| abstract
| - Depth is in one of his weird sort of moods as he walks around the buffer zone of Cubicron. He's not in robot form at all, not even in vehicle mode. The selection of form for the cycle is a masculine version of the form that Chimera goes around as... though his spikes are more prominent, coloration though is the same, that deep burgundy for the torso, head white, legs muscular silver. Yeah, just prowling down here with a little switch of the tail. Chimera was now making her way to the outer rim of the buffer zone, wanting to get out of there fast and return to one of her many little bases in the wild. Travel became faster as she switched to beast mode behind a tent, running swiftly as she weaved through tents, houses, over and under debris, and such. She would've been close to the zone limits if she hadn't crashed straight into a large something once she turned a sharp corner. "Erf, what where you're goi-..." She hisses angrily, though it's cut short as she's brought face to face with a creature similar to her, only mech. "Uhh..." Depth blinks as he's run into by the very femme he is emulating. His tooth filled maw grins, "Hey there." he purrs, tail stilling behind him. He's a good bit bigger than her all right, and bulkier too. Chimera is still in shock as she stares at him, though his greeting pulls her back, those long ears perking forward as optics narrow. "That voice... So it's you. That mech who jumped on my back in the jungle... How the slag do you have that form?" Tail is still as needled mane prickles slightly, her massive claws flexing upon the ground. Depth purrs softly, "Mmm yes, it's me. Just one of my talents." settling on his haunches. A soft chuckle to her mane shifting in agitation. "Wanted to feel what it was like to be you. No harm done, right?" Chimera huffs softly through a brief growl. "Hmf, I suppose not. Just don't go parading around as me in the cities. Last thing I need is headhunters after me." She rolls her optics before shifting herself into robot mode, a hip jutting out on side with a hand upon it as she put weight on one leg. Depth hms to that point and nods, his form shifting before you and reforming into a mech version of your robot form. Except of course he has no mouth and his optics are yellow. "Right, that'd not be cool." he agrees. "Tch. That's pretty annoying, yah know." Chimera raises a brow at the mech mimicking her form, but staying the opposite gender. With swaying hips she walks towards him, all up and personal as a claw delicately taps his chest, "Come now, I hope you're not teasing me. That's usually my job." Chimera smirks daintily, though the slight gleam off her sharp teeth showed she was well versed in that art. Depth purrs softly then chuckles, "Oh I know. Got to stay amused somehow." he remarks, not minding she gets close. "Me? Tease? Now what makes you say that hm? Not like I'm all rubbing up on you." he points out. "Mmn, true. But I wouldn't be surprised if you were, according to your remarks from before." She shrugs, pacing her way around him as tail sways idly. "So. I noticed you don't have an emblem. Neutral, I presume?" Depth's tail switches a little behind him, arms crossing over his back, "Yep. I don't need to be part of this civil war unless someone asks me or makes me." Chimera finally comes around to his front, leaning close as she gives a few audible sniffs. "Hmm... Odd smell about you. Not from around here, though I figured that. And you've got a lady friend." She leans back to her normal position and smirks, "Figures. Usually mechs are swooning right now, at least until I kill them." Depth peers at you then nods, "Yes, and yes." he replies, "And I don't swoon easy, girl." Chimera smirks and taps her chin idly, "Shame, though you don't look very appetizing. So both you and that little mech get a pass." Depth chuckles to that, "Oh shucks, here I thought I'd get all gnawed on for curiosity sake." he murmurs, then shifts into his normal robot form. "So, girl, what's up with the form eh? Why the wild girl look?" Chimera crosses her arms defensively, leaning back a bit to rest on a tent pole. "It's just what I chose. It suits my needs. Easier to travel through the wilds as an animal than a car that shouldn't be there. And you? What's with the shifting?" Depth hms and replies, "Cuz I can and cuz I wanna. That and I can play head games with a form if I wanted to, which can be amusing in its own merits." then he pauses, "As for you, sweetness, that's all well and good. But still, won't be long before someone sees some possibilities for recruiting you." "Tch. I wouldn't join a faction for all the energon on the planet. I like staying in my own little niche. They'd have to fight me if they tried to force recruitment on me." Chimera looks at him sternly, an