Shut Up and Let Me Hug You-You Jerk

How long has it been since Whirl was in Nyon? Most likely it was only a few cycles, but considering the state he found himself in, it might has well been years. He came to blind, stumbled and flew his way to Kalis to get a new optic, got his sight restored, bummed around in every city between Kalis and Nyon, getting drunk, getting high, waking up in a different place every day.. it was a lot of fun.

Except it really wasn't. It was all just a distraction from the mech's problems like, you know, getting shot in the head. Also Shiftlock and how he has no idea what happened to her and how he probably never will because the only person who could help him tried to kill him (see: getting shot in the head.) Basically life kind of sucks for Whirl right now but he's found his way back in Nyon because, well, where else is he going to go?

Which brings us to where he is now: sitting on a curb outside some random building, possibly inebriated in some way and looking absolutely terrible. He also looks like he's deep in thought, or maybe just staring into space. Who knows.

Whirl will probably be /quite/ interested in the person who comes striding outside of a bar, then, stepping out onto the street not too far from the 'copter. It is the mech who shot him: Blast Off, back in town for business, then a brief drink before he moves onto other things. On the surface, the shuttle seems completely unaffected by his last encounter with Whirl. He even had the opportunity to mention Whirl to Hot Rod the cycle before- and did not. What would he say? Hi, Hot Rod, I nearly murdered one of your friends because he was threatening me and, oh yeah, because I was jealous too! Yeah, that would have been really easy to explain.

However, deep down, even the aloof shuttleformer has found he has some... conflicting feelings. Perhaps the tiniest sense of guilt at shooting Whirl, especially when quite honestly it WAS understandable that Whirl wanted to find out more about Shiftlock. In fact, Blast Off had /meant/ to tell him, but then pride got bruised, threats were made.... and somehow instead of telling Whirl what he knew he wound up shooting him instead. The shuttle does at least know that Whirl is alive, since he checked in with Panacea about that. But otherwise... he's hoping to just avoid Whirl now.

Avoiding problems and people /always works/, right? Stepping out onto the street, he holds a hand to his face as his optics adjust to the light again, and doesn't see Whirl quite yet.

As soon as Blast Off's optics adjust, he'll be face to face with the very mech he was trying so hard to avoid. Whirl is on him in an instant, almost like he teleported from where he was to directly in the Combaticon's face in a matter of mere micro-seconds. That would be silly though, right? Is it any sillier than Whirl asking every person in Nyon about the shuttle's whereabouts and secretly tracking him the entire time he's been back? Or that his waiting by the curb was not a mere coincidence but actually a strategically planned out event? Whatever the case may be, it doesn't matter; Whirl is here now and he wants answers.

Or does he? Striking while Blast Off is momentarily distracted would make the most sense and it's definitely something he would do, yet he takes no action against the other mech. He doesn't even speak, he just... stares. A hard, intense, unwavering stare.

Blast Off gets the funny feeling he's being watched. Of course, maybe that's just paranoia, and he certainly has reasons to feel paranoid these days. His optic ridges furrow down just slightly, and as his optics adjust once more to the light he begins to look around. Of course that's when he spots Whirl sitting there, staring at him.

The Combaticon freezes, staring right back. He sees that Whirl has his optic back. That's... probably good, right? All intact and in one piece and... oh yeah, according to Panacea seeking revenge against him. Oh. Hmm. Violet optics flicker in uncertainty and then- Blast Off turns and starts walking away, the picture of an aloof mech. He doesn't know how to deal with this, so he'll just... ignore it. Deny it. Walk away. It's better than shooting, right?

Ignore it? Deny it? WALK AWAY? These are all things that are most definitely NOT going to work. As Blast Off starts to walk away, Whirl starts to walk as well, following behind the Combaticon as close as he can without spooking him too much. For a moment, it seems this is all the cyclops is going to do: be a creepy guy literally stalking the other mech but this isn't the case as he eventually speaks.

"You shoot a guy in the optic and he doesn't even get a hello?" Whirl scoffs and stops walking, choosing to just stare at the Combaticon now. "I thought you were more sophisticated than that, Blast Off."

Blast Off's steps slow down the moment Whirl speaks but do not stop completely. That and his clenching fists are the only signs he's heard the mech at first. Then, slowly he moves his head slightly, almost-but-not-quite looking back at Whirl through the corner of his optics. "...What do you want me to say?"

"You could start with "Hey, Whirl.' And then a 'Sorry I tried to kill you, how are you doing?' Then you would compliment me on my shiney new optic." Whirl gives said shiney new optic a gentle tap with his claws. "Like it? Torque gave it to me. I managed to find her workshop despite my crippling blindness." He starts walking again, slower than Blast Off so there's still a noticeable gap between them. "Or we could finish the conversation we were having before you went trigger happy."

Blast Off keeps walking, growing a bit more tense as Whirl continues to follow him. He expects Whirl to attack him at any moment, and his fingers flex, ready to draw out his weapon. But Whirl actually gives him a little space and talks like a... reasonable person. The shutle's not sure what to make of this. Still wary, he gives Whirl a full glance over his shoulder, eying that optic again before looking in front once more.

Still walking, he finally breaks the silence with a few very tense, awkward words. ".... I'm... sorry." It sounds more sullen than apologetic, though the fact that he is on edge and expecting an attack at any time might add to that impression. "Torque? She is... skilled. She repaired my feet." He walks along a moment more before adding, "I... didn't go triggerhappy. You threatened me."

Whirl is so surprised that Blast Off actually apologized (even if it was kind of a lame one) that he almost trips, stumbling to catch himself. He scoffs and tries to play it cool, doing his best to appear uninterested and bored. "It's, uh.." Extremely fake cough. "It's fine. Really, getting shot in the head isn't the worst thing to happen to me and yeah, Torque is pretty awesome. And attractive, so that's a plus. Pancea was also skilled but she didn't have the part she needed to finish the job." Now that he thinks about it, he had A LOT of help making it through that particular incident. There's a chuckle at Blast Off's last comment. "You can justify it however you want but you're still the one who pulled the trigger. It doesn't matter, I'm over it."

