Getting Schooled

<<Radio: Decepticon>> Shiftlock says, "BLAST OFF BLAST OFF ARE YOU ON THIS CHANNEL HEY BLAST OFF--!!"
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, " ......What."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Shiftlock says, "Blast Off do you have any time or inclination to talk to me... at all? I mean, after everything went kind of nuts? I've been wondering how you're doing."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, "....Don't you have some... primary school to go to or something?"
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Shiftlock says, "I'm done. Got assessed and everything."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, " ....Oh."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, "*sigh* Well, I suppose I have a moment. If it doesn't take too long."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Shiftlock says, "Okay! Where are you, I'm in the medical bay here in the Forge, Drift got his face blown off."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, " Don't tell me HE's here."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Blast Off says, "Nevermind, I'll be there shortly."
<<Radio: Decepticon>> Shiftlock says, "Well yeah, Hook's got him and he's unconscious, his brain module was hanging out and ever--okay"
++ Repair Bay <Forge> ++
Blast Off strides into Medbay, looking somewhat haughty and annoyed... but then again, he usually looks that way. Spotting Shiftlock, he approaches her and looks for Drift. That earns yet another disgruntled sigh. "....WHY is he here? You realize as soon as he wakes up he'll be trying to kill you again?"
You say "....WHY is he here? Why are YOU here?"..."
"No, he won't," Shiftlock says matter-of-factly, looking over at the unconscious, stasis-locked body of Drift. "He came looking for me, and we talked about a lot of things, including you. He put a gun to both of our heads and asked me to pick which one of us lived. I picked him." She looks pained. "Then he tried to shoot himself, but I stopped it from being fatal."
At Blast Off's question she seems a little incredulous. "Because I -live- here, Blast Off. I'm a Decepticon."
Blast Off blinks and huffs. "I meant HERE, in the Medbay, waiting for Drift to wake up so he can try killing you again. I /know/ you're a Decepticon." He sighs again, crossing his arms and thinking to himself that it's a shame Drift didn't finish the job he started. Much less of a headache for all involved if he was finally GONE.
He tilts his head, still looking annoyed. "Why did you stop him? I'm beginning to think you're a glutton for punishment. And now he's going to wake up and either try killing you again, or perhaps he'll catch sight of me and go for me next just for a slight change of pace."
"I think it'll be different this time," Shiftlock says with some hope. "I have to keep trying at least! I want everyone to be happy, Blast Off, that's why I'm here." She smiles at the shuttleformer. "Besides, if he tries to kill me, there are a lot of people here that would kill him -first-."
Blast Off raises an optic ridge, still feeling a bit annoyed. "Blind trust coupled with "trying to do someone a favor", especially when they have proven themselves untrustworthy, are simply quick routes to destruction. They aren't generally worth it, not in my experience." He looks glumly at Drift. "Yes, I imagine there would be, including myself." See, he's being nice by not shooting Drift RIGHT NOW, even though that would make SO MUCH MORE SENSE.
"So I should have abandoned you to the police, then?" Shiftlock asks with a wry smile.
That takes him by surprise, and Blast Off lets out another somewhat petulant huff. "I beg your pardon? How did I ever prove to be untrustwo...." Then he blinks. Oh. Yeah, he did try killing Shiftlock that one time. Or Mercury. Whoever the slag it was, it's terribly confusing now. "You remember that then?"
"Some of my memories are left, but a lot of them are fading," Shiftlock sighs. "Still, I remember our date, and I remember feeling strongly about you, so... I want to make sure you're all right, even if you don't want me anymore."
Blast Off turns to look at her with a mixture of surprise and thoughtfulness in addition to annoyance this time, arms still crossed. Is it that obvious? "....I hadn't said /anything/. We had a brief....well, you know," Some of his usual uncomftablness with the word returns, though not as much as usual, "...date, ruined by THIS jerk," he nods towards Drift, "...and the OTHER jerk, and then I haven't seen you much since, since it suddenly turned out you're practically a /newspark/- something I most CERTAINLY did not know or I would not have ever suggested anything untoward. You've been testing for your placement. You said you finished it?" Slaaag he feels old.
"Yes." She sighs. "They said I wasn't good for anything but being a courier or a tunnel maintenance bot." The fact that she's a little crushed by that is more than obvious.
Blast Off thinks about that a moment. He comes from a position of High Caste, and as such has never had to question that system before, or had ever found anything to complain. He was astro class, so why would he? But now he's met enough people here and actually even likes a (very) few of them, including her, that he makes himself stop and consider for a moment before replying. "Then prove them wrong."
She perks up a bit, defiance on her face. "Oh I intend to! I'm -car- that can -explore to the center of the planet-! What's low caste about that? They're just blind!" she gruffs. Folding her arms she stews a little more. "I wanted to know, though. I wanted to know what my place in life was supposed to be, so I could understand why everyone else here was so angry... now I know. Now I'm /genuine/."
Blast Off thinks she suddenly doesn't sound so juvenile after all, then mentally chides himself for such uncouth thoughts and pushes that all aside. "There is a lot that is wrong about a great deal many things when it comes to how this planet is run. The system itself is broken, though I /think/ I do not need to tell you that."
"No, I believe it. I want to do something about it, too - even if that means I have to die to make this world a better place," Shiftlock states with grand determination. "If my death means everyone else gets a chance to live a happier life - I think that would be the best reason to die."
Blast Off isn't quite sure what to make of that. "....I thought you basically just started living? Why so quick to end it?"
Shift just smiles. "Oh now you're sounding like Hot Rod," she sighs, wondering why everyone is so touchy about death and dying. It happens! It's nothing to be afraid of, everyone's going to die eventually after all. "It's not that I WANT to die, it's that I'm okay with doing it for the right purpose and the right reason. I'm not going to leave in fear of death; I'm going to live every minute to the fullest, so that when death comes, I know I gave it my all and did my best."
Blast Off gives her a bit of a deadpan, annoyed look at "sounding like Hot Rod", because that most definitely is NOT a compliment. But he says nothing, just listening. And feels positively ancient doing so. The deadpan, annoyed look remains. "As much as it PAINS me to say this, he is probably correct." His disgruntledness only increases. All he needs is to start waving a cane around and hollaring to "get offa my lawn".