intensity burning behind those jade optics, the fire of a free will. She'd never allow herself to be caged up, whether in a prison or in a base. Depth rolls his shoulders a bit, then flexes his arm muscles slightly. "Might just get your wish, girl. Megatron is just the type to beat a femme into submission." he points out. "It's his way, or the slag pit." Chimera let a rather serine smile light her face, "I guess it's the slag pit then. Though I doubt that'd happen anytime soon... unless you know something I don't." Her gaze turns scrupulous, eyeing him curiously. You say, "I know a lot, girl. But avoiding death, when its staring you in the face, that takes a lotta power and the right connection." he remarks, "Be as that may, I rather not invoke either if I can help it." Chimera nods to his words, though she can't help glancing around at their surroundings, giving a soft hmmm in thought. "...If Megatron is on the hunt for recruits, then I'll have to stop coming here for a while. Try and make my range shorter so I'll be harder to find." Depth nods, "That's a good idea. Stay where they won't go and you'll be fine. As for the Autobots, hard to say if they'd try to fight you to recruit you." he notes, another shrug of his shoulders. "Ain't I keeping you from a hunt or sumthing?" Chimera shakes her head, smirking lightly, "Nah. I ate my fill a little further back. Empties aren't the best food source, but there were enough. Why? Am I keeping YOU from something?" She tilts her head curiously. Depth looks past you towards Cubicron. "Actually was headed into town, earn some creds off the locals while the getting is good." he replies. "Well, good luck to you, sweetness. Dunno if you'll see me much after this, but I'll likely be seeing you. Just, uhm... tell that little mech I'll see him around sometime, yeah?" Chimera stands upright, giving Depth a pat on the shoulder in goodbye as she walks past him and back out to the wilds. Depth chuckles, "I will." he replies after her, then stalks toward Cubicron for a drink and some form of cred taking. Depth walks in through the door of the El Sleazo, a chorus of greetings meeting him, "Depth!" mostly from the ladies. Naturally. "Heh, hello you naughty mechs and mechettes." he waves as he moves over to the bar. "Give me another..." droned Swivel's tired voice as she sat at the bar. Her empty glass was promptly seized and refilled with a faintly glowing beverage, and Swivel just waited quietly, tapping her fingers idly on the bar counter until it was put in front of her. Swivel dips her finger in then licks it, before taking a sip of the drink. There is neither someone to her left nor her right. At the sound of the chorus of 'Depth' Swivel straightens up a little and cranes her neck to look around, her optics focusing on Depth for a moment or two. She gives a small wave before turning back to her drink to perform a neat disappearing trick - one where the liquid is drained very quickly down her throat in mere seconds. Depth waves back to Swivel, then puts a cred down for his drink, "Blue Buster." then he blinks over at the speed that the femme's drink goes down. "Woah. Bad day or sumthing there sweetness?" he asks. Swivel looks as though she were to slam the drink down, but moments before the sturdy base of the glass hits the hard counter, her hand jerks to a stop, then gently places the glass down without barely a noticeable 'tink'. She glances over to Depth as he orders his signature drink. "Bad? Well... it was bad for a lot of the empties out in the buffer... but not so horrible for me." She gives a little shrug and glances at her empty glass, as if contemplating whether to get another. Depth inclines his head to that, "Yeah saw that on the way in." he replies, then takes his drink. He moves over to a stool next to her, "You look like you need to talk about it. I'm listening." he offers. Swivel glances over at Depth for a good long while before she shakes her head and turns her attentions towards the bartender, raising her hand for his attention, and ordering another drink. Once she has it in her hands, she stares down at it a moment or two before smiling a little. "Always nice to have someone listen, but there isn't much that I really should say." She takes a sip, then sets the glass down, taking it slower with this one. "But I might as well reward your curiosity and eagerness to listen with something." She finally glances over to Depth again. "I guess I am more over tired than anything though... I had an exhausting conversation, and then the arrival of an Autobot at the wrong time just sort of caused a needless amount of carnage. I know, carnage can't be avoided during wartimes... but the losses weren't even factionals." She gives a little shrug. Depth sips at his drink, taking several of