At The Rust Sea

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Swivel Shark 
Swivel had been wandering the Rust Sea for some time during the cycle. As she is now, the small femme is crouched down in an undignified squat, one hand on the ground for balance, and the other stretched out trying to entice a turbo rat to come closer. She makes a variety of clicks and whistles to keep the wary creature's attention, while rubbing her forefinger and thumb together to beckon it closer.
Shark is walking along the shores of the sea himself, idly tossing little bits of armor into the water. Nothing seems to be happening though. He spots Swivel as he continues to walk and toss, "Looking for a pet Swivel or just bored?" he calls out in question.
Startled by a new arrival, and the splash of something nearby being tossed into water, the mechanical rodent scurries off with an indignant squeak. 
There is little point in Swivel hiding her mild disappointment of the turbo rat running off, but it is quickly abated when she looks up and sees Shark. In moments she is on her feet, her face and chest both barring some moderate scraping and denting, including one headlight being cracked. "HUllo thar Mr. Pointy Teeth!" she greets with an exaggerated wave of her arm. "Fancy meeting you here!" Her optics glance over to where the turbo rat had been prior and she offers a little shrug. "Bored, mostly."
Shark cocks his head at the messenger femme's condition. He walks over to her and stops about two arms length away, turns slightly toward the water to continue casting out little bits of armor into the rusty water. "Ah, I see. Turbo rat isn't the best thing to get unbored with you know."
Swivel shrugs her shoulder again in response to Shark's comment about Turborats. She watches him pitch another piece into the dirty water before she says anything more. "So..... this part of yer patrol route?"
Shark pauses as he peers out toward the water, as if looking for something. "Hm? Sometimes yeah. I'm one of few that can actually go into this water if I had to do so." he notes, "But that's not why I'm here."
Swivel tilts her head to the side, watching Shark, her face one of pure curiosity. "Oh? Why ya here 'en, if ya don't mind me askin'?"
Shark throws out another handful of armor bits. This time there's definitely a reaction in the water as it stirs around the bits. He grins, "About to find out." he states.
Swivel glances over at the water, her optics widening a little more, if one could even imagine it possible. "Hunting?" she asks, taking a step back from the shore.
Shark tosses out another handful a bit closer to show, the water roils slightly where the stuff lands, "Nope. Luring in what I hope are some baby eels and their Mother." Then something rears up out of the water... its long, its black, and it’s looking right at us.
Swivel brings a hand up to her face, hovers it there a moment, and then smacks it with her palm. She shakes her head and then glances back out at the water. "Those eels! I thought they kept to the rivers!" Her hand works its way to the back of her neck.
Shark tosses another handful closer, the water roils again and this time you can see black eels swarming around. Much smaller than the bigger one that slips back into the water. The big one reappears near shore and wiggles over to Shark, curling her way up his leg, then around his waist and torso. She's a big girl! "Hello there Sparky." he smiles and scritches at the cyber eels chin. "They go anywhere the food is Swivel."
Swivel raises an optic ridge as the female works her way up Shark's body and shakes her head again. "Makes sense... jus' like I go anywhere the creds are." She watches 'Sparky' for a moment or two before she glances back out to the water. She folds her arms over her chest, going quiet. She doesn't let this last very long before she beams once more at Shark. "Ya really care 'bout ther fam'ly o' eels, doncha? Shows yer a good person."
Shark offers Sparky a bigger piece of armor to munch on. Her body flashing in a random sort of pattern. "Yeah I do. I miss her but she needed to go back to where she belonged. I didn't have the spark to keep her and her babies cooped up in my aquarium."
Swivel rubs her chin looking thoughtful for a moment as she watches Shark interact with the transorg. "Carin' an' wise. Able to let the things you care about go their own way and live ther life they ought ter, rather 'n selfishly keep 'em about to protect 'n stuff... I can admire that."
