#SO MANY CHOICES U SHOULD COME TALK 2 ME ABOUT THEM MHM YES

[xenovair]

am i thinking of big buff modern sierra as a firefighter ? Yes, perhaps

[kuroopaisen]

the in-between | i (kuroo tetsurou)

➵  it took you and kuroo 24,000 words and 69 pages of pure behemoth far too long to learn that love was never singularly defined. it can be both striking and understated, sudden and unhurried, gentle and all-consuming. and most of all, it can be anything else in-between.

wc: 9k (part 1 of 3)

warnings: f!reader, good old f2l (do i write anything else?), depictions of anxiety & depression, cursing

 a/n: i cannot thank @w-yuren enough for all the love and care she poured into beta-ing this :( i’m honestly so touched you worked through this absolute monstrosity w me (and put up w my incoherence) ren u deserve the world <3 (also @jupiturde erin ilysm thank you for reading this over So Many times you’re incredible!!) 

m. list | ch. 1 ↠ ch. 2 

"I'll help you," Kuroo sighed. "On one condition."

The scant bit of confidence you’d worked up was starting to crumble. You clenched your fists, steeling yourself. At this point, you're willing to do just about anything.

"Manage the volleyball team for a while."

Your face fell. "What, really?"

"Mhm," Kuroo nodded, still slouched over his desk.

"You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

This wasn't quite how you’d expected the situation to go. And quite frankly, you were just upset that you were even in this situation in the first place. But, who wouldn't be?

Begging Kuroo Tetsurou to help you with chemistry wasn’t a situation you’d envisioned yourself ending up in. But, something had to be done about those abysmal exam marks. Your grades in everything else were fine; good, even. Certainly high enough to earn you your spot in Class 5. But that chemistry grade was something to be concerned about. Your homeroom teacher had warned you as much on the very first day of the school year.

And for the handful of weeks since, you’d been driving yourself mad trying to think of a solution. Hard work had only gotten you so far, and none of your friends felt they were competent enough to tutor you. You needed help – desperately.

So there you stood, in front of the desk of a boy you’d never had a proper conversation with before, asking for his help – all while uncomfortably aware that this was cutting into his lunch break.

You hadn’t quite known what to expect from this interaction. You weren't really friends, after all; you’d been vaguely aware of him over this past year and a bit, but knew little, if anything, about him. All you knew was that he was topping the grade when it came to chemistry, and therefore, turning to him in this time of need might help.

You hadn't expected this ultimatum.

"Why?"

It was a genuine question.

"Hm?"

"Why ask me to be your manager?" You asked, tilting your head at him. "I know nothing about volleyball."

"You'll learn."

You frowned. "This is the only way you'll tutor me?"

"It's not the only way," Kuroo shrugged, raising an eyebrow at you. "But it'd certainly bump it up my priority list."

The worst thing was that it didn't even seem like he was trying to be a dick.

Right, you thought. Pros and cons.

Cons: being a manager would eat up a lot of your time. Presumably. Maybe. You didn't have any real idea.

Also, it would mean spending a lot more time around sweaty boys. That sounded kind of gross.

And what time did practice finish? Walking home after sunset was always a little scary. Certainly scary enough to stoke a bit of anxiety.  

More importantly, it sounded like responsibility. Maybe you were overestimating just what being a manager meant, but it sounded like there was plenty of stuff you could mess up.

Pros: it'd look really, really good on your college applications.

Just like a passing chemistry grade would. Which you weren't going to get all on your own.

“It doesn’t have to be for long,” he offered, raising an eyebrow at you. “Just a couple of months. And I’ll be your resource to use as you please.”

You blinked at him, baffled at his choice of phrasing.

“How about you just drop by practice this afternoon?” He suggested, balancing his chin on his fist. “You can get a feel for it.”

You sighed.

“Alright.”

You were willing to do just about anything, after all.

✧ ✧ ✧

Teenage boys, no matter how polite or kind or accommodating, are always scary in packs.

That little revelation came to mind as you pressed yourself meekly against the wall of the gym, watching a gaggle of boys running back and forth, jumping and hitting and shouting. Part of you wanted to melt into the wall, hoping that none of these giants would pay you much attention.  

You’re painfully aware of one of them staring at you; a first-year, judging by his use of honorifics. He’s tallish, but not enough to be scary, with close-cropped hair and grumpy eyebrows. There’s a certain intensity to him – he seemed like the sort of person with too much tenacity for his own good. 

