The Start of Something Interesting...
Nov. 10th, 2013 05:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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The day was calm, with no recent Decepticon attacks, and none suspected to be incoming for some time. The cons were too busy licking their wounds from the last battle, one that the Autobots had decidedly come out ahead on. The celebrations had gone on long into the night and the recreation room was already a mess.
Thus, it was the perfect chance for a lone Autobot to slip casually outside.
Mirage had no shift currently scheduled, so he was free to spend his time as he pleased. He certainly made no move to hide his departure, greeting his comrades in the halls on the way out, but the box in his hands remained unopened despite any passing curiosity. It was quietly shifted into subspace before long, and the former noble shifted into alt mode just as smoothly when he reached the doors. Despite the completely inappropriate earthen race car mode, the mech had little trouble self-adjusting before driving off into the forest covering the mountain, for business unknown...
Thus, it was the perfect chance for a lone Autobot to slip casually outside.
Mirage had no shift currently scheduled, so he was free to spend his time as he pleased. He certainly made no move to hide his departure, greeting his comrades in the halls on the way out, but the box in his hands remained unopened despite any passing curiosity. It was quietly shifted into subspace before long, and the former noble shifted into alt mode just as smoothly when he reached the doors. Despite the completely inappropriate earthen race car mode, the mech had little trouble self-adjusting before driving off into the forest covering the mountain, for business unknown...
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Date: 2014-01-09 12:29 am (UTC)Of course, right here and now this was being done in private, but that was due to necessity, not as par of the course, especially considering what Mirage had told him in the washracks and what he did know of the holiday ceremonies.
And so, nasal ridge scrunched up a little as he thought and helm tilted as he listened to the singing, still feeling like squirming because the slagging singing was getting to his sensory horns even with dialing down the sensitivity, Cliffjumper missed Mirage's stare.
Or rather, what it might mean.
All he caught was Mirage's slight turn and his optics, lambent like sunlight in the dim lighting of the room, sweeping briefly across him.
Yeah, whatever I'm still here. Cliffjumper managed to not grimace at the noble though as that thought cross his mind, mostly because he didn't want to interrupt, again.
At least not yet.
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Date: 2014-01-15 10:44 am (UTC)Mirage, stating his purpose as an observer; undoing the damage he had wrought by observing peacefully what he had once disdained.
A cube was brought out from behind the altar and poured into the now-empty bowl. Song reaching a pointed plateau, Mirage knelt and gracefully offered Cliffjumper the glowing bowl.
Behind him, Tracks gave a barely audible sigh of displeasure.
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Date: 2014-01-15 01:28 pm (UTC)Cliffjumper, despite having followed Mirage leaving his spot by the berth and watched him fill the bowl again, was nonetheless caught by surprise when it was offered to him. H probably looked pretty startled, optics widening and the glow of them brightening before they narrowed again to glare at Tracks briefly, and then he just stared some more at the bowl.
Why did he have to drink it? Wasn't it enough he was just here?
... Apparently not.
After a few more moments, Cliffjumper gingerly took the bowl, staring narrowly at it before he slowly took a sip, eyeing Mirage for each little gulp just to gauge how much he had to drink.
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Date: 2014-02-22 10:45 am (UTC)Without the small army of junior priests and aids of a temple, the full explanations to the 'atoner' were left to Mirage or Tracks.
And given Tracks' just-barely-acceptable levels of open disdain... It was easier for Mirage to just do it himself.
Mirage remained kneeling, patiently waiting despite the pointed stare.
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Date: 2014-02-22 02:09 pm (UTC)He couldn't keep it up for too long anyway, and he'd just come to a decision... Which might not be what Mirage might intend for him to, but if he was here he was here, right? So, optics flickering out, Cliffjumper determindedly and quickly downed the whole bowl in as quick a sweep as he could manage.
Shaking his helm and supressing a shudder as he lowered the bowl, he hoped he wouldn't regret that.
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Date: 2014-02-24 09:00 am (UTC)His tone over the comm was odd - he couldn't tease or be sarcastic at all, not in this situation. It would defeat the purpose of the entire thing; a Priest jabbing verbally at an Atoner during a ceremony?
Never!
Bowing from his kneeling position, Mirage was still able to give Cliffjumper a faint smile before retrieving the bowl. Tipping the bowl all of the way back to both drink the dregs and prove that the bowl was empty, Mirage rose gracefully back up to his feet, returning to the alter.
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Date: 2014-02-24 01:03 pm (UTC)Even if they'd had a perfectly okay conversation in the washracks earlier. And wasn't that a strange thought still? Not something he'd thought he'd end up doing with Mirage.
Of course, it wasn't as if it'd been for any other reason than this.
The smile, faint and brief as it was, startled Cliffjumper out of his thoughts and he dropped his optics. Then, realising what he'd just done, he straightened up again with a grimace and reluctantly followed Mirage leaving.