"You make a pretty speech, Shiftlock. Sounds inspiring, I'm sure, to a little niave newmade spark like you. Problem is, someone such as myself, you know, us /OLD/ mechs, have enough ACTUAL experience to know that death is /ugly/. Death is hard, it's painful, it comes when you least expect it, and there is no glory and usually little to gain. It's just wasted resources and questioning glances at the end... why did I die, here? Now? That confused, fading light when a mech realizes they had so much ELSE they really wanted to do, and how /little/ their death really matters in the grand scheme of things."
"Someone tried to kill me hours after I came online. You tried to kill me. Blurr tried to kill me. Drift tried to kill me. Soundwave has been hired to kill me. I live with death all the time, Blast Off," Shiftlock explains. "I figure that if I try to live every moment to the fullest, then I won't die thinking about what else I wanted to do. I'll have done everything I could think of anyways." She smiles warmly at him.
Blast Off considers this, but doesn't look especially convinced. He's a soldier, a Primal Vanguard, he's seen death and dying- caused death and dying. He sees it as a job to do, but not something to glorify, and certainly not something he cares to take part of. To him, trying to prepare for dying just means.... giving in to it. No, he's not one to "give in" to anything. Denial and pride- that's the way to go, right? "Soundwave?..." he blinks at that, wondering what the story is THERE, then shakes his head. Not his concern anymore anyway, probably. "Well, suit yourself. I suppose you have a lot to catch up on."
"What about you? What's happened to you?" Shiftlock asks, now eager to hear what Blast Off has to say, and hoping that, at least for a little while, he won't leave her alone.
Blast Off stands there a bit awkwardly, still glancing over at Drift's form every once in awhile and still feeling ludicrously OLD. "You mean since our... well, the coffee shop?" He shrugs, looking away. "Not much. Fighting. Earning some shanix."
Shiftlock leans in closer. "Fighting? That's all? Nothing else...?"
Blast Off glares a bit at her, leans away. He glances off again. "I...well..." He debates telling her about meeting a Queen... he *would* like to brag about that to someone, but he's not sure of his and Shiftlock's own...uh, status, or if that would make her jealous, or if she just really wouldn't care. She /had/ seemed to pick up on something earlier. "I've... gotten out and about. Met some people, delivered some supplies... or tried to... to Hot Rod. Who was NOT anywhere near grateful enough." Oh, and he now has some strange fear of Insecticons thanks to a really rather *hazy* now that he thinks about it battle with Bombshell. He glances down to his feet, which are still basically band-aided together with replacements until he can go see this "Torque" person and get real rockets put back there. But spaceship parts are hard to find. And of course there's his "conjunx endura" hullaballoo with Quantum, but he is most certainly NOT bringing that up. Oh heavens no. Come to think of it, there's a number of things that have happened he has NO desire whatsoever to bring up.
"....Mostly fighting."
"Hot Rod forgets a lot of things, it's okay, it's just him," the femme shrugs. And then out of nowhere: "Can I have a hug?"
Blast Off frowns under his faceplate, and his optic ridges furrow down. His reaction is instant and suspicious. "...Why?" One: he is so NOT a hugger. NO TOUCHY. Two: ....why?
"Because I like you and I could really use a hug?" Shiftlock asks as if she is confused by his reaction to her original question. How could anyone not want a hug!? It makes everything better!
Blast Off just stares at her, making no move. "I..." He blinks. "Look. I thought that you... well, you were... I didn't mean to....you know, you *seemed* much older...." He grasps for words, looking around the room like he might spot a few errant ones in a corner somewhere, he could pounce on the elusive buggers, and then he would sound much more eloquent than he's currently being. He finally gives up and simply states in a flat tone, "I'm not a hugger."
"Oh." Shiftlock seems to crumple at that. She doesn't get Blast Off's confusion and reluctance - she doesn't see a 'hug' in quite the way he's stumbling over. "Well, uh... I'll just let you get back to your fighting and shanix then," she adds after a moment glumly, turning away to go sit near Drift's unconscious form.
Blast Off watches her turn around, and for a moment he's glad. He gives her a small, relieved nod and begins to turn away himself. Then he stops, thinks a moment, shoulders beginning to droop slightly. A black hand comes up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "I... did not know you were this.... young. Otherwise, I never would have asked you on that.... well, the coffee shop, or done.... well, you know, back at my habsuite. I'm a *gentlemech* and I always strive to act accordingly."
"It was just fun being around you, Blast Off. It didn't have to be anything more than fun." She looks over her shoulder at him. "Is that the only thing you're looking for -- someone to win over to your bedside?"
Blast Off feels immediately defensive and put on the spot, not the least of which for the reason that he just isn't comfortable talking about these things. His hands come up and wave once as he exclaims, "No, of course not! It's just that..... things... happened, and..." His hands come down and he looks pointedly at a distant spot on the wall far away from Shiftlock. "I'm... readjusting, and finding out someone I.... liked is practically /fresh off the assembly line/ and should be sucking on /ener-lollypops/ more than /WINE/ was a bit of an unexpected how-do-you-do, that's all."
"So I don't have five million years of experience. So what? Does that make me a bad mechanoid?" Shiftlock asks plainly, without malice.
Blast Off huffs a drawn out, "No!" He finally glances back to Shiftlock. He looks annoyed still, though this time it's more because he might actually have to really ADMIT to something real here. "I... hardly think THAT. In fact, you are..." He glances around uncomfortably, first making sure no one (especially Drift) is listening in, before looking back to Shiftlock and gazing her straight in the optic, "...one of the few people I actually trust."
That moment of (almost) touching tenderness might be a beautiful thing, if there wasn't the added, preachy: "But you have a LOT to learn. You're niave, reckless, thoughtless, likely to get yourself and perhaps those around you killed, and what little you /do/ know you don't even LEARN from!" He points to Drift. Then feels OLD again.
"I believed there was something good in you, Blast Off," Shiftlock admits quietly, before glancing back at Drift, where the shuttlecraft is pointing. "I believe there's something good in -him-, too. Maybe he's just as lost and scared as I am."
"It feels like everyone wants to kill me. I don't know what bad thing I did to make that happen."
Blast Off sighs, "It's hardly YOUR fault. The world is just messed up; broken, and you received a bad roll of the dice. Believe me, you think I don't know what it's like, too? Everywhere I go, someone's either trying to kill me" (another glance at Drift) "...or arrest me. Which will just lead to my death... or worse." There /are/ things worse than death, he knows this all too well.
"And I've simply been trying to mind my own business, but no one seems to want to mind THEIRS anymore. Which is why I'm stuck *here*." He looks up towards where the sky would be and there's a brief flash of haunted sorrow like a bird that's been caged far too long- before he suppresses it again.
