Whirl on a Bench

Only a few cycles have passed since Whirl endured what was possibly the most psychologically painful things in his life, better known to the general public as the big 'debate' between him and Blast Off. It was so incredibly messed up being shoved in front of cameras and watching faces, having no choice but to defend a cause you despise, having to face down the only person you care about in this messed up world like the two of you were bitter enemies. Having to listen to that person blame you for the death of a mutual friend, losing your cool and making a fool out of yourself.. yeah, it's been pretty damn rough for Whirl.
  Restless and unsure of what to do with his pathetic self, Whirl finds himself in Altihex. He currently sits on a bench in a small courtyard-ish area, giving him a perfect view of the sky above. This city, and this bench in particular, are special to him. Or rather they were. Now they are just grim reminders of the situation he currently finds himself in.
  Along the same loose path Whirl took to arrive, one robot among several is walking the streets. He - or she perhaps, having a mostly slender build - is in good repair with proper white paint that's striped with browns and his (or her) appearance is dominated by a rather voluminous but also indescript chest. By the lack of wheels or thrusters of any sort, the wanderer might be a scientist.
  Spectrum's nose twitches as he walks while cycling air through his systems and eventually his optics spot Whirl. The helicopter's form is recognizable from the widely televised debate and, thankfully for the scienceformer, so was the scent he left behind at the podium. For the flightless mech however, it was a much longer trip to follow it all the way here.
  Without any reservations at walking up to the empurata, Spectrum approaches and offers a one-handed wave in recognition; he's got claws too, if only pointed fingertips. "Good cycle. Are you 'Whirl'?"
  This is the first time Whirl has come out in public since the debate and the whole time he's been sitting here, he's had people approaching him though it's mostly to mock him for his poor performance or point out to their friends that it's that 'crazy empurata from the debate.' When Spectrum approaches, Whirl turns away to show how incredbly disinterested he is in talking to someone.
  "If this is about the debate, just stop. What ever you have to say about it, I've already heard it." He glares at the mech out the corner of his optic, trying to sneak a peek at those claws. Odd, he doesn't look like the sort that would have such things.
  "Actually I was hoping you'd do the talking," Spectrum responds, unruffled by the literal cold shoulder. His waving hand remains on display for a moment - he's not ashamed of it. "I was hoping to hear you finish the debate."
  "You're with the Sec. F., right?" He asks, just to be sure.
  It's pretty apparent that this strange mech isn't going to go away so Whirl gives a long, frustrated sigh and turns to face him. He can see those claws better now and it's obvious that he's staring at them though it's impossible to tell what he thinks about them. Disgust? Intrigue? Confusion? Who friggin' knows.
  "Right..." Whirl turns his focus from those claws to the mech's face now. "What's it to ya?"
  "I'm in the rare situation of having a chance to change my job," Spectrum answers forthright. "The Sec. F. offered for me to do field work instead of lab work. I'd like to know what I'm getting into... call it Decepticon sympathizers but I've heard some nasty things."
  Having noticed Whirl's staring he glances at the helicopterformer's far more prominent claws. "Stuck on my pointy bits?" That might be the scientist's attempt at a joke.
  "Tch! Sorry to disappoint, but I'm probably the worst person to talk to about that sort of thing. I barely know what we're even supposed to be doing, and I sure as hell couldn't tell you if it's better than what ever you're doing now." Whirl can't help but think that this mech has some serious problems if he thinks that him, of all people, would be the one to talk to about SecF. Especially after that debacle of a debate.
  The comment about 'pointy bits' causes another 'tch!' from the cyclops. "Can you blame me? It's not everyday you meet someone with claws. Even rarer when they're not empurata." He casts a glance at the mech's hands. "You got a cool story behind them or is it mostly for show?"
  "My 'lab work' is mechaforensics; they're for tearing open bodies," Spectrum answers, showing his claws again as his countenance changes from cordial to serious in the time it takes to raise them. "I've seen the conditions you people leave suspects in, there's an ugly side to that job even if it's for the public good. I don't want to hear the sales pitch, I want to hear the messy truth..." Here the scienceformer smiles again as he regards Whirl more generously. "You looked like someone with stories to tell. I can offer you an audial if you'll share some. I'd bet ten shanix you've got a lot of pent up something after all the publicity you've gotten lately."
