Preposterous

Log Title: Preposterous

Date: March 15 2023

Summary: Blast Off has questions for Swivel now that she's back on Cybertron.

Crescendo District - New Harmonex

When one thinks of a industrial district they think of smog filled-grungy utilitarian kind of place, this, is not that.
The Crescendo District could be more considered the country side, as it is clean and It covers a wide range of land, with most things being widely spaced out between them with natural crystallin plants growing wildly, the New Harmonexian crystals also grow more wildly here, in less refined shapes.
A Solar Powerplant for the city is found here, as well as multiple filming studios, factories with their own warehouses nearby, docking bays for cargo ships.
Guilds Houses are located through out the area, where groups of bots live, specially teach, and do business in private within.
OOC NOTE: This may have happened a day or two later than the RL date it was played and posted.  Unsure.

(Radio) Swivel sends Blast Off a radio transmission, "Good cycle sir. I won't be needin' your help after all. In fact, I am back on Cybertron."

(Radio) Blast Off sends Swivel a radio transmission, "Most excellent! So, so sorry you had to *endure* that mudball. But now you're back in civilization!"

(Radio) Swivel sends Blast Off a radio transmission, "That I am! And sorry again for all of the... uh... misunderstandings with Ringtone and all."

(Radio) Blast Off sends Swivel a radio transmission, '*sighs* ....Yes, well... Yes.'

(Radio) Swivel tsends Blast Off a radio transmission, "If you happen ter be in the area of New Harmonex, perhaps we kin meet up?"

(Radio) Blast Off sends Swivel a radio transmission, '....I'll be right there.'

A park in an industrial area might be novel, but New Harmonex is itself a novelty of sorts. Swivel is sitting on a bench, wedged between two irregularly shaped crystals, swinging her legs. It's a nice little area, not too busy, and not too open due to a thick growth of crystals in the area that were left to sprawl on their own.

Soon, there's the familiar roar of shuttle engines as a certain brown Combaticon spacecraft comes soaring down from the sky, transforming and effortlessly striding down the street and through the crystals straight towards Swivel. The much larger mech eventually slows to a stop before standing in front of Swivel and crossing his arms as he stares down at her, apparently sizing her up after her big adventure. "Welcome back." His voice carries little inflection, besides the customary snootiness.

Blast Off does not necesarily have a stealthy approach, so Swivel heard him coming long before he came into view. But the time he reached her and was staring down at her, she had ceased her leg swinging, and clasped her hands together to set them primly upon her lap. Elbows back, back straight. Yes. Proper lady-like form. She looks up and him, bowing her head and smiling. "Thank you sir." Swivel glances to a larger bench perpendicular to her own dainty seat.

Blast Off continues to stare down at Swivel a moment longer before glancing to the bench and following through by steating himself there. The shuttle then sits and *looks* at her some more, arms crossed again. "You're welcome." He sits straight himself, mirroring Swivel's prim look, though there's something expectant in the way he continues to just stare at her. He glances around them as if searching for unwanted company, then resumes focusing on her. "....What happened?" As he asks, he starts almost subconsciously leaning towards her, his massive frame shadowing hers easily.

Seeing that expectant look, Swivel just smiles and looks expectantly back at him. Two can play this game, and Swivel likes games! Eventually he finally asks her, and she leans back very so slightly, hands unclasping and instead each occupying one of her knee joints. "Ah. I followed Starlock ter Earth because I was concerned about her. She went to Earth to help Ringtone. Ringtone went to Earth because of a report of someone he cares about goin' missin' from there. Then I got in over my head in some things. And now, I am home."

"Mmhmm." Blast Off looks unimpressed, but then again, he usually does. He continues eying Swivel. "...." The shuttleformer leans in some more, almost looming over the poor femme. "And these 'some things' are the things to do with Autobots that you won't tell me about?" LOOOOM.

GAME: Swivel FAILS a COURAGE roll of Above Average difficulty.

Swivel had imagined he might loom. She tried to prepare herself for it. She ha envisioned herself sitting calm and unflappable as he loomed his loomiest. That image flees her now as it's far from the truth. She looks up at him and raises her optic ridges, about to roll back her shoulders, lift her chin, and stare at him back. But upon looking at him, so tall and imposing, she instead shrinks back, yields a small whimper, and looks down at her knees.

"...No... I means Starlock wu'ther only 'Bot there'n was'nae actin' on any sorter 'Bot business I swear..." Swivel fumbles out in a string of squished together words.

There's a slight bit of hesitation as Blast Off takes in her reaction, but his face pinches in and optic ridges furrow even as he leans back just a tiny bit. "Ladies do not *mumble*, Swivel."

