103/What Swivels Do Best

**Swivel has posed:**
With slow strides, a grease and filth smeared femme ambles from the south along the side of a road. Although it would be quicker to transform and chew up the road in her alternate form, the femme continues to put one foot in front of the other, occasionally muttering something to herself. Her chin is level and her optics stare straight ahead of her, looking into the distance.

**Blurr has posed:**
Suddenly, someone Swivel knows quite well drives up behind her. With the frequency of him showing up, one might think she had a stalker. Yep, it's clearly Blurr once again. He transforms quickly, and she finds him easily keeping pace with her slow strides. "So you find somewhere to stay yet?" he asks.

**Phantom has posed:**
Unlike Blurr, Phantom doesn't go looking for Swivel like a creepy weirdo. He just happens to be flying overhead when he notices Blurr approaching the smaller femme. Landing on the roof of a nearby structure, he hangs back, wondering what the Autobot is harassing her for.

**Swivel has posed:**
"Mmnmmneeeeh...." is Swivel's eloquent and well enunciated response. She only gives Blurr a sidewise glance as she keeps plodding along. For once the mech did not startle her or set off some sort of panic attack. The femme is actually quite calm. Or perhaps she is just calm. "Na'zactly. Jus' doin' odd jobs, 'n sometimes I take secure recharge space 'stead 'o shanix. But, eh, I been in worse sits. 'Least I 'ent scavengin' scrap 'eaps.... yet."

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Meh... Not exactly. Just doing odd jods, and sometimes I take secure recharge space instead of shanix. But, eh, I been in worse situations. At least I am not scavenging scrap heaps... yet."*

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr sighs. "Come on, Swivel. You should come stay with me. Look, I know I've done some things in the past that--" he pauses. "--that might give you reason not to trust me, but I promise you I've changed. You said it yourself, I'm different. It's not safe out here on the streets. In fact, it's even more dangerous than it used to be."

**Swivel has posed:**
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeh I woona wanna lower yer property value by jus' bein' there." It is hard to tell if she is being bitterly sarcastic, or honestly believes what she says. What is apparent is that she is tired. "I'm jus' gettin' settled. Goin' away 'ent good fer job s'curity 'n all. I left 'en came back, I s'pected it'd take time 'fore I got back inner th'swing o' thangs. I 'ent givin' up jus' yet. I worked m'way from nothin' b'fore, I kin do it again." Swivel pauses in her speech for a moment. "This 'ent 'bout trust in you... it's bout not knowin' cons'quences yet.... th'rules 'er bit diff'rent. An' ya sumtimes dun think a'ead. I dun wanner get inter 'er cause ya trouble jus' 'coz ya thought ya coo get 'way with anythin'."

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Eh, I would not want to lower your property value just by being there. I am just getting settled. Going away is not good for job security and all. I left and came back, I suspected it would take time before I got back into the swing of things. I am not giving up just yet. I worked my way from nothing before, I can do it again. This is not about trust in you, it is about not knowing the consequences yet... the rules are a bit different. And you sometimes do not think ahead. I do not want to cause you trouble just because you thought you could get away with anything."*

**Phantom has posed:**
How like an Autobot to harass such a poor little thing and try to lure her into his lair of unspeakable monstrosities, Phantom assumes to himself. He transforms and flies down, his jet boosters easing his descent to the ground. He comes to stand next to Swivel, optics narrowed. "It should be about trust, I am thinking, though. You shouldn't trust this guy. Don't you know, that is the thing Autobots are best at? Lying."

**Blurr has posed:**
"Pff, don't be silly!" Blurr laughs at her comment about property value. "I told you, the caste system has been abolished. There's no need to worry about that any more. If you get in trouble then I'll get you out of it. And if I get in trouble--" he chuckles again. "Well I'll just deal with it." There it is again, that lackadaisical 'oh I'll just deal with whatever comes my way' attitude.

    Suddenly, Phantom jumps down from above, and Blurr immediately whips out his weapons. "Phantom! The slag do you want? You're gonna regret showing your face, glitchead!"

**Swivel has posed:**
"......Eh.... I dunno, might not be th'law, but I'unno, there m'be somer might n'accept that..." Swivel shrugs her shoulders an is about to continue speaking when she heard the sound of jets. She looks up and around and then squints, as the mech she met in the bar lands by her. "Oh.... uh... hi---eeerk?" And there goes yet ANOTHER allegation of Autobots being liars. Yeah. Like she hasn't heard THAT before. And before she can try to explain or mediate, Blurr is firing off his weapon. Typical.

