131/She's Got Friends On the Other Side

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr is wandering around Rodion, looking fo Swivel. The last time he saw her, he acted as if he were mad at her, which he was mad at her, but he also misses her a lot. He figured she must be around here somewhere, right? After all she doesn't usually wander far, and this was the last place he saw her. He paces around and around several city blocks, at several points looking as if he is going to leave but then deciding against it. Gah, femmes.

**Swivel has posed:**
Rodion is the place to find Swivel. However, it isn't necessarily tiny, and Swivel is very mobile within her roaming territory. Whilst Maccadam's is usually the best spot, she was nowhere near it. Instead she's hanging about a run-down commercial section where only a smattering of businesses are still open. Well, only a few legitimate businesses. After making a drop-off, she's walking down the street with her arms behind her back and a whistle on her lips. While doing so, she spots a familiar mech. With a shrug and a quick upward glance, Swivel changes her route. "Blurr?"

**Blurr has posed:**
Now, -this- time, Blurr seems to stumble backward and jump several feet into the air. Despite the fact that she wasn't really trying as hard as she was last time. He just had a lot on his mind. Not that he doesn't always have a lot on his mind. But this time he has more than usual, and he's just so used to being the one to spot Swivel first, not the other way around. "Oh! Ah--Swivel!" he regains his composure quickly. "I wasn't--I mean, actually I was, I was just looking for you, I've been meaning to say--that--I--erm--I'msorry."

**Swivel has posed:**
 No indeed, Swivel was not trying to sneak up on him, so she was unprepared for him to be caught off guard. His startlement in turn causes Swivel to jump herself, letting out a shrill squawk of surprise, lifting a forearm in front of her defensively. However, she quickly comes to her senses and lowers her arm, peering in bewilderment at Blurr as he speaks. She seems just as bewildered when he is finished speaking.
      "For what?" She asks in earnest.

**Blurr has posed:**
Now he absolutely did not expect that question, either. "WellImean--wellforgettingmadatyouand..." Blurr isn't really sure, actually. Or at least not sure how to say it. "I guess, for getting mad at you." he repeats, not quite certain what else to say. "I didn't--I didn't mean to upset you."

**Swivel has posed:**
With her trademark tilt of the head, Swivel just stares curiously at Blurr with her large optics. "Oh, that. Yeah, tha' 'appens a lot. 'Pology accepted," Swivel responds with a grin. "Y'came al ther way out 'ere ta 'pologize... tha's jus' darlin' 'o ya."

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr nods, but then starts to look uncomfortable. "Well, yeah, I did. I guess. But I also just wanted to thank you. For--well, for having confidence in me when no one else did. And--" he fidgets. "you know, just sticking around, and not shutting me out and labeling me as a hopeless case."

    He pauses. "And just for being a friend when I was far from friend to you..." he finishes softly.

**Swivel has posed:**
Almost as a reflection of his own discomfort, Swivel crosses her arms over her chest, tucking her hands under her arms and glances about herself briefly before returning her focus to Blurr. She shifts her weight to one side, giving the appearance of one leg being slightly longer than the other. "Mmm.... okay... lot diff 'en wot ya was sayin' last we talked. Yanno, 'bout me not trustin' ya... but..." Swivel shrugs her shoulders. "Trusts oner those things folk tend ta 'ave misunderstandin's 'bout, yanno?"

**Blurr has posed:**
"But I can't even blame you for not wanting to trust me!" Blurr exclaims, sounding a bit distraught. "Not after everything I've done. It was stupid of me to get worked up over it." But of course he got worked up over it. It's been weighing down on him ever since. It's a sensitive topic for him. "Lack of trust in some regards doesn't always equal lack of--of--"

    He trails off, staring off in a random direction momentarily. "..."

**Swivel has posed:**
"Lack of..." Swivel repeats his trailing off words and tilts her head in the other direction, peering up at his face. "...friendship?" Swivel finally guesses. "Coz, I know tha'. Jus' as some folk ya trust that 'ent yer friends, there are some friends ya jus' dun trust. Or, 'least, with everythin'. Trust 'ent a catch-all. I was tryna tell y'that. Trustin' summun with yer lshanix 'ent th'same as summon ya'd trust with yer loif which 'ent the'same as trustin summon with yer weaknesses. " Swivel smiles reassuringly up at Blurr, unfolding her arms.

**Blurr has posed:**
"I--well--yeah, that and--" Blurr finally turns back around. He crouches down a little bit, so that he's closer to her height, and puts his hands on her shoulders, his optics gazing into hers.

    "I think...Swivel--SwivelIloveyou." He suddenly blurts. Yeah, that was -so- not awkward. "You always gave me hope when--when I thought things would never change. Hope that I was more than just a tool made to serve someone else's agenda."

