1176/The Good One That Got Away?

**Juris has posed:**
It's an ordinary evening in the Rodion.

 At this hour, most of the shops and businesses are getting ready to close when dusk hits, but are definitely still open. One such business is the antique shop right across from the police station. One of the store's staff stands in the doorway, sweeping dust out the front door with a broom in one hand, while the other carries a stack of ancient looking tomes.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex is out and about, anding the back alleys of Rodion. Probably looking for a dealer or something. But then he sees something else. A storeperson outside an antique store. His curiousity gets to him. "Hey there." he says, sounding way too friendly. "You need help with those?" he asks.

**Juris has posed:**
The store's staff member looks up when Vortex addresses him. He snickers, then says, "Sure. In fact, I could use some help moving all the books in the front to the back, if ya don't mind." He hands the stack of books to Vortex, and then motions for the Combaticon to follow him inside. "I heard plenty about you mucking up a mess at the.. what's it called? Oh yeah. The Fight Club in the Dead End." He laughs loudly, and perhaps a bit rudely. "Well, what's there to frag up about moving books..."

 Vortex will immediately notice the book on top of the stack is one titled, "How to Navigate Your Feelings: When That Special Someone Just Isn't Into You." The author, if Vortex bothers to look, is some organic with fourteen eyeballs.

 The rotary probably also won't notice currently, but a figure has emerged from the police station and is observing him quietly from across the street.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex checks the book covers and chuckles. "Self help books. Bunch of psychiatic nonsense riht?" he asays as he helps to move the books. "Yeah, I've been known to hang out there. Remember if you go , first timers have to fight. Its great if you like to hit things or be hit by things." he hasnt noticed the figure yet, focused on the books.

**Juris has posed:**
"Don't judge a book by it's cover," the store staff member yells from the back, "I mean, you didn't even look inside of it yet, did you?" Another obnoxious laugh. "Do I look like the kind of person who gives a damn about the Fight Club? Seriously. Eh, anyway. I don't care much for those books. If you want, you can take any of those."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex takes a look inside the first one "Allright. You know. I might know someone who needs these. They're free are they?" he takes the top one. Hes too macho to admit he needs the hole stack. "I've got a friend with some reltionship issues."

**Juris has posed:**
Vortex's assumption that self help books are nonsense will either be affirmed or proven wrong once he takes a look at the first page. A cursory glance will draw his attention to a bulleted list of executable actions. Number one is, "Show lots of physical affection." Two is "Serenade them." Three is "Tell them you love them." Vortex will have to stop reading after that, because just then, someone puts a hand over the page he's looking at.

 Oh, it's Juris!

 "You don't need that," she says frankly.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex jumps "Juris!" he sound very excited to see her. His rotors rise in relief. "I um.. Im glad to see you survived! Last I saw you...I wasnt sure. You're ok though? Im not dreamin?" He says aloud before he can stop himself. He looks at the b ook. "These? Oh they're for Blast Off. He and Onslught have a really close and strange relationship but they might.." he clears his throat. "You never know!" he stammers.

**Juris has posed:**
She definitely survived, but maybe just barely. There's a nasty (or maybe sexy?) scar that snakes up from the side of her thigh all the up to her chassis and even extends to one of her blades. "Yes," she says, her tone of voice, as usual, unreadable.

 "..." She takes the books from Vortex, and sets them aside, then starts heading for the back of the shop, motioning for Vortex to follow her.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex looks at the scar, and holds out his hand, but stops himself from touching it without her permission "Niice" he purrs, chuckling. He blinks in surprise as she takes his books. "Ma'am?" he says, thrown off guard as he turns to follow her just like shes a superior officer. Or something else. He isnt sure what he feels about her. But he knows he feels something...complicated.

**Juris has posed:**
She noticed. She noticed he didn't just reach out and touch her without thinking, like he usually does. He really had more self control than people gave him credit for, she thinks to herself.

