Bored

The apartment has a nice view, but that's about all it has going for it -- and how nice can the view be, really, when everything else is just as high? Forget it. The apartment has an average view, average space, average everything -- except for the two mech who occupy it.

Being a part of the Cybertronian Air Command, there's nothing all that illegal about the weaponry that Thundercracker is seated very seriously to maintain. But he keeps it in much better shape, constant readiness that one probably wouldn't need if one just expected routine patrols. Even in a world where routine patrols includes riots. He acts a soldier in more than name, although a war may not yet have broken.

Skywarp is restless today. Really, that is every day, but today is especially bad for some twitchy reason or another. It isn't hard to tell, even if the two mechs hadn't lived together for figuratively forever, given the way that he disappears and reappears throughout their apartment. A moment ago, at least, had him rummaging through his room for something, and now he is back in their shared common space, reappearing from the hall at the weapon cabinet to pull the doors open. Yet, when he closes them to turn to Thundercracker, he only says, "I am bored."

Dangerous words. Thundercracker's wings twitch. When nothing explodes following Skywarp's declaration, he calms and finishes his current to task. He maybe works quickly. Quite soon, he sets the whole to the side and shifts, turning to face Skywarp. "I can tell. Okay, you're bored. Want to go flying?"

In the meantime as Thundercracker works, Skywarp blinks across the space between them, taking up a seat so that he can watch his friend work and also kick his feet up onto their table. It bears enough scuff marks of this behavior that one more likely won't hurt. "No, I don't want to go flying," he sulks, as if Thundercracker should /know/. "Unless. We could. Go find someone to lock into Starscream's bedroom. Then he'd come home and there'd be someone in his bedroom." /Hilarious/, right, says Skywarp's expression as he directs it to Thundercracker to wait for approval.

Thundercracker does not look thrilled by the appearance of Skywarp's feet on the table. He gives him a long-(long, long)-suffering glance. He leans forward, elbows on the table, hands folded, helmed hand resting on his hands, and regards Skywarp steadily across the table. "And what do you think Starscream would do to that someone?" he Captain No Fun asks.

"I don't know," insists Skywarp with a certain recalcitrant approach, his arms folding over his chest. "We could do it to a recruit. He said he wanted to recruit from the Institute. Grab one of those mechs and shove them in with Starscream."

"The recru--." Thundercracker begins to break in, all frowning and disapproval, when Skywarp clarifies just where he intends to pull a recruit. The disapproval fades, but not the frown. After a slight pause, he says, "Don't do that to normal recruits. I don't think getting kidnapped into Starscream's rooms would do much to increase recruitment." Then again, who knows? Starscream has a weird sort of appeal to weirdos. "I don't know about that Institute project, though. Starscream only said he could fly."

"Could we do it to Megatron," suggests Skywarp in bargain, but he doesn't press it further. Instead he shifts, feet falling to the floor again as he leans forward. "The one project, yeah, but we could find others. That's what we could do. We could break into the Institute and look around."

Thundercracker just stares at Skywarp when he suggests Megatron. Stare. Stare. Staaare. Who knows what he might've found to say if Skywarp hadn't dropped it. (It might've involved the word 'dishonorable' though.) "It sounded like Starscream was working with some of the researchers there," he worrywarts. "He might take it amiss if you interrupt one of the projects he was involved in."

Skywarp takes the worrywarting as /opportunity/, and brightens even as he dismisses, "Who cares! You know it'd be fun to take a peek. We don't have to destroy anything, or go bother Starscream." A pause, before he adds, "And it would be /educational/."
Searching for a compromise between a bored Skywarp and dreadful reality, Thundercracker says, "Maybe we can check with Starscream to see if he is ready to have that flier retrieved." By the books. See also: boring.

"Or I could go retrieve it alone," Skywarp counters, pondering that with all the thoughtfulness that the mech can manage. "I suppose I'll figure out how to identify it when I get there."

Thundercracker gives Skywarp a stormcloud glower. "You don't even know what you are looking for. You don't even know where to go!" he realizes with sudden relief. "You can't just teleport blindly into every building around until you find something that looks interesting." Please don't take it as a challenge.

"Cooooome ooon, TC," whines Skywarp at the logic that Thundercracker presents, sulking beneath the glower as his arms tighten across his chest. He sinks lower into the chair he occupies, grumbling. "You could find out where it's at. We could just go check it out. We wouldn't disturb anything."

Thundercracker squares his shoulders and firms his wings in defense against Skywarp's whine. He resists. Somehow. Patiently, he says, "I will ask Starscream." That's how he'll find out. It'll be great, and straightforward, and honorable, and boring. "If you are that bored right now, I repeat my earlier offer to go flying."

Skywarp informs him, "You are no fun. We should at least go to a bar, then." He grumble-adds, "I bet I can ask around there about the Institute."

Ugh, a bar. Thundercracker looks snobby. How do you look snobby? It involves a touch of skepticism, a soupcon of condescension, and a slight curl of his lip. A BAR. PROBABLY WITH GROUNDERS. Not as good as flying. And yet -- compared to the risk of releasing a bored Skywarp on the general population, he says, "Sure. We could do that. You might even get answers. Just be careful not to draw too much attention."

"Heeey, I never draw attention," Skywarp offers, even as he disappears and reappears near Thundercracker to sling his arm over his friend's shoulders, around wings. "Lighten up, TC; it'll be fun."

Thundercracker looks /incredibly skeptical/. People faced with Starscream declaring his undying loyalty have looked less skeptical. People faced with Hot Rod promising to be cautious and prudent have been less skeptical. People faced with Ultra Magnus smili-- no, no, that's too unreasonable. Never mind. Anyway, he looks skeptical. Shifting slightly to face Skywarp beneath the sling of his arm, he gives his friend a very serious (of course) look. "I mean it. Nothing good happens to people with unusual abilities who poke too deeply into secret government facilities without a /plan/."

"That's because they aren't us," Skywarp dismisses easily. "And besides, the trouble would have to catch us, first." And obviously he is trouble-proof, see. He claps his hand against Thundercracker's back, pulling away to start towards the door of their apartment happily.

Thundercracker sighs. Then he gets up, because Skywarp is already headed out the door. He moves quickly to follow. Before they can exit, he reaches for Skywarp -- just a hand on the shoulder, a weight to bring him to a pause. His gaze is sober as he says, "Just be sure they don't."

Skywarp's pause is only a pause of a second, and he doesn't give sobered gazes or serious words much consideration before he promises his friend easily, "Always."