This is certainly awkward for the shuttle. Blast Off is a soldier- he's trained to shoot and to kill. On the job, for a good reason? It doesn't faze him a bit. This is a bit ...different though. This is someone he (sort of) knows, and sort of still owes an explaination to. Better people, or at least more socially adept ones, might use this opportunity to offer a spark-felt apology and truly let Whirl know that they were sorry. That's not Blast Off, though. The shuttle's so guarded and walled off he just doesn't know how to break those walls down anymore.

However, he at least manages a nod. "Yes... yes, she's a good medic. Something we will need more of in the near future, I think." He doesn't respond to the other comments, instead changing the subject. "I suppose I... do need to tell you what I know about Shiftlock."

All Whirl ever wanted from Blast Off was the information he had on Shiftlock and her whereabouts. It was the reason for their fight in the first place, wasn't it? And wasn't it the only thing he was able to think about while he was traveling back to Nyon? Yes, yes it was, but now that he's so close to learning everything he ever wanted to know he feels.. scared?

Whirl stop dead in his tracks, his intense stare settling on Blast Off once more. "She's dead, isn't she?"

Blast Off slows at that question, steps winding down until he finally comes to a standstill. His fists clench once again. The shuttle doesn't move otherwise, still staring ahead at the street before him. "....Worse."

Worse? What could possibly be worse than death? The only thing Whirl can think of is empurata but.. could that have happened to her? It's hard not to let his imagination go wild, thinking about all the horrible things that could've possibly happened to her before he even has a chance to ask. "What happened to her?"

Blast Off continues looking straight ahead. "She's been... reconditioned." Now he turns to look at Whirl, violet optics staring with a slightly haunted expression into that single optic bulb of the other mech's. "Her mind is no longer her own. She belongs to the Senate now... to the Autobots." His voice is mostly flat, tinged with an edge of bitterness.

Whirl has no face and therefore it is impossible for him to make expressions but that doesn't mean he can't read them; the look in Blast Off's optics are enough to make the mech shiver. It's painfully obvious that Blast Off had a thing for Shiftlock and as a result, Whirl knows exactly how he's feeling right now. Sadness. Anger. Guilt. Perhaps shame?

Whirl's claws clench tight and his entire body shakes with barely contained rage. It's one thing for the Senate to ruin HIS life and mutilate HIS very being and to use HIM for their sick games but Shiftlock? She doesn't deserve such a fate, she doesn't deserve any of it.

"No, she doesn't." Whirl's gaze meets Blast Off's and he takes a step forward. "They may have her under their control but she is not theirs to have. She.. she can't be lost to them forever, what they did to her can be undone! Can't it?"

Blast Off looks to Whirl, that slightly haunted expression still flickering at the edges of his face. His clenched fists tighten further into painful balls. "What do /you/ think? If it was so easy to undo the Senate's sadism, then why don't /you/ look normal again? Just throw on a pair of hands and a head and be done with it! No problem! Easy, right?"

He turns away to stare down the street again. "But it's not that easy. Have you met Blurr? He's like Shiftlock. A puppet. He's got several people trying to help HIM, too.... but they haven't. The way things are... there /isn't/ a way to help." He shakes his head. "Not that I've been able to find, at least. Not that anyone's been able to find.... As long as the Senate stays in power, at least."

Whirl was doing his best to remain calm and try to have a civilized conversation with the Combaticon. He really didn't want to get angry and be forced to take it out on Blast Off. The entire time he was making his way back to Nyon he was trying to decide what to do with the other mech, whether it was worth it to seek revenge and what Shiftlock would've thought about his decision. Ultimately he decided it would be tarnishing the femme's memory to offline someone she cared about, even if he was a snobby jerk. That comment about his empurata though? That was a low blow.

Whirl approaches Blast Off while his back is turned, optic flickering with barely contained rage. "Fine. I guess she's gone forever. I guess it's not even worth trying. I guess she's DEAD to the both of us. Why even bother, right? It's all hopeless, isn't it? We should just give up forever, right? Is that what you're telling me?" He reaches out and grabs Blast Off by the shoulders, forcing him to face him so he can better yell right in his face. "Because that's what I'm hearing! I'm hearing that she's not worth the effort! WHY EVEN BOTHER, RIGHT?"

Blast Off finds once again that his lack of social skills tends to have a way of coming back and biting him in the aft. The shuttle didn't mean to be insulting. He meant to make a point, and had figured Whirl would understand it better by his use of that example. Because the empurata is just a fact of life. It's there for all the world to see. No point in pretending it isn't, right? The empurata is permenant, and thus the mind-altering is probably permenant, too. Doesn't make them right, doesn't make them anything he agrees with, it just makes a point.

But he suddenly gets another point- that Whirl's mercurial mood has shifted again- as he is grabbed and forced around to look far too closely at the other mech. Instantly defensive, his optics widen and he braces himself for a fight. "Unhand me!!! Let me go!!!" Possibly unfortunate terminology there. He starts trying to wrest away from the other mech's grip, fingers flexing. Should he bring out his blaster and start shooting? He almost does, but the thought of what happened last time stays his hand- for now.

"I TRIED! I've been TRYING! I've been searching for answers, fighting Blurr, trying to find out where they took her. I don't even know THAT much! Meanwhile, I've got a bounty on my head and people with vendettas hot on my tail- what am I supposed to do?! If you've got an idea then LET'S HEAR IT!"

Is the empurata permanent? Whirl has seen mechs lose hands before and have no problem getting them replaced. He's seen facial damage so bad that the victim was almost unrecognizable look better than ever after a stint at a hospital. There are skilled medics out there, surely one of them would be able to reverse the mutilation he had inflicted on him. The thought has crossed his mind many times before, but he decided to intentionally keep himself in the dark; never seeking out the possibility of repairs or asking surgeons if it was even possible. Perhaps, and he hates to even entertain the thought, his empurata is a necessary evil for him. An excuse to act out, a visual warning to those around him that it would be unwise to get in his way. He's not going to think about that though. Not right now.

