| abstract | - Nova Black walks into the Tina and takes a seat in one of the alcoves. waiting for Slipstream. She'd usually just sit at the bar, but what she wants to talk about now isn't something she wants the entire army hearing about until it's officially announced. She glares at a waiter nearby until, whether out of irritation or nervousness or just because he's no longer busy, he wanders over and takes her order for a drink. What's about to happen is good rather than bad, but she still figures she might need it. Slipstream arrives some moments after Nova has sat down and recieved her drink. She spots the femme and walks over to join her in the alcove, she settles opposite her and smiles. "Good cycle Nova." she offers. Nova Black's wings twitch with nervous excitement as her friend sits down opposite her. She nods to Slipstream and then takes a sip of her drink. "Good cycle, Slippy. *Better* cycle, without Skywarp on our six." She grins. "But I guess in a funny way, he's right. I do owe you an answer." Slipstream waves down a waiter and then nods toward Nova. "I rather enjoyed watching that slagger squirm." she notes with a smile, then gestures. "So you thought about things?" Nova Black smiles back, her optics glinting in the dim light. "I did. I -- I'd be crazy to say no, Slipstream." Her wings click again. "I don't -- I still don't know what to expect. I'm used to thinking of you as my buddy and nothing else. But you've been here longer than I have. And -- and you have a place here, and you're offering one to me. For real." She shakes her head. "Never thought I'd get that here in Polyhex without a hell of a fight." Slipstream is quiet for a short while, watching how Nova sits, the movement of her wings, what she has to say. She then tells her, "To be honest with you Nova, I'm not sure what to expect either. Being part of a trine is something that comes about usually with others of the same frame type as yourself. Typically very early in one's development as well." a a pause and a smirk know, "Would explain how Skywarp got to be trined up with Starscream and Thundercracker." she pauses again to order her drink. Nova Black snickers. "Heh, yeah. And out there... not a lot of us had that. Production was the big thing. I don't even know how many of us were built in that batch." She takes a sip of her drink. "I barely knew 'em, so I didn't miss not being in a trine with any of 'em. After all, you can't miss what you never had." But as she says it, her wings droop, in contrast to her flippant statement. Slipstream nods a bit to that, "I lost touch with my build sisters too. So even if we could have made a trine, the seperation would have not been good for any of us." she notes sagely, then takes the drink the waiter brings. "Luckily we have time to get to know each other better, so there's no rush to forming the trine officially." Nova Black nods. "Sounds like fun." Her wings flare out excitedly. "Any idea who our third might be?" Slipstream takes a sip of her drink first before she answers, "Was thinking maybe Echo. But I don't know how weird it would be to have a two femme one mech trine. I suppose Swiftblade is a possibility. You have any thoughts?" Nova Black strokes her chin with a gray hand, considering. "Haven't seen too much of either of them so far. Have you and Stormy done the escort drills with 'em?" Slipstream shakes her head slightly, "Not yet. I haven't seen much of them either to be honest. Hard to really see if things click when you cannot get off shifts that match." she points out. Nova Black nods. "Yeah, bit of a problem there. I'll keep an optic out for 'em. See if I can talk to 'em or spar with 'em a few times if you and Storm can't get hold of them for drills and I happen across 'em. And let you know afterward how things went." Slipstream inclines her head to that, "That's much appreciated Nova. So should I take it that you are considering my question as a possible yes?" she asks. Nova Black shakes her head, chuckling. "That is what I was saying, yes. I'm honored by your offer, and I can't think of any Seeker in this city I'd rather have in my trine than you." She grins. "Besides, those transport bays of Stormy's are nothin' but a waste if they're all empty." Slipstream smiles to that and raises her glass, "Then a toast to that Nova, to being part of a trine that will protect not only a veteran of the cause, but other higher ups as well." Nova Black taps her cube to Slipstream's glass. "Better thing to drink to than most." Her optics flare bright crimson. "And it's an honor to protect them." She sips her drink. Slipstream taps