Shark tosses out another handful of smaller bits of armor for the 'babies', which have certainly grown since he last saw them, to eat. "Yeah, well, I do have other stuff in the aquarium now. Just watching what they do, how they interact or not, that sort of thing. Once I'm done with that, I'll release what I got and see what else I can find that swims in the 'waters' on Cybertron. Just a hobby really."
Swivel continues to rub her chin, although it dwindles down to more of a tap. "What all do ya have in yer aquarium right now, Mr. Pointy Teeth?"
Shark moves his free hand to pet Sparky, "My name is Shark." he states, "And its different types of transorganic fish."
Swivel laughs lightly, finally letting her arms hang at her side without fidgeting or touching or stroking or tapping anything. "I know yer name is Shark, I just like ter call ya Mr. Pointy Teeth..... but I guess since yer remindin' me ya don't like my nickname..." she frowns and juts out her lower lip in a childish pout.
Shark snorts to that, "Didn't say that, just wanted to be sure you knew my actual name." he points out. "So were you looking for a pet? I could see if Sparky would let me snag one of her babies." he offers.
Swivel glances into the water and shakes her head. "I canna afford a pet. No jus a lack o' creds, but I travel so much I coulna give 'em the attention an' care they need. Though I do sometimes take care o' other people's pets..." she trails off and her optics flicker for a moment, and her smile broadens. "Though nuttin says I can't go an' befriend 'em..." She takes a few steps closer, but keeps her optics trained on Sparky, seeming apprehensive lest the creature have a protective side.
Shark nods to that, "All right. Well I don't mind if you try. Just hold some armor bits in your open hand to see if one is brave enough to approach you." he offers to you, moving next to you to offer you some armor bits. Sparky watches on.
Swivel puts her hand out to receive the bits, and then holds them out, keeping her arm very still and watching Sparky patiently. In a low tone, so not to startle the eel, she says, "So... other 'en bein' ther savior of eel kind, what have ya been up to?"
Shark pats Sparky on the head and lets his arms drop to his sides, "Oh the usual. Miffing off Cons, patrols, listening to the rumor mills, planning stuff."
Sparky turns her head and looks at the bits in Swivel's hand, then up at Swivel. Then she looks toward the water where her babies are still swarming around.
Swivel tilts her head curiously at the eel. Very slowly Swivel reaches into her open hand, taking a pinch's portion of the bits and tosses it into the water, hoping that the motion won't alarm Sparky too much. She then returns to trying to offer what is left in her hand to Sparky. 
"I see," Swivel remarks to Shark. "Planning what sort of stuff? Or is that top secret?" she asks, completely dropping her low speech.
Shark smirks to that question, "Oh all my plans are secret Swivel. That's how you get ahead in this life ya know." he points out, Sparky bobs her head and flashes her body as she seems pleased the bits got offered to her babies first. She takes a little mouthful herself and looks to the water again.
Swivel smiles at the confirmation that she read the eel correctly. After Sparky takes her mouthful, Swivel throws whatever is left over into the water for the babies to gobble up. "Awe...." she coos at Sparky. Then she frowns a little, glancing beyond Shark and beyond the eels for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. However, she quickly recovers and glances back at Shark. "Yeah, I guess keeping to yourself is a method of survival." She rubs the back of her head. "So.................. um........."
Shark strokes his hands over Sparky's body, she flashes in a pattern and slowly unwraps herself partially. "She's a good Mother to her little ones. Good instincts. I learned a lot from her." he states, then Sparky swings a third of her body away from him and toward Swivel. Head hovering about optic level with the femme. "Oh yeah, sometimes you gotta keep stuff close and to yourself. Other times, don't really have to be so."
Swivel watches Sparky closely as she extends herself to examine her. She just stares at Sparky, giving as much optics contact as she can, while still speaking to Shark. "Well, I can keep secrets when they aren't mine, but as for me, I tend to probably tell people more information than they really want to know," she remarks. "At least, that's how I see myself. I could be wrong about me. It's happened before." She cautiously reaches out a finger to Sparky's nose to see if she'll move towards or away from it. "But sometimes, I'm more than happy to be proven wrong, especially when I get to doubting myself. I'm a cheerful femme, but even I second guess myself and the people around me... but I still like to think there's good in everyone and everything. It just, well, goes untapped sometimes." She pauses a moment and shifts her weight. "This might be a bit out of the blue, but why are you an Autobot?"