He says nothing as Blast Off yells at him though his grip on the mech's shoulders do not loosen in the slightest. He lets the Combaticon get angry and go off on him, venting and complaining about his inability to do more than he's already done. The feelings Whirl is experiencing right now are nothing compared to Blast Off's, he decides. Blast Off knew Shiftlock longer, possibly even better than he did. If anything, his feelings are more valid than Whirl's.

The cyclops says nothing but his grip on the shuttleformer tightens and he actually pulls the other mech in close against his body to hug him. YES. WHIRL IS HUGGING BLAST OFF. It's just as weird and terrifying as you think it is.

Blast Off keeps trying to pull away, but unfortunately Whirl is stronger. The sniper's best defense is his shooting skill, which is why he's so quick to pull out the weapon and fire it. And he's /this close/ to doing just that. Yet still he hesitates, given what happened before. Then, slowly, inexplicably, \*confusingly\*.... Whilr draws him in for a.... HUG?!?! The shuttle former tenses, arms and back stiffening even as his legs keep trying to get purchase and push away on the ground.

His voice is a mixture of tense and /extremely/ awkward. "....What. Are. You. Doing."

Whirl digs his feet into the ground, trying to keep Blast Off from flying away as he's so prone to doing. "What does it look like I'm doing!?" he snaps, voice also laced with awkward tension. Maybe Blast Off really doesn't know what a hug is. It wouldn't be that surprising considering how distant and aloof the Combaticon is. "It's called a hug and people do it to comfort each other or show affection. In this case I am TRYING to COMFORT you because you're going through some rough stuff and so am I so I could also use a hug and you're my only option right now so shut up and let me hug you, you jerk!"

Actually, it's possible that Blast Off /doesn't/ know what a hug is. Not a hug like this, at least. Combatatronians are well-versed in the ways of warfare, but Comforting Hugs 101 wasn't really a part of that curriculum. This is... this is TERRIFYING. The shuttle freezes, totally at a loss of what to do.

"Wh-why?", He sort of yawps, then quiets down as Whirl continues explaining things. The Combaticons violet optics are turning near-white as they dart about the place, as if he's searching for help. His trigger finger is twitching uncontrollably now- yet still the weapon remains in subspace. Since shooting people who are trying to comfort you might actually be sort of uncivilized. Maybe. Not to emntion.... as much as Blast off would never admit it, the warm energy field of the other mech isn't actually that /unpleasant./ There are a few more twitches and struggles, then he sort of slowly ...relaxes just a tiny bit.

Boy, wouldn't Blast Off feel stupid if this was all just a distraction to drop his guard so Whirl could more easily stab him, or punch him, or break an arm, or peel off his heat shields, or literally any other bad thing he could possibly think of. Now would be the perfect time to do it too, now that the Combaticon has relaxed and accepted what was happening to him. All it would take is a clean cut to the throat, maybe he could sever a main fuel line..

But, surprisingly enough, Blast Off murder is so far from Whirl's mind right now. Yes, Blast Off is annoying. Yes, Blast Off is always getting in his business. Yes, Blast Off shot him in the head and almost killed him. Yes, Blast Off is a terrible person. But.. they are both so alike, especially now. Both of them are experiencing the same feelingsof having lost a good friend to a common enemy. They are both lost, trying to find their way through this messed up series of events we call life.

Whirl hugs the shuttleformer tighter, his face (or what passes for it) pushed against the side of the other mech's neck. "Because no matter what I tell myself or how many fights we get in, I find myself drawn to you like we were created to constantly clash and test each other, but mostly because I think you need one."

And Blast Off is definitely considering all of those things. The shuttleformer hasn't relaxed /entirely/, after all, he's just mellowed out a small amount. Enough to accept this... this horror called a /hug/. This strange and unexpected attack that... isn't one. It's enough to break a Combaticon's brain. Whirl pulls them in for a tight embrace and Blast Off's hand winds up pushing very weakly against one of Whirl's arms, bracing himself against it.

This is still /incredibly/ awkward. Far more awkward than anything the shuttle's experienced in a long time. Far more... confusing. Part of him wants to start screaming and pushing and railing against, and part of him wants to... maybe return the hug? But no, no, Combaticon warrior, aloof, shuttling`, all that, no can do. Still, after an initial new shock and freezing as Whirl nestles against his neck (his cooling fans begin to kick in at that point) the shuttle finds himself blinking and his hand goes from bracing against Whirl's arm to... simply holding it. His head comes forward just slightly. Very quietly, almost imperceptably- he admits, "Maybe... maybe this one time."

The more Blast Off resists, the harder Whirl squeezes like some kind of insane, cyclopean, robot python. He assumes he's going to be forced to hug the poor guy so hard that he explodes or something but, much to his surprise, the Combaticon accepts what is happening to him. Sure, he doesn't return the embrace but he doesn't have to, Whirl is just content with having another warm body pressed against him. Single optic dims slightly, the cyclops obviously feeling.. things during this little awkward interaction.

"Yeah.. just this one time.." His voice's volume matches rivals the Combaticons in how quiet it is. "No one has to know, right?"

This is waaay beyond anything Blast Off knows how to deal with. The shuttle is still looking just a mite terrified, while at the same time seeming to just... accept this and go with it. Primus knows the lonely mech could use a hug once in a while. Even if HE doesn't like admitting it. His hand just...holds the other's arm while his optics still dart about from time to time. But slowly even that dims just a little, too, and he allows himself to enjoy the other's energy field. "No..." He replies quietly.

Wow, this could look awkward to anyone walking in on them right now.....

Speaking of which, 'anyone' does show up. Fortunately that anyone happens to be Swift Blade, who is not the most judgemental person on Cybertron. She was actually looking for Whirl in specific, but finding the two of them, together, and HUGGING was not quite what she expected. Despite her desire to be polite, she can't help but stare, quizzically, at the pair of them.

