1317/His Tale, My Tale

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth was back in his lab after visiting Darkstar the night before, he was still rummaging through his lab for supplies for this stupid mission Phantom had gotten them all dragged into! Honestly couldn't that stupid seeker just get /himself/ in trouble for a change!? Goth just vents and takes a moment to have a seat... Pulling the crystalline cube from his subspace to look it over more closely... A soft smile growing on his face as he did.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex is by himself, sharpening some sort of wicked b lade. He hums to himself quietly, his rotors spinning.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off visits medibay, tugging on a plate of armor while looking around but not finding anybody. He huffs softly to himself... where could the medics be? Then an idea strikes and he makes his way down towards where he knows Goth has his lab. He knocks on the door, "Goth? Dustoff? Are you in there? I need some adjustments."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth's ears twitch upward as he hears Blast Off outside the second door, and then Vortex.. He'd reach over to press the button to allow them in, keeping that cube secure in his hand. "Mainly I at the moment." He'd call with a huff, looking over, expecting them to stride in.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex purrs "Nobody here but doctors and madmen. How are you, Blast Off?"

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off begins striding in, pausing as Vortex chimes in. He stops to look at the rotary with an odd expression vaguely visible on his face, like someone caught off guard, though it only lingers a moment before his usual aloof attitute reigns supreme. "Yes..." He comes to a stop in the lab, looking around dispassionately. "Same as always, Vortex. Except...." He looks down at the loose armor plate on his arm and wiggles it. "This seems to gotten loose."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex 's optic band flickers. He seems oddly focused as if hes preparing for something. "Oh one of those pesky panels. Im sure the doctors will know how to handle it. What happened to you?"

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth vents out, sealing the door behind them (as if it would keep PHantom out, Hah!) and sets the crystalin cube on the desk, prompting Blast Off to approach him as he pulls a few tools over from on his desk, giving a chuckle at Vortex.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"Happened?" Blast Off begins defensively, "Nothing happened! It just... came loose!" He makes his way over to Goth, then mumbles, "After I sort of... knocked into something..."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Congrats." Goth says dryly as he starts tending to the close panel quitely.."Not often for you to be clumsy." he'd muse, normally he's being shot at!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "If you say so. So have you seen Darkstar yet?"

**Blast Off has posed:**
"I'm not clumsy!," Blast Off protests again, adding with another mumble that trails off, "Just was... trying to get something. In my wine shop." Totally business, of course. Not reaching under his bed for some of his hidden romance novels when he bumped into a crate of wine he'd stashed in his berthroom to keep away from Brawl.... no, no, totally not that. He then stops and looks at Vortex with an inquiring gaze. "Darkstar? Is he back?"

**Goth has posed:**
     "Indeed he is, dumbaft was found in an asteroid field with an autobot emblem painted on him, was tending to his wounds when I managed some minor things out of him, doesn't seem to recognize me, and thinks Vortex is dead from the garrus-1 incident, all to make Vortexes job of interrogating him all that more fun." he'd chuckle as he worked.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "Yep. Thats why Im here getting all the pretty tools ready." he says with a giggle. "I want to see if I can make him remember me."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off blinks. There's a long moment of silence before he speaks again. "....What?" He shakes his head as if clearing it. "Autobot symbol? Vortex dead? Does that mean he thinks I'm dead too?" He huffs at the thought, turning to eye his teammate. "Ah. Yes." He shifts his gaze toward the tools. "I see." WELP. He almost asks Vortex something, then decides NOPE, he's aloof and this is none of his bsiness.

He turns back to Goth, pausing to admire the cube on the desk. "Quite remarkable, Goth, did you pick that up somewhere?"

**Goth has posed:**
     "Pretty sure he hit his helm or some smelt, and he never brought you up, oddly." He'd muse. "Likely did so trying to attempt one of his dumb schemes to try and worm his way into their ranks, and attempt to off their leaders, but hit hit helm along the way or something." He'd wave a lazy hand as he kept working. "This is Darkstar we are speaking of, he just.. /does/ things without consulting others." He'd sigh.

      "Hm?" He'd glance over to the cube and a smile forms on his face. "A gift.. from Dustoff." He'd tap a claw against the crystal, allowing to show the liquid in the center was, indeed, such.. He then glanced to a bottle on his desk, before looking back down to continue work.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex tilts his head. "either he's messing with us or he's not." he says truth of the matter is.." His optic band lightens. "I finally get a real interrogation. Its the best day ever!"

