red_diode_district | The Start of Something Interesting...

"Racing is a good place to start. I certainly can't argue against that," Mirage gestured down at his own racing frame, amused.

He made a note on his datapad, trying not to make a face at the idea of wrestling outside of combat for fun. That one was probably not for him.

The others, though...

"'Mystery holos'?" He probably sounded more incredulous than intended, but he perked up noticeably in interest.

"Any in particular?"

Racing was, really, an extremely safe option, regardless of whether the interest lay in participating or watching, amateur or professional races - nearly any given cybertronian (well, except the aerials) would have an interest in it, and Cliffjumper flashed a brief, lopsided grin at Mirage's comment.

The incredulity after that was enough to make him look away with a scowl and squirm though, optics brightening in embarrassment.

"Do ya actually need to know that?" Cliffjumper muttered, not sure how to take the apparent interest. The worst thing after being judged for liking it would be finding a shared interest and then ending up revealing he liked movies Mirage didn't.

Reluctantly, though, the recounted a few of the ones he liked and one of his favourites. He wasn't going to give them all up, because this was embarrassing enough.

"What about you?" Cliffjumper glanced back at Mirage, pushing the question over to him not just to put the spotlight off him, but also because he was curious.

Of course, most of the things Mirage liked would probably not be things they shared. Or could share, given the differences in background and (former) class.

"Why not?" Mirage countered, helm tilting. "Perhaps I might want to see if I have already viewed them, or may want to watch them in the future?"

He shrugged casually, hiding any feelings of insult behind politeness, before gesturing down at himself.

"Me? Well... Racing as well, of course. I prefer racing on the hunt, but that... isn't something that is much of an option these days - unless a Decepticon is involved." His smirk was wry and a little vicious at the thought, before smoothing back out.

"In my not very considerable free time, I enjoy rereading and viewing some of the classics, both Golden Age and...newer fare. Mostly drama and serials."

Another shrug, though Mirage wasn't quite meeting Cliffjumper's optics. He didn't really want to confess his undying love for the Cybertronian equivalent of 'soap operas', but it was something a dear lover would honestly know, more the pity.

At least he was not alone. He knew for a fact Optimus followed them just as religiously, and they both occasionally met up to watch (and violently critique) the unofficial continuations the more dramatically inclined Autobots in other bases filmed independently.

"I guess," Cliffjumper said, still giving Mirage a narrow look. He wasn't sure he believed him, but if he was being serious? Well that was... well, it'd be interesting if they actually shared some interests, wouldn't it?

The racing thing wasn't unexpected, though the particular way of it... Cliffjumper would've said something, except that that brief flash of viciousness caught him and he ended up staring.

Since he was already staring, he did catch Mirage not quite meeting his optics, and while there was an ugly little flare of smugness that Mirage had, probably, similar feelings of not wanting to reveal certain things, it was also just... nice, that Mirage had things he felt the same way about.

He couldn't quite help raising his optic ridges at first, but then he snorted and grinned faintly.

"Well, you ain't alone in that on the ship. Not my favourite thing though. Too much... drama." He waggled a hand to try an encompass what he meant. Complications, more like. It was enough to make him frustrated, the times he tried to sit down for Bumblebee's sake. He preferred his plot-related obstacles to come from outside sources, not from people.

"... and hey, maybe they've got fox huntin' on Paradron, if that's what ya... uh, meant," Cliffjumper added after a moment, looking up at Mirage and then glancing away, feeling decidedly awkward for having suggested it.

Well. At least it seemed like Cliffjumper wouldn't hold his viewing preferences against him. Surprise, surprise!

"Fictional drama is so satisfying, though!" Mirage argued, amused. Much better than the real thing, that couldn't be escaped from or caused lingering problems when the slag hit the fans.

He perked up in surprise at Cliffjumper's suggestion, both at the idea and the person who suggested it.

"...now that is something to look forward to," Mirage said with a smile.

He'd only hold them against Mirage on the ground that he couldn't get what the attraction was in general, but that was the same sort of thing he had against Bee liking it as well.

"If you say so..." Cliffjumper said, shaking his helm, "Bee says the same." He just didn't get it. It didn't matter who it was who liked them, to Cliffjumper it was all incomprehensible. But it wasn't something you could judge someone for, really... He knew they were popular.

But on the other hand it wasn't odd that Mirage was feeling somewhat embarrassed over having to admit it, either, considering who he was.

Looking back at Mirage when he spoke again, mostly for the tone he used, Cliffjumper was drawn into a smile, and surprised to find himself smiling, but Mirage looked happy, and he was pleased he'd been right to point it out when the thought popped up.

"That's... er, good." And then he looked away again, blushing briefly and flustered that he blushed because frag it all, there was no reason to do that!

