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| - September 18, 2011, 11:32 PM (Refectory, Iacon) --- Streetwise is sitting crosslegged on a bench. Across from him was Tiny. And between them, a game of Cyberchess. The youth was staring at the chessboard intently, his chin on his fists as he scowled in concentration. "There's no move!" "Sure there is!" "When did you learn to play anyways? " "I always did. Just never had anyone to play with. You keep thinking. I'ma go get a drink." notes the big mech, turning to dissapear into the crowd. There's a quiet chuckle from somewhere to Streetwise's left. "You were better at that, last I remember." Flashover nudges a minibot out of the way, stopping to lean against the wall near Streetwise. "Haven't seen you in a while, kid. You been doing alright?" Looking up in surprise, Streetwise goes utterly still. He stared at the mech a long moment before faint recognition dawns. He felt like he should know this mech's name but it escaped him "I know you, dont I?... Err, yes, I'm doing fine... well, not really. Thanks?" he lost coherency for a moment, and finally opts for truth as he moves the chessboard over a little bit to make sitting room "I'm worried, but also haven't been feeling well. I've kept it inside though, as I do not want to worry my brothers more." Flashover cocks an optic ridge at the reaction. "Slag, you've changed a fragging lot too, haven't you." He waves his hand dismissively as Streetwise moves the chessboard, instead dropping down to the floor with a thud that rattled the tables nearby. "First Blades goes a little crazy on me, now you actually actin' all polite? My poor processor can't cope with that." He gripes, though there's a hint of a grin on his face. "I bet you a cube of fine hi-" He pauses, wincing a little. "Er, mid-grade energon that your brothers would rather you just tell them." "I was... impolite at one point? " returns Streetwise, sounding faintly surprised. He paused to go through his available memories. Cops and robbers, playing chess... a few arguments. Plus the recent outbursts. He resets the chessboard as peices rattle about, turning to focus on Flashover fully now. Then he chuckles softly, finally breaking a smile "I suppose. I just dont want them to make it out into a bigger deal than it is. They probably know anyways.... Forgive me, but I dont remember your name." "Name's Flashover. Leader of Crystal City's fire suppression team, and Groove's guardian." Flashover answers, shifting forward slightly to keep his rotors from scraping uncomfortably over the floor. "Well, you were still a newspark when I knew you, but yeah, you could be quite the little smart-aft. I helped raise you, actually, though Coruscate did most of the actual raisin'." He considers the remark carefully, tilting his helm. "Well, they'd probably rather you tell 'em then try and hide it if they already know, dontcha think?" "You did!" replies Streetwise, more surprised, but also inside, a little bit happy to find another link to his past, seen more from a thirdhand viewer than from his own optics. Then he pauses "... Perhaps. I'll consider it. I have so much they need to know, that its hard to figure out where to start. Right now, we dont need more worries until we get First Aid Back. " his fingers ran over his fuel tank again before moving away "... Can I ask who built us?" Flashover shrugs, rotors clinking together quietly with the motion. "Sure. Only ones I knew of at least were Metallika, Tranquillion, Smoke Jumper, Adroita, and Emergitron. Might've been more, but I wasn't told about them. Wasn't around for the building, but I was there when you onlined. Well, not in-the-room there, but you hadn't been around for more than a few breems when I met you all." "... I meant mostly about which faction, if any. " remarks Streetwise simply as he looks up/across at the large opter, his eyes trailing towards the visible parts of the flightblades. Those names rang a bell deep inside him, but he could only place a few "And Coruscate too I assume. Where did you fit in? Botsitter? " he asks, glancing across the room to where Tiny still waited in line. He chortled. "Faction? Uh, they were neutrals, far as I know. Liked the Autobots but hadn't picked a side. Lots of talk about 'choices' in that place." Flashover mutters the last part, before shaking his head. "No, Coruscate wasn't an engineer. He was a teacher. Best slagging one there is." He pauses, rotors rattling for a moment before stilling. "...Was. Coruscate and I were together, in the whole raising you thing. Guess you could call us both botsitters, I guess. I was mostly there to keep you from getting into too much trouble." Streetwise's face pulls down as he hears about Coruscate, nodding a little. He then leans forwards to touch Flashover's shoulder gently, before straightening "I'm sorry to hear that. I would've loved to meet Coruscate. Well, meet again I suppose." he admits, correcting himself 'I still dont remember everything really. Its