He wasn't looking forward to to this.
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Date: 2014-02-26 09:11 am (UTC)Turning his golden gaze on Tracks, Mirage continued his recitation, formally offering Tracks the Duty-Honor of assisting the current High Priest. The other noble accepted in all the right places, of course; bowing his helm with the same level of grace.
Thrumming hum dying down, Mirage slid to his feet and climbed up onto the cushioned berth. Tracks followed, pre-cleansed and purified etching tools in hand.
Time to get down to business.
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Date: 2014-02-26 12:00 pm (UTC)Supressing a groan, Cliffjumper shifted just slightly and then froze as Mirage fell quiet and got up on the berth. He ignored the flicker of unease along his circuits, because maybe now that he knew the context, it wouldn't be as bad?
Or wouldn't look as bad, which would hopefully make it better all around, but Cliffjumper had severe doubts about that. Because despite what he knew now, quickly reviewing the scene he'd burst in on didn't look any better.
He ended up staring at the berth and the two occupants with a growing sense of needed-to-move unease, and crossed his arms over his chestplates. It also seemed far too... erm, intimate a thing to have a spectator for, though that was just because of the berth.
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Date: 2014-02-27 09:03 am (UTC)With a nod to his fellow noble, Mirage's optics went half-lit as he resumed his deep, thrumming hum; the monotonous chant served as a focal point, allowing him to withstand the pain of the etching. Tool in hand coming to life with a whine, Tracks began to continue the etching marks without so much as a single glance in Cliffjumper's direction.
The tool drew sparks as it bit through chromomatonanites and the upper layers of plating; Mirage twitched, shoulder-wheels hunching minutely with a quiet engine whine before he abruptly evened out, frame regaining it's former slack. Tracks seemed to have been anticipating it, withdrawing just enough to keep from mussing the lines, before continuing.
It was going to be a long night.
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Date: 2014-02-27 01:44 pm (UTC)Maybe.
He still couldn't understand at all why anyone would want to do this willingly, or why it would be required of the priests, but maybe... Maybe he could sit through this?
On the other hand, it was hard to look at it, because he kept looking for signs of Mirage being uncomfortable. But so far, this seemed less... damning, than what he'd walked in on.
Of course, what he had walked in on had probably been going on for a while, a thought that made an uncomfortable flutter-clench somewhere in his fuel processing.
Maybe if he just concentrated on the humming that was coming from Mirage and was starting to permeat the whole room with its own vibration would help?
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Date: 2014-02-28 10:05 am (UTC)Unfortunately for both Cliffjumper and Mirage, it was quickly apparent that this careful speed wasn't enough to make the process particularly short. The detail was meticulous, and there was a a lot of plating to cover. Only Mirage's mostly-finished arm was wrapped up in just a few minutes, Tracks working his way to the lithe noble's back.
Mirage's humming continued all the while, but the first hitch in the song came when the etching reached spinal struts.
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Date: 2014-02-28 12:00 pm (UTC)Were they really going to cover all of it?
He had to supress the annoyed mutter and settle down again, but the sudden hitch drew his attention away from his thoughts and the song that had been thrumming along underneath them, keeping them afloat.
Optics sharpening on the scene again, Cliffjumper frowned as he first couldn't see anything - and then Mirage shifted again, with another hitch and... yeah, he knew there would be pain.
That was why he'd stopped it originally, especially as it hadn't looked okay.
Now?
He shifted, glancing away. Mirage had agreed to this - it was on his own initiative, if Cliffjumper understood it right.
That didn't make it easier.
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Date: 2014-03-01 12:40 am (UTC)The visual effect was very striking and ornate- but seams were generally the more sensitive of areas. Especially along spinal struts.
Optics shuttering nearly-closed, Mirage's hands curled and uncurled as he fought the urge to twitch and writhe. But the humming continued unbroken, and other than the increase in tension as Tracks worked his way down Mirage's back, the priest stayed in place.
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Date: 2014-03-01 01:36 am (UTC)It was a little hard keeping that in mind though, even with the humming song to distract him. The little twitches and Mirage's flexing hands were like visual bells in the otherwise still room, and Cliffjumper's expression slowly drew up into a grimace.
This wasn't right.
Why was this based of injuring yourself? He was vaguely aware that it was perfectly possible that some people enjoyed deliberately applied pain in certain circumstances, or accepted pain in some circumstances. This was one of those.
That didn't help Cliffjumper though, because pain wasn't right - and it was also uncomfortable because it was hard to tell if those little squirms were from pain or something... else.
Uncomfortable and unhappy, Cliffjumper gritted his teeth and hunched up, cables tightening and his posture growing stiffer by the klik.
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Date: 2014-03-01 11:57 pm (UTC)But he certainly couldn't interrupt his work to do something preemptive. It was against protocol for him to even comm the little glitch.