"Anything else we need to figure out?" Better to say something than sit there in awkward embarrassment.

Chuckling, Mirage nonetheless shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but it's hardly that simple."

He made a note on his datapad, ticking his way down a list.

"We should go into more detail about things we may supposedly enjoy together. Various holos may do the trick, but we should probably find others. And we will have to go into the nature of your...sensitivity eventually."

And their supposed bonding. He wasn't yet sure which would be the most difficult.

"But for now: you do go to the shooting range often, yes?"

Grimacing at Mirage's very unwelcome denial of things being over and the mention of his... 'sensitivity' again, Cliffjumper huffed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chestplates.

"Uh... yeah?" then, pausing, Cliffjumper scowled and looked away before he met Mirage's optics again, expression mulish but strangely insistent, "it ain't the only thing I do to relax, but it... helps, ya know? And I'm trainin' at the same time, so..."

He hated the digs where people thought he loved weapons so much he lived in the shooting range or had no other ways to unwind. He wasn't sure if Mirage was of that opinion as well, so he wasn't... quite defensive, just a bit frustrated.

He didn't actually like guns much. He liked the big ones because they could finish battles far more quickly in his opinion, and he liked that he could defend himself and others and was determined to do so, and while he probably would never feel comfortable again without a gun nearby... he wasn't precisely obsessed with them either.

"And why go we even gotta talk about my... sensitivity?" pure confusion, if a bit grumpy, as Cliffjumper looked to Mirage, helm tilting, "it ain't like it matters more than that it's what's needed for you to be slaggin' bonded according to the religious nuts."

"Because it will come up, whether we like it or not. We can delay the discussion, but we will have to go over it before we ship out on this mission, just to be on the safe side."

Mirage wanted to deal with it now, but pushing Cliffjumper too much all at once seemed like a bad idea; so he shrugged and let it pass for the moment.

"And shooting is another thing we can 'share'. As you seem to know about turbofox hunting, it should be little surprise that I enjoy keeping my aim sharp. The range is good- hunting would be better. Even if there are no turbofoxes involved."

He grimaced again at that, but the implicit promise that talking about that could wait a bit was enough to make some of the tension in Cliffjumper's frame bleed out. Sure, they couldn't postpone all of the (other) difficult topics to right before they left or something, but at least that one shouldn't be an issue, right?

"Well, that and we are in a slaggin' war," Cliffjumper couldn't help but comment, rolling his optics. Mirage might never have been too enthusiastic about it, but he'd done his part, and especially on Earth he'd certainly had to participate in full-on battlefield combat.

"Not that I know much 'bout fox huntin', but I guess we..." had to pause there, forcing his field to still over the flustered wiggle it wanted to do when he said 'we'. There was no we, except for this... this pretend thing, so that his stupid fragging frame would react like that...

Somewhere, there was that sick twist inside, and Cliffjumper pushed it away and shook his helm.

"Uh, I mean, could've been doin'... something, like it? We've got a lot of space 'round the Ark, after all." Shrugging, Cliffjumper frowned. He'd never understood why fox hunting would be one of the things the nobles kept secret.

It wasn't the only thing, of course, and there were probably a lot most people didn't even know the nobles kept very quiet about their traditions and whatever else slag, but you'd have to have been newly sparked to not know about nobles and turbofox hunting.

Not that anyone, and of course not Cliffjumper either, knew more than that. He wasn't even sure if he should feel annoyed about it, or if he should think it was terrible... so he usually settled on his usual vague disdain over the nobles.

"Shooting because 'we're in a war' versus because we might enjoy the practice are two different things entirely."

"There is," Mirage agreed, lips twitching, "The forests and mountain are perfect ground for hunts, chases, and seek-and-finds."

Mirage grinned, expression somewhat nostalgic; he'd once played every sort of hunting 'game' imaginable before the loss of the Towers and the start of the war. It was a silly thing to long for, of course, but...

He shook his head and glanced away, managing an apologetic shrug.

"They can be quite enjoyable. ...But yes, perhaps something more in line with your own interests as well? Or we could simply press forward to the more...detailed portions of our mission cover."

"Do somethin' like that with Bee and sometimes Windcharger," Cliffjumper said with a thoughtful frown. Using the surroundings while chasing each other in a not-quite race was really fun.

"So I guess that could be something?" The thought of actually getting to do that with Mirage sounded fun, and just in a general way, disregarding anything else. It probably wouldn't ever happen though - this was just to establish what they would logically be doing if they actually were involved.

Then he just shook his helm and flashed a grin.

"Hey, if you're willing to watch... or, uh actually like those type of holos, I'm fine. And we both like racing... and well, I can even sit down for one of those slagging dramas, I do it for Bee. As long as ya don't make me play games," Cliffjumper said with a roll of his optics - mostly because every blasted game seemed to just be a variation on a strategy game, and that just wasn't Cliffjumper's... forté.