And yet, he seemed terrified of you. Was he the sort of boy who couldn’t talk to girls?

You smiled to yourself. Such dichotomy in one personality, huh?

There was another boy that caught your eye. A quiet one, with chin-length black hair who seemed to want to sink into the ground. He didn’t look like the sort of boy you’d expect to find on a high school sports team. He was a little shorter than everyone else – except for Yaku, who’d greeted you quite amiably when you’d first arrived.  

But Yaku seemed like he wanted to be there. Like he enjoyed it. This kid? He looked like he just wanted to melt into the shadows. He always flinched whenever anyone called out to him. Hell, he seemed to flinch even when someone so much as looked at him. Was he okay? Should you ask if he’s okay? Should you point him out to Kuroo? But Kuroo had already spoken to him a few times…

Well, checking in with people’s well-being would be part of your job as a manager, right? It’d be your duty to make sure that the club members were doing okay. 

But practice was still going. You’d have to put a pin in that thought.  

The third years were frightening, as expected. But, you felt as though your upperclassmen would always be somewhat scary. The captain had traded a handful of words with you – hellos, nice to meet yous, a what are you even doing here – but he hadn’t made any particular point to help you out.

That job was left to the coach, who, thankfully, seemed quite kind. You had said very little to him, but you could tell that he loved his job just from the serene smile that graced his face as he watched his team go at it.  

Practice was over before you knew it. The sun was setting outside the windows, the sky blushing orange. You bit your lip. Maybe you’d be able to get home before it got too dark…

You sighed, turning your gaze back to the gym floor. Maybe you should try talking to one of the boys… Yaku had always been friendly. Maybe he’d tolerate a conversation with you? Oh, what about Kai? He’d been very quiet, but he seemed nice… There was Kuroo, too…

You pressed your lips together, eyes scanning over the gaggle of boys in front of you as your mind ran through the pros and cons all at once.

You frowned. The third years were yapping at that quiet boy; whatever they were saying, it didn’t seem exactly friendly. You froze. Should you do something? Was this normal? Was it a problem? He looked terrified – not that he showed it outright, but it was in his eyes.

Kuroo was standing behind him, saying something to one of the third years. You couldn’t quite hear them, but Kuroo’s expression was… cold. Not confrontational, just unyielding. Whatever he’d said, the third years stalked away.

You watched closely as Kuroo’s expression softened as he looked at the shorter boy. He looked concerned. Were they friends?

“Oi, manager chick!”

You cringed. It’s one of the third years – not the captain, but someone you’d noted had quite the nasty serve.

“Help clean up!”

“Right!” You gave a quick half-bow, your head flicking around almost frantically as you looked for something to do.  

You settled for collecting stray balls, rushing them back to the ball bins. All the while you watched the sky darken beyond the gym windows – and with it, your anxiety began to blossom.

By the time you were picking up your bag to go home, the sky was positively black. You bit your lip as you stared out the gym windows, your eyebrows a little furrowed.

“Hey.”

You looked up, a little startled. Kuroo, forehead slick with sweat and cheeks tinged red from exertion. You resisted the urge to scrunch up your nose. Being this close to a sweaty teenage boy wasn’t high on your priorities list.

“What’d you think?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck with a towel.

You shrugged. “Seems intense.”

“But you don’t hate it, right?” He smiled. It’s hopeful. Almost pitifully so.

You bit the inside of your cheek. In truth, you didn’t. There’s something quite fun about watching them play volleyball up close. They all got so into it. It was always nice, watching people care about something so deeply that enjoyment seeped through every part of their being.

“We’ll see,” you said. “Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow.”

He smiled brightly at that half-promise. Brightly enough that you knew you didn’t want to let him down.

This side of him was already a far cry from that trickster-like figure you’d negotiated with this morning.

“Hey, uh…” He cleared his throat, one hand finding its way to the back of his head. “I was wondering… did you need me to walk you home? I know it’s getting kind of late, so…”

You felt something that’s not quite elation, but certainly a bit more intense than relief. Tokyo’s a safe enough place, yes, but that fact’s never enough to quell the anxiety you’d always felt from walking home in the dark.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” You tried to make your smile look relaxed and natural, but you knew some hint of tension had made its way in there.