Too late. Swivel is flustered and in a confession mood. "An' I swear I dinna say anythin' to Ringtone ta give him the impression was was more'n teacher'n student! He got that on his own an' I dun iffin unnerstand how folk keep comin' ter tha' conclusion 'n Starlock was sayin' you was defendin' me honour an' I put me elbows on the table recently an' dinna iffin practice w'me marbles whoile I was away!" Swivel wails. Swivel only now realizes she was told not to mumble and she lifts her chin, stifling a whimper with a hiccough. "I mean. I did not practice with me marbles, sir," she repeats more slowly as her hands, once again, clasp and set on her lap primly.

Blast Off finds himself leaning back now, blinking, and his arms loosen and jerk back, fold again as he tries to remain stern, then pull back again as Swivel whimpers and hiccups at him. "...." Blink. "Uh." Er. He stares at her, but now his optic ridges are raised and there's a hint of rising panic in his expression. No. NO. No panic, shuttles do not panic. *ahem* "It's...uh."

"I...have more, if you need them?" Pause. "The- the marbles, I mean?"

Swivel looks confused up at Blast Off until he clarifies. She is taken a back, and is a bit slow to responds, but she finally shakes her head. "No. I know where they are," Swivel responds. At least she has slowed down her speech and has returned her focus upon enunciating. She looks down at her lap, then slowly back up at Blast Off. "Sorry."

This has taken some of the wind out of LOOMING BLAST OFF's sails. He shrinks back himself, black hands raised up in front of him, almost in surrender. "No- that's... you're fine. Uh." He swallows. "N-nothing to be sorry about..." *ahem* "Not really." He recovers enough to straighten again, clear his throat, and put on a more flat expression once more. "Just...uh..." Now he's the one mumbling.

As Blast Off begins to falter, Swivel instead is rallying her wits. Sitting still ever so prim, she narrows her optics and lifts her chin. "Gentlemechs don't mumble."

Blast Off stops and *staaaares* a moment. Then he straightens up again, armor plates ruffling in what appears to be indignation, but then there's a slow blink and the armor plates settle once more as he puts HIS hands on his lap and *ahems* again. "...." He glances to the side and then back to Swivel. "Excellent, I was hoping you'd catch that. My lessons are paying off, I see!" Yes, he totally meant to do that! "One can't easily pull the fiberoptic over MY pupil's optics!" YES, HE's SUCH A GREAT TEACHER and this was TOTALLY PLANNED. *ahem*

"Yes, yes, good." He nods to himself, and her, and then continues. "Yes, anyway." Now his focus returns- he's still keen on this, after all. "WHAT was that again? What impressions? Are they talking about what an excellent teacher I am, already? What's this about 'more' and 'defending honor' and all?"

Swivel dons an expression that could only be defined as incredulity at Blast Off's rebound. However, she is more than happy to go along with it as it means she won't be loomed or have any finger wagging at her. She smiles, wiggling a little to inch back in her seat until her tires touch the back of the bench. But then the questions resurface, which stops Swivel. She is silent a moment, and then she brings up a hand, waving it in the air in a manner Blast Off often did when dismissing something.

"Oh, just misunderstandin's loik I said. Ringtone seems to think I'm yer femme, and Starlock, well not sure what exactly she was incineratin', but I think she thinks we're sweet on each other. But I told them they are mistaken and left it at that."

Blast Off sits all prim and proper himself, nodding. "Ah, ye-" Wait, what? He stops, squints at *incinerating* but the previous statement, and then the next, grab his attention even more. "...." Blink. "I'm sorry, what?" Another blink, then a stare down at Swivel. "They think.... /what/?"

"I am startin' to think, sir, that 'what' is yer favourite word," Swivel responds. She then covers her mouth, realizing she is getting a bit sassy. She clears her vents and tried to respond calmly and nonchalantly. "Ringtone thinks we're a couple. But I should tell you, Ringtone jumps to a lot of conclusions. It's one of his many talents. Nonetheless, if he continues to give you trouble, jus' let me know and I will keep tryin' to explain to him what's what. I would appreciate if you did not shoot him. Unless he boits you. Even then you shouldn't shoot him. Maybe throw him off. But I don't think he'll boit you. I hope he won't boit you. Maybe I should get him to promise not to boit you."

"WHAT?!" Blast Off nearly rises out of his seat, optics pale and wide. "WHAT." Another blink, then a frown behind the faceplate. "What is *not* my..." Blink. "...." His gaze shifts away and then he sputters, slicing his hand through the air. "Well, he's obviously *wrong*. I mean, seriously? US? We... Ha ha! HA!" He looks at Swivel, then belts out a nearly hysterical laugh again. "As IF we would... that is *ridiculous*, that's-that's PROPOSTEROUS, a *space shuttle* and a- that's..." He shakes his head as a wing elevon twitches. "Just because I SO KINDLY and GENEROUSLY SHARE my vast KNOWLEDGE with a STREET URCHIN does not MAKE US A COUPLE, that is- that is- Can you BELIEVE that, SWIVEL?!"