The type he did like were closer to human puzzles and those... were games for those who were newly sparked. Bee had given him a few human ones (like that coloured cube) and while most of them weren't particularly hard, they were still enjoyable.

... He might have been trying to ignore Mirage's mention of moving on to the more "detailed portions" of their mission, regardless of how flustered talking about this made him - or how it made his insides twist, since these were things he'd wanted to know, and now that he realised they might actually share some interests?

Well, it didn't make anything better. Cliffjumper also had to admit that, if he actually disliked Mirage a lot, he'd probably be more tolerant by now from this conversation.

Hiding a snicker at the idea of Cliffjumper running wild with Bumblebee and Windcharger, Mirage nodded down at the smaller mech in thoughtful consideration.

"I would be willing to watch them," Mirage agreed quietly, surprised but pleased by Cliffjumper's slight mistake in his speech.

"We'll have to pass the downtime somehow, after all. Might as well be doing mutually enjoyable activities that also happen to further our cover."

He wasn't blind to Cliffjumper's deliberate avoidance, but he let it pass for the moment.

The admission made something twist warmly inside - and then Cliffjumper had to push it down with a vengeance, because it was just for the mission. Primus, he hoped he ended up having the crush chased out of him...

Otherwise he might just end up confessing to get Mirage to turn him down and maybe then he could stop being stupid. But the thought of confessing his feelings made him want to go bang his helm against a wall or something, so it wouldn't happen any time soon.

"Yeah, I guess..." pausing, Cliffjumper realised something, "I guess we could... I dunno. Walk around too? I mean, it's not gonna be like Earth, I assume, and while it ain't gonna be Cybertron..." shrugging, Cliffjumper suddenly realised - and was rather taken aback by the thought, somehow - that they'd be on a planet not caught in war.

A planet with a normal, functioning society and all what that meant.

There'd actually be more things to watch than ruins and the threat of attack - Earth was somewhat similar, but while, okay, the various environments were interesting, it just... wasn't the same.

Resetting his optics, Mirage nodded slowly. Of course, he knew Paradron was a untouched colony world. That was half of the reason they were doing this in the first place. But hearing Cliffjumper say it, mentioning that they could just go for a stroll down a normal city road...

Mirage grinned, wide and honestly, nostalgia and hope making his spark warm in his chest.

"Yes... Yes, that is something we can most definitely do." He perked up, voice brightening with pleasure.

"Sightseeing is surely already on the list, as the Paradrons will want to show off their colony... But I'm sure we can explore on our own as well."

"If we can't, I think that'll be a warnin' bell on its own," Cliffjumper said with a snort and a roll of his optics, looking away from Mirage's wide grin because otherwise he'd stare.

Slag it all.

And then, if only to get something else to distract him... though he was curious, honestly...

"Wonder what Paradron looks like..." he sort of both hoped and dreaded the thought that it might look similar, if not identical, to Cybertron. That would... hurt. But it'd also be nice, to be able to walk somewhere that was familiar again, and not this organic mudball that Earth was, no matter that it did have its bright points.

"Exactly," Mirage agreed, though he highly doubted such an event would occur. It was possible, of course; Cliffjumper wasn't completely paranoid, but he seemed to have a knack for finding the worst possible scenario in any idea he didn't like. Mirage couldn't help but wonder if the minibot's suspicious mind wouldn't be useful picking apart some of the more reckless of plans.

Cliffjumper, Red Alert, and Prowl in a room together. The idea forced him to hide a snort that he covered up by fumbling for his subspace.

"Well, that I can help with, a little."

He pulled out a holocube, placing it on the nearest flat surface between them.

"The Paradrons did want to show off their home a little bit, to entice us to visit of course."

He activated the cube, throwing up a small projection of what the Paradron's considered their most beautiful or most famous locals.

Frowning at the cube, it didn't take long for Cliffjumper to scoot off the berth and cross the room to get a better look at the shifting display of environments showed off.

"'Look, our completely unravaged and resource-rich planet, isn't it pretty?' The 'Cons must be slaggin' glitching at the thought..." the mutter wasn't particularly vicious, more distracted, really, as Cliffjumper focused on the cube.

Glittering cities with crystals set at focal points or decorations in buildings; delicate spires and swooping arches, somewhere the buildings themselves seemed to be arches.

A literally floating garden of crystals and rock covered in various moss - well, Cliffjumper thought it was moss, anyway, as it looked kind of similar to the Earth versions of that, hanging high over a plaza dotted with pools and fountains.

An intricate, interconnected array of pools and waterfalls - he wasn't sure if they were natural or not - rainbows glittering in the light that fell from three suns.