Whirl finds himself enjoying Blast Off's touch a little too much and he can't help but bury his 'face' deeper into the crook of the Combaticon's neck, a set of claws leaving their previous position to drag tantalizingly down the mech's frame, their pointed tips /just barely/ making contact. He's starting to realize that there is a very real possibility that juuust maybe he likes the shuttleformer more than he lets on. Maybe. "Blast Off, I.."

The world may never know what Whirl was going to say because just then he happens to catch sight of someone there. Someone watching them. Oh.. oh yeah, this is going to get really awkward really fast.

"....Hello Swift Blade."

Blast Off is also finding this... strangely nice. In fact, in an odd sort of way Whirl's attempt at comforting the shuttle has actually succeeded... at least a little bit. He hasn't been this close to someone in a very long time, and the energy and warmth is actually quite pleasant. He'd forgotten just HOW pleasant. And Whirls' claws (oooh, those claws~) start dipping down his frame, tracing seams and sending a subtle shiver down his struts that has nothing to do with fear. He succumbs to the touch, relaxing even more now. You know... maybe, just maybe, he could get used to this. His audials work to hear Whirl's words and....

DEAR PRIMUS DID HE JUST SAY "SWIFT BLADE"?! Instantly the reverie is broken and the shuttle's immediately pushing away, trying to break free of Whirl's grip and turn around. Oh slag. He suddenly feels like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't, though he doesn't know why. "SWift Blade?!"

Well, there are worse people to be watching them. "Hello, Whirl. I had been looking for you, but I can come back later," she says politely, lowering her optics a slight bit.

"Yes, it's me," she says to Blast Off. "It wasn't my intention to intrude." There's no snickering, not even a concealed snicker. If anything she looks a bit wistful and rather apologetic.

Whirl wonders how far he could've gone with Blast Off before the Combaticon caught onto the fact that they were being watched. Probably not very, considering the Combaticon's repulsion to physical contact. Then again, he WAS giving the impression that he was enjoying himself so it could really go either way.

The cyclops releases his grip on the other mech. Well, it was nice while it lasted. "Ah, don't be ridiculous, Swift Blade." Obviously Whirl isn't NEARLY as embarassed as he probably should be. "You were looking for me? I'm flattered, I didn't think anyone would notice my absence. Is there something you need?"

Blast Off is finally released and he quickly takes advantage of the fact, leaping back and coming to stand a distance away from the other mech. He looks a bit flustered now, ventilation cycles sputtering as he tries to get back into that calm and aloof state he prefers to exude. Black hands brush over his plating as if making sure everything is in order as violet optics dart about to see who /else/ might have observed that. But soon he focuses on Swift Blade, straightens, and tries to look ...civilized. Aristocractic. "No.... No, there's nothing to intrude /upon/. Nothing happened." Denial is his friend.

"Need might be too strong a word; I just wished to speak with you," Swift Blade says. "I didn't know for certain that you were completely absent, but I had looked in Nyon a few times without much luck."

She smiles slightly to Blast Off, though it's not one of mockery. "It's good to see you Blast Off," she states. "And, even if something was happening, it wouldn't be my business," she points out mildly. "Have you been well?" As if she did not just see him in some sort of awkward embrace.

It didn't take long for Blast Off to go back to the way he was, trying to act all civilized and aloof after that little moment they just had. From now on, no matter what the Combaticon says or does, Whirl will always think of the way his body shivered under his claws, and the feel of his embrace. It will be like a dirty little secret only the two of them are privvy too. Oh, and Swift Blade too since she saw it.

"Oh, yeah, I was out of town for a while. Blast Off shot me in the head and I needed to find a new optic," he tells Swift Blade, not having any problems with admitting what happened. "But I'm back now, so what's on your mind?"

Blast Off isn't going to forget that feeling, either, as much as he'd like to. In fact, there's a little glance back over at Whirl and those claws before he forces himself to focus on the femme once more. "Um. Yes." Shot in the head. That sounds so... harsh. "We were just... discussing that." Yeah.

Swift Blade listens to this with a fair bit of surprise. She looks at Blast Off then back to Whirl. "You have a wonderful ability to forgive; I'm impressed," she finds herself saying. "Forgiveness, it seems, is in short supply on Cybertron." Her tone is rueful there. "I was just curious about your opinions on some things," she states.

Then her optics switch back to Blast Off; her expression one of mild reproof. "It's good that he's alright now, but wasn't shooting him in the head, perhaps, a little extreme?" she asks softly. "I know things have been really hard for you lately, and that you've been on edge, but with so many people already after you, it seems a risky thing to do." Then she smiles to show that it is concern, not censure, that prompted her earlier words.

"Yeah, still try'na figger out 'ow one goes from shootin' summun through th'optic to t'gettin' 'braced all close like 'at." chimes in a familiar voice. Well perhaps it isn't the voice so much that is familiar as the speech patterns. Lying on her belly, her head cradled in her hands, Swivel had been watching from behind the grates of a large, reinforced cylinder. She is up to her elbows, which isn't hard considering she is lying down, in filthy liquid that is slowly eeping out through the grates and into a nearby gutter, to fall through yet another grate down into the sewage system. It would have been easy to miss the femme, given her vantage point. "But gotter say, made my day!"

Yeah. Discussing. Way to play it cool, Blast Off. "I'm just a very forgiving person, I guess." There's a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, ask away. I'm listening."

Then Swivel makes her appearance known and that is MUCH more embarassing. It's one thing for someone to have seen them hugging for like.. a couple minutes, it's a completely different thing to have someone watching it THE ENTIRE TIME. Still, Whirl isn't nearly as embarassed as he probably should be. "Swivel! It's nice to see you again. Literally! Get it, because last time we saw eachother I was blind?" He points to Blast Off. "Because of this guy? Remember?"