**Blast Off has posed:**
Darkstar never mentioned HIM, a fellow spacer?! The shuttleformer huffs at that, not quite sure how to react. Well, Blast Off knows he's QUITE unforgettable so... so... "Well, he obviously suffered some damage and forgot some of the important things. I'm sure Vortex..." He glances to the rotary, "...and you will get to the bottom of it. And yes, you're right, he does. Likely ran nosecone first into an asteroid trying some foolish stunt and got found by some pranksters, tsk." Yeah!

Blast Off's violet optics light up at the mention of the cube being a gift from Dustoff. "Really?" There's a note of admiration tinged with what might be a tiny hint of jealousy. He leans in for a better look. "How... romantic." His voice is carefully neutral. He looks back to Tex and seems to relax just a bit. "You've certainly waited long enough... enjoy."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex makes a noise so high pitched that only beastformers and Soundwave can hear it and grabs his chest. "Aww your conjunx and you are really conjunx. How Romantic." He hugs Blast Off. "Isnt it romantic? Hey. I want a conjunx now."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth pauses a moment as he imagines that and snickers. "I very much can visualize that happening." He'd chuckle, before flinching as he heard the /noise/ Vortex made, an optic twitching as he looked over at Vortex as he hugged Blast Off, Goth quickly removing the tools to not harm the spacer, and he just huffs out a chuckle, shaking his helm.

      "I believe it is more akin to the rituals of bottling a sample of one's innermost energon, and exchanging such with someone they care for." he'd explain, he wasn't /denying/ anything though.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off stiffens with an \*erk\*! as Vortex suddenly hugs him, the standoffish sniper's optics going wide and pale. "Well, don't look at \*me\*!" comes the huffy response from the snooty shuttle. He doesn't actually push Vortex away, though. He looks back to the bat, thoughtfully adding, "Yes... yes, that's a frequent way pairs show their..." Ack, the L word. "Show their commitment to one another. How... droll." Not that HE would like that at all, or is totally jealous thAt Onslaught hasn't ever thought of doing that, or giving HIM an awesome gift! No, no of course not...

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex grunts "I know you're taken. You and Onsy and that Autobot.." he says. "Don't worry, my brother. Im content with my blades. Only Conjunx I ever need.." he takes one and starts to slice into his own arm with it. "And its always giving..."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth shakes his helm at Vortex before he continues resetting Blast Off's platting and nods. "Hmph... I honestly couldn't be happier to be suck with such." He'd smile again, he was in a good mood alright! A genuine tired smile on his face.. An ear twitches up as his radios bring up the fact Darkstar is awake.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off turns to look down at his bro, quirking an optic ridge and then.... "WHAT?!?" The shuttleformer does wrest himself away from the rotary, glaring at him as his armor raises in a huff. "EXCUSE me? What nonsense are..." He starts shaking his head and faces Goth, "Ignore him, he's just crazy." He shoots Tex another glare, though. DON'T YOU DARE. Then the gaze drops to the blades Tex holds and the shuttle places a dark hand over them. "Vortex.... enough."

He looks back to Goth, that wistful expression returning as a ghost flickering through his optics.

**Goth has posed:**
     "well yes, I'm aware of /that/ how else do I manage to stand him?" Goth says, spinning his tool as he points it at Blast off with a chuckle, watching Vortex... He'd catch the look and raise a ridge. "...Something In your mind, Blast Off?" He'd hem.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex purrs "Face it you both love me." he looks at the blade again but doesnt stab himself anymore.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off huffs at Vortex but doesn't actually say \*no\*. As for Goth's question, the shuttle immediately sputters and denies, "N-no, of course not!" Flustered, he starts picking at the ceramic tiles of his arm's heat shield. It's apparently really fascinating, too, as he concentrates hard on it. Slowly, though, he finally breaks his silence with an almost tremorous addition. "Is this... romance thing something you carried over from your... planet, what was it again?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex chuckles. "You know what I'm gonna say about this dont you?" he singsongs. "Goth has a conjunx..."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth gives pause, watching, studying Blast Off, raising a ridge as he did, before finally bringing himself forward with a hem. "I do not believe I've mentioned to anyone which colony I come from." There was a pause as he thought about it, well no one But Dustoff, who he has talked about it too. "No one has asked ether but... Mmm it is an organic planet, known as Eukaris." he'd admit at long last.