  Tearing open bodies? Yeah, Whirl could see that. What else are you supposed to use claws for? Even his end up performing that function more often than not (as evidenced by the assault of Blast Off during the debate and.. anything else he's ever done, really.) Still, Whirl can't help but feel like this guy is trying to threaten him or something and as much as he would love to take out all his anger on this random mech, this isn't really the place to do it.
  "No scrap I have a lot of pent up something. You saw that joke of a debate, didn't you? It was the stupidest thing that anyone has ever thought of and it was even stupider to think that I was a good pick to represent the Autobots." He practically hisses when he says the word. Damn Autobots. "I don't know what they were thinking. Maybe it was all a set-up, some big joke on me. I hope they had a good laugh about it because I sure as hell didn't." Whirl's claws flex and snap occasionally as he goes off on his tirade. "I've been around for a while. I've seen some crazy stuff, did some crazy things. I was put through a lot, stuff that's broken me in ways that can never be fixed. But that? Listening to /him/ say those things? That was bay far the worse thing I've ever experienced."
  How's that for a story?
  It might be suicidal, but Spectrum gestures calmly to the empty space on Whirl's bench as the empurata gets going. "Do you mind if I sit with you? I've been on my feet all day."
  Going off on random strangers about his personal problems isn't something Whirl normally does but it sure does help make him feel better. When he finishes, he leans back in his seat and lets out an exasperated sigh. There's a brief moment when he thinks his ranting has scared off the other mech but much to his surprise he actually.. asks if he could sit with him?
  "Uh..yeah, sure. Go for it," Whirl replies, adjusting himself a bit to allow Spectrum more room.
  Despite his higher-caste appearance the scientist doesn't take up more than his share of room as he sits. He leaves his knees comfortably straight ahead and doesn't make any attempt to put space between himself and Whirl - in fact it almost seems like the opposite.
  "Blast Off? It sounded like you two had run into each other before," the white and brown robot speculates. "A former friend?"
  Whirl has taken notice of Spectrum's closeness but doesn't say anything. It's not that big a deal anyway, right? If anything, he should be glad that someone actually wants to be near him, especially after that televised spectacle.
  "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Whirl is choosing his words carefully. Can't give away too much, but he also can't be too vague as he feels this mech might call him out on it. "We were both involved with the same femme. Kind of. Sort of. It was complicated, but we managed to have a.. friendship, I suppose though we did sometimes try to kill each other."
  "Would you be willing to tell me about her?" Spectrum asks politely. "She sounded very interesting."
  "Would you be willing to tell me about her?" Spectrum asks politely. "She sounded very interesting." (re)
  "She was," Whirl says flatly, staring off into the distance. "She was an enigma to me, even after I got the chance to get inside of her head. She was so.. complicated. And troubled. But she was also passionate and curious, about everything. Heh.. the first time I ever met her, I had my claws wrapped around some shmuck's throat. She stepped in to help him despite knowing I could crush her like a tin can." He shakes his head and laughs, the first time he's done so in a while. "Then she complimented my claws. She was so weird.."
  He's quite for a moment. "She's gone now. Because of me, as Blast Off was so adamant on telling the world."
  "A young spark with a tough function?" Spectrum guesses, softening his tone to let Whirl reminisce in peace. He glances down at the empurata's hands and grins a bit. "And she wasn't wrong about your claws, although they do look a little unwieldy."
  "Something like that, yeah." Whirl continues to stare off into the distance, his mind filled with thoughts of Shiftlock. Spectrum's comments about his claws steals his attention, however, and he turns his head to stare at the mech beside him. "Hm? Oh, right." He holds up his claws for Spectrum's viewing pleasure. Hey, Spectrum was flashing his claws at him earlier, now it's his turn, okay? "That can be unwieldly at times but I've had them for so long that I'm used to it. They're pretty good at getting under armor though, that's kind of a plus."
  "I'm sure in Sec. F. that has almost as much use as it does in forensics," Spectrum agrees although now the scientist's voice sounds a bit distant too. He wasn't exaggerating about seeing dead bodies. "How'd you get them, anyway?"
  "Uh...right, it's useful for.. Security Forces stuff." While completely true (some criminals respond better when they have claws jabbed into their wounds) it wasn't quite what Whirl was thinking of. Spectrum's latest question in this game of A Million Questions catches the mech off-guard and he can't help but STARE at the other. Did this guy just crawl out from under a rock or something?