Well. He couldn't. But he could comm Mirage - even if he was of the opinion that his friend was far too forgiving of the Minibot's lapse in judgement.
A few kliks later, Mirage's optics flickered dimly online, causing a noticeable halt in the low grunting now that a distraction had apparently presented itself. He glanced around in a daze, before settling on Cliffjumper's hunched frame. Warbling song not breaking for a moment, he opened a commline in a mild breech of protocol.
::...Cliffjumper.::
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Date: 2014-03-02 12:43 am (UTC)::... What?:: Cliffjumper was honestly surprised at how sulky and defensive he sounded, but he couldn't help it. Glancing up sideways at Mirage, he noted while the noises had stopped, it was still obvious that he was in pain.
Which, well.
Was understandable considering what was going on, but all he wanted to do was to jump up and yank Tracks away as the source/cause of the pain. He knew it was consensual, that it was 'necessary' - it still didn't help the bubbling unease that seemed to crawl along his circuits.
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Date: 2014-03-02 11:13 am (UTC)Mirage stared up from his position on the berth, dim optics staring from a helm pillowed on his own folded arms. Speaking over comm did nothing to distract the mech from his low song, even as his dazed expression flickered in muted concern.
::You know there is no reason for that.::
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Date: 2014-03-02 06:55 pm (UTC)::Easy for you to say. Just 'cause I know it's okay doesn't mean---:: The comm broke down into strangled static because admitting he didn't feel comfortable about watching someone else having pain inflicted on them, of their own will or not, wasn't what he wanted to do.
The fact that he was hunching up and his field drawn tight enough it buzzed against his own armour and his voice was tense, was probably more than enough clues to the same, embarrassingly enough.
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Date: 2014-03-02 10:43 pm (UTC)::'Easy for me to say'?::
Unwilling to move more than a hand, Mirage flicked his fingers in his own direction, gesturing down at his own prone frame with an incredulously raised optic ridge.
::I am willing and devoted, but it would not be a trial if it were so 'easy'. It is supposed to be difficult.::
He sighed gently, optics shuttering closed with a wheel-twitch as Tracks reached the base of his spine.
::The fact that you are here and even visually enduring said difficulty rather unwillingly is...a pity. But one you have brought upon yourself, my friend.::
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Date: 2014-03-02 11:29 pm (UTC)::It ain't a fraggin' pity watchin' somehow havin' pain inflicted on 'em, no matter how... how willing. That just... it's not---!:: He was surprised at the sudden rush of words, and then they just stopped and Cliffjumper was left with something like a taste of burned ozone in his mouth and engine rumbling jerkily.
(Though the taste was more imagined than not.)
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Date: 2014-03-03 12:55 am (UTC)Careful not to jostle anything past his neck or shoulders, the noble carefully unfurled an arm out from under his chin. Despite the feel of Tracks' stare heavy on his back, Mirage slowly reached out, offering a hand to Cliffjumper.
::...It is still unfortunate that you should have to watch, when it is so obviously distressing to you. But it is very important that you do so.::
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Date: 2014-03-03 11:58 am (UTC)The offered hand had Cliffjumper staring, optics widening and was he trying to make fun of him or something?
::'Cause bein' sorry ain't good enough, huh? And I don't--- need---:: Cliffjumper's sputtering over the comm was disrupted by angry static which belied how the situation was getting to him, and the fact that he was getting angry more at himself for reacting the way he was rather than at Mirage's (sincere or not) offer of...
Support? Slagging comfort?
He didn't fraggin' need anything like it! He needed to be elsewhere, to not have to bother with religion (to be less suspicious and brash) to... Growling, Cliffjumper was aware that he had, embarrassingly enough, shifted in his stance in preparation to get up.
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Date: 2014-03-04 09:55 am (UTC)Mirage didn't retract his hand; if anything, the open-close twitch of finger servos only served to beckon the mech more pointedly.
::Actions are just as important as words, after all.::
His hand turned palm-up pointedly, even as Mirage felt Tracks poke him in the back in silent, panicked question.
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Date: 2014-03-04 12:06 pm (UTC)Not that he had anything against it in theory, but it was far easier when it was being over there and didn't impact him more than the random holiday thing... But he couldn't precisely say, either, that it had been thrust on him, since he'd somehow managed to walk right into Mirage's rituals.'
Twice.
And he didn't fragging need or want Mirage's smelting pity. Not to talk about what Tracks thought, Cliffjumper thought with a dark glare at said mech's back.
He also didn't particularly want to be closer to what was going on, since if he was closer he'd be able to see every single pain-caused twitch more clearly, and probably end up picking up the echoes of the same in Mirage's EM field...
And still, with a growl, Cliffjumper reluctantly got up and walked over, sitting down with his back to the berth and arms crossed, shoulders already tensing.
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