 Swivel throws her hands up in the air and takes a step back. Lasers being fired tend to escalate really quickly to bigger, badder weapons, and she'd really rather NOT be collateral... if she can help it.

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Eh... I do not know, might not be the law, but I don't know, there may be some who might not accept that... Oh... uh... hi--erk?"*

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom just looks exasperated, and Blurr's shots just phase right through him. "Look at this guy," he points out to Swivel, "I didn't even do anything and already, he is shooting at me. I can't even open my mouth, before he thinks I am going to cause some kind of trouble."

 He crouches, giving her a small smile. "Listen to me, little angel," he whispers to her, "you are good company. To stay that way, you should avoid guys like that Autobot. He's just going to try to trick you into doing things you don't want to do."

**Blurr has posed:**
"You didn't -do- anything?" Blurr scoffs. "Yeah -right-. More like you did -everything- already. You're a -criminal-. And you belong in Garrus-1 with the rest of them!"

    He glances at Swivel. "Don't listen to him. They always pretend to know everything about me, and yet they know nothing. -He's- the one you should stay away from, and so help me I'm going to make sure that isn't hard to do."

    He darts sideways and moves in closer, attempting to shoot the flier once again.

**Swivel has posed:**
"Oy... 'this guy' an' I 'ave lotser 'istory, ya dun need ta be warnin' me offer 'im. Ya dun need ta..." Swivel is interrupted with Blurr butting in. It comes down to a good old battle of one mechs' word over the other. Oh, and pistols. "OY! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Oy... 'this guy' and I have lots of history. You do not need to be warning me off of him. You do not ned to... HEY! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"*

**Phantom has posed:**
Blurr has taken Phantom off guard. His shot grazes his wing, and he steps back, optics flashing angrily. He still does not retaliate. "Yes, and what kind? It might be a very good idea to rethink what you were just saying.."

 "Look at him," he says accusatorially, "he is /shooting/ me and I am not doing anything to him! Or you..." He glares at Blurr. "I wil l not fight you, Autobot. Not when she is here, and might get hurt. Don't you have any sense?"

 "See," he says softly to Swivel, "don't you see? He will never stop trying to hurt people that you care about."

**Blurr has posed:**
"I'm sorry, but I have a job to do. And that job is keeping dangerous people like -you- away from people like -her-." Blurr shoots back. "And yeah, we have history together. She knows me better than you ever did, so don't you dare pretend to give her 'advice' about me."

    He doesn't listen to Swivel's shouting, and instead charges at Phantom, attempting to pin him down.

**Swivel has posed:**
Well, Swivel does the only thing she can think of. She throws her hands over her main audial sensors. "I'm not listenin' la la la la la dun gonna take sides ya can't make me so moight as well stop fightin'!" Swivel begins to spin around continuing to make as much vocal noise as possible to make any further attempts at persuasion very difficult.

*Swivel Speech Translation: "I am not listening la la la la not going to take sides you can not make me so might as well stop fighting!"*

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom seems hurt. "I'm not fighting!" He says, allowing Blurr to phase through his body and possibly ram into the wall behind him if he isn't careful or agile enough to avoid it. "He is the one trying to hurt me! Don't you realize, I am not going to fight him because of you! I don't want you to be hurt--!"

**Blurr has posed:**
Blurr just goes through him, but manages to avoid slamming into the wall by sidestepping quickly. He knows what Phantom can do, and had been prepared for this. "Frag you, one of these cycles we are going to make something that you can't just phase through, I'm telling you!" he exclaims, ignoring Swivel.

**Swivel has posed:**
"......." Swivel stops making noise and stares at the two mechs for a moment. Tentatively she removes her hands. "Did 'e jus'... go through ya...?" Swivel slowly asks incredulously. She missed when an earlier attack went through the mech, but this... was hard to miss. "Er... I mean... tha's not 'portant roight now. Roight now I jus.... this 'ent th'place ta be fightin' Blurr. Ya got no... uh..... I mean, this 'ent Iacon."

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Did he just... go through you? Er... I mean... that is not important right now. Right now I just... this is not the place to be fighting Blurr. You got no... uh... I mean, this is not Iacon."*

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom's wingtip is trickling blood, and some of it will drip down onto Swivel. It's warm and only a small amount, but Swivel may feel it. "I am fine," he says, but his optics are locked on Blurr. "This is white soil," he growls, "I will /not/ fight you, and you should be locked away for causing violence here, isn't that a crime? I have done /nothing/ to you, right now. Really. You are disgusting." He turns to leave, upset.