      "Yes Vortex.." He'd sigh... Yes to what though?! Goth doesn't say, he looks back to Blast Off. "And what do you mean? As far as I am aware the Innermost Energon ritus is... something that originated from here as well as the Conjux one, which was originally known as 'Sparkmates' if I recall correctly." He'd muse with a side-to-side motion of his hand.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off shoots Vortex a sharp look, black hand reaching for the rotary's face as if to shush him. He's not exactly sure where Vortex is going but he's sure he won't like it said. Looking back to Goth, he listens, optics flickering with recognition as the bat mentions Eukaris.

"Ahhh... yes, I think I've been in that sector of the universe before. Very..." He pauses, then adds just a bit disdainfully, "...green." He looks uncomfortable as Goth mentions the ritus, "Yes, well," he adds with a hurried fluster, "I wouldn't know." Because he's TOTALLY not into romance at all! Well, except for very off-to-the-side romance with Onslaught perhaps but \*cough\* that doesn't mean he's comfortable talking about it out loud.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex murfles as his facemask is met with Blast Off's hand, flailing dramatically as he covers his mouth. "MERRRFF AH MU MURRF>.." He says, trying to add to the conversation but unable to with the hand there.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth hems. "I believe that, Never on the planet though I imagine, as it's said Chela would rise from the talon valley and remove any 'standard' formers from the planet" He'd muse, he's sure though that Blast Off saw it from space, so the planet over all, but not /on/ the planet.

      Goth raised a ridge though, watching the two. "....Indeed, was quite lovely, I do miss it, and often wish I could bring Dustoff there to see it, I do think he'd enjoy where I and the others once lived, quite a nice cavern." He'd nod.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off finally releases his hand from Tex's mouth(faceplate?), shooting him another glance like- you better behave! He returns his focu on Goth. No, he hadn't been on the planet but through that system.... he'd explored whenever and wherever he'd had a chance, after all. He nods, more for politeness than anything, since green organic planets aren't really his thing. I mean, it is interesting to see them and the life forms, but... ew, so often organic life forms are kind of... gross. But he has to blink and stare at the last comment. "Cavern?"

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth nods and reaches over, bringing up a few images of the schematics and simulation he made for the training arena that had a depiction of a open air brownstone area, with arches that lead outside and pillows thrown about the place while the scenery of a lush world was seen outside, with the sound of a near waterfall very close by.

      "Indeed, made this for the training simulators for a bit of fun, give a different background to training for when I'm not exactly enjoying the same plain combat area. "

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex vents hard for a while. "Seriously. Two couples i Know are conjunx now and... oh. Caverns. Let's talka bout them instead." he says, backing from his brother and folding his rotors against him quietly.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Despite his determination to distrust organic things, Blast Off has to admit that scene looks quite nice. "Interesting. Seems relatively... peaceful," he admits. Then his optics open wide and he turns to stare at Vortex. "Who's Conjunx that you know?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex chirps "Well there's Goth and Dust Off.." he says. He reaches to poke Blast Off's facemask affectionately. "And you and Onslaught."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Two?" Goth questioned before snorting out at his answer. "I wouldn't say They are there just yet." He'd correct with a nod, before looking over to the screen. "Indeed, was only one room as well, this place was in a cliff, it was quite nice." He'd sigh sadly, and glanced around at the metal that was his new lab, but he was happy with it.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off jolts like Vortex just zapped him. Flailing, the shuttleformer jerks back. "WE are NOT CONJUNX." Now he's extremely flustered. He flings a hand at Goth, "Exactly! There's... you know, um..." His hands suddenly seem to have nothing to do and he twitches them awkwardly, "...\*seeing\* each other," he gestures wildly one way, "...and then there's Conjunx, and-and..." He gestures wildly another way and sputters again, "Onslaught hasn't ever given me his innermost energon, or performed any rites, or-or..." He blinks. "I mean, not that I-I really \*noticed\* or \*care\* or anything, and... i-it's not your \*business\* anyway!" HUFF! He fidgets a moment more before turning to eye Goth. "Wait, so are you two...?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex blinks "He hasn't? Well thats a problem." he says. "I'm going to radio him /right now/ and tell him to conjunx you properly. I cannot live in those barracks witha pair of unconjunxed lovers." He says, fanning himself.