Blast Off listens to Swift Blade and it only exacerbates those conflicting feelings of his. He is NOT a compassionate individual, nor does he tend to want to have to actually /sit down/ and examine his life and his actions. There are many reasons for that, too. For one, his life has /always/ been a study of painful and awkward contradictions, ever since he came online in Combatron- yet found he enjoyed non-combat pastimes and didn't quite appreciate the "destruction at all costs" mentality. He didn't quite always... fit in. Having to examine this is... awkward. Uncomfortable.

That said, despite his violent tendencies at times... he's not actually a bad person. At least he's still trying NOT to be. There really is a side that's still struggling to remain civilized despite everything. He glances away uncomfortably at her question. "I.... I didn't.../mean to/." Pause. "Well.... I guess I DID, obviously, but.... " he shakes his head slowly, one time. "I really just meant to... tell him something and go. I ...wasn't looking for a fight."

Then Swivel chimes in and the Combaticon tenses, optics widening as he swings his head to stare at her. Oh GREAT, more people saw that. I mean...wait, no, there was nothing, ntohing at all. She saw nothing. "I..I don't know what you're talking about." Then Whirl points out the "blind" thing again and the shuttle feels once more like maybe just... crawling away somewhere....

Swift Blade looks to the sound of the unfamiliar voice. She blinks a few times. What was that? She's about to ask about the femme's strange language, but Whirl seems acquainted with her, at least enough to know her name, so she lets it slide for now and just nods in that general direction.

"Well, most people I talk to are trying to press me into taking a side. It seems to be the overwhelming mania of many people on the planet. So I was wondering what you thought of that." She doesn't point out that he's usually too unhinged when she sees him to really talk politics, per se. Again she's amazed at how calmly he seems to be taking the fact that Blast Off shot him through the head.

Her expression towards Blast Off softens. "Feeling like you were backed into a corner again?" she asks gently. "I imagine you feel that way a lot. It must be hard to operate peacefully when so much has gone wrong for you. Again, I applaud your persistance in trying." One could say that Swift Blade /is/ a compassionate individual, though she's not exactly gushing with it. In fact, it really stung the other cycle when she was accused of not caring 'enough'. How much /is/ enough? Can it really be quantified? But that's neither here nor there.

"Yas, I rem'ber. I's th'only one ter visit y'in y'time o' need, wun'I?" Swivel chirps in cheekily. Perhaps she feels emboldened due to being behind some sturdy grating in a small space. Even a sniper would have trouble getting her, right? Hopefully. Because there is one right there. "Tried lookin' fer ya in Dead End, Whirl. Y'never got ter the clinic there.... bu'ther thin's I 'eard... tch!"

Swivel begins to back up, causing some of the liquid to pour down more quickly before almot stopping. After a moment, her voice continues echoey and the liquid continues its consistent dribble. "N'shame in mechs reconcilin'."

OH BOY! Politics! Whirl doesn't get a chance to talk about politics much, mostly because it frustrates him and he hates talking about. Normally he would just tell Swift Blade that he wants nothing to do with politics, but he's in a particularly good mood at the moment so he humors her. "The planet is going to erupt into a full blown civil war any day now, that's a fact. Also a fact, everyone will eventually have to pick a side if they want a chance at surviving this stupid war. It sucks, and honestly, I think both sides are equally terrible but you're going to be safer with either one than if you were unallied." He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. "That's just what I think is going to happen. I'm probably going to try to stay out of it as best I can. I can't join the Decepticons, and the Autobots are huge jerks too so.. eh. We'll see what happens."

He turns to Swivel and her gross hiding spot. "Heh, yeah, I tried to make it there but I got lost. Ended up in Kalis and found a mechanic who was able to give me the part I needed to see again." There's an awkward cough at the 'reconciling' comment. "Erm, yeah.. I'm just really forgiving."

Blast Off turns to look at Swift Blade, his own denial and neurosis softening just a tad. Tonight seems the night for compassion to be shown to him, and that is something extremely rare in his life. Like Whirl's compassion, he doesn't know quite how to handle it. He looks away almost nervously, then back to her before giving her a slow, almost hesitant nod of thanks. "...Yes. When everyone treats you like a criminal, it's difficult not to just... comply after awhile."

Swivel gets a small huff, "There was no reconcil..." His voice trails off, "Well, I mean, there was, but it's not like THAT, it was...well..." His voice trails off again in confusion.

Whirl's comments get a thoughtful look from the shuttleformer. He'd never considered that, but it's true- Whirl is stuck. The Decepticons would never accept him, and who in their right mind would want to join the Autobots? PFFFT. "...I think he's right. Civil war IS on it's way, and those without a side are either going to learn to stick together or they're liekly to get run over in the turmoil." Then he glances awkwardly away at the 'forgiving" comment.

Swift Blade still isn't making much heads or tails out of what Swivel says, so she relies on the responses of others to fill in the blanks by their responses. And, since the strange femme is in a tunnel, she doesn't take any particular pains to face her for the time being.

For now her optics are on Whirl. "You can't join the Decepticons, you say, and you see the Autobots as jerks, but what's your actual opinion /of/ the Decepticons?" she is curious to know. Then she nods her head. "I want to stay out of it msyelf, but it seems to me that no one sees that as a viable option for survival." She sighs deeply.

Swift Blade nods to Blast Off. "I know that is something you are struggling with. I also know that, while you did committ crimes according to the law, it doesn't make every part of you bad the way people seem to think it does." While definitely too 'soft' about the matter, she's never denied that he has committed crimes. "It does seem, however, that the 'other' side is feeling it. It was suggested that I should join law enforcement." Her expression is neutral enough that no one can really tell how she feels about said suggestion. She's watching Blast Off's face though, somewhat intently.

Overload. Everything that Whirl was saying about choosing sides and a civil war is not so much news to Swivel, as it is something so far from the things she thinks about in her daily life that it is almost overwhelming. There were many things she could think of to say to Whirl, and Blast Off, or even introduce herself to the unfamiliar femme, but instead Swivel goes silent. One might wonder if she'd left.