"... what do we do then?" Shiftlock asks. "Everyone here says we have to fight, but I don't want to /kill/ anyone."
Blast Off's arms are still crossed, but his demeanor is less huffy and tense than it was only a short while ago. He lets out a small sigh, glancing towards the doors and the fights beyond. "You're a soft spark." He isn't, though his tone is neutral, not judgemental. "Find the line you cannot cross, and do not cross it... if life will allow you, that is. I believe the day will come, however, that you will find you *have* to kill. Even if..." He gazes back to her. "It is simply to protect someone else. Some people /cannot/ be stopped otherwise."
"I'll try my best never to kill anyone. I'll stop them, but I won't kill them. I want to give everyone a chance to learn and to change, and they can't do that if they're dead," the fembot says with great determination.
Blast Off raises an optic ridge. "It's a noble concept, I suppose, but I've never actually found that to work in the field. And as a soldier, I've been there. Show mercy and YOU may wind up dead. Slag, I showed Drift here mercy once at Rung's insistance and what happened? Drift killed /Rung/ next, then continued trying to kill you and me. I've seen soldiers show mercy to an enemy who paid them back for their kindness by shooting them dead the moment their back was turned."
"....." Shift seems to just slow down and stop, staring emptily at Drift.
"Then I don't know what to do," she murmurs. "Maybe I should let him kill me."
Blast Off's hand comes back towards his face, this time for more of an outright facepalm. "No, that is /NOT/ what I'm saying." He huffs again, then crosses his arms to give her the sort of look he might give Brawl: that of a (sort of) patient teacher dealing with a problem child. "I am saying that you lack *experience*. Try *giving* yourself some before you decide you want to throw away your life. How do you even know? Figure out what your life actually IS before you decide you actually know it well enough to know if you just want to throw it away! You hardly know *anything* outside Mercury, am I right?" He waves a hand in exasperation.
"You told me to find a line and then not cross it but then you tell me I need to kill - that would be crossing it!" Shiftlock exclaims in frustration.
You say "I just meant that.... it's simply true that.... life is..." He flails his hands up in an /arrrrgh/. "It's complicated, Okay? And YOU are not helping! One minute you speak of doing great things, then the next you've decided you're worthless and should probably die." He gives her a loud HUFFFF at that.
"You don't HAVE to be some frontline assassin or warrior... in fact perhaps you should just leave that to experienced people such as myself, for I know how to get the job done. AND not kill myself, or anyone I wasn't *trying* to, in the process!" Pause.
"However, the fact remains that given the state of the world, and the fact that Drift's been trying to kill you... I take it the Senate is still looking for you, correct? It would pay to be cautious, and at least *learn* how to defend yourself, and harden yourself /mentally/. At least to the point that if the day comes you do have to kill, it won't break you down so much you can't function afterwards. You're a... a baby, Shiftlock. But this world will not be so kind as to allow you to remain one.""
"... That's why I wanted a hug. I just wanted, for a little while, to feel like somewhere was safe," Shiftlock says quietly, looking away.
Blast Off is about ready to continue lecturing Shiftlock. He's very good at lecturing, and sounding superior, and like he's better-than-thou, or more knowledgeable-than-thou. Very, very experienced at that, in fact. A finger comes up and he's juuust about to continue when... she says that. He blinks. The finger comes slowly down and he stares at her. Then looks away, scratches at the nape of his neck, and back to her again. *siiigh*. His arms slowly, awkwardly open up in *ready for a hug* gesture.
It takes a minute before Shift looks over; at first she thought he had left, and so she glanced aside to check to see if he was there. He was - and there were those arms she just needed to borrow for a little while. Let's pray Drift doesn't wake up.
She rushes over to Blast Off and embraces him tightly, not wanting to let go, and probably making him more uncomfortable than he has ever been in his entire life.
Blast Off's optics flicker once more as she rushes in for a hug, and indeed this is.... not exactly what the Combaticon Primal Vanguard Space Warrior was expecting to be doing today. Or any day, really. There's a brief moment of flightiness, wing elevon twitches, and bracing for the worst. But as she holds him tight, his stiff, awkward near-hug finally relaxes more and he... finally returns the hug. It's probably not the best hug in the world, it's certainly not the most experienced one.... but it's genuine.
He holds her as long as she needs, then quietly tells her, "You are safe with me." Slight huff, as that was far too sappy and emotional and heartfelt for the aloof shuttleformer, and he adds, "I mean, well, of course you can annoy the /slag/ out of me, but..." He tilts his head as he relents again, and sounds thoughtful now, "...You are safe here."
It may be a little white lie, for he himself is not sure *anywhere* is truly safe.... but sometimes.... one needs those little white lies.
"Thank you," Shiftlock whispers. She can sort out that it's not permanent, but she tries to soak up as much of this moment as she can. Feast or famine. "Thank you for helping me for a little while."
This is NOT something Blast Off really knows how to deal with. He blinks and looks away, then back. He's still unsure just *what* to think about Shiftlock, and she seems incredibly young, inexperienced, and he's probably just some dirty old shuttle should he ever try thinking of her... well, THAT way again. She can also still make him far more /annoyed/ than she /ought/ to be able to. He thinks he knows why, but.... yeah, better not to think about that too much.
Still, despite all that, he would rather see her happy than sad. He tried to help her back when they had their date, and failed miserably... so finally being able to help somehow, even if it's in a very unexpected and awkward way, makes him ...oddly happy, too. He even smiles faintly, not that she can see it under his faceplate, and reaches to give her a brief, awkward, simply friendly pat on the shoulder (which is rather demonstrative for the aloof shuttle, of course). "I am... glad I finally could."
She knows he's a bit uncomfortable with extended touching (how does he ever expect to land an endurae if physical contact is offputting?!) so Shiftlock lets go. "It's just hard to know what to do anymore, you know? Everyone here is angry, and the world outside is dangerous. I want to run away to somewhere safe, but there's nowhere to go, and if I did, I'd be left wondering if the people I know and care about are safe."
Blast Off isn't the touchy-feely sort, that is true. But beneath the neurosis, and the fear of getting too close (which just means you get hurt in his experience)... a deep part of the lonely shuttle does actually like physical contact if it's with someone he trusts (there just aren't many of those). It's just easiest to let oneself go and get swept up into contact during a moment of passion, and much more... self-consciously awkward anytime else.