“Cool,” Kuroo said, giving you a little nod as his eyes scanned your face. He relaxed his shoulders a bit, slouching down a little. Was he… trying to make himself smaller? “But, uh… where do you live?”

By some miracle, it’s not all that far from his place. You caught the relief on his face, even if he made an effort to hide it. Would he really have walked you all the way to your house, even if it wasn’t in the same area?

He didn’t give you time to think about it, turning around and waving a hand in the air.

“Hey, Kenma!”

Your brows rose instinctively as the shy kid scurried over, head hunched down and hands stuffed into his pockets.

“This is Kenma,” Kuroo smiled, nodding at him. “He’s my next-door neighbour.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” you smiled, tilting your head at him.

“Yeah,” Kenma nodded in a quiet response, not quite able to meet your eyes. You didn’t press it. You offered him your name quickly, a bit like an afterthought, but Kenma gave you a little nod in recognition.

“You guys ready to go?” Kuroo looked between the both of you, tilting his head at the door.

You glanced over at Kenma. He didn’t glance back.

“Yeah,” you nodded, relieved that you wouldn’t have to walk the dark streets on your own.

✉

[YOU] 7:21 PM: hello! Is this kuroo?

[Kuroo] 7:34 PM: you got it

[YOU] 7:36 PM: thank goodness! I just wanted to say, thank you for walking me home today. I was a bit worried about it, but I didn’t want to impose

[Kuroo] 7:38 PM: not a problem. I’m more than happy to do it again tomorrow

[Kuroo] 7:38 PM: since you are coming to practice, right?

[YOU] 7:40 PM: Sure :)

✧ ✧ ✧

Kuroo Tetsurou hadn’t been what you’d expected.

For one thing, he’d actually made good on your deal. You’d half-expected him to bail on tutoring you – though you couldn’t exactly say why. But, you supposed it would be hard for him to dodge the ire of his club manager. Regardless, he dedicated most afternoons to helping you study.

You’d meet up in the library before practice and you’d always start with chemistry. He was actually kind of good at explaining the concepts to you in a way you understood, without all the bells and whistles. He had a way of simplifying the concepts to their bare bones. That’s not to say that it wasn’t difficult; you still felt like you’d been left far, far behind. But, Kuroo was something of a comfort.

Somehow, you’d end up working on other subjects. Apparently, Kuroo’s surprisingly bad at literature. He was doing well enough, but it was something he just couldn’t wrap his head around. Maybe you’d been a bit gung-ho about offering your help, but you were just glad you finally had something to offer in this arrangement. Even though you were still managing the volleyball team, overwhelming as that could be sometimes.

But, you’d made a deal, and the whole manager business was less scary than you’d first thought. And you felt that with time, you’d get the hang of it. Maybe.

More often than not, your study session before practice wasn’t enough time to cover all the content you needed. So, sometimes, you’d continue it after practice, holed up in the library until you got kicked out. Kenma usually stuck with you guys, sitting in the corner with whatever game console he’d brought that day.

And without fail, Kuroo walked you all the way to your house every night. And during those walks, you talked. Rather animatedly.

“What I’m saying is that the divide between the arts and the sciences is arbitrary,” Kuroo shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “When they work together, incredible things happen. Genuine art happens.” He cocked his head at you, that perceptive grin of his spread across his face. “You’d really disagree with me on that?”

“I didn’t say I disagree,” you grinned. “I’m just surprised that you’re not one of those sciencey people who thinks that the arts are worthless.”

He scoffed at that, shaking his head. “Excuse you. I’ve got more nuance than that.”

“Sorry for doubting you,” you giggled.

“You better be.”

The thing you’d been most surprised about, above everything else, was just how enjoyable it was to talk to him. How easy it was to get lost in a conversation that most of your other friends might get bored by. It’s not that your other friends treated you badly, but Kuroo had a way of naturally drawing out your thoughts, and he usually treated them with enough respect to engage with them. Of course, there were times when he loved to tease, and you’d learnt to not take it too personally.

Kuroo Tetsurou was far more interesting than you’d first given him credit for. And you felt kind of bad for that. You’d known he wasn’t just some dumb jock – he wasn’t topping chemistry for nothing – but you hadn’t expected him to be so… clever. So playful. So fun to talk to.

You were beginning to feel that maybe, just maybe, he was someone you could end up being quite close to.