them in a row, then holding his mug in front of him. He nods to what you have to say, attention focused solely upon you with an odd amount of intensity. "Ah I see." he comments, gesturing vaguely with his free hand. "Such is the way of things. But I think it bothers you more than you are letting on, Bubbles." Swivel takes another sip of her drink and tilts her head to the side. "Well... I am bothered. That's natural," she says. She drums her fingers on the counter for a moment before she looks back over to Depth, her purple optics their usual wondrous width. "People got hurt because of recklessness. They died for no reason. And I was put in a situation where showing associations to either party present would have not gone well. However, I think I made the right judgment call of being vague and taking little to no action." Depth reaches over, setting his free hand on your shoulder near the neck, "It's okay to be bothered by it. Got every right to be. You were right to keep it vague. Cover your own aft plate, that's my motto." he rubs his fingers against the metal of the shoulder, "As for the empties, they live a miserable life." Swivel glances at the hand on her shoulder, idly remembering the startlement she received from that strange creature-femme putting her hands on her shoulders earlier. It was... strange. She then looks up the arm back to Depth again. "Well, true... perhaps they are better off disabled. Life isn't hard, and sometimes mercy comes in strange ways." She goes quiet as she reflects upon this for a moment or two. Depth nods, "Exactly." he agrees, then retrieves his hand from your shoulder before you think he's getting touchy-feel fresh with you. "Sometimes death is better than that sort of existence." Swivel smiles. She was satiated on that score, but then, it was a conclusion she had come to before in her time. She takes another sip from her drink. "At any rate, even if I am bothered by things, as I had already told you, I do not let them bother me long, because there is too much to be positive about." Depth sips on his drink, studying you curiously, then a nod given, "Good for your Bubbles." he murmurs, "Glad to hear it." he turns to face the room now, taking another sip of his drink. Swivel stares down at her drink for a moment or two, holding it in both of her hands. She then takes another sip. "Well... I don't want to be callous by being cheerful so shortly after bad things happening, though... it's sometimes hard to know when it is appropriate to pick yourself up again by." Depth ahs. "Yeah that's a tricky thing to figure out. Just do the best you can, you are ready when you are ready." he states, another sip of his drink, then he considers, "So do you just.. drink.. when you are here?" Swivel blinks her optics seemingly confused by Depth's question. She tilts her head to the side for a moment or two. "Um...." she glances around and then back at Depth. "Yes?" Depth hrms thoughtfully, "You don't.. talk with anyone...? Maybe play a game of darts or something?" he furthers. Swivel laughs. "Oh yeah, I come here to be social, of course! And sometimes I come here looking for jobs, as you hear people's woes and needs quite frequently here... ha ha ha... so tangled up in more complicated thoughts I couldn't even respond to a simple question. How dense of me." Depth cocks his head at the sudden change in mood, peering at you suspiciously. "Right." he states, then sips on his drink again, pondering this carefully. Swivel lets her laughter die down. Dense, indeed. She quickly pushes certain congesting thoughts aside and observes Depth. Although he entered with his usual bravado, she felt something off about him. Of course, he might have just been in his sympathetic listener mode and therefore not going to be too cheerful... but... no, she was being analyzed. She doesn't let her smile falter as she brings her glass to her lips to take another drink, draining the last of it. She sets the glass down. "Here to learn more, or just bored?" Depth is always observing, learning, adapting. It’s the only way to survive on a world where you just don't belong. He hmms softly, optics flicking toward your optics, "Both." he replies gruffly, leaning forward a bit as he takes another sip of his drink. Swivel sets her glass aside, certain that she oughtn't take another one. She really had no intention of getting overbearably drunk. She 'hmmmmms' and cocks her head to the other side, observing him right back. She then straightens out. "Well... tell me about your cycle." Depth leans even closer, just seeing how where her personal bubble is when it comes to distance. His mug set on the bar next to him as he hmms softly, "My cycle was.. interesting. I rode on the back of a beast and loved it." Swivel allows her optics to light