The Combaticon listens to Shiftlock's lament and points towards his head. "That's why you need to work on what's in *here*. You can't control the outside world, Shiftlock. The only thing you can control is yourself, and what's up *here*. Did Barricade train you in mental conditioning? In maintaining some core of calm and peace, depsite the chaos around you? This is something any warrior must learn. And in this day and age, I'd say it's something any person needs to learn in order to maintain their sanity."
He frowns under the faceplate, wondering just what her training has been. "What HAVE you learned under Barricade? Besides rote facts and figures, I mean?"
"Sitting still, being patient, some self-defense," Shiftlock answers Blast Off. "I... I don't think I had any sort of mental conditioning other than learning to make myself be still and quiet even when it was driving me absolutely -crazy- to do so."
Blast Off allows himself a soft near-chuckle. "Yes... given what I've seen of you lately, I suppose patience is not your forte." An optic ridge raises as he looks at her. "Nor is staying quiet." He shakes his head slightly and looks around. "I am glad to hear you finally learned some self-defense. And once again, I'd suggest continuing to familiarize yourself with it. I believe you'll need it, especially if Drift or anyone else comes after you again." He looks down to his own hands. "And my offer still stands- if you ever want training in shooting, or any other defensive, fighting, or mental conditioning techniques, you need only to ask." He looks up. "But gain that experience from someone, or something, *before* you need it. Barricade should have taught you more... especially given your situation."
"Well, he hasn't had long to work with me, and he's busy with other work too, like making sure the other fighters in the pits don't get into trouble," Shiftlock explains further to Blast Off. "But he's been trying to help me every moment he has free time. I'm really grateful for it. He didn't have to do any of that, but he said that it wasn't right for me to go through life without the basics."
Blast Off taps his chin. "But can you defend yourself, I wonder? Could you defend yourself should Drift suddenly awaken and try killing you again? Could you defend yourself if Ratbat sent someone here to kill you right now?"
"I got away from Drift before, didn't I?" Shiftlock says, as if that is all the answer to the question she needs. "Plus I can go so far underground nobody can find me. And I can outrun almost everyone. Isn't that enough?"
You say "What about the unexpected? Are you mentally prepared for that? For that is what your enemies will try to throw at you. They won't usually come at you face on in a fair fight, they'll try to suprise you when you least expect it." His optics narrow as he considers some hard lessons. "What if the senate, say, hacked into someone you trusted the same way Blurr's been hacked? ....Someone like me, for instance?"
Suddenly the shuttleformer has drawn his weapon out and leaps towards Shiftlock, raising it to aim right at her head if she doesn't take any defensive maneuvers.
"What are you going to do now?""
What would Shiftlock Do? It's like 'What Would Sky Lynx Do', even has the same letters, but it's probably got a far less magnificent answer than anything with Sky Lynx's involvement. The fembot transforms in the blink of an eye and charges at Blast Off at speeds just shy of his own; the blurr of copper and black is on him in an eyeblink - and then with the screeching of tires she avoids a collision with Blast Off, drifting around him to leap out of transformation behind him. "This!" she announces cheerfully.
"HEY!" one of the medics shouts angrily from nearby. "No fighting in here! You wanna train, go to the arena, or I'll make spare parts outta both of ya!"
Blast Off blinks and is forced to step back so as not to get run over. Ok, he wasn't quite expecting that. But... that's a good thing. The shuttleformer stares as she transforms back again, and his weapon points skywards, away from the femme. There might be the slightest grin under his faceplate as he remarks, "....Well, at least you're quick-witted."
The medic causes him to glance over and subpsace his gun with a sigh, then turn back to Shiftlock. "I am up for that if you are."
Shiftlock grabs Blast Off by the arm. "Well what are we waiting for then Mr. Drill Sergeant? You wanna teach me something? Fine! Teach away, teach!" And she tries to drag him into the arena.
Blast Off blinks, tensing a bit... but she finally sounds ready to LEARN something, and that might actually keep her alive for awhile. And who better to teach her than HIM, right? He's such an /excellent and sophisticated/ sort of soldier, after all. So... he allows himself to get dragged to the arena. While still trying to look as dignified as is possible, naturally.
Shiftlock takes the ramp up into the Arena.
Energized by the prospect of activity, Shiftlock is ON THE JOB. Stepping into the very wide, tall arena which is presently unoccupied, she waits for Mr. Blast Off, Teacher Par Excellance, to get himself ready for whatever he thinks he's going to try to show her.
Blast Off IS par excellance, naturally! Everyone should /hope/ to have an instructor such as himself! The Combaticon steps into the Arena as well, bringing out his ionic blaster. "Well, I'm glad you finally took me up on this generous offer of mine." He comes towards the edge of the arena, then turns to face the femme. "Now then. I am some assassin sent from the Senate to destroy you. I don't fight fair. If I can get you off balance, emotionally or physically, I will. So you must keep focused, and keep your inward sense of calm no matter what."
Not one to dink around, Blast Off launches once again towards Shiftlock. And for once, he doesn't seem to mind getting close. Perhaps because it's Shiftlock. Also, he's got an opponent in mind, and he's trying to play that part. "I'm Drift. I've just professed my love to you, right before trying to kill you again. He comes in a thousand miles an hour, holding no punches. Can you afford to be soft?" And he leaps at her with a kick.
[Combat:] Shiftlock partially blocks your attack and takes less damage.
Shiftlock is watching Blast Off getting ready to attack, and she digs her heels into the oxide, bracing for anything, ready to run at a moment's notice! That's because right now running is what she does best, that and driving, and Barriaade has intructed her that escape is the first combat discipline she should learn. "Oh, you mean the usual then?" she cheekily replies, because yes, that's pretty much par for the course when it comes to Drift.
Waiting in place, she lets Blast Off throw that kick at her, and then brings up the altmode plating on her forearms to protect her body; Blast Off strikes the plating, allowing her to use his momentum (and it's considerable) to heave him up and over herself while he's airborne. The strike is harder than she expected, and she goes tumbling back onto her rump from the sheer force of the blow.
Blast Off launches at her, soon sailing over Shiftlock guided by her own hands. Recovering quickly, he rolls once he hits the ground, then pushes himself right back up at her as she lands on her aft. "Another thing: NEVER turn your back on an enemy! Once you're down, it's easier to land a blow... can you react fast enough?" He wastes no time springing right back at her, aiming to punch her in the back of her helmet while she's down and facing away. The Combaticon also hopes to surprise her by attempting such up-close combat- it's not his usual style, after all.... but it /is/ Drift's.