 When they reach the back of the store, she seats herself on an old stool in the parlor, then turns to face Vortex, her visor retracting. She then looks at him expectantly, as if expecting him to do the same.

 The store staff member notices Vortex had opened the first book, and when he sees them go to the back of the store, he snickers and shuts the parlor doors behind them, thinking they were going to need some privacy.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex looks confused as he follows Juris along. "Um...the face mask too?" he asks quietly, as his visor retracts revealing two smaller, crimson optics on an almost delicate silver face. So far, no open wounds or scarring or anything which he is probably pretty ashamed of. He'd love to be some scared up freak but nope. Hes actually not too bad looking. "Um. What's this about?" his rotors flatten uncomfortably.

**Juris has posed:**
"Why do you always hide?" she asks, "You're not ugly, you know."

 She sighs. "I want to talk to you honestly and sincerely," she says, "and that's much easier to do when I can see your .. face."

A pause, and she averts her gaze momentarily. "I need to.. join a faction, Vortex."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex takes off his facemask and helmet. There i a scar leading from his left temple around the back of his head, a reminder of garrus. Otherwise, he has a long, hawk-like silver face face, currently pulled in a look of concentration. "Goes with the job, my dear." he purrs softly. "Im an interrogator, people can't be reading my face all the time can they?" he picks at a dent in his left arm when she admits to looking for a faction.
    "A faction eh? So you been weighing your options?" his voice sounds a bit saddened. He fully expects her to join the Autobots "What have you seen? Which do you prefer, red or purple?"

**Juris has posed:**
She notices the shift in his tone of voice and it bothers her, but she hides it, expertly. Like she always does. "Too much," she says softly.

She then turns to him, an inquisitive and expectant look on her features. "Well, aren't you going to give me the gravlift pitch for the Decepticons? It's why I came to see you."

 Among other things.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "You're too smart for that Juris. You're a DA. You've seen both sides. You know what the bots are, and what the cons are." He moves in clsoer. "You know what they're both capable of and what..." He lowers his voice. "What benefits each side have. Tell me in your mind..." H is rotors spin "Which is better? I won't belittle your intelligence with the propoganda speeches."

**Juris has posed:**
"No," she says. "I mean, ordinarily I would say you're right, and that I don't need a lecture to make a decision."

 She makes optic contact with him and doesn't look away. "I need you to tell me," she says, and then her voice grows soft, "which faction you would choose, if you had to choose for me, and why."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. " for me, it's obvious. I go where Onslaught tells me to. Im a merc and we go where the contracts are. Though I am getting more an more attached to the Decepticon one." He crosses his legs as he stars at Juris, his optics visibly narrowing as if studying an insecticon under glass.
     "Which faction indeed. Justice is important to you. But who'se justice. What makes you tick. To be honest? I dont know the answers to that. B ecause I need more chances to be...closer with you. Intimately close. To figure you out more. You're still an enigma. Are you playing with me or not? Thats all I've been asking. But I never thought about your desires. Your goals. What are your views on important things like functionism, being happy with the body you are in and the job you do. Wether you prefer peace or war, friendship or fighting. Long walks in the moonlight or short rough flights through an acid rain storm. These are the things I'd need to know. Before I have a proper response."

**Juris has posed:**
"Vortex, you know the answers to all of those questions," she responds almost immediately, "Am I happy with my form and function, yes, of course, and peace - I've always preferred peace, I never resort to violence unless absolutely necessary. I never wanted this war. But you know that, you're far from the undisciplined idiot so many make you out to be." For whatever reason, she seems ... very troubled. "If I was going to die in the next breem if you didn't choose for me," she says quietly, "what would you choose? I believe you know the answer already."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "If I were to be completely and totally honest and selfish? I'd say wear the purple proudly. But I know thats no pace for someone who prefers peace and justice. For you to be happy. Fulfilled totally. You.." He turns away for a long time, as if its hard to say this "Juris. If you're gonna be happy. You have to give me up." he looks at her with an almost desperate sadness. "Im evil through and through. Im a cold , broken sadist who loves nothing more then sensation and making others hurt. I dont deserve someone as beautiful and caring and kind an compassionate and...together as you. Perfection doesnt live in Hell." he says. "Nor consorts with demons." He folds his rotors downa nd looks away, as if ashamed to look at the light that is Juris. "You should go." he whispers.

