The Start of Something Interesting...

[lastonepercent]

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...

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[lastonepercent]

Mirage allowed himself the luxury of openly boggling for several moments, before regaining his composure quite professionally.

"Well. I'm actually impressed that you would ask."

Fussing for a moment, he laid his palms on the table, frowning across it directly at Cliffjumper.

"But given your stipulations, I'm not certain I can, you see. As in, if I should."

[cliffjumper]

"What!?" Cliffjumper yelled and snapped out of the chair, gripping at the table's edges. "You can't fraggin' say somethin' like that after you say there ain't any other way to get rid of this or anything else!" Hissing, Cliffjumper grunted and let go of the edge with a disgusted snarl, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Or is there and you ain't tellin' me just 'cause you're trying' to get me to agree to all that... religious stuff? I ain't becomin' a slaggin' priest Mirage!" He really hoped Mirage wasn't doing exactly that.

But maybe that would kill his stupid, foolish crush, so maybe he should hope Mirage was doing exactly that.

Did Mirage somehow think he would make a good priest? The noble couldn't be that delusional.

[lastonepercent]

Ah. There was the expected explosion of temper. About time.

As he had been waiting for it in some form or another, Mirage was able to keep a hold on his own temper, aside from a rather pinched, exasperated expression taking over his faceplates.

"I don't think you really grasp what you are asking of me, Cliffjumper."

He slapped a palm down on the table, preemptively interrupting any further outbursts.

"As I have stated, rites undergone by trainee priests help with this sort of control that you desire. And as you have stated, numerous times, you have no intentions of involving yourself in any sort of priesthood. With good reason."

For once, they were in agreement on one thing. He really did not think Cliffjumper was the priestly type.

"So while I would truly like to assist you, I do not know if I can, in good conscience, teach Holy Rites to a non-priest who has no intentions of using them as intended. Do you understand the conundrum here?"

[cliffjumper]

Probably just as well Mirage interrupted him, because Cliffjumper was grinding his teeth and his engine was snarling in jagged revs. He would have broken out yelling again if Mirage hadn't briefly surprised him with slapping his hand down on the table.

It didn't derail the frustration, but it briefly distracted him.

Growling, Cliffjumper did his very best not to burst out yelling before Mirage was done. Or he thought he was done, anyway. He might have stopped listening and had to do a quick review again and his field spiked out with his growl.

"Great. So we both know that." Optics flashing, Cliffjumper realised he should probably have remained sitting since at least he'd be closer to Mirage's faceplate like that, but he couldn't fragging well sit right now.

"Might be a fraggin' 'conundrum' for you, Mirage, but from where I'M standin' it just looks like your damn priesthood made sure there was no other fraggin' way to get help for an issue anyone might get hit by than by goin' to them!" The snarling grew into a yell, and Cliffjumper whirled around, stomping towards the door as he continued.

"Obviously the rites are actually real, and they mean a lot to people, not just the priesthood, but I don't fraggin' think I oughta have to swear to do somethin' I don't want to, or don't fit me, just 'cause some sludge-spewing, rusty elitist cargohaulers hoarded the only way to get control of this stupid, useless, thing!"

It took two tries for him to unlock the door and Cliffjumper would be sorry he was so angry except he wasn't, really, at all and frag all this. He didn't even bother to give Mirage a last dirty glare, because technically he wasn't mostly angry at Mirage (just a little), but rather at whoever first made sure the way to train to get this ability to see raised spark energy under control was to train as a priest.

The door opened, and Cliffjumper stormed out with enough noise he sounded far heavier and larger than he was.

[lastonepercent]

"That is not why-" Mirage sputtered, ire-risen voice lost under Cliffjumper's own rant.

He'd hoped the minibot would understand something of his own internal conflict - and yet once again, he'd underestimated the little menace!

"You don't understand a damned thing!"

Vocalizer hissing static in indignation, Mirage was left alone in the room, half-risen out of his chair in his fury.

Letting out a roar of frustration, Mirage backhanded his chair aside - knocking it right over and against the wall - and stormed out. He was invisible before he'd gone three steps into the hall, refusing to allow his ire to become the subject of gossip and speculation yet again.

He headed opposite of the direction of Cliffjumper's stomping, determined to avoid the little glitch for as long as possible.