He comes in fast and tries to strike hard- though of course with his (lack of) strength it will probably be more like a gentle breeze if it connects. ;_;
[Combat:] Shiftlock partially blocks your attack and takes less damage.
Shiftlock is turning around and getting up just in time for Blast Off's fist to go *tink* against her helm.
She stares at him.
"Are you serious? Stick to shooting. Here, lemme show you some WRASSLIN' MOVES!" she announces, fang-toothed, as she attempts to grab hold of Blast Off and pin him into the sand.
[Combat:] Shiftlock hits Blast Off!
Shutterfly enters the observation area, and begins watching the bout quietly.
Now, there are several reasons WHY Blast Off doesn't usually attempt to get close to an opponent while fighting, and he's quickly reminded just why that is. Shiftlock's comment ruffles his ego and he starts insisting, "I was just going EASY on you, obviousl-" But he doesn't get the opportunity to continue lying his head off because the femme's suddenly reached out and grabbed someone- namely him. And he suddenly finds himself in the very /awkward/ position of staring up AT Shiftlock from a very, very up-close-and-personal angle.
The shuttleformer blinks and freezes a moment, gazing up into her optics and trying really, really, really hard to remember that she is basically just a KID and he should have NO INTEREST in her WHATSOEVER oh my Primus how UNCOUTH that would be..... and meanwhile turning just a bit of a shade of red. (Can Cybertronians blush?) Then he remembers what he's trying to do here, and lets out a loud HUFFF as he attempts to shove her away enough to wrest himelf from her grip. He WANTS to do that, right? ....Right?
Given everything else that's going on, he doesn't notice Shutterfly enter- yet.
[Combat:] You miss Shiftlock!
"Oh come ON you wiggle like a turboworm!" Shiftlock teases as Blast Off struggles to get out from beneath her, and can't. She straddles his waist and clamps against him with her thighs to keep him from transforming or getting too far, and it's working. She has his wrists in her hands.
"So you say you're pretending to be Drift who just said he loves me and then wants to kill me? Oh if /that's/ the scenario, o/` I know how to make you stoo~ooop, o/`" she singsongs.
She does a little victory dance. On top of him.
Wiggling back and forth she boogies and bobs her head back and forth. "o/` Oh yeah! who's the mech? I'm the mech! I can dig it! o/`"
Shutterfly can't help but chuckle to herself at these...bizarre fighting tactics from the femme in the fighting ring. Her smile fades a bit when she hears Drift mentioned, however. Looks like she's not the only one with a Drift problem. Hopefully Drift's new 'bromance' with Hot Rod will calm him down a bit, because 'Shutterfly' has bigger things to accomplish at the moment.
Blast Off brought Shiftlock here for some schooling, and instead it looks like HE's the one getting schooled. All that talk earlier about keeping a cool head and focus despite chaotic circumstances ....was....uh... wait, uh, what? Was there a train of thought here? Was he here for a reason? Right now thinking anything at all is... kinda difficult. He struggles, but can't break free. She's simply stronger than he is and it's a bit... difficult to move at the moment, what with her STADDLING HIM and PINNING his arms DOWN. Being pinned down by this femme is simultaneously incredibly embarrassing.... and incredibly hot. Blast Off is blushing /all shades/ of red by now. UNCOUTH UNCOUTH MUST'NT THINK THESE THINGS THIS WILL NOT DO.
He stares up at her in horror as she starts bouncing around, and the "who's the mech" talk snaps him back to at least some reality. His optics blaze purple. This... this... NO. What if someone SAW him like this? He's a MIGHTY SPACE WARRIOR. Thank PRIMUS for the little mercies, though, at least no one is around to....
Aaand that's when he spots "Shutterfly". And dies a thousand little deaths all over again. There's a moment he just seems to be trying to melt into the sand itself and burrow by sheer willpower down into the center of the planet... but alas that doesn't work somehow. "Shiftlock...." His voice is tense, quiet and tortured, "Get offfff...."
Shiftlock is merciless. She leans over and looks Blast Off square in the optics. "Oh I'm tryin' baby. I'm tryin'." Cute huge scrap-eating grin.
Perhaps Blast Off can take some comfort in the fact that the KNN photojournalist doesn't appear to be taking any pictures, but it's probably bad enough that she's watching this travesty.
Blast Off just stares up at Shiftlock helplessly now, his purple coloring now definitely more of a red-violet shade, and makes a sound probably no one has ever heard him make before: a sort of whimpering, choking half-sob that is still somehow combined with the more characteristic huff of his ventilation systems.
This is NOT his day.
Shift has mercy, knowing when Blast Off is beaten. Instead of tormenting him any further she leans forward, lets go of his wrists and gives him a big hug before rolling off of him and bouncing back up to her feet. She offers him a hand up. "I think if you're gonna try to melee tactics you need to be built for it first, Teach."
Blast Off tenses as Shiftlock lunges forward again, and remains a bit frozen in place as she hugs him. He doesn't DARE try hugging her back this time, only relaxing a bit when she finally pulls away. Oh slag oh slag. His ventilation systems and cooling fans are working overtime right now, and he has to let them cycle a few times before he can think again. He waves her hand away, his pride kicking in, and he lets out a much more characteristic HUFF as he pushes himself up. Standing up, he stares at the femme, then pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to equilibrate again. "I.... uh, well, I...." His shoulders slump and he sighs. "....Yes."
Coming back to his senses, he tries to say, "Well, I was just trying to show you some.... things. But you're... you're good to go. You.... certainly are....." He blinks. "...Creative."
Then as much as he'd like to ignore Shutterfly and pretend she wasn't just here to WITNESS all that, he turns to look at her instead. "...Greetings. I was just... demonstrating to Shiftlock here why... why allowing oneself to get too close to something.... too distracted was a ... bad idea." Yes, that's all that was. Completely INTENTIONAL, right?
"Of course you were," Shutterfly says, smiling kindly. "Nice to see you again, how've you been?"
Shiftlock chuckles. "He's a great teacher, lots of fun," she adds in, still smiling widely, but otherwise stands back and lets Blast Off talk to the nice lady reporter. Shift wants video of this.
Blast Off continues to TRY to pull what /tiny/ little shred of dignity he might still /potentially/ have left in this situation out of... wherever it's hiding, and does his best to stand straight and tall. And resist the urge to flee far, far away into space and never, ever return. He nods to Shutterfly. "I... have been well. Still moving up in the fights, even earning a bit more shanix. You?"