Sparky turns her head to look at the extended finger, then dips her head to rub against it. Her body flashing rhythmically.
Shark intones, "Think she likes ya." then a pause, "Mmm well I'm sure you are right to think that. No such thing as someone that's pure evil really. Cannot happen. Has to be some small ember of good. Just its a good idea not trying to find it and just leave the evil folks be." he states. Then a pause at that question, "Why am I an Autobot? Wow. Now there's the question of the millennia."
Swivel makes a small choked noise, followed by a full out gleeful giggle when Sparky starts rubbing against her finger. Accepting that her laughter doesn't scare the mother away, she wiggles her fingers to gently 'scratch' the eel. Regaining her composure, she glances beyond Sparky to Shark. "I tend to be likable," Swivel states plainly, although there's that nagging voice in the back of her head that begins to list people, by name, who don't like her. "Hmmm... maybe you're right about that. I don't leave 'evil folks be' enough and it does get me into trouble.... but... I also think it's exciting to find that little bit of good in people." She pauses a moment. "Likewise, I think... sometimes it's fun to find the naughty side of people who have an outward appearance of good. All in all... I like balanced people. But... anyway... so, Swivel asks the question of the millennia... but is she going to get the answer?"
Sparky doesn't spook at the giggle at all, but actually wiggles part of her body against Shark. The mech shifts a bit and puts his hands on the part of her body that is rubbing in a sensitive location and pushes it off before the femme notices. A smirk given to her, "Oh I've a naughty side. Just I save it for the Cons." he tells her. Sparky slides her head closer to the femme, now half her body off the mech she clings to and half of it off him. "As to the question, I sure wasn't supporting the slag Megatron was spouting to gain himself troops. Nor could I stand by and watch others fight him and his group without doing nothing. So I went to the academy and got my training in so I could be part of the Bots."
Swivel tilts her head to the side, watching Sparky's movements curiously. She continues to pet Sparky with just her finger for now as she listens to Shark's reasons. "Hmmm.... so you felt it was your duty to help fight against the tyranny of Megatron for the most part? I guess that also means dealing with other threats that crop up from time to time..."
Shark mms hmms, "Got it in one there Swivel." then a pause, "You may want to get ready cuz I think she's about ready to transfer over." he states. Sparky's body moves off of the mech as she slides her head and neck around the arm of the femme. "I can stop her if you want." he offers with a bit of a toothy grin. Then a nod, "Yeah well comes with the territory. I've wrangled robo raptors. Gone looking for pirate booty. Snuck aboard a pirate ship to rescue a abducted comrade."
Swivel holds her arm out, bracing for the arrival of the slithering creature, not sure how heavy the transorg might actually be. Swivel just shakes her head to Shark's inquiry about whether he wants her to stop Sparky. She's more than happy to get wrapped up, and she coos and strokes Sparky encouragingly. "So what do you think about Neutrals like me who don't pick sides?"
Sparky continues to transfer over, head looping around the back of the neck as her body drops off of the mech to the ground, then coils around Swivel's torso and leg. The lithe creature is long, but not overly heavy. Her framework is quite flattened as any eels body should be.
Shark watches on quietly for a awhile as he considers that heavier question. He raises a hand to his chin, stroking at the scarring that remains from the scalping that area of his face got. "I think that neutrals will have choices to make that they may not like if they cannot stir themselves to join the fight and end the insanity that Megatron started up. You probably know that some have already made the choice to leave Cybertron, looking for something better cuz jobs got lost when some important factories and even cities got majorly trashed."