What DOES Whirl think about the Decepticons? "Well, if I had to be honest, I think they're the lesser of two evils. They talk of overthrowing our crappy government which is pretty cool, I guess. If I hadn't been ordered to asassinate Megatron, maybe I would join up with them at some point but there's absolutely no way that's going to happen. And the Autobots? Pffft, they wouldn't want me and I don't want them anyway. Like I said, I'm going to try to stay out of it as long as I can, try to live off the grid, I don't know."

There's a twitch when Swift Blade mentions law enforcement. "Ehh, I was a cop once. I wouldn't recommend it."

Blast Off's face can be hard to read, thanks to his faceplate and optic visors- and he likes it that way. Just gives him more of that precious, precious distance. However, Swift Blade will be able to see enough to know that he's instantly on guard and disapproving. "What." His head jerks back as if not believing he just heard that. "You can't be serious. ...THEY can't be serious." Law enforcement?! No, don't go! "They're part of the /problem/." He glances away again. "...And maybe I did break some laws, according to them... but when something like space travel is illegal, and you're a /space shuttle/... sometimes those laws don't make any sense anyway." He'll conveniently leave out that whole "murder" charge. Especially in front of the guy he just shot in the head.

Swivel's sudden silence doesn't go unnoticed, and Blast Off pauses to look back for her. Then he turns to gaze at Whirl again. "You were law enforcement? I knew you were... involved with Megatron back then, but....." Oh yeah. Heh- technically, if Blast Off were a "good Decepticon", a slavishly loyal one, he'd actually be taking this opportunity to try and KILL Whirl. But... he's not, so he doesn't. He's an independent spark, what can he say. "But yes... I'd agree. The decepticons are a bit... rough around the edges, but at least THEY want to do something about this corrupt system."

Swift Blade gives Whirl a long look. Pieces are actually coming together as she's starting to understand this strange mech. "It sounds as though you have been quite unfortunate in more ways than are immediately apparent," she says softly. "I wish you the best of luck in staying out of things. It seems as though your choices are more limited than mine even." She shakes her head. "I don't like this idea of war much at all, but I haven't been here long enough to see that all other courses have been considered and tried." She purses her lips together. "To be honest, I didn't think being a law officer would suit me much either. It's too..." she searches for a word for a few moments, but can't seem to find one she likes and shrugs.

She doesn't look at all surprised at Blast Off's reaction. "I was serious that it was suggested, but I doubt I would take the offer. Even in a more stable world, I don't think I would be a good fit," she says thoughtfully. "I imagine there are many rules and protocols to follow, and I couldn't follow one if it was against my conscience or better judgement." She frowns. "It's likely one of the reasons I don't want to pick a side. Perhaps I don't believe I could ever agree with someone one hundred percent of the time." Then she smiles slightly. "Besides, I couldn't, in all concience, join the law when you are on the other side of it," she says quite frankly to Blast Off.

A gush of liquid pouring through the grates signals that something is moving, if not Swivel. A moment later, a soild hand wraps around one of the sturdy bars of the grating, reflecting the soft purple hue of Swivel's glowing optics. All else is shadows. "I dunno tha' summer ther folk'l ha'ther lux'ry ter e'en choose a side," the small femme contributes.

Whirl gives Blast Off a look. What kind of look? Who knows, they are all identical. "Yeah, I was a cop in Rodion. It sucked." That's all he has to say about that. If Blast Off is really that curious he will have to try again later as it's apparently something Whirl doesn't like to talk about.

"Oh yesss," Whirl says, throwing an arm around Blast Off's shoulders. "You ARE a criminal, aren't you? Hmm, if only I was still an officer of the law, I would be forced to frisk you and take you in." He laughs. "Ahh, who am I kidding? I can still do that!"

Now that makes more sense to the shuttle. Swift Blade receives a nod as Blast Off relaxes just a bit. "Yes... I can believe that." He gives her a slightly bemused sort of huff, adding, "Picking a side can be difficult. And no, you never WILL agree with soemone 100% of the time. The key is to find someone whose judgement you trust. As I trust Onsalught, though no, I do not agree with him all the time, either. But I trust his intentions, and believe his goals ultimately reflect my own." Then she adds that last part, and Blast Off stops, blinking at her in mild surprise. Well... maybe not so much surprise but... a sense of... gratitude? Pleasure? He's not sure exactly how to describe it. He straightens a little, shuffling his hands together once, then replies, "...I would also be... sorry should we find ourselves on opposite sides." What is this whole thing with everyone being /nice/ to him all of a sudden?

That is kind of broken, though, as Whirl sidles up and swings an arm over his shoulder. The Combaticon stiffens immediately. Looking at Whirl through the corner of his optics, he says, "....Now... why would you do that? After... all.... the stuff that happened-er, /didn't/ happen, I mean, between us today and all..." Swivel's comment is heard, but at the moment he's a little too busy with this to respond....

Whirl would no doubt be grinning at Blast Off if he wasn't a mutilated freak. "Don't worry, Blasto. If I wanted to do that I would've done it already. Besides, I'm not on the law's good side so I would really be putting myself in danger too, heheh.." Teasing aside, he never seriously entertained the thought of turning the Combaticon in/ What would he do with all his free time if he didn't have the haughty jerk to get into fights with?

He looks over to where Swivel is hiding and calls out to her, claw raised to better get her attention. "Hey Swivel, I can barely understand you when you're not hiding in some gross pipe. How about you come out and join us?" Attention is then turned to Swift Blade. "I don't know what to tell you. Eventually we're all going to have to pick a side if we're going to have any chance at living. Of course, we'll probably all die in the war too, but at least we wont die hiding like turborats in the tunnels."

Swift Blade managed to make some sense of Swivel's words this time. She looks over towards the grate again. "I suppose it is a luxury if you look at it that ways," she concedes. "But that just means, if I do have said luxury, I have to consider it far more seriously."

As for Swift Blade being nice to Blast Off, well, as she ever been mean to him? Not really. And she did stand with him against those greedy bounty hunters, much to their chagrin. "Hopefully being on opposite sides will never happen." Of course, if she doesn't actually KNOW for certain what side he's on...