**Juris has posed:**
In in a moment of rarity, Juris shows some emotion, and it resembles shock and guilt. "You.. You can't have meant any of that," she says, her blue optics suddenly dimming sadly. "You don't actually care about me that much, do you?" She looks away, also, shockingly, very ashamed. "I don't deserve that," she says softly. "And I hope you don't feel like you owe me anything. You really don't."

 Wow, what's this? She actually looks.. incredibly sad.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "I kinda do. You got me my rotors back but its more than that. I like you . You dont have to like me back." he takes a rotor off his back and runs it ove his left thigh. "You'd be happier as an Autobot and you know it." He says. His optics go from self-loathing to blank. Maybe that's why he hides his face. Maybe underneath it, hes nothing more then a self loathing protoform who doesnt understand true emotion.

**Juris has posed:**
She watches him quietly for a moment, not seeming to know what to say. "..."

Then she places a hand gently on his hand, the one that's holding a rotor blade. "Vortex..." she says very softly, perhaps almost sweetly. "Look at me."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex shakes badly. The hand holding the blade clenches around it, causing it to bleed energon. "Don't pity me. Just.. do what you think is right." he whispers his optics focused on the ground. His free hand moves to cover an expression of pure pain, like a second mask. "I'll get over it. You have a decision to make."

**Juris has posed:**
"I don't," she says, "not anymore," she says.

 Since he won't look up at her, she reaches down and lifts his chin gently, gazing deep into his crimson optics. Maybe it'll pierce something in him, and he'll realize he isn't a self loathing protoform who doesn't understand true emotion.

 "Thank you," she says softly.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex looks at Juris. "Im going to do something wholly inapproprite." he whispers, thinking this is plenty warning. With that he leans in an gives her a tight hug, trying to pull her to him. So much for self restraint. This is followed by leaning in to try to kiss the other rotary. Smooth.

**Juris has posed:**
Weirdly, she doesn't resist him. Either that, or she was truly surprised.

 However, she doesn't kiss him back either. Instead, she kinda just... lets him do what he wants. When the moment is over, she steps away, speechless. "I.. I should go," she says.

 Her visor and mask then close over her faceplates again, and she exits the parlor, heading straight for the exit of the antique shop, a massive wave of instant regret washing over her.

 The store staff member sticks his helm back into the room after Juris leaves. He holds up the book Tex had been looking at earlier. "Want it?" he asks, smirking.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex seems very embarassed about what happens and puts his mask back on. He flllows afterwars. "Naa. Just.. just give it to the next sucker who lets the good one get away" he returns his blade to his back and seems casual. "Im going to go get very drunk now. You have a nice store. I should buy something. You got any books with pictures of teal rotaries?" he snickers. Back to base and vulgar Vortex.

**Juris has posed:**
The store staff member arches a brow ridge at Vortex. "You know, she hasn't completely gotten away," he says poetically. "And sorry, no. Rotaries aren't popular in fiction or non-fiction. But..." he hands Vortex a datapad. "You could be the first. Don't let this be the end of your story." He chuckles, and then disappears into the back of the store.

And if Vortex tries to find him, he won't. Not only this, but should Vortex check the sign tacked to the front of the store on his way out, he'll discover that the antique shop should have been closed today...

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex chuckles "I will be!" He says. "I'll b e a slaggin legend. Now." he claps his hands and transforms. "Rotors. Take me to the engex. THeres a trash dragon that....needs puked on!" thats his priority. Surely he'll think about that shop and why its open But now? Now he wants to forget Juris.