mildly, "Jazz is naturally gregarious and enjoys learning new cultures. Prowl, while more reserved, seems to give great thought to the rights of others."
"I shall clarify. Why are you pushing the point with me?" he asks, as he leans one elbow on the chair arm and rests his chin on the back of his hand.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on May 10, 2011 20:35:32 GMT -5
"What makes you think I haven't asked them already?" Sentinel Prime asks, and then he laughs. He reaches over to try to give Mirage a slap on the back - it's seemingly friendly, but it's also hard. "What, you think you're something special?"
The real reason is that Jazz's and Prowl's muns are not interested in doing this with their characters, whereas Mirage's mun is!
"I knew a Jazz. He served under me. It was amazing how laid back he was... and what he could be laid back about. This Jazz isn't like that. I'll be sure to consult with Jazz, though." Sentinel Prime's gaze sharpens. "And Prowl, heh, you don't know the history there."
Maybe Mirage will find out. Is Mirage the type to go crazy when crumbs of information are dropped in front of him?
Sentinel Prime leans in very close to Mirage, and whispers, voice low and meant only for Mirage, "Funny thing is, this is a volunteer unit, but I can still make you do it. Your holograms change voices, don't they? You'll want to turn that on now."
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