She smiles faintly at Whirl. "That's one way of looking at it I suppose," she muses. "Maybe I'm just hoping that it won't be just the two sides..."

There is another long pause of silence from Swivel. Then the a sound of splashing and movement indicates that she is moving further away with some haste.

"My name's not "Blasto"..." Blast Off mutters, though hearing that Whirl isn't really trying to turn him in is a relief of sorts. Now if he'd just move...away... The Combaticon starts leaning away, trying to lift that arm up and over his head so he can get some space again. "And... well... good..." He finally finishes. To Swivel he says, "Then make a choice /anyway/. Don't let them take that choice from you." To both Swift Blade and Whirl he comments, "I have no intention of dying. Like a turborat or otherwise. That's why honing one's skills is so important. Keep yourself sharp, keep yourself trained- keep yourself ALIVE."

"It's an endearing nickname, get used to it." Whirl starts to lean on Blast Off when he starts moving away just to make it that much more difficult, though he does eventually let the Combaticon move his arm away and escape. He's just generous like that.

"Swift Blade, you better listen to this guy. You need to stay sharp and always be ready to give it your all because, who knows?" He STARES at Blast Off. "Someone might shoot you in the head."

Swift Blade straightens herself up slightly. "I have no intention of dying either," she says softly. "Yet, I don't know that I can honestly say I'm willing to do /whatever/ it takes to stay alive." She shakes her head. She presses her lips into a straight line and her optics are thoughtful.

She looks over to Whirl. "Do you keep sharp?" she asks quietly. Often times, when she sees him, he doesn't seem entirely coherrant.

Whirl gets an increasingly annoyed-sounding HUFFFFF at the nickname remark as the shuttle continues trying to slip away, the noise only ending when the cyclops finally lets him go. (Without breath, Blast off can keep that distinctive noise going for some time...) He steps away, rolling his shoulders and smoothing his armor plates once more. He doesn't keep argueing though, and when Whirl mentions again about the /shooting in the head/ things, Blast Off has the decency to at least look away uncomfortably. However, he can't help but mutter, "I thought you were letting that go..."

To Swift Blade, he takes on a slightly somber tone. "Then I suggest you decide where you draw the line. In war, sometimes you have to do things you don't neccessarily /want/ to if you DO want to stay alive." He should know.

"I keep myself sharp enough," Whirl tells Swift Blade, snapping his claws as if to demonstrate his point. Not to mention he really doesn't care for life at this point in time. It's less of a life and more of a trudge through a series of unfortunate events for him. "I haven't managed to die yet, right? I think that says a lot."

Blast Off gets a look and then a dismissive scoff. "Hey, just because I don't want to kill you for what you did doesn't mean I'm not going to tease you about it. Lighten up!"

To Swift Blade's credit, she only looks /very/ slightly amused at Blast Off's mutterings. "But if the line I draw is not the same place as my fellows, then that would certainly cause problems," she points out. "While I do know a bit about fighting, I'm no soldier."

She gives Whirl a bit of a sad smile. "I suppose it does, since it seems as though you don't have a lot of support," she notes. "I would offer to help if I thought I could do any good."

And along comes a Swivel. This time, the femme is walking along the street, her chassis smeared with gunk and other unidentifiable residue. But her body language would not suggest that she is terribly bothered about it. It looks as though she'd found something to at least wipe the worst away from her hands and face, and is merely leaving the rest to be more thuroughly washed off later. "'Ey'all! I'm back!" she announces, just in case one couldn't recognise her under the grime.

Blast Off winces slightly at the snap of Whirl's claws, immediately turning to look at that little display. Then looks away again, because he's not INTO WHIRL or his CLAWS OKAY?! PFt. The cyclops' comment gets another of those awkward glances where he isn't quite sure what to say to that....so he says nothing, just twitches a wing elevon or two and scratches at the back of his helmet.

The shuttle shrugs to Swift Blade. "True. Just find the most common line of delineation you can. And if you wish to remain neutral, well... there seem to be those, too." He could tolerate Neutral a whole lot better than "Autobot". Swivel's return is met with a blank stare. Followed by a bit of a "wrinkled nose". "...What DID happen to you, anyway?"

"Well, okay that's not true.." Whirl starts, managing to look sheepish despite his lack of facial features. "I did have SOME help, but that doesn't change the fact I am a bad-ass fighter who can take anyone on!" Another dramatic display with the snapping of his claws. Yeup, despite everything that has happened to him, Whirl still talks a big game. There's no way he's ever going to let silly things like 'getting his face and hands cut off' or 'getting shot in the head and going blind' keep him down. He stops when Swivel returns looking particularly foul. "Woah! Looking good."

Swift Blade actually gets a semi-decent look at Swivel now that she's out in the open, mess or no mess. She inclines her head to her politely. At least now she has an idea of who they were talking to earlier.

"Well, it's hard to tell how closely my beliefs align with the various groups that must be gathering," she says. "Surely it can't just be the two..." She gives BLast Off a long look.

Whirl's claws get a long look as well. "Those are weapons that would be harder to disarm than my swords," she says with a faint smile. "So you have the advantage of me there. Do you have much in the way of ranged weaponry?" she inquires.

"Wellum," Swivel begins in her odd way of speaking. "I coo'na ver'well move th'grate with these weak l'il 'ands!" Swivel explains, holding out her hands as if to emphasize their smallness and weakness. Not that looks really say much. But then, as a femme who just has two simple cylinders for upper arms that look like they could be snapped by just about any combat-oriented cybertronian, perhaps she truly is ill equipped to move a grate that has been soldered in place. After displaying her hands, fingers spread apart, she makes a fist with one and then pops up her thumb in a gesture to Whirl.

Swivel then approaches Swift Blade, thrusting out a hand to receive hers, should she take it. "Th'name's Swivel. An' yer?"