✉

[YOU] 10:41 PM: hey, kuroo?

[Kuroo] 10:46 PM: what's up?

[YOU] 10:47 PM: i was just wondering, why did you ask me to become manager?

[Kuroo] 10:48 PM: oh ahaha

[Kuroo] 10:48 PM: i thought having an extra pair of hands around would help the coach out a bit

[YOU] 10:48 PM: wait really

[YOU] 10:48 PM: that's it?

[Kuroo] 10:50 PM: ??????

[YOU] 10:51 PM: you were so seedy about it!

[Kuroo] 10:51 PM: was i?

[YOU] 10:52 PM: i–

[Kuroo] 10:53 PM: :)

✧ ✧ ✧

“Kenma wants to quit.”

Your head shot up, turning to Kuroo with wide eyes. “What?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, one hand raking through his hair. “The third years have been giving him a really rough time.” He bit his lip, glancing at you. “You’ve seen it yourself.”

You swallowed. “I hoped I was just being too sensitive, but…”

Kuroo groaned, running a hand down his face. “They’re such assholes.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, unsure of what to say. The third years had almost made you want to quit in the early days. They were scary, sharp, unrelenting. But they’d left you alone pretty quickly once you’d settled into the thrum of your responsibilities.

Kenma hadn’t been so lucky.

“Is he okay?” You murmured, brows knitted together. “I mean, I know he’s getting picked on, but is he… is he… I don’t know…”

“I get it,” Kuroo sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. He doesn’t really talk about that sort of stuff.”

You set your pen down on the dining table, shifting in your chair to face him directly.

Practice had been cancelled for the afternoon, and Kuroo had bustled you out of school before you even had a chance to ask why. You’d been surprised when he had asked if the two of you could study at your place that afternoon – and some part of you had dreaded what your parents might say about you bringing a boy home – but you’d conceded. He’d seemed stuck in his head; something not unusual for him, but he’d been just withdrawn enough to pique your concern.

This must’ve been why.

“I just don’t know what to do,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I don’t want to push him too hard or anything, but I don’t think he’s making the right choice.”

You bit your lip.

“Why?” You asked, feeling bold.

“Huh?”

“Tell me why you don’t want him to quit,” you said. “Other than the obvious.” You sat up a little straighter, grabbing your notebook and picking up your pen. “We can brainstorm together.”

“Other than the obvious?” He tilted his head at you.

“You know,” you shrugged. “I know you want him to stay around because he’s your best friend, but... there’s more to it, right?”

“Well…” Kuroo swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck as he leant back in his chair.  “We’re not gonna get very far without him.”

You scribbled that down quickly. “Why’s that?”

“He’s a good strategist,” Kuroo said carefully, “And he’s great at running through all the potential outcomes on the spot. And nobody on the team’s as observant as he is.”

You bit the inside of your cheek as you transcribed. You weren’t narcissistic enough to think you knew Kenma better than Kuroo did. Nor did you want to presume you were closer to the second-year than you actually were. But you wanted to help.

“Why don’t you… explain that to him?” You asked, peering down at your notebook.

“What do you mean?”

“Like… just tell him the logical reasons you want him to stick around,” you shrugged. “I think he’d respond well to that.”

“I guess…” Kuroo pursed his lips, looking at you with a frown.

“What I’m trying to say is that… maybe putting it into terms that’ll resonate with him is the best way to go.” You weren’t quite sure if your point was getting across. You just had to hope that he understood.

“I get you,” he nodded, crossing his arms. “I dunno if it’ll work though.”

“He’ll listen to you,” you mused, propping your hand on your chin.  

“Huh?”

“It’s obvious you mean a lot to him,” you shrugged. “Even if he doesn’t really use his words to express that.”

Kuroo blinked at you, a touch of pink to his cheeks.

“I mean, he’s stuck it out with volleyball this long, hasn’t he?” You smiled at him, watching his cheeks grow even pinker. “That’s because of you.”

He cleared his throat as he looked down at his lap. It was strange to see him so… speechless. He was the sort of person that always had a comeback. You were never able to get a one up on him. Sincerity, however, seemed to be his hamartia.

“I just… I wanna go as far as I can with this team,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “You know, me and the other second years… when we first joined the team, we were asked about our goals.”

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “We all said that we wanted to win nationals.”