**Goth has posed:**
     "Votex behave." He'd call but chuckled. "Their only dating, don't try and force it along, else it will fall apart." He'd warn with a smile, waving his hand, and looked to the cube once more. "Hm? Me and Dustoff? Well.. did say I was stuck with him, so, interpret that as you will." He'd shrug, but smiles. "Quite happy to be stuck with him as well."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Somehow, what Vortex says makes thing \*even worse\* and Blast Off's optics go wide and pale as he suddenly is pawing at his teammate. "NO! No no you can't!" He protests desperately, looking embarrassed. "AND WHO SAID WE'RE L-" He can't say lovers, either, "YOU JUST- STOP! You can't, you must'nt, there's no way I'll ever live that down you have GOT to..." His hands finally reach for his own head, which he holds as he tries not to panic. Desperate optics turn to the bat. "Y-yes, exactly."

At least Goth understands some. Then - oh! Yes, let's shift focus to Goth please. He quickly folds his hands together, at apt attention towards the medic. "YES. Yes, stuck, so... you have plans then?"

**Goth has posed:**
     "Lovers?" He'd chuckle at Blast Off, just leaning on his palm, and gave him a shrug. "Live mainly, get through all this despite having large explosives and the like lobbed at us so frequently, it is why I try to return as quickly as possible and online as possible." He'd add with emphasis.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "Well of course you are. I worked really hard to get you together and Goth is right. I dont want to push too hard or it'll fall apart. You two are perfect lovers and have a great romantic thing that Im totally not low-key jealous of."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off flinches as Goth states the L-word, but remains quiet, listening to the rest. "Well, yes. Fairly common goal, I'd say." His face seems to pinch in thought. "So what brought you here in the first place? Why come to Cybertron and find yourself ..." he gestures up above, towards the medibay, and then to the cube Dustoff gave Goth, "...involved in all this? What's the appeal for you?"

Blast Off sputters again as Vortex speaks. "We are NOT!" He tenses, fists balling up at his sides as his head sinks down between his shoulders like he'd like to hide. "Notyetatleast..." He mumbles under his breath. He glares out at nothing in particular before glancing back to Tex. "..." He squints. "I tho0ught you're not the ... the romantic type?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex blinks "Shows what you know. I want my brothers to be happy, Blast Off. If they are in love and happy it tottally makes me a happy helicopter." he says. "You should just admit it. you guys are in love, and if anyone has a problem with it we can get Brawl to punch em in the face. Its nothing to be embarassed about you know?" he chirps. "Im happy for you."

**Goth has posed:**
     "He's quite the affectionate sort, I'd be quite surprised if he wasn't." Goth would say to Blast Off, in response to Vortex as he listened to Vortex, as he silently thought how to answer the shuttled questions.

      He'd shrug his pauldrons lightly. "It was a place to go. I was exiled from my planet after all, I could not return, and was lost to wonder in space for Vorns, were I'm sure you are aware other species do not take kindly to us." He'd nod over. "Was merely one of the places I could be, instead of a lonely prison ship in the vastness of space."

**Blast Off has posed:**
The flustered shuttle grows quiet as Vortex replies, a steady blush seeming to appear on his cheeks, though his faceplate sort of hides it. The Combaticon scratches at the side of his helmet, staring down at the ground until Goth speaks, causing him to look up. "..." He's not sure how to respond. Talking to people can be so HARD! (Especially on this subject.)

He finally manages to mumble a "...Thanks." He looks back to Tex. "You're never far from us, you know," he adds, then huffs, "...we couldn't exclude you even if we \*wanted\* to!" The shuttle says with a hint of humor, bringing a black hand up to gently "punch" his bro. The hand drops down and he titls his head at Goth. Blink. "....Prison ship?" Say what?!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "They both are, you know. They just show it differently." he says. "Theres nothing wrong with it you know. As far as me? I'm happy if you're happy." he tilts his head. "Prison ship eh?" he lowers his head. "Sorry. I've been locked up. I know how that canbe."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth nods. "You see Vortex already knows this, but the reason for being exiled, is a bit of a tale." He'd tap a claw over to that photo on his desk. "...You see my first Conjux, and my four friends with him were.... killed." He'd say taking a vent as he thought back. "... Not even properly, they were left in the places they fell in their last moments as I found them, Well.. all but my Conjux.. I'd not made it." he'd vent again.

      "...So I made their killers pay in the most creative ways I could find, because I'd survived our home caving in after I attempted to take most of them down to the hell's with me." His lip twitched and waved his hand. "Eventually my luck caught up to me, I was caught, number of things removed, sent into space, I got control, and vorns later after being alone in space, here I am." He'd shrug.