up, seeming completely unabashed by Depth leaning in closer. She smiles, "A beast you say? That sounds like a lot of fun. I saw a beastly femme today... she took out some of those empties just outside of town, and then tore them open and ate their insides. I guess that's how she gets her energy... so... it's not really that horrible. She's just surviving like anything else on this planet." Depth nods his head, closer now, you may just feel the warmth given off by his armor he's just that close. "Yeah, that's her." he replies, "Freaked her out on the way in here, took on her form except I was a mech." A chuckle escaping him, then a purred murmur, "Making you nervous yet?" Swivel's dart about Depth as he moves in closer, but she allows for her optics to return to his face, keeping polite optic contact. She places her hands in her lap and doesn't pull away. "I did not catch her name or if she had one to be honest. She seemed more interested in Goa than in me, so I came here for a drink, or two, or three," she responds. Her optics flicker. "As for being nervous... should I be?" Depth is standing by now, legs against your legs, looking down at you with intense yellow optics. Oh yeah totally doing it to mess with you. He moves a hand up to stroke a finger along a exhaust pipe behind your head, his face shifting slightly to the side. You can practically feel the vibration of his gruff tone against your lips. "Calls herself Chimera. And yes, you should." Swivel would be going cross-eye if she were an organic, but as it is, her optics focus with clarity despite Depth being so close to her face. The fact that he has stroked her tailpipe does not escape her notice. It didn't the first time he did either either on one of their previous meetings, but she seems to remain calm and collected, neither inviting nor evading. "Chimera," Swivel repeats, as if trying the name out. However she goes quiet for a moment, and for the first time move herself a little bit away from Depth, but she smiles a little. "Depth... I never thought I'd say this, but I'm not really in the mood for games, especially ones like this." Depth is on his stool so quick you may not catch his movement. He picks up his mug, murmuring over the lip of it, "Was fun while it lasted." he muses, not seeming bothered by the fact you just drew a line in the proverbial sand that he wasn't about to cross. Swivel watches as the mech hurriedly backs off, shaking her head a little, still smiling. She goes to grab her glass, only to see it gone. She then remembers that she had finished it, and never ordered one to replace it. She just shrugs and turns her attention back to Depth. "Maybe some other cycle, but right now my 'toy with Swivel's mind' quota has been filled." Depth belches softly, then inclines his head, "All right." he murmurs, "Feel free to mess with me back." is offered, then he looks back to the room at large, observing the goings on casually. Swivel laughs a little, shaking her head. "Aaaaaah.... ha ha ha, no, I couldn't do that. I'm not clever enough really to play with people's heads. Although..." her voice drops to a much lower level, "...I should have picked something up by now from him." Depth nods his head, "Okay then, just putting it out there." he replies, shrugging his shoulders which flexes his arm muscles subtly. "Picked what up from whom?" Swivel blinks her optics making a soft "hm?" as if she was temporarily unaware that she said that out loud. Then she glances about the room and then back at Depth. "Um. Just picked up how to toy with people's minds. I've had people play my gullibility like a deck of cards." Depth hehs, "Seriously?" he asks, hardly believing miss bubbly would have the core to do so. Swivel shrugs her shoulders. "I don't like deceiving people. But sometimes you need an edge in this world, and I'd rather be a clever person, talking my way around, than a fighter. And... sometimes messing with people's minds can save your aft. When you become unpredictable and in control because of it..." she trails off thoughtfully. She then quickly ends her pause. "Naw, I guess I just wish I was clever enough to toy back when people are trying to manipulate me." Depth ahhhs, then a sip of his drink, pondering this carefully. Finally saying, "If you gotta to survive, then you gotta Bubbles. Nothing wrong with a little lie if it doesn't harm anyone. Better if you don't have to explain why you lied later." then a nod, "Eh, you'll get there. I got eons on you." Swivel lets out a small sigh, and laughs a little bit. It's a very quiet, weak, and short lived laugh. "I'm not good at bluffing. I can withhold information, but not tell lies. Well, not convincingly enough, at any rate." She looks up at Depth. "Why do you find it fun to mess with people?" Depth states matter of