back lightly and takes a sip of her drink as well. She sets the glass down in front of her on the table. "So what do you think of Stormfront?" she asks curiously. Nova Black smirks. "I like him. Seems like... what you see is what you get with that mech. Saves us some processor aches." And some double-crosses, she thinks but doesn't add. Slipstream smiles to that, "I think that was as well. He told me he was very close to trusting me. That's saying a lot coming from a veteran of his stature." she states. Nova Black nods. "That's a hell of a compliment, coming from a mech like him." Her engines rev. "I hope I can also win that trust," she says more softly, "given what must be in my personnel file." She looks up. "If all this happened because you put in a good word for me, Slippy -- Slipstream -- thanks." Slipstream looks thoughtful, then says, "I would think Nova if he had issues with what's in your file that he would have told me to look for another to be in my trine." then a little smile given. "I only told him who I felt would be good in a escort scenario. But you are welcome, none the less." Nova Black twitches her wings. "Only? You've been here forever. And you're no Starscream or Skywarp, makin' trouble because you can. Bet you this cube your recommendation means something. And you gave it for me." She grins. "I owe you big... my friend." Slipstream shifts her wings slightly, then chuckles. "Oh I don't know about being not like them. I was different when I first got here Nova. When I bonded with Goa it changed me." she takes a sip of her drink, then exvents softly. Nova Black chuckles. "You? Like them? I can't imagine it." Slipstream taps the table with her fingers, "Well not exactly like them. But I was a definite makada then. Goa showed me a different side of myself and I rather like her. She's the one mucking up my 'concern for allies' score by the way." Nova Black tilts her head. "Oh?" Slipstream looks toward the other femme, face quite serious. "I probably wouldn't have cared about anyone before Goa. I was selfish and looking out for just myself. Goa opened my optics and for that I thank him." Nova Black nods. "I don't know what it's like to be spark-bonded, Slip. And I don't think I want to. But you know something funny?" She lowers her voice. "When I was out there, in the Settlement I mean -- I was going glitchy." Her optics flicker. "I mean -- I wanted revenge on the 'Cons who drove me off, yeah, and to beat some slaggin' sense into the guys who left me for dead. That's not the weird part. The weird part is I -- I just wanted to be back. The guys that *didn't* try to slag me? I didn't hate 'em for what they did. I hated them because I didn't think they'd ever take me back." Her wings twitch. "Then they did. And -- and I guess the way that felt means I understand." Slipstream inclines her head, "I could try to explain it if that would help you understand it Nova. It certainly isn't something to take as lightly as I did." then she considers the rest of your words while sipping on her drink. Empty glass set on the table she addresses you further, "Not so odd to want to belong Nova and yet have your individuality as well. As for hating them, you learned the error of such misplaced emotions. It resolved itself. You should be proud of yourself for coming back despite of how you felt." Nova Black smiles. "True. But my point is -- I didn't think I cared about anyone. Didn't think I should. But I just kept thinking about the old buddy I used to go on patrol with, and -- and before long I was thinking about the rest of the team and -- then I was riskin' my spark to come back, coming up with a crazy scheme that was as likely to get me slagged for real as reinstated." She chuckles. "Oh, and I think you might like that old friend of mine. Big grounder. Though I don't know that he's looking for a femme." Slipstream listens intently, commenting, "You missed them." She takes the good natured prod in stride, chuckling softly. "They are grounded in more ways than one Nova. We may soar in the skies, but we cannot claim to have a grounding force to us. If not for that bond with Goa, I probably would not have claimed my own grounding." A shift of her wings as she leans forward to settle her lower arms against the table. Nova Black tilts her head. "Okay, you're getting a bit fancy for my processor there. But yeah... I missed 'em. Especially the big guy." Her faceplates twist into a cold grin. "Just had to clear out the one piece of scrap that had started it all, and everything was fine." Slipstream idly traces the lip of her glass with a finger, "Sounds like