He wasn’t quite sure why he was telling you all this. He didn’t know where it came from. But he knew he’s grateful to be able to just talk. To share this with someone.

“Yaku and I used to fight all the time,” he smiled sheepishly, casting his gaze at you.

“I can see that,” you giggled. There was always a little fire between the two of them; it’d given you a good laugh many times.

“It was kind of stupid, but… we got over it. We learned to work together,” Kuroo sighed.

“I feel bad for poor Kai,” you smiled.

Kuroo laughed. “Yeah…” He sighed as he leaned over the table, resting his chin on his folded arms. “Nekoma used to be hot shit, you know.”

“Did we?” You asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Made it to nationals a couple of times. But, we sort of… fell off. We haven’t been as good as we could be for a while. And… I want to change that.”

He pressed his lips together, his brows furrowing. “We can’t do that if we don’t work together. And I know that sounds obvious, but… we need to focus on our teamwork more. We’ll only be great if we all learn to rely on and trust each other. We’ve gotta make the best use of all our strengths while covering our weaknesses.”

You nodded, making a little noise of agreement. You couldn’t help but smile as you listened to him. This side of Kuroo – this genuine, honest one – was quickly becoming your favourite.  

“Sorry,” he chuckled, sitting up straight. “Didn’t mean to ramble at you there.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” You shook your head. “Ramble all you’d like.”

He quirked an eyebrow at you for that, but he was smiling.

“Hey, Kuroo?” Normally, you wouldn’t have thought to ask the questions that were currently poking at the back of your mind. But he’d just been so honest, so open with you in a way he’d never been before. Maybe it was okay to be a little bit curious. Just this once.

“Hm?”

“I have a genuine question,” you said, folding your hands in your lap.

He looked at you, pouting a little.

“Why volleyball?”

He bit the inside of his cheek, brow creased ever so slightly. Usually, he’d just dodge a conversation like this; not because he was particularly embarrassed by it or anything like that, but because he didn’t want to talk about himself too much. He didn’t want to be rude and dominate the conversation.

But, you were asking. And, you seemed genuinely interested.

A little bit of sincerity wouldn’t hurt, right?

“My family moved here when I was pretty young,” he said, shrugging. “And I didn’t really… know how to make friends. Before I moved, I’d been part of a volleyball team. All my friends were on it, and… I had to move away from them.”

It was a little strange, trying to pull up all these memories. And trying to condense them was harder than he’d expected. “When I first met Kenma, we just played video games. I didn’t really… know how to talk to him. But he agreed to play volleyball with me, and that made things so much easier. I had something to talk about.”

You smiled to yourself, the image of a shy little Kuroo more endearing than it should be.

“I even convinced him to go to a weekend class with me,” he smiled, looking down. “You know, I even remember when I first met Coach Nekomata.”

“Huh?” You frowned.

“The old coach who used to work here. Rumour is he’ll come out of retirement sometime soon,” he smiled. 

You nodded, even though you didn’t quite understand. 

We bumped into him at one of those classes,” Kuroo said. “He told me, ‘do what you love, and success will come.’ I still think about that.”

Do what you love, and success will come. Yeah, that definitely sounded like something that’d resonate with Kuroo.

“Anyway, I joined the team in middle school, and that made it a lot easier to make friends,” Kuroo shrugged. “I don’t know. I love volleyball. Have for as long as I can remember. It’s fun. And… it helped me connect with people, even when… even when I couldn’t find the right words.”

He looked at you, a bit more tentative than usual. But, you were smiling, your chin propped up on one of your palms as you listened to him talk.

“Believe it or not, but I was a really shy kid.” He didn’t know why he’s still talking. And honestly, he’s a little embarrassed by it. But, you’re still listening. And for that, he’s grateful.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” you grinned.

His eyes widened a little. “Huh?”

“You think so much,” you mused, looking upwards. “But, like… in the way introverts do, you know?” You blushed, looking down at your hands. “Well, I mean… I tend to overthink everything I say, right?”

“No, really?” Kuroo gasped, covering his mouth with one hand.

“Shush,” you shot him a half-glare, suppressing the urge to stick your tongue out at him like a child. “It’s just that… I see a little bit of that in you, too. Not… massively, but it’s there.”  

You couldn’t quite read his expression. It wasn’t one you’d seen before. And honestly, he wouldn’t know how to describe it himself. He was caught between the relief at being seen, at being understood, and the embarrassment of being called out. People didn’t tend to pick up on that part of him – and yet, you had.