He takes a deep "breath", then dares to look at Shiftlock again, raising an optic ridge. FUN she says. "I... can commence more... long range tactics if you'd like, or we can go over those later." That is, if she'll ever take him seriously again. "I... am quite skilled at those, of course." He's SURE to point that out, since he wants to make sure that's not fogotten.
"Fantastic!" Shutterfly exclaims. "Keep at it, and you'll be in one of the top brackets before long. I apologize for not having been around in a little while, but I've been looking into a story that's...well, part folklore, and possibly *not* fictional, depending upon who you ask. It's the legend of Arcon Omega, ever heard of him?" Glancing over toward Shiftlock briefly, Shutterfly flashes a press pass toward the femme, and introduces herself: "How do you do, I'm Shutterfly, a photojournalist with KNN."
"It's nice to meet you, Shutterfly," Shiftlock says very politely - before ducking behind Blast Off. Whaaaa? One minute she's larger than life and bold to the point of arrogance, the next, hiding like a scared little petrorabbit? "... Please don't put any pictures of me in the paper. It's... it's really important you don't."
Blast Off goes into full-on gentlemech mode, and nods politely at Shutterfly. "Yes, I am sure I will." (Ok, /egotistical/ gentlemech mode.) "Ah, I realize how busy you are, that is not a problem." And unlike Shiftlock, Shutterfly is NOT too young. She's even sophisticated enough to enjoy a good glass of wine! "I am afraid I have not heard of Arcon, no. If I do, I can be sure to inform you, if you'd like?"
He blinks as Shiftlock suddenly goes all SHY and ducks behind him. Wait, what?! He stares at the racer a moment, then reminds himself that yes, see, this shows her inexperience and youth. Never would work between them, obviously. "You are Okay, Shiftlock. I told her the same thing, since we are both in the same boat, as it were. And she promised not to publish my picture, either- and has kept her promises." See, she's totally trustworthy! "Like I said, you're safe here, with me." He suddenly finds himself going back into "protector" mode, which doesn't make anymore sense, given what just happened, than Shiftlock's reaction, but... eh... just roll with it.
Shutterfly nods in understanding, holding up her hands to show she isn't even carrying equipment or sporting extra journalist attachments such as a zoom-lens visor or recorder. "I totally understand," she tells Shiftlock. "A lot of civvies in Kaon have important secrets to keep, and I respect that. I'm not going to make any stories from mechs who would rather remain anonymous." It's an honest way of stepping around the truth very carefully, Arcee decides to herself. What she's just promised IS true -- if she were recording any of this, it wouldn't appear on KNN. But she says nothing about the secret information she sends back to the Decagon.
"Okay, Arcon is something of a local legend," Shutterfly explains to Blast Off. "Word has it he was a low-caste menial laborer, who suddenly discovered a 'system' for gambling. He became quite good at it, and he amassed a tremendous amount of wealth. No one knows for sure just how much, but it was rumored to be close to trillions of shanix. One day --" She makes a snapping sound with her fingers. "He disappeared without a trace. Killed by the underworld? Gone into hiding? No one really knows for sure...but some people claim that he hid at least one part of his massive forturne right here, in Kaon."
"Well, it's just that - you know that big bust they did in Polyhex, that lab?" Shiftlock says to Fluttershy, moving out from around Blast Off. "Yeah. Medical experiment here. There's a Senator that wants me dead to cover his tracks, so... I don't need my location given away." Enjoy your infodump, Prowl.
She thinks about this legend and taps her chin. "I can't say I've been here like, super long? But I've never heard of this local legend."
Blast Off raises an optic ridge. "I wonder if he knew Swindle...." As Shutterfly continues, his optics widen. "...Trillions?" He lets out a small sigh. "Probably just more silly rumors meant to give poor mechs some hope they could somehow make their hardscrabble lives more meaningful...." Sigh. "More... comfortable." He looks off to nowhere in particular, imaging the highrise suite and wine collections and library and everything else he could buy back with that kind of shanix.
He then nods to Shiftlock. "Yes, many of us have grievances against the government, but Shutterfly is aware of that. She's actually quite sophisticated." That reminds him... He turns back to Shutterfly. "Oh, did you know I recently met some royalty?" That might impress her. "And she gave me a bottle of fine wine. I.... haven't opened it yet...." Hint hint.
"Blast Off are you trying to get her drunk?" Shiftlock asks. LOUDLY. "HA HA YOU OLD GEARHOUND! I knew you had it in you!" She attempts to slap Blast Off on the back. *hard*. Enough to make him maybe fall over. Jealousy? Perhaps -tad-.
[Combat:] Shiftlock misses Blast Off!
"Well..." Shutterfly frowns in concern, then nods to Shiftlock. "I hope you can remain safe. Kaon is actually...remarkably *safe*, much safer than one would think...at least, for those who need to *remain* hidden. It's probably the best place for that." She looks shocked at Blast Off's revelation, then slightly worried. "Amazing! ...Uh, was that in this jurisdiction, by any chance? Because if it was, I'm going to hear it from my boss for not covering that story," Shutterfly admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "And you got *enerwine* out of the deal, too? Yeah, I'm impressed, I'll admit it."
Blast Off FREEZES at that remark from Shiftlock, then turns to look at her *just* in time to see that swing. OH NO YOU DON'T. Not again, he's had enough humiliation for one day, kthanx! Fast reflexes kick in and he jerks himself away, then tries to shove a hand in her face to push her away all the while trying to stare at Shutterfly like nothing's going on. See? Nothing to see here, move along~. Ha ha ha Shiftlock. He seems to be talking through gritted teeth. "She's such a kidder." He says to Shutterfly, then reminds Shiftlock, "Just remember, /children/ should be *seen* and not *heard*." Nope, nothing at all going on here, Shutterfly.
Straightening up further, he replies to Shutterfly, "No, you are fine." (Very fiiine.) "This was in Vos. There is a Queen there from Animatron. I met her there recently and I must say, she was quite impressed with me." (Ok, a bit of an exaggeration, but.... she didn't eat him or behead him or anything!) Ooo, and now Shutterfly is impressed for certain! The shuttle grins under his faceplate.
"Well, I was far more of a gentlemech than she was acustomed to meeting, you see, and..." He shrugs almost modestly (not), "She appreciated my class and my display of manners. It's a lost ART these days..." That last sentence is so NOT directed at Shiftlock. (Yes it is.)
[Combat:] Shiftlock partially blocks your attack and takes less damage.