**Swivel has posed:**
 Well. If Swivel is surprised, it's hard to tell initially, as there is no real change in expression. Her reassuring smile just remains there, almost frozen to her face after she hears Blurr's confession. However, a small twitch of her cheek followed by the femme dropping her gaze soon follows. She then looks up again, finally looking a bit surprised, then looks up. When she looks at Blurr again the femme merely looks puzzled.
      "Ah, okay, that's... that 'splains all th'arguing, actually." Swivel rubs the side of her helmet. "Not sure wot else folk're s'posed t'say in these situations. I'm flattered? I'm glad? Thank you?"

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr sighs, letting go of her now. "I don't know." he shrugs and steps away a little. "But it's also why I can't bear the thought of losing you. I mean, do you understand now, Swivel?? Why I can't rest with you out here, alone and fending for yourself with everything that's been happening and continues to happen?!" His tone of voice escalates a bit, indicating that he is starting to get worked up again. "It's only going to get worse from now on, that much is certain, and one of these cycles there won't be anywhere left to hide!"

**Swivel has posed:**
 "Loik I said, 'splains th'arguin'. Ya dun wanner lose me, so ya's gotter make sure ye kin keep me safe. But kin ya, kin ya really? Ya say bein' neutral means I 'ent got no one t'protect me, but wun choosin' soids jus make a pit o' a lot more folk out ta kill me? Stops bein' a mebbe, stops being lowly thugs tha' moight try sumtin'. I b'come a definite target, no questions asked. I don't loik bein' hated..."
      Swivel crosses her arms again uncomfortably. "...And I still don't know if Backdrop's alive and on their side. I 'ave ta find 'im, and if so, try an' get 'im out. I can't do that as an Autobot."

**Blurr has posed:**
Nope, that's not going to convince him. "But with us you have backup most times, and you can get the training and equipment necessary to protect -yourself- even when you don't have backup, that's the most important thing! Slag, you'd get a habsuite at the Academy, that's sure safer than the streets!" Blurr sighs, frustrated.

    Doesn't she get it, that way he can be closer to her, that just makes him feel better about it whether she becomes more of a target or not. "Right now you're already a target anyway and people will hate you anyway whatever you do, but it's even worse when you're alone because you can't protect yourself and you don't have backup unless someone happens to be around. That's just--it's not enough, okay?" He takes her hand, his optics pleading. "Please,"

**Swivel has posed:**
Here is that impasse again. Swivel shakes her head as the same arguments arise. The femme seems to deflate and feels herself forced to a last resort. "Blurr... I got friends on the other side," Swivel says very bluntly. "Y'aren't th'only one tryna protect me." Swivel turns away, blocking her expression as best as she can. "I can't join 'coz I'm a sympathiser. I know telling ya this gives a conflict, coz it's prolly yer duty t'arrest me."

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr lets go of her hand and steps back as soon as she says that, his optics wide and horrified. With that look, she might expect him to make some kind of disbelieving remark, but he doesn't. Instead, he just says "Oh--Swivel you haven't changed one bit, have you?" He shakes his head, sighing with disappointment. "But why would I arrest you? You can't do much if you're locked away in a cell. Besides, your 'friends on the other side' will start worrying about where you've gone won't they?"

    At this, he turns to leave. "Face it, you're never going to be able to keep them all whether you join anyone or not. Sooner or later, you're going to have to betray one in order to keep the other. Good luck trying to be friends with everyone without betraying anyone, anyway." She's not exactly off to a good start, though.

**Swivel has posed:**
"Prolly. Oner 'em friends' been searchin' fer me th'ole toim I was off Cybertron. An' I guess I'll 'ave ta betray summon, but if I do, I'll do it as up front as possible, an only 'coz they force me to. I 'ope it wun be you." Beyond these words, sounding remarkable heavy coming from Swivel, she does not try to stop Blurr if he wishes to leave. She's gotten used to this, and is fairly certain he'll return.
      The femme does everyhting to hide her disappointment. Secretly, she'd hoped to get arrested to get out of certain other promises with her hands clean. Not that she made said promises, but rather they were imposed on her, but that was that. She was not about to expose her rare attempt at subterfuge.

**Blurr has posed:**
"No one's going to force you to betray anyone, Swivel. If you do, it'll be because -you- made that choice; no one can choose one side over the other -for- you. Trust me on that one at least--I've been there. Stop trying to relieve yourself of responsibility because you'll just end up making the same mistakes I did."

    Blurr transforms then, his body flipping down into the hover racer. "Oh really? Well that's too bad, since it's kind of too late to hope for that, isn't it." he replies coldly, before driving off.