      He'd shift uncomfortably and nodded to Vortex, some deep seeded trauma was starting to resurface as the stress started to show on his face, but he chuckles. "And less then a few days of being on this planet, my luck wasn't horribly awful and I meet Dustoff~.. well you know, after being offlined for the first time." He'd cringe.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off brings his hand back to hang by his side. "..." Again, so hard to get into, much less admit to, the "mushy" stuff! He turns from Vortex to focus on Goth. He settles down to listen, optic ridges furrowing as Goth speaks. "... I'm..." He blinks again, deliberating on what to say, before deciding to go ahead. "...Sorry to hear that. I'm glad you got your revenge, though." His fists clench a little tighter.

"We Combaticons are the same. If anyone ever offlined one of \*us\*, well... there'd be hell to pay, and none of us would rest until the job was done." He glances to Tex, then to Goth. "At least you weren't unlucky enough to fall into the hands of the \*Autobots\*."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Most.. some still yet live but.." He'd sigh out exhaustively and leans back in his seat. "Nothing I can do, I am here, they are there, I doubt they'll ever bother contacting this place." He'd wave his hand dismissively, before he shutters. "Mph, please, I wouldn't put it past them to use me as an experiment.. then again fairly, I don't trust Shockwave to not do that ether." She'd shutter hugging himself, and just.. sighs tiredly.

      "....It is why I /gladly/ carved into Phantom's back the other night when he started detailing how he'd burtattly murder Dustoff, and how I do /not/ want to be stuck on this blasted asteroid Overlord's sending us too and.." He'd go into grumbles.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "Darkstar was right about one thing. If one of us went down, we'd all make them pay." he says. "Phantom is a glitch and he's gonna be murdered soon. Just you see." he says.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"Oh." Oops, ok, not all have met their rightful karma. "...Someday, perhaps? The Decepticons may reach for the stars sometime... I hope." Blast Off offers quietly, then nods. At the mention of Phantom, his optics narrow some again. "Yes." He nods again, though it slowly fades to nothing as the medic mentions how he doesn't want to get stuck on that asteroid. Oh. Um. He swallows, Overlord's order that he destroy their ship and strand them ON that very asteroid suddenly front and center on his mind.

He looks down uncomfortably. He's also under strict orders to say nothing of it. "Uh... yes. Hopefully you'll... finish the work quickly and be back home in no time!" Yeah! ...No thanks to him, apparently but... again. Orders. Ahem. He's uncertain how /that's/ going to go, especially with Dustoff, but... ah well, he'll deal with it when he has to. He looks over as Tex speaks. "Errr.... yes. Yes! Quite. I will \*not\* miss him." He huffs and then glances back to the door. "Uh, I should probably be going, have work to do. A Decepticon's work is never done, right?" Ha. He rubs at his helmet, trying to change the subject as he begins moving off.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "Yeah I hope so too. If an accident with the airlock happens I wont tell anyone you know."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Hopefully so, blasted glitch is likely going to attempt to murder I, or make it appear as if I murdered /him/ to get me killed. by Overlord himself, something he'd /very/ much do, and glitch does have the capabilities to attempt such." He'd grused as he rubbed at his optics.

      "That and I don't wish to be away from Dustoff for too long... I don't think I could go through all of that." He'd vent and nods to Blast Off, watching him, Goth was tired and stressed, perhaps he's seeing things. "Alright, hrm... Thank you for the talk."

      He then looks to Vortex. "Not until this damned mission is over with, as, if he dies before we return to Overlord, he'll kill me." He'd chuff.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off can't completely contain a chuckle at Vortex's comment. "...Indeed." He turns back to look at Goth. "...Yes, understandable." He tenses again, internally uncertain how things will go, but... again, orders are orders. "Yes." He nods his head to Goth, looks to them both, silent for a long moment. Then, finally he speaks. "...Be careful. Be..." He swallows again. "Be prepared for... \*anything\*." His gaze flicks to Goth, then lingers on Vortex. "...Anything at all." Alright, he's already probably said more than he should. He turns and walks out the door.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex grunts. "Well that's no fun. But maybe I can teach him some things. You know theres a lot you can live through you know that's just as bad." he wtches Blast Off leave, tucking his legs under him. "Go find Onslaught!"

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth's ear flicks up at that, and it does leave an uneasy feeling in his tanks, and glances off to the side at the crystalin cube.. Yeah he's /definitely/ bringing that with him, and keep it protected from Phantom's antics. "But of course, Dustoff and I have been setting up a number of supplies to take with.." And that he's keeping hidden in his subspace, he does glance at that dagger though. "Hopefully just can get this done and over with." he'd nod.