**Blurr has posed:**
"It doesn't matter! Justice should be served whether it's Iacon or Kaon!" Blurr insists. "He's a -criminal-. A -traitor-. Maybe if you'd been -there- when they betrayed us, you'd understand, huh?! Do you seriously think they want what they say they want? Equality? Freedom for all? A lot of scrap, that's what it is!"

    He looks like he's ready to go speeding after Phantom, but Swivel's words seem to sink in. Oh, what is the use anyway? Without some kind of material that is impenetrable by him, there's no real way to detain him. "This is -not- over, Decepticon!" he threatens after him. "We -will- find a way to contain you!"

**Swivel has posed:**
Drip. Drip. Swivel looks up. Drip. A drop falls on her face and she lifts a hand up and rubs off the substance and examines it. "...Really there's no need fer violence 'ere..." Swivel says more quietly. However, Phantom's speech and then turn to storm off causes the femme to raise her optic ridges. "Woah now, disgustin's kinner a strong word...... so I's take it ya've met Blurr b'fore an' aren't gen'ralizin' 'em Bots........." Zing? Maybe. However, besides that comment, she doesn't stop Phantom. After all... she's just happy the firing of weapons has stopped.

*Swivel Speech Translation: "...Really there is no need for violence here... Woah now, disgusting is kind of a strong word... so I take it you have met Blurr before and are not generalising them Autobots."*

**Phantom has posed:**
He transforms. "He does not value the sanctity of new life," Phantom says flatly, "he would rather risk damaging or extinguishing newly forged sparks than allow a 'criminal' like myself to even set optics on it. You can ask him yourself." And with that, he 180's and disappears into the horizon. He's convinced and disappointed that Swivel is just another naive femme who's fallen prey to the lies the Autobot feed her, and anticipates she'll soon be brought into their pretentious fold.

**Blurr has posed:**
"Oh, -I- don't value life? Ha! And -you- do, don't you? You -soooo- do, while you go around attacking innocent mechs and orchestrating terrorist attacks on civilian areas." Blurr scoffs once more as Phantom retreats. "What a hypocrite." He says, shaking his head once the Decepticon is gone. "And yeah, he met me like -once- before. For some reason he seems to not understand that we're at -war-. Or maybe he just doesn't understand what 'war' means."

**Swivel has posed:**
Swivel tilts her head as Blurr scoffs and mutters and otherwise spits nails about the recently departed Seeker. Then she tilts her head the other way. How confusing. And frustrating. War sucks. "I dun loik war," Swivel remarks rather obviously. "...Mebbe war is done diff'rent where 'e comes from? Coz 'e talks kinner funny, yanno, an' says e' 'ent from 'round 'ere. Mebbe jus' another person 'oo saw 'ow bad things are 'n wanted ta make 'em roight, but jus' fell in with the wrong sorts with the roight message." Swivel shrugs. "It 'appens. I mean, 'cons were lookin' pretty temptin' back 'fore I left. Then they got into some stuff I dinna really 'gree with."

*Swivel Speech Translation: "I do not like war. Maybe war is done differently where he comes from? Because he talks kind of funny, you know, and says he is not from around here. Maybe just another person who saw how bad things are and wanted to make them right, but just fell in with the wrong sorts with the right message. It happens. I mean, Decepticons were looking pretty tempting back before I left. Then they got into some stuff I did not really agree with."*

**Blurr has posed:**
"No one does." Blurr replies, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter where he's from or why he joined them or whether they had the right idea before or not. The fact is, he's a terrorist now and must be made to answer for his crimes -and- prevented from committing more. If we don't do anything, they'll destroy this planet as we know it."

**Swivel has posed:**
"Fact is, Blurr, both sides lie and murder. I wanna b'lieve th'law is on m'side. I did fer a long time till I saw so much I coona look away no more. BUt there jus' 'ent 'enone left I kin rally b'hind. I kin trust in peeps, loik, indervid'als... bu'n'in... not in.... I kinna find th'roight word, but groups o' peeps wi'loik goals, but diff' ways t'achieve 'em. I wanner do wot is roight, but I wanna b'sure wot I think is roight is really roight, na'just sorter seemin' roight. Freedom or law? I loik th'idea of peeps bein' free ta be with 'oo they want 'an be treated with 'spect 'spite wot their function is. But I also wanner feel safe, tha' s'long as I obey, I wun 'ave nuthin' t'fear, but that obeyin' dun make me do things tha' feel bad. That if summun does sumtin' bad t'me, they'll be stopped. Loik ya said, punished fer their crimes.... but wot 'bout mercy? I loik mercy too... but if yer too merciful, I guess folk won't stop breakin' th'rules. But if y'aren't... there's nothin' ta learn from." Swivel shrugs her shoulders, then lets them slump after her long monologue.