  "Are you serious? Do you not know what empurata is?" Whirl rubs the side of his head like he was suffering from some neurological pain. "Ugghh.. I can't believe I have to explain this to someone /again./ Okay, long story short, stuff happened and the Senate had my hands and face removed." It's a story that tells everything and nothing all at once.
  "Hey you were so ready to answer everything else I thought I'd ask," Spectrum defends as he casually lifts a hand, although it's more of a non-verbal apology than an actual defense. The empurata hasn't frightened him just yet.
  "What I should have asked was 'what happened that was worth empurata?' but keep that to yourself if it helps, it's not like you know me after all."
  Whirl just scoffs at that and looks away, back into that distance like he was trying to spot something in another building. He was unusually willing to answer all those other questions but this one causes him to hesitate for a few moments before he gives his response. "I think you've asked enough questions."
  Spectrum takes that as his cue to move his attention elsewhere and he lets his own optics wander skyward. He's always preferred it to the planet's admittedly impressive architecture despite not being a flyer. "Maybe I have," he considers thoughtfully.
  "It's a real shame when a spark like that goes out. For an immortal species we seem to die a lot; have you ever thought about how absurd that is?"
  "All the time," Whirl says, apparently forgetting his previous disinterest in Spectrum's questions. "It's not like it's even easy to die. You know how many times I've been shot, or stabbed, or maimed, or torn apart, or had my guts ripped out, or.. basically everything, is what I'm getting at, and I still haven't died. I should've, so many times, but I didn't. She did though, and that's what's so messed up.."
  Spectrum cycles a noisy breath of air in a small but derisive snort. "No accounting for the will of Primus." The mech's face turns enough to glance at Whirl again out the corner of his optic as he gently tries another question. "How did she die?"
  This question doesn't get a response as quickly as the last. In fact, it might seem like Whirl is intentionally ignoring him now. Considering how well it went for the last person who probed too deep about Shiftlock, Spectrum should consider himself pretty damn lucky that all he's getting is the silent treatment. The reality of it is that Whirl just doesn't know how to answer because..
  "I don't know." He looks over at the mech seated beside him, staring him straight in the optics. "She was involved with a Senator and like all things involved with the Senate, the story that gets told is edited to suit their needs. I don't think I'll ever know the real story, everyone involved is dead as well."
  The white and brown mech displays patience as he lets Whirl answer at his own pace. He's spent this long searching for the blue flyer, what's a few more seconds? When Whirl does answer, Spectrum's expression remains neutral. "Ratbat," is the simple affirmation. He's heard the news at least.
  "For someone in SecF you don't have the highest opinion of the Senate," he mentions off-hand before realizing quite where the conversation has lead. The scientist shakes his head and regathers his thoughts. "But I'm pulling us in the wrong direction now, sorry. I'm supposed to be gathering a counterargument for joining the Security Force..." Spectrum runs his claws over the top of his head as he ponders and his optics drift back skywyard. Now it's his turn to go silent.
  "You've been in it for a while I'm sure; seen plenty, done plenty. I'll take any advice you're willing to give a potential recruit, moral or otherwise," he offers plainly before once again his voice drops to a more solemn tone, taking on an aged and weathered quality as his blue optics unfocus on the wide open atmosphere above. "...You've done things with them that you wouldn't want Shiftlock to know about, haven't you?"
  It's no surprise that someone who went through empurata doesn't have the highest opinion of the Senate, but it IS a surprise to see one working alongside them in the Security Forces. It's obvious that Whirl hates everything that they're about, as evidenced by how openly he speaks against them, so it should be assumed that he's working there under duress. Or at the very least, he has some kind of ulterior motive for going along with it.
  But that's not something Whirl is going to share with Spectrum. Guy seems smart enough, he can put it together on his own time.
  "...Security Forces is a joke," Whirl says after a moment of deliberation. "Most everyone in there is just looking for an excuse to push people around. The arrests are brutal, often the perp will be processed with injuries that go untreated. Sometimes when they get out, they're crippled from the beatings they received from not just other prisoners, but Enforcers as well." Whirl knows this to be the case because he speaks of his own experiences both as a prisoner and an enforcer.
  Whirl doesn't paint a pretty picture, but then Spectrum hadn't asked for pretty. The scientist takes the latest answer stone-faced and keeps his optics pointed upwards. This time, for once, he's silent in case Whirl has more to add.
  If Spectrum is expecting more on that particular subject, he doesn't get any. Whirl just sits there, staring, unmoving and completely silent with the exception of the quiet hum of his systems. After some time passes, he shifts about in his seat, trying to make himself more comfortable. "I don't know if that's what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth. If you are seriously considering joining, I figure you deserved to know what it's really like."