you were crushing on him Nova." she notes softly, a slight quirk of her wings. "Something about big mechs can be quite attractive.. for their strength, their power.." Nova Black shakes her head. "Heh. Everything's about crushes with you." Her wings twitch. "But, hell, if he *had* asked to grab a drink with me, wouldn't have been much point to saying *no*..." Slipstream smiles a bit to that accusation, "I fell for the first mech that annoyed me to near insanity Nova. Trust me I know few things about crushing." she notes, "I'm going to be more careful about it now, because I know what bonding really means and the level of trust you have to for the one you choose as a bond mate." Nova Black nods. "Good plan." Slipstream nods back, wings shifting back to their normal place on her back. Serious face remaining in place, "Being part of this trine will not be easy Nova. We are undertaking very serious training and even more serious responsibilities. I am glad beyond words that you thought it over. Quite proud of the fact you are willing to take on being part of something that will be very important to the cause." Nova Black's engines rumble as she nods back. "I understand. I like fighting, and trouble just seems to have a lock on me most of the time. But... I didn't get these symbols branded on my wings again just so I could have more excuses to dent up Autobots. I want to be useful to the Empire. I didn't just come back because I was bored. I came back because this is where I belong." Her optics flare brightly. "And you're my friend, Slippy. I won't let you down." Slipstream takes that in and offers back, "And I will endeavor not to let you down as the trine leader, Nova. I will need you to help me see where my faults are so I can work on them. You must be able to be direct about it. Do you think you could handle that?" Nova Black smirks. "Think I could manage it, yeah." Slipstream grins now, "Good." She leans back and stretches her legs out a bit. "I do wonder if Skywarp is bothering Starscream for his answers." Nova Black chuckles. "Probably. He'll hear about it soon enough, though, when everything's made formal and all." Slipstream smirks to that, "That's true. I just hope he doesn't learn too soon. I am rather enjoying making him pay for that little favor he had me do for him." Nova Black twitches her wings in amusement. "He *is* fun to mess with, isn't he?" Slipstream snickers softly, then a firm nod, "Oh yes he certainly is.. and I learned from an annoying mech how best to get under their armor. And I mean figuratively and not literally.. though literally has it's uses." Nova Black snorts. "Yeah, you certainly seemed to have him all riled up the other night." Slipstream's wings wiggle a bit in amusement, "I've not begun to get my slow revenge. He is going to wish he didn't ask me to hit Rogue as his favor." Nova Black's optics widen. "So *that's* why you did that!" Slipstream inclines her head to that, "Did your really think I'd do that normally? She's too much of a makada to bother." a smirk at that. Nova Black snickers. "Oh, she really is. D'you know, she'd been *following me around* since I got here, telling me to prove myself worthy of bein' in Polyhex. I kept my vocalizer mute for a while because I wasn't sure how much trouble rearranging her faceplates would get me into. Then when I finally showed her what I could do, she had the bearings to report that brawl as if I'd gone berserk." She huffs. "You tell a 'Con you wanna see what she can do, what are you expecting? Interpretive dance with lasers aimed at the sky for fancy light effects?" Slipstream cocks her head now at that information, "I wasn't aware of that. She didn't pull that stunt with me when I was new. Maybe she just has something against certain frame types." then a giggle at that last part, "Mm indeed. If she wanted that she should have bothered Firedance and her troupe." Nova Black shrugs. "Think she just wanted to start slag." Her wings twitch. "Gotta say it was fun to give her some dents for that. And to watch you deck her, though I don't think I'll bother thanking Officer Irritant for that." Slipstream hms softly and says, "Well I missed my swing. So I technically still owe that slagger his favor. Not that I'll remind him of that fact though. I do believe you came up with an excellent nickname for him Nova." Nova Black grins. "Use it at will. But I'd best be going now, it's getting late." She looks down. "And my cube is long since empty." Slipstream smiles to Nova, "Good cycle then Nova. Let's do this again sometime soon."
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