factly, "Exposes weaknesses. Gives you an idea of what will trigger a strong emotion. Knowledge is the ultimate power Bubbles." another sip of his drink, then another loud belch. Swivel reaches up and rubs the back of her neck, her fingers running over the tail pipe that runs up her back. "Hmmm.... but... sometimes it's best to leave people's emotions alone, don't you think? I mean, it can backfire... a lot. I know. I've pushed buttons before, and ended up whipping someone into a murderous fury. And furthermore, were you really just having fun earlier, or were you searching for my weaknesses? Because it doesn't take a lot of searching to find mine at all... I'm so very transparent." Depth gets soberly serious on you, tone indicating such by its very tone and timbre. "If you don't mess with emotions, then you don't know where you stand with someone. Better to know someone hates you right off in my book. As for backfiring, I'm not worried about some murderous type. I can take the punishment." a pause, then continuing, "As to that question, it was a test to see if I you had a line you would draw, you drew it. That was enough for me." he almost seems to smile with his optics. "Yeah, you are." he agrees. Swivel tilts her head to the side, nodding slowly, as she thinks about what he says. "Yeah...." she says quieter, then again slightly more loudly, "Yeah. It helps a lot to know where you stand and what people feel about you. But... but aren't there people that sometimes you are a little bit afraid to know how they truly feel about you... or other important things?" Depth considers, then shrugs, a sip of his drink taken first. "I live my life without fear or reservations, Bubbles. If someone hates me, like Megatron for example, then they do. Nothing I can do to alter it. Folks make up their minds and usually it's not worth the effort to change it." then he raises a hand to rub at the vents in his cheek. "I suppose you hate me?" Swivel blinks her optics a few times and she screws up her face with an incredulous smile. "You suppose? Where on Cybertron would you even get a notion like that!" Depth sniffs softly, "Guessing." he offers, "Educated.. guessing." Swivel barks out with laughter. It takes her quite a while to wind down before she shakes her head, letting out air through her ventilation slowly, lest she seize up with another heave of laughter. "Well your education is a poor one. I really do not see how you could think that I hate you. I just don't see it." Depth chuckles, "Could make you hate me, not hard." he challenges softly. His drink is finished now, hands moving to settle against his groin as he leans back on the bar. Swivel smiles with bemusement. "I don't get why you would want to make me hate you. Well, I guess of all the people to hate you, I'd be one of the least threatening." She observes him for a quiet moment, her smile shifting to a smirk. "Is this some sort of reverse psychology? You trying to press me to say something like "Oh I feel quite the opposite" or anything along those lines?" Depth hmms softly, then shakes his head, "Eh, you already said no games. Just stating the fact that I could if I wanted to do so. Though having a friend would be better than an enemy, even if she's about the least threatening femme around." he replies. Swivel raises her optic ridges for a moment or two. "I think it would be harder to make me hate you than you think, but please do not think of that as a challenge and try to prove me wrong. Just trust me on that note. I have no need for additional enemies right now while I am in such a precarious position." Depth shifts his legs apart, fingers idly drumming upon his groin, h nods toward you. "And what position is that Bubbles?" he asks oh so casually. Swivel frowns a little bit. "Well... to be honest, I might be in a bit of trouble after my last delivery job. Shortly after I dropped the goods off, I got fired upon by someone... naturally I just dove for cover to wait it out, but things turned to my favor when someone came and scared 'em off." She gives a little shrug. "I hope I didn't do something that will make me enemies I am not even aware of." Depth peers at you quietly, then says, "Uh huh. So they fired you, so what? It happens. Not like they'll come looking to kill your or punish you right?" Swivel laughs and shakes her head. "No, I don't think people are out to get me. It's just that it was Psykeout who scared off the mech, and that puts me in a sticky situation because of his reputation." Depth hrms, "What reputation would that be exactly and how does it put you in sticky?" he seems to almost leer at that word. Swivel shakes her head. "Ah ha ha ha... well, you'll have to use your skills of investigating and learn that out on your own. Far be it from me to spread rumors