"You might be surprised." Optimus chuckled, frame shifting subtly to display his best attributes to that lingering examination with a more noticeable engine rev. "It depends on what your definition of 'worse' is." And even then, he had not been distracted enough to keep from noticing the glint of a tiny spy cam in his Consort Hall.
But despite the posturing, the Prime was effortlessly able to switch gears to more serious topics - without losing the pleasing hip cant. At least he'd be able to keep mechs attention during speeches?
"I do certainly wish to at least try, and that requires that I put some thought into this." Optimus snorted back with a wry grin. "I hardly want to just...sit back and watch as our society continues to fall, while a precious few reap all the spoils."
He shrugged his shoulders, finally glancing away from Megatron to look out at the city around and below them, lights glowing neon and cobalt in the fog.
"Even if I didn't want to improve the lives of those down in the 'lower' levels - and I most certainly do - it's simple foolishness for us to continue as we have."
He turned back with a smirk, clenching a fist. "The nobles and energon tycoons may not understand 'stop sucking the life out of the poorest of us - it's wrong'. But even the greediest of them can damn well understand that their practices are leaving Cybertron weak."
He tapped fingers on his arm, shaking his head as his gaze went hard. "Obviously, I'm not built to be a fighter or tactician, but I've seen the reports. We are at a very dangerous place right now. Even you should know it's worse than many suspect."
He didn't say it out loud, but if there was one thing he could trust Megatron to do, even if he ended up stabbing him in the back in the end, was to defend Cybertron rather then selling them out to their enemies offworld. Megatron would fight. So he had no problems dropping that tidbit of intelligence. It wouldn't be classified for much longer, anyway.
"My laws and bills will take precious time. If I can get them to change their ways more quickly by appealing to their greed and desire for self-preservation, then I will try. If I have to invoke the name of the Quintessons themselves, and how we wouldn't be strong enough to fight off an invasion from them at this point if our lives depended on it - and they would - I will."
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But despite the posturing, the Prime was effortlessly able to switch gears to more serious topics - without losing the pleasing hip cant. At least he'd be able to keep mechs attention during speeches?
"I do certainly wish to at least try, and that requires that I put some thought into this." Optimus snorted back with a wry grin. "I hardly want to just...sit back and watch as our society continues to fall, while a precious few reap all the spoils."
He shrugged his shoulders, finally glancing away from Megatron to look out at the city around and below them, lights glowing neon and cobalt in the fog.
"Even if I didn't want to improve the lives of those down in the 'lower' levels - and I most certainly do - it's simple foolishness for us to continue as we have."
He turned back with a smirk, clenching a fist. "The nobles and energon tycoons may not understand 'stop sucking the life out of the poorest of us - it's wrong'. But even the greediest of them can damn well understand that their practices are leaving Cybertron weak."
He tapped fingers on his arm, shaking his head as his gaze went hard. "Obviously, I'm not built to be a fighter or tactician, but I've seen the reports. We are at a very dangerous place right now. Even you should know it's worse than many suspect."
He didn't say it out loud, but if there was one thing he could trust Megatron to do, even if he ended up stabbing him in the back in the end, was to defend Cybertron rather then selling them out to their enemies offworld. Megatron would fight. So he had no problems dropping that tidbit of intelligence. It wouldn't be classified for much longer, anyway.
"My laws and bills will take precious time. If I can get them to change their ways more quickly by appealing to their greed and desire for self-preservation, then I will try. If I have to invoke the name of the Quintessons themselves, and how we wouldn't be strong enough to fight off an invasion from them at this point if our lives depended on it - and they would - I will."