Terraces covering the side multicoloured mountains - that was familiar, at least. Cliffjumper hadn't been, not even during the war, but he certainly knew about the bismuth terraces of Tetrahex, or the similar (but of different materials) terraces found in the Manganese Mountains where they ran through Tarn.

Deep canyons with giant waterfalls bursting from the top or through the cliff, falling miles and miles down below where crystal and rivers glinted.

Swooping rock formations that sort of looked like some of the sandstone configurations here on Earth.

"That canyon reminds me both of the Sonic Canyons and the Grand Canyon, same with those rock formations..." Cliffjumper didn't even glance back at Mirage as he spoke, almost transfixed.

It was silly, really, but seeing something that was so similar to home, but not ravaged by war? It both hurt and made him want to go, regardless of the unpleasantness of the mission itself.

Before the war, he hadn't really even travelled much; something like this wouldn't just have been an impossibility, it was something he'd never even considered.

He'd already watched it once or twice, but the holodisplay was still amazing to behold. The sight of a truly Cybertronian world untouched by war made him ache inside.

"It does, doesn't it?" Mirage smiled faintly, glancing away from the wonderful (nostalgic, painful,) holographic sights to watch Cliffjumper's wide-optic'd wonder.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all?

"The architecture reminds me of Crystal City the most, but it is still rather unique. I look forward to seeing it in person."

Pausing for a moment, Mirage silently moved the cube toward Cliffjumper in offering.

"Wouldn't know, but if ya say so..." trailing off as he continued to stare, comment offhand and completely lacking in any of the annoyed or accusing huffiness it might otherwise have had, Cliffjumper finally looked back up at Mirage when the cube was offered to him.

"... sure that'd be okay?"

It didn't mean anything, but even just such a simple, and vague, offering had a little surge of charge flare through him, making his fingertips tingle. Of course, he'd rather, like anyone else, have had such a lovely display from pre-war Cybertron, but this?

It was nearly as good, and it was surprisingly fascinating and captivating to be seeing images from a planet that was so definitely cybertronian without being Cybertron.

Nodding, Mirage gestures with his hand, motioning the cube toward Cliffjumper before pressing it into his palm.

"Of course. I've watched what I needed. It should be good to let you enjoy the preview of what you'll be seeing in person at your leisure."

And should help to keep Cliffjumper's newfound excitement for the mission up.

"If nothing else, it would make for a nice decoration," Mirage chuckled.

Fingers closing about the cube automatically, smiling in surprise as he pulled it closer and, after standing there for another moment, unsure of what to do, went back to sit on the berth again.

"More'n I got now, so while it ain't home... close enough I guess," Cliffjumper said with a lopsided grin as he put the holo cube down beside him on the berth, trailing his fingers over the surface before dropped them on his lap instead.

It'd always frustrated him he hadn't either had, or managed to pick up, some form of holo display from Cybertron.

Glancing down at the cube, Cliffjumper gave a grimace and turned back to Mirage with some reluctance.

"So what now?"

He knew there was more, and perhaps it was better they get on with it, even if he really didn't want to.

"Well..." Mirage started, oddly reluctant to break the calm peace that had descended on them. It was nice while it lasted.

"Beyond what we've already discussed, everything else is a bit more difficult."

'Difficult' and unpleasantly for them both, it would seem.

"We will still need to discuss how we will have to act toward each other because of our supposed bonding - and the more intricate details that will be required for you to pass as a Sensitive bonded to a Priest. Unfortunately."

The second part made Mirage frown. He still did not want to share further Priest details with Cliffjumper, given his constantly restated reluctance to have anything to do with the more religious portions of the ability. But for the sake of the mission, which Prime was already making hinting noises about...

Mirage felt he was going to have little choice but to give Cliffjumper more information that he would have normally been allowed.

Cliffjumper would rather have had that nice moment stretch out longer himself, but he'd had no idea how to do it, and he was also uncomfortably aware of the things they hadn't talked about yet.

Like that.

He was blushing before he knew it and angrily shook his helm to chase away the bright optics and twisting EM field.

"Why'd we gotta discuss that!? Why not just... try to avoid fights and it should be good, right? Not everybody likes to be... uh, demonstrative in public," Cliffjumper said, having to lower his volume when he realised he was speaking way too loudly, and had to try not to blush again when he said 'demonstrative'.

"We need to lay down...boundaries and expectations." Mirage waved a hand, trying to explain.

"While we can play it as though we are currently 'on the rocks', the goal is to out up as much of a front as possible. We need to be able to play along if the unexpected happens."

The spy huffed, giving Cliffjumper a serious look.

"While we have a good deal of intelligence, it is entirely possible that we will have to come into the most basic of physical contact with one another. It may not be ideal, but it is possible. So we need to be able to tolerate it."

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