or gossip. However, any equation with Psykeout and I always ends.... strangely." Depth hmphs softly at that, "You presume I got any such skills, Bubbles." he intones, then sits up while sliding his hands down his thighs. "Strangely good, bad, or really kinky?" Swivel tilts her head to the side. "Kinky? Yes, I guess you could say there are a lot of kinks," Swivel says, completely missing the euphemism used just there. Depth peers hard at you, then shakes his head, "Tying you up, putting something in your mouth to shut you up, putting stuff on your armor.. kinky..." Swivel brings a hand up and taps her chin. "I'm not sure I should discuss what he's done to me... although half of the bar probably already heard I'm one of his old experiments..." she trails off, her optics flashing as she slips back into her memories. Depth studies you quietly, studying you even more intently than ever before. "Experiments." he murmurs, a little shiver passing through his body. "Don't like the sound of how you said that." Swivel is quiet for a moment, and though her optics emit a dim glow, it's almost as if she flicked the signals from them off to study something only she could see and hear. After a moment her optics increase in intensity for a moment and she refocuses upon Depth. "Yes. Experiments. But I shouldn't discuss the nature of them publicly. Scientists hate it when you discuss things they worked on without their permission." Depth nods his head, slipping off his stool. He stands nearby, hand offered to you, "Can talk about it in private, but only if you want to do so Bubbles. I have the benefit of eons of experience and may be able to offer insight." Swivel curls in her lips and thinks about the offer for a long moment. "Hmmmm.... it might... it might be good to talk to someone. I never could. It didn't seem right to..." she glances down at her hands for a moment or two. "However, I don't think that he'd appreciate me talking about those things. They're his business, not yours." Depth changes his form, becoming the exact likeness of Psykeout. "It's mine now." he murmurs, his voice also an exact copy. Hand still extended. "C'mon. Since when is there confidentiality when it comes to experiments?" Swivel flares her optics with a look of sharp disapproval. "Looking like him isn't becoming him, Depth," Swivel says. She sighs and then smiles. "But at least you're trying to be helpful. I get that... but please do not turn into him... it doesn't change the fact that unless the real Psykeout says it's alright for me to do so, I won't talk about it. I mean, he never said I couldn't but I just feel like I shouldn't. For all I know he truly doesn't care..." Depth shifts back into himself again, lowering his hand to his side. "He has you just where he wants you." stated with firm conviction. Swivel turns to the bar, leaning forward and putting her elbows on it. She then cradles her chin in the palms of her hands, her fingers curling around her cheeks. "Oh I know he has me right where he wants me. He always does. It's much easier for me to stay there, though. I'm not a proud femme, so it doesn't upset me to be bested by others." Depth's optics actually frown. "Then anything I say is a mute point." he says, "I wish you the best Bubbles, but to be frakking honest with you, I won't be surprised to find your corpse somewhere.. sometime.." Swivel smiles and lets out a laugh, not seeming at all bothered by Depth's comments. "I wouldn't be surprised, either. But would you be sorry for it... or have you no feelings to spare on foolish young femmes? There's a reason all I have to combat the world with is a smile." Depth replies honestly, "I would be sorry, yes." no pause at all to his reply, "There is nothing to be joyful about when someone dies." Swivel shakes her head. "Well that's good of you. Some people stop caring about how many people die before their time." She straightens up and stretches. "I'm just going to continue to scrape by in life, fulfill my immediate needs, and smile... even if it kills me to survive." Depth nods slowly, "All right, you do that Bubbles." he pauses, "So, where do you bunk up .. just any old place?" Swivel nods her head. "Oh yeah, I rest wherever I feel safe enough to do so. Even if I don't feel terribly safe, it doesn't matter because I need to recharge. So far my luck has been fairly solid." Depth hms and says, "I see. Well sweetness, it is time for this old mech to get a bit of a rest so I need to find a nice little hole to melt into... you take care okay?" Swivel nods her head, waving to Depth. "Yes, take care, Mr. Slooshy. I'm sure we'll meet again before my untimely yet imminent demise." Depth nods, "I'm betting on it. Odds are 50 to 1." then he head on out the door.
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