Shiftlock gets a hand in her face and is pushed aside so Blast Off can engage in grown-up talk. She flails her arms which are just enough out of the way that she can't quite get ahold of the shuttle. "Nggh! MFF! Your hand smells like rust!" she complains behind his palm, before giving up the struggle to reach up and push Blast Off's hand out of the way.
AND THEN INSULT ON INJURY. Ohhhh dem's fightin' woids. "YOU AREN'T MY DAD!" she snaps at the shuttle, oh so mature and eloquent. "And you totally aren't the boss of me and I WILL BE HEARD IF I WANT TO!" hands on her hips and just SO defiant.
Shutterfly nods calmly, as if the antics between Shiftlock and Blast Off are perfectly normal and she sees that sort of thing all the time. Then, she seems visibly relieved when Blast Off says this incident with royalty took place in Vos. "Whoo, no wrath of the editor-in-chief," she remarks cheerfully. "But I have no doubt you managed to charm this lady, you are definitely one charming mech." She says this with a smile, but then moves the conversation right along, because the trap she's leading Blast Off into is NOT a honeypot trap. If Blast Off is to be caught, she's decided, it will be his OWN undoing, his OWN hubris...his desire for wine and fine, expensive trappings.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Arcon! Yes, many dismiss him as a legend, *except* his name exists in the Hall of Records, and evidence exists for not only his existence, but the fact that he did keep multiple vaults for his wealth management in various places. And there's sufficient evidence to suggest that one of those places is actually beneath Kaon. Not in the tunnels, but in expansive vaults. Some say he might still be residing in one of these vaults, but...meh, to me, that's kind of weird sounding. I do think it's plausible that he left behind.../something/. Even a fraction of that wealth would be an amazing find."
Blast Off sniffs oh-so-haughtily and with /such/ an air of superiority at Shiftlock's flailing. "No, I'm not. I'm simply /far/ more wise and experienced and you'd do /very/ well to listen to me." Because he knows everything, obviously. Though then he can't quite help glancing at his hand. "Wait? I just washed this morning!" Rust? He'd be off to medbay in no time. Heaven forbid someone really thinks he's THAT old.
Then the shuttle listens to Shutterfly. At first he seems to perk up just slightly. "Really? Interesting..." Then her last comments seem to cast a bit of a shadow on him. "....Tunnels? Vaults? Like ... underground?" Dark, cramped underground locations are NOT his idea of a good time.
"Underground vaults, eh?" She stops tormenting and fussing with Blast Off long enough to get interested again. "I can do that! I'm a tunnel speeder after all, it's kinda what I do!" She then gets a little more serious. "You don't wanna go underneath Kaon though. There are /things down there/. Like, I can't tell if they're Insecticons or Arachnicons or what but they are -down there- and they like eating mechs that are dumb enough to cross their paths."
"I know, doesn't sound too great, does it?" Shutterfly laughs. "I go to some pretty great lengths to get a story, but I'm not so sure I'd go down THERE...but I'll definitely say this, the information I've obtained from the Hall of Records is very compelling. Arcon does not appear to be a legend. I'm finding archived stories of his fortune. So...I'll keep you updated. It's just one of those things I've been researching. He didn't much trust traditional shanix banking systems, so a lot of his gambling empire was kept in 'dark' systems. Also, he had a thing for rare enerwine. I'm not even making this up," Shutterfly laughs. "One story I brought up shows him at a now-defunct galactic casino with the founder of Orion Three Orchards. This guy was a high-stakes and high-class, all the way. So it wouldn't surprise me much if he had a storage space somewhere...filled to the brim with now-impossible-to-find enerwine. Wouldn't surprise me at all."
Blast Off looks at Shiftlock, suddenly wondering if she could help him. That IS true, that could be her sort of forte' after all.... or at least he ponders this until her mention of "Things down there" which just puts him right back on the whole "looking rather uncomfortable" mode.
"....Things?" Pause. "Eating mechs?" He glances downward as if expecting something to come bursting out of the ground where he stands and try eating him. Then Shutterfly explains more and.... He looks up. "...Orion three Orchards?" His face sort of drops as he suddenly realizes underground....is calling him. The shuttle looks forlornly back down at his feet. Now why, oh why did something sounding that sweet have to be down /there/? "...Well... I.... surely others have looked for this before? I mean, even if we did search for this, how would one even know where to start looking?"
"Good question," Shutterfly admits. "What I do know is that he spent a lot of time in Kaon and some time in Vos. Those who knew him personally either won't admit to it because they fear for their own lives, or they're long-gone. So I need to do more research over at the Hall of Records." Arcee also knows that she needs to get her hands on some actual 'loot', in order to bait a suitable 'trap'. But of course, all of that work is taking place outside of Kaon so her cover isn't endangered. "Anyhow...see what I miss while I'm gone? You meeting up with ROYALTY. You going to open that enerwine, or keep it for a while?"
Shiftlock sighs heavily and folds her arms. "Is this important to you Blast Off? It seems like it really is." Looking over at him thoughtfully, she adds, "If it's that important to you I'll go looking. You'd be bugchow if you went underground."
Blast Off listens intently to Shutterfly now, torn between EWWW OMG underground crawling with horrors and monsters and claustrophobia and....and TREASURE. He nods, then says, still sounding a little uncertain, "Uh.... yes. Were you hoping to film us discovering this or something, if you discovered some more clues?" Because naturally Shutterfly would want in on this, surely. Then he looks to Shiftlock, and huffs a little. "Well, it's NOT. It's probably just a wild turbo-goose chase, that's all!" Because instant denial of facts is his specialty.
Then he waves a hand in a half-shrug gesture. "But... well... I mean, if there WAS something, and there WAS a storage vault of enerwine, well.... it would just be a shame to have that fall into someone ELSE's hands. At least I can appreciate it, and take CARE of it properly!" Then he HUFFs a little louder. "I'll have you KNOW I can HANDLE myself!" Because now she's stinging his PRIDE.
Blast Off gets over his huffy flailing at Shiftlock for a momnent, and turns back to Shutterfly, trying to look all sophisticated again. "Yes, quite exciting to meet a Queen. From another PLANET, no less!" Siiigh- and someday he'll return to space, too. He hopes. Then he tilts his head. "Well, I was planning on waiting for a... special occasion." He gives her what he hopes is a charming glance, though it's probably just a somewhat bored look. "Care to join me?" She DID share HER wine with HIM, after all.
Shift's actually a little hurt by Blast Off's rebuttal. She was willing to do something nice for him, even -protect- him (protecting others is important to her), and he has to turn around and be an aft about it. She scowls. "FINE! Go crawl around down there for your booze, OLD MECH!" Shiftlock throws her hands into the air in exasperation and walks away towards the ramp. "If Barricade asks, I'm going out for a little while and I'll be back WHENEVER!"