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Fact is, Blurr, both sides lie and murder. I want to believe the law is on my side. I did for a long time until I saw so much I could not look away no more. But there just is not anyone left I can rally behind. I can trust in people, like, individuals... but not in... not in... I can not find the right word, but groups of people with like goals, but different ways to achieve them. I want to do what is right, but I want to be sure what I think is right is really right, not just sort of seeming right. Freedom or law? I like the idea of people being free to be with who they want and be treated with respect despite what their function is. But I also want to feel safe, that as long as I obey, I will not have anything to fear, but that obeying does not make me do things that feel bad. That is someone does something bad to me, they will be stopped. Like you said, punished for their crimes... but what about mercy? I like mercy too... but if you are too merciful, I guess folk will not stop breaking the rules. But if you are not... there is nothing to learn from."*

**Blurr has posed:**
"Everyone lies and murders, Swivel. And anyone who hasn't yet, will. That is unless they die before that ever happens. That was never the question. The question is whether the lying and murdering was done for the right -reasons-."

    He sighs. "Look, I'm telling you--I get that. Everything you just said--freedom, the right dose of mercy, respect? That's what Optimus is all about. That's -why- he stood up to the Senate the way he did. I mean just look at the news right now. Starscream was arrested, right? In Zeta Prime's day, or in Sentinel's, he would've been lawfully executed or worse, brainwashed. But not this time. In fact he's going to get a fair trial, and because of -that- he'll probably just get sent to Garrus-1. Far more than he deserves, so that's mercy for you right there. He might even get out sometime, get a second chance at a normal life."

**Swivel has posed:**
The small femme nods her head at intervals as she listens patiently. "Sorry... still used t'the way things were. I jus kinna seem ta get wither toims..." Swivel tilts her head to one side, and then the other. "I 'ent murdered 'enone that I know of," Swivel remarks. "Ya sayin' I 'ent got no choice, tha t'live a long 'ole life I gotter kill summon'?"

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Sorry... still used to the way things were. I just can not seem to get with the times. I have not murdered anyone that I know of. Are you saying I have not got no choice, that to live a long old life I got to kill someone?"*

**Blurr has posed:**
"The way things are looking, yeah." Blurr says grimly. "Listen, I've done some things in the past that I definitely regret. But that's why I'm here, doing what I'm doing. Getting behind Optimus, even though even -he- didn't always treat me the best, either. I want to make things right. That's what we -all- want, because that's what Optimus wants. To do right by the people. Megatron? Scorponok? The Decepticons? All -they- want is to exact revenge on all the people they hated by doing the exact same thing that was done to them right back to the people they think deserve it for the next ten millennia."

**Swivel has posed:**
While listening, Swivel idly looks at her fingers, rubbing them together. However, she nods to indicate that she is listening. When Blurr has finished speaking she looks up at him. "Seem ta me loik a challenge..." Swivel says trailing off. She then lifts her head with an impish smile. "I accept. I'm gunna break th'rules an' not murder 'enone. I 'ent gunner worry 'bout leavin' peeps t'ther fate, or guilt o'er peeps dyin' waaaaay indirectly fer actions I coona seen the consequences of... but I 'ent gonna murder 'enone knowin'ly AND I'm gonna live a long life. An' if this Optimus fella's all ya say 'e is... I wun 'ave ta." Swivel puts her hands behind her back and begins to turn away. "I'm also not gonna regret 'avin' fun dancin' with that bloke ya just shot at. I dinna know wot 'e was, an knowin' now 'ent gonna taint a good time. Fun's waaaaaaaaaay too rare ta waste." After saying this Swivel whistles innocently and begins heading northwards with much more purpose and spring in her step than when he'd first come across her.

*Swivel Speech Translation: "Seems to me like a challenge... I accept. I am going to break the rules and not murder anyone. I am not going to worry about leaving people to their fate, or guilt over people dying way indirectly for actions I could not have seen the consequences of... but I am not going to murder anyone knowingly AND I am going to live a long life. And if this Optimus fellow is all you say he is... I will not have to. I am also not going to refret having fun dancing with that bloke you just shot at. I did not know what he was, and knowing now is not going to taint a good time. Fun is way too rare to waste."*

**Blurr has posed:**
"Yeah, 'fun'. It's all fun and games until you find out he was just trying to manipulate you into joining his revenge spree movement." Blurr mutters as he watches her leave. Now she's just being naive. "You're gonna get killed!" he calls after her, fearing she'll have to learn the hard way...

**Swivel has posed:**
Whether or not Swivel heard Blurr calling after her or just didn't react remains to be seen. She just keeps up her stride.