Blast Offglances at those claws again, and again forces himself to look away. No, he's not conflicted about Whirl at ALL, nor does he have any strange feelings for the mech. Nope. And that hug sucked. Totally. Just terrible. All... warm and comforting and nice and... wait, no, it was /terrible/. To Swift Blade, he tilts his head and lifts up a finger. "Ah, and you won't know, either. Not untuil you do as I suggested once and /accept/ that you will need to make the plunge at one point- at least enough to start /getting to know/ some of these groups. I... do not know what groups they all are. Right now, I see Decepticons, the Senate, their puppets the Autobots, and certain straggling bands of Neutrals... like those here in Nyon."

He pauses to look once more at Swivel, who doesn't seem to have answered his question. Or at least... he doesn't THINK she did, because it's hard for him to understand her in the first place. He asks again, "What happened to you?"

"Ranged weapons? Hell yeah I've got ranged weapons!" Whirl gestures to the gun barrels sticking out from under his chest which is really just the canopy of his alt mode sticking out awkwardly. "Don't think they're accurate because of their placement? WRONG!" He reaches down and stabs his claws into his thigh to tear off a decent chunk of armor. "Check this out!" he hollers, throwing it into the air as hard as he can.

PEW PEW! The barrels on his chest light up with gunfire, striking the chunk of torn armor multiple times before it falls to the ground in a smoking mess. "Impressive, right?"

Swift Blade accepts the hands in hers with a faint smile and a nod of her head. "Swift Blade," she says, giving her name in turn.

She watches Whirl's demonstration with interest. "Most of my ranged weaponry was removed," she says with a sigh. "I only have the one piece left, and it doesn't really serve much of a damaging function," she adds.

Turning to Blast Off, she sighs again. "Unfortunately, not much has changed my opinion since we last discussed this." She makes an almost impatient gesture with one of her hands. "Everyone is agreed that I have to make a choice, but everyone has a different opinion on what that choice should be," she says wryly.

"Pleased t'meecha." While shaking Swift Blades hand, Swivel turns to Blast off wearing an expression of perplexity. "Whaddya mean wh'appened t'me? If y'ain't askin' where I went jus' now, wotter--" Swivel breaks off as she gunfire gets her attention. Swivel wasn't paying direct attention to Whirl, but now she certainly was. She had looks almost ready to dive for cover, but managed to stop herself mid-brace. She straightens herself up when she realises she isn't in any danger. "Uh.... yeah! Impressive! But y'dun wanner draw 'tention out 'ere li'tha'!" Swivel strains her auricles to listen for the sound of sirens or anything similar.

Blast Off blinks... then stares as Whirl tears off a PIECE of his OWN armor to shoot it. Um. Yea-ah, this is one reason the Combaticon isn't quite... sure about this mech. He does comment though, "I vastly prefer ranged. It's far more... sophisticated than, say, simply /punching/ someone." Oh, and also the fact that he simply sucks at punching someone. He nods to Swift Blade. "The only opinion that matters, Swift Blade, is /yours/." To Swivel he says, "I simply meant ...well, about your current state..." The shuttle shakes his head. "Nevermind. I should probably be going, anyway."

Whirl laughs at Swivel's concern. "Ha! That's exactly what I want. I feed off the attention of an audience!" But seriously, it's probably best not to attract any police attention. "Yeah, I should be heading out too. I have stuff I need to be doing." Not true, this was all Whirl had planned for the day. "I'm sure I'll see you guys around again, it's not that big of a city afterall." He begins to walk away but he stops to look at Blast Off over his shoulder.

"Oh, and if you ever want to get up close and personal again, you can find me." He really wishes he could wink right now but a dead stare will have to suffice.

"She does have a point there," Swift Blade says mildly. "Some of us are rather disinclined to have a run in with the authorities." Obviously Whirl doesn't care much for them, and she knows for a fact that Blast Off does not. As for herself, she's still rather neutral about them, but she does not want to see her friends get in trouble.

"That might be wisest, all things considering," Swift Blade says with a faint smile, nodding to Blast Off. "If anyone does show up it will not be in your best interest to be here." Still, the prospect of him having to leave doesn't seem to please her. "You're right, my opinion is the most important to me, but there would have to be some similarties of opinion with whomever I cast my lots with or else it would not work." She pauses for a moment. "Be safe Blast Off," she finally says.

She smiles faintly at Whirl. "And you be safe too," she says, though she's sure the words are falling on deaf audials. Still, she does mean it.

"My current... oh!" By the time Swivel gets that Blast Off was asking how she got so dirty, he has already dismissed the issue and is going his separate way. "Wellum! G'bye! You too, Whirl!" Swivel says merrily. She then looks down at her filthy frame for a moment or two, and then draws a glance over to Swift Blade. "Wuzzit sumtin' I said?"

Blast Off erks a little at Whirl's last comment, and the slightly flustered shuttleformer glances away, trying to look unimpressed. The fact that his cooling fans have to kick in again doesn't help that facade, though. He is just starting to think of skulking away when Swift Blade speaks- and wishes him well. He stops and looks back at the femme. His gaze seems not just polite.... but almost friendly (a big step for him), and he gives her a small nod. "...You too." One of these days, he thinks to himself, he might just ask her out for a drink or something. that is, if he can get over his current fear of getting close to a femme (thanks Feint).

Blast off glances over to Swivel, gievs her a nod as well (though it is less friendly and more \*what the heck happened to YOU\*?) and then leaves... pondering the strangeness of not one, but TWO people actually being NICE to him. He could... almost get used to that.

Swift Blade shrugs her shoulders at Swivel. "I don't think so," she says. "But I don't think either of them really wants to tangle with the law, so it might just have been Whirl's demonstration." She watches the two mechs wander off wherever they are going to.

Swivel shrugs her shoulders and then inclines her head. "Wellum, I din wanner b'round if an'do show up. Been gettin' inta lotter troub fer jus' bein' wrong place, wrong time," Swivel explains. She smiles and wishes Swift Blade to take care before she transforms and speeds off.