Swivel giggles a little as the creature slithers around her body, continuing to pet the eel where she can, watching the glowing blue patterns with interest. When she isn't coddling Sparky, she is looking up to reassure Shark that is paying utmost attention. She is quiet for a moment as she digests what Shark responds. "Yeah, sometimes I even consider leaving... but who am I kidding? Cybertron is my home. Although.... I was designed to explore but the war interfered with.... ah never mind that. What's done is done." She offers a little shrug. "Some make their own freedom despite oppression. I like to think of myself as that sort of person... but, yeah, the war has caused me to make choices I'm not happy about, but even when there isn't a war, people have to suck it up and do things that aren't very pleasant."
Shark watches the interaction of femme and Sparky as his hands come to rest upon his hips. He cocks his head a bit then smirks a bit, "Ah got a secret of your own." he remarks as she stops short about exploration, then a nod given to her. "So long as your choices don't get you hurt Swivel, then I think you'll be just fine."
Swivel traces one of her fingers along the patterns on Sparky. "Well... the beauty about me is even if I get hurt, I tend to bounce back. I take my time, I feel sorry for myself, I grieve, then I get over it and go back to whistling my cheerful tunes. The only way to break me is to kill me, and then I'll be too dead to really be hurt about it. Sucks for everyone else I leave behind, but, ah, there aren't a lot of people so attached to me that my doom would injure them much... they'd feel a little bad, then move on. This leaves me with a lot of freedom to be carefree even in these dangerous times." She pauses a moment and looks steadily at Shark. "But that's enough about me."
Shark hmms softly to those words, but isn't sure what to say to them. He just stands there watching the flashing of the cyber eel until Sparky slowly begins to uncurl herself from the femme and slides back into the water. Her babies surround her and play around her. Shark throws the last of the armor bits out for the little ones to snack on. "Is it now." he states.
Swivel giggles again as Sparky unwinds herself and watches her return to her babies; such as inevitable. She turns her attention back to Shark, her expression sobering, only to light up into one of curiosity. Yes, his pause makes an impact on her. She is quiet for a moment even after he makes a small comment. Finally she gives a definitive nods and says "Yup, it is. I could go on all cycle and into the next about myself, because I'm what I know the most about. That sort of happens when you live with yourself. Of course, like I said earlier, sometimes I mislabel myself or misunderstand myself, but that is just something that happens with people." Swivel crosses her arms over her dented chest. "Anyway.... guess I kinda let the topic get a little too deep... and I don't like to stay on deep for very long but..." she tilts her head back, staring skywards. "Bah... enough of that. Topic change! How much of a threat do you think the Scorponoks are?"
Shark slides his hands off his hips, "Too deep gets you sunk. Not good unless you can get yourself out of it." he notes with a slight smile. "Eh they are just racing around and doing what young mechs do. Not a threat unless the Cons somehow convince them to join their cause."
Swivel smiles and nods her head. "No fun getting sunk. Nothing to do but wait around for someone to rescue you and it gets mighty boring. Plus your vents start to malfunction and then there's rust and.... er..... yeah , metaphors, right..." she laughs a little sheepishly. "So not really a problem... why then did the Autobots ambush their base?"
Shark hmms, "Ah you figured that out huh?" he asks, then rolls his shoulders a bit, "Eh we had to cuz the boss said to check them out more closely and if we could bring a few in to question them then all the better. What we were using didn't harm anyone."
Swivel shakes her head. "No... no one was really hurt... I was just curious what the Autobot's interest was." She shrugs her shoulders. "I was there when it went down... but I only got confirmation of it being Autobot activity from someone else. I was more preoccupied with... ANYWAY, um.... lost my train of thought."
Shark grunts softly to that comment, "Uh huh." then a shake of his head as he watches Sparky splash the water with her tail once, then disappears under the water with her brood. "Well guess my gal is done with her visit. I suppose I should get on back to base."
Swivel simply nods her head, realizing that the conversation was coming to a definite close. "Well, thanks for humoring a lil' nobody, and for giving me a chance to get to know Sparky better."
Shark nods and waves, "See ya Swivs." and walks off.
Category:LogsCategory:2011 LogsCategory:Shark's LogsCategory:Swivel's Logs