He's out of his seat now, pacing back and forth and gesturing around him as he just CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. HE JUST CANNOT. "CAN YOU, Swivel??! The NERVE of some people! HA HA HA!" He's almost giggling hysterically before he controls himself again, ahem, a hand up to where his mouth would be.

Swivel sits back and watches the show as Blast Off unspools. She tilts her head one way, then the other, as he goes through the motions and the gross denial. However, as worked up as he is, she remains quite calm, only wincing once or twice as some of his words. A few times she ventures to laugh with him, despite the obvious insults laid at her feet. A few times, she shakes her head and begins to speak, but doesn't really get a word in as he goes on. By the end of his little demonstration. "Are you done sir? I already said I know it to be a misunderstandin'."

Something in the tone of her voice, or maybe it's the words themselves, causes the shuttle to stop and look at Swivel again, this time tilting his own head as ...well, as *something* registers. What that is might take awhile to sink in, though, as the Combaticon gives her a bit of a blank stare before finally drawing in a deep vent, wing elevon twitching once more. "....Yes. Yes, of course." He *tsks* and sits down again, leaning back but not seeming to be able to get comfortable. Blast Off shifts a bit as he *huffs* and looks around. "Right. Preposterous."

He then perks up and leans forward, hands clasping together. "Oh! Speaking of misunderstandings!...." Lean forward more....He looks at her and.... "I think you meant to say *insinuated* earlier, not *incinerated*. Proper grammar is *important*."

Swivel shifts her weight somewhat, going very quiet and still while Blast Off settles himself. "Yeah... preposterous..." Swivel echoes, although the end of the word ends in a sigh. She supplements that sigh with a small laugh.

And then, even after all that, Blast Off remembers to correct her. Swivel's optics flicker. "Oh. Roight. I meant that. In-sin-u-ate-ed," Swivel repeats in a slow rhythm. "Got it." Swivel looks up at Blast Off for a moment or two, and then down again. "An' no worries. I know I'm just a project - I mean student. Nothin' more," Swivel says, looking back up again.

"Yes, yes," Blast Off nods, settled down once more. He relaxes just a little bit, still sitting fairly straight and tall but shoulders not quite as rigid as a few moments ago. He nods as Swivel corrects herself, "Good." and... nods and... then stops, turning to look at her. "..."

Finally, something seems to flicker across his face as he studies the femme. "...." He shifts in his seat again, finding a new, comfortable position. "..." But he can't quite seem to get comfortable. "Well..." The shuttle looks off to the side. "That's... a bit of a simplification, perhaps."

Swivel brings up her hands, palms out. "Simple is just foin for me, fer the toim being. And I enjoy being your student," Swivel says in earnest. She places her hands back down on her lap.

Blast Off's gaze shifts back to Swivel. ".....Right." He draws in a vent of air and nods slowly. "..." The shuttle seems to be thinking things over before he rubs at his nose briefly and glances to the side. "I.. I enjoy having you as my student, too."

Swivel nods and smiles, her optic brightening. "See? Simple." Swivel stands up, dusting off her thighs. "I look forward to our next lesson."

"Yes." Blast Off seems rather quiet now, but as Swivel stands up, his own optics brighten and he does, too. "Yes!" Armor plates ruffle and settle again, and he mirrors her own action, dusting off non-existent dust on his own plates. "I do, as well." His cultured voice sounds a bit richer, warmer than usual- for a moment. Then he clasps his hands behind his back, tone shifting back to a controlled neutral. "...Take your time, though, no hurry. I'm sure you need a rest. Unlike me, most non-space alts require a bit of acclimation time after space travel before they feel ...quite right, again. ...Take care of yourself, then we shall resume, yes?"

Swivel rolls her shoulders back and looks up at Blast Off, catching that glimpse of warmth. But she doesn't let on she's detected it, nodding with equal neutrality. "Alroight. Although I won't need much rest. I seldom do. I'll contact you tomorrow and we can figure out a schedule."

Thank goodness, Blast Off would hate for anyone to detect-I mean MISTAKE WARMTH and SOFTNESS from HIM, a cold and MIGHTY COMBATICON WARRIOR! Whew. He nods, looking just a touch impressed. But not TOO much. "Very well. I look forward to it." With that, the shuttle turns and rockets off again.