Shutterfly has an assistant these days. That assistant makes his way toward the group. He approaches the fembot looking as if he needs to tell her something, but stopping to apparently wait patiently when it seems she's busy with another conversation like a good little servant should. He's grey and pretty plain-looking, nothing special there, nope!
"I really thought it was just a legend, for the longest time," Shutterfly admits. "But the things I'm finding at the Hall of Records tell an entirely different story. If...*IF* I locate something -- an old document, perhaps, or article that suggests something more tangible, you will definitely be the first to...know..." Shutterfly watches Shiftlock just melt down angrily and walk away. "...Ugh. I'm really sorry if I did something to trigger her being upset," she says apologetically. "I didn't really mean to upset anyone, I was just trying to explain why I haven't been here at the Forge lately, it's because I'm actually finding out stuff about this allegedly 'legendary' Arcon, who, uh, just might not be a legend after all." She smiles cheerfully at Blast Off. "That would be wonderful, but...honestly, you should save that for a special occasion."
Blast Off looks back as Shiftlock storms off, letting out an indignant huff as she goes. "I beg your *pardon*?!?" OLD MECH? Slaaag, he's really hating that. He bristles as she leaves. "I'm /NOT/ THAT OLD! But FINE!!! Have your little TANTRUM like the *newmade spark* that you ARE!" Not calm and dignified like HE is being! He waves her off, feeling far more annoyed than he should.
"I don't NEED your help, Shiftlock!!!" PFFFT. He can take care of HIMSELF. She wants to storm off? GOOD. More loot for HIM, anyway, right? He doesn't need HER HELP ANYWAY. All this stupid PROTECTING business she always wants to do for him. He can tackle those damp dirty... scary.... wait, LOOT-filled tunnels BY HIMSELF. He's a might space WARRIOR!!! RAAR! ...Nothing could possibly go wrong here, right?
He HUFFS again to calm himself, then turns back to Shutterfly- and this new mech who comes up. He gives Shutterfly another wave of the hand, like no, don't mind Shiftlock there. "No, she's practically off the assembly line- hasn't learned any class or manners yet..." TSK. "Forgive her impetiousness." Then he tilts his head once more. "Well... perhaps when *I* discover this treasure lode, we will have ample cause to celebrate!"
"It could very well happen like that! I mean, you just never know. I think it's kind of exciting that I'm finding evidence he actually resided right here in Kaon. It isn't imaginary, he, um...he really *was* here..." As Blast Off bellows at Shiftlock, Shutterfly suddenly notices her assistant there. "...Oh no, don't tell me, the editor wants me to do video compiling on third shift, doesn't he," she laments. Then, she sighs, and looks toward Blast Off. "This is my co-worker, F-Stop." Yes. F-Stop, Blurr, like it, or leave it, but you're stuck with it now.
F-Stop? Good Primus. Could she have thought of anything -worse-. Sigh. But Blurr just sucks it up for now. Though he will probably give her grief about it later.
He just smirks knowingly when Shutterfly seems to already know the scoop. 'F-Stop' nods in greeting toward the others, but doesn't say anything.
Blast Off nods to Shutterfly. "If something like that HAD actually survived underground this long, it would certainly be quite a find. And again, who better to take proper care of a stash of enerwine than me? I would think very few mechs here in Kaon have the slightest clue how to properly store such a treasure." He blinks as "F-Stop" is ontroduced. Ok, um...interesting (cough) name. "Ah.... are you a photographer then?" His voice is polite, slightly bored.
Arcee has just discovered something really important: she's fairly good at coming up with exposition and filler when it comes to adlibbing for her cover persona, but...making up names on the fly is really NOT her forte. "Sorry, Blast Off, but it looks like my editor has some footage that needs to be ready for the next broadcast. F here is my equipment guy, I couldn't ask for a better field assistant," Shutterfly says. Yup, 'F' for short. Can't get much cooler than that.
'F-Stop' nods and smiles, but still doesn't say anything. Blurr isn't making the same mistake Blast Off made before, nope. Because Blast Off is -terrible- at undercover. Seriously. Who even gave him the idea that he should try? Hot Rod, oh, right.
Blast Off listens to Shutterfly. "Yes, well, a busy individual such as yourself has many responsibilities. I am sure you do an excellent job, though. I looked up your article on Pit Fighters recently, and must say I quite enjoyed reading it. It really captured that... down in the pits feeling- the ambiance, if you will. I could almost... almost *smell* it- not that I want to, but.... you know what I mean." He looks again at F-Stop and arches an optic ridge. ".... Does he... speak?"
"Oh yeah, just not that much of a conversationalist when he's on the clock," Shutterfly chuckles. "Well, I'd better get going. I'll update you if I find anything else out, okay??"
Yes, the only reason Blurr can actually restrain himself right now is because of the training he's been receiving at the Decagon. Before all that, well...Blast Off probably should be glad he never knew the racer in his early days, before he...learned how to be a proper person.
'F-Stop' nods in agreement with Shutterfly on both points. There is work to be done! He turns to head back to the KNN offices.
Blast Off ahhhs and looks at "F-Stop". "I see- dedicated to your job as well, then? Fair enough." He gives the mech a magnanimous nod of his head, then turns back to the femme. "It was nice to see you again, Shutterfly." (Just maybe not what she walked in on earlier, he HOPES she has forgotten that by now. PLEASE say she's forgotten that.) "I hope that we may soon celebrate a victory together." (Yes, Shutterfly, remember what a fine, sophisticated gentlemech he is, and forget that earlier nonsense.)
He watches "F-Stop" turn to leave, and realizes he should probably head out as well. His "student" has stormed off in a huff (NOT THAT HE MISSES HER) and he has treasure to find BY HIMSELF. In a dark, creepy, cramped, underground nightmare of a place. It's a good thing he's really so calm and civilized, he might otherwise think he was getting a little stressed out thinking about these things. Instead, he tries to focus on better times, with perhaps some more shanix, some fine wine, and maybe even a sophisticated lady by his side? Yes.... surely a mech like him deserves a little comfort... and maybe even company... in the future.
"Nice to see you again as well! We'll talk again later!" Shutterfly smiles and waves as she departs with her new friend, F-Stop. Who is probably going to bitch about the name as soon as they leave the Forge, but whatever. If he wanted a better name, he should have picked it himself!