  Even if Whirl doesn't respond, Spectrum is willing to let silence lapse. It was a short answer but one that gives the mech plenty to think on whether he likes it or not.
  "But you do serve a purpose," he posits, lowering his head again to look at Whirl, almost seeming focused on the air behind the empurata instead. "Brutally or not, undisciplined or not, you keep order."
  "Heh, I wouldn't call it keeping order at all but okay, whatever." Whirl leans forward, leveling an intense, emotionless stare at Spectrum. "I think I've answered my fair share of questions. Time for me to ask you a few. First and foremost, why did you come to me? Why, of all the Enforcers, you decided to come to the one that made an aft of himself on public television for this kind of advice?"
  The scientist meets Whirl's one-eyed gaze with only slightly more emotion as the conversation has turned his mood for the colder. He doesn't flinch under the empurata's stare and returns it with the ghost of a frown. "After seeing you in the debate, I knew you'd say something worth hearing."
  "You're one of very few that think anything I say is worth hearing," Whirl replies bluntly, trying to stare down Spectrum with even more intensity than before, taking the other mech's refusal to yield and look away as a challenge. "I'm just the crazy guy that beats up prisoners. I'm the guy that beat up Megatron while he was incarcerated, I'm the whole reason the Decepticons are a thing. I'm the bad guy, you see? No one cares what I think."
  The force of Whirl's optic reflects off the scienceformer's skin. His posture straightens by a micron, his shoulders square, and his expression doesn't budge. There's a mental toughness to the mech bellied by his function. "If you were *the* bad guy I wouldn't have needed to consult you, would I?" He responds factually. "You're the perspective they don't talk about on the news."
  Whirl continues to stare at Spectrum, optic flickering slightly the longer their staredown goes on. Evetually it's Whirl that yields, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest. He hates to admit it, but Spectrum's not wrong, he is the perspective the news doesn't talk about. He's the perspective /no one/ wants to talk about. Not even him, most of the time. "Whatever. You going to sign up with SecF or not?"
  As the Enforcer blinks first, Spectrum isn't sure at first whether to smile or frown but the indecision passes soon enough. With his back now turned and his arms crossed, the scientist reaches over Whirl's shoulder... "I don't know," he admits honestly, leaning in as his hand slips in front of the gyrojet's neck and the point of a claw rests lightly against the far side. "I'm used to cutting people up for a living and it pays well... but I'm not sure it's right for my spark."
  Suddenly very interested in whatever he's decided to look at, Whirl doesn't notice Spectrum's movements until that hand passes in front of him and that claw comes to rest on his neck. This WOULD be a little weird but let's be honest, it's not the first time some strange mech has put their hands all over him. Still, the cyclops eyes Spectrum out the corner of his optics, watching him closely in case he decides to sink his claws into his throat. "It's not, and if you have a problem with that then SecF isn't for you."
  Spectrum's system's drop in pitch as they slow down audibly and the scienceformer taps his claw slowly, pensively, against Whirl's neck. His optics hang on the empurata's as if trying to pull answers from his lens.
  "You might be right..." Eventually he lets out a long exhale and draws away, taking back his claw and sitting with a more socially acceptable posture. Spectrum's systems rev back up to normal - which as a scientist still isn't too much - and he rises to his feet.
  "Thank you for the conversation," he offers, an empty cordiality. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"
  The slow, low rumbling of the other mechs systems, the tapping of that claw against his neck, the way he stares at him as if he could see right through him.. it makes Whirl feel a little, uhhh, allured? Yes, that's a good way to put it. There's no movement from the cyclops and he makes no sound, though his cooling fans can be heard kicking in.
  Spectrum removes his hand and stands up, giving Whirl a chance to relax and calm the noise of his systems. That was kind of intense. "Yeah, just one. Who are you?"
  "Nobody important," Spectrum dismisses. "Just a middle-caste scientist."
  "Spectrum," the white and brown robot answers. With Whirl on his feet, the scientist proves to be a bit shorter.
  Whirl often finds himself the taller one of the group so he's used to having to look down to talk to people. "Spectrum. I'll remember that." He glances away for a moment before returning his gaze to the brown and white mech. "I hope you make the right decision regarding SecF. If not, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."
  "We're an immortal species," Spectrum reminds. "We'll meet again regardless of my decision."