there, but... not quite THERE there. Why did you come here? To visit us?" Flashover gives a quick grin when Streetwise touches his shoulder, forcing the thoughts aside. "He was a good mech. You all liked him, back then. He would've loved to see you all now. Not sure about the memories, sorry kid." He shrugs at the questions, another quiet clanking of rotors following the action. "Groove left. I followed. Mech's gotta have priorities." A slight vent at the word 'kid', but Streetwise withholds his thoughts as he nods again "To keep an eye out? So he had a protector. Were we all supposed to have one?" a pause "Sorry, I'm probably asking all the questions the others asked huh?" "It's alright, kid. Haven't talked to 'Spot yet, and Groove didn't really have many questions. Yeah, you were all supposed to have a guardian." Flashover heaves air out his vents, rubbing the back of his neck and staring down at the floor. "I don't know what the frag happened. One breem the worst thing in my life is dealing with the aftermath of a block burning down, the next I'm chasing down an emergency beacon and hoping to Primus at least one of you survived." "And you found one of us. Well, two. Hot Spot came from Crystal City as well didnt he? " guesses Streetwise with a nod. He lifts one foot and hooks his arm around it "Sorry that it happened. I know its not my fault but I just had to say that. I think we all wish it didnt have to. Even if it was meant to be." Flashover shakes his head again. "No, 'Spot was already in Crystal City. He was the only one supposed to be there. Groove going there was a back-up plan, and I didn't know if the primary one had been compromised. I couldn't find the rest of you." He forces a small smile at the second part. "It's alright kid. Slag happens. This case turned out to be real bad slag, but that ain't your fault." "... Please don't call me 'kid' again." notes Streetwise, his voice working to be respectful, although his irritation was evident "What's the plan now then? We're not going to be split up. Will we choose our own path?" Flashover reaches out and flicks the side of Streetwise's knee. "I raised you, I can call you whatever I want, kid." He answers cheerfully, dropping both hands into his lap. "That was always the plan, as far as I know. I don't even know why you got split up in the first place." Streetwise leans sideways at the swat, but he only smiled, optics brightening "I guess only they know now. All we can do is stay together as long as we can." a pause "I admit until... until Aid went missing, I was... doubtful. I wasn't sure. But when I heard the news, I just felt terrible. I'd never felt like that for anyone before. Its like something opened up, because now I feel like it a lot more." Flashover resists the urge to frown at that, instead patting the same knee he flicked. "At least you know now, kid. That's all that really matters." He says quietly, "It'll work out okay. We'll get him back and... Heh, slag if I know. Never was good at this planning stuff, just followed Coruscate . But the five of you'll be together again." "That is hardly the most reassuring." notes Streetwise dryly, a hand reaching to stop the one on his knee, keeping it there "... But thank you. I know you only want to reassure me. I think its just been a really bad month for me. And it wont get better even after First Aid is brought back. Will you be here for long?" Flashover looks around the room thoughtfully, optics dimming. "...I'll be here long as you kids need me. Don't care if that means leaving next cycle or never." He responds, shifting his hand to grip Streetwise's. "Made a promise, and I slagging well intend to keep it." "Thank you. " notes Streetwise quietly, relaxing a little at that. The unconscious familiarity with the mech made him quite comfortable, and thankful "Thank you, very very much. I'm sure my brothers would feel the same if you haven't seen them already." Flashover chuckles quietly, squeezing Streetwise's hand gently. "Not a problem, kid. Like I said, mech's gotta have priorities. You five are mine now. You or your brothers need anything, you come find me. I don't care what it is." "Anything? That's a dangerous thing to say." remarks Streetwise, slipping a little bit into phrases his adopted father may have said. He releases the hand and straightens up, folding his legs again "When this is all over will you tell us more about our creators and everything? "Anything legal or not horribly illegal, you little smartaft." Flashover amends, chuckling again. "And I'll try, kid. I never got to know any of them that well, but I remember some things you probably wouldn't." He pushes himself to his feet, rolling out the worst kinks in his joints. "I should probably get going." "A good idea. Tiny is making his way back, and no doubt he'll be sour about the wiped game." remarks Streetwise as he stood as well "Filling in my own memories with you will be enough. Be careful, okay?"
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