He wasn’t used to being the one getting read.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “I really didn’t mean to ramble so much.”

“Oi,” you giggled, “I said it’s fine, didn’t I?”

He raised an eyebrow at you.

“It’s nice that you care so much about the game.” You were smiling at him. Nothing unusual. But the look in your eyes was so genuine, so bright that he could feel his face burning up from looking at it.

“Yeah,” he smiled, breaking eye contact with you. God, he really didn’t know what to do in conversations like these. “Anyway, should we get back to chem?”

✉

[closet introvert] 9:22 PM: so

[YOU] 9:25 PM: so

[closet introvert] 9:25 PM: i think i’m gonna try to talk to kenma after school tomorrow

✧ ✧ ✧

If there was one thing you were fairly decent at as manager, it was looking after the first and second years. Bit by bit, you’d worked up an adequate rapport with each of them, and you had most of their personalities sorted out. Most importantly, you knew what to do when they were down.

You just had to let Yaku rant – let him shout and gripe and swear, and he’d be okay. Kai liked a constructive conversation, had in soft, measured tones, and offering a solution or two. Yamamoto wanted fire and conviction, a challenge to do better, to be better. Fukunaga liked a distraction, something to take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. Kenma liked to be left alone to sort things out for himself – but you were permitted to make him a care package or two.

You’d known Kuroo long enough by now to know that he was rather reticent when it came to his own feelings. He wasn’t the sort to talk about them upfront; you had to peer at the silences and the spaces between his words to find out what he really meant. You had to look at his behaviour; he was never too straightforward. That sort of thing seemed to overwhelm him.

That presented a bit of a problem. If he didn’t want to talk about his feelings, he simply wouldn’t. He’d deflect the conversation, or downplay how he was feeling. Sometimes he gave you bits and pieces, but he rarely spilled his true thoughts and feelings. They were exceedingly difficult to draw out of him – he had to offer them up himself. And most of the time, he bounced back pretty quickly from his more melancholic moods on his own.  

But not today.

Kuroo wasn’t exactly loud. At least, not in the same way Yamamoto was – or that rambunctious wing spiker from Fukurodani. It was well within Kuroo’s abilities to be obnoxious, but he wasn’t loud. But even for him, he was being uncharacteristically quiet today.

Practice had gone fine, as far as you could tell. Nothing had gone obviously wrong, and nobody had gotten injured. From your perspective, things had even gone well. Admittedly, your knowledge of volleyball didn’t run particularly deep just yet, but you were trying your best.

Kuroo was usually so bright after practice, always grinning or cackling at something despite his exhaustion. Half the time he’d point things out to you, explaining certain moves they’d practised or formations they were trying out.

But today, he’d just picked up his bag dourly, waiting at the door for you and Kenma to leave. He’d said very little on the walk to the train station when usually he’d be rambling about something or other. You and Kenma exchanged a look; he was just as concerned as you were.

And just like you, he didn’t know how to breach the conversation.

“So… how do they even work?” You asked, blinking down at Kenma’s DS screen.

You couldn’t stand the silence for much longer. And you knew that a sure-fire way to get Kenma talking was by asking him about video games – especially optimization.

“EVs are gained by defeating specific Pokemon,” Kenma murmured. “If you defeat a Pokemon with naturally high HP like Chansey, you’ll gain EVs towards your own HP. However, you can only gain 252 EV’s towards any one stat.”

You nodded, opting to let him ramble. Usually, Kuroo would’ve led the conversation between the three of you. But, you’d valiantly taken that task up yourself today – and the easiest way to help things go smoothly was to get Kenma on a roll.

“You can gain a maximum of five-hundred and twelve total, so realistically you can only optimise two stats at a time,” he continued, eyes still glued to his screen. You took a moment to glance at Kuroo. He was staring out the window of the train, his expression worryingly forlorn. Was he even listening?

“IVs are a Pokemon’s innate capabilities.” Kenma was still going. You made an affirmative noise in the back of your throat, nodding. “A Pokemon with a high attack IV will have a naturally higher attack stat than a Pokemon with a low attack IV, even at the same level.”

On the one hand, it was nice to know that Kenma was comfortable enough with you to ramble like this. It was also nice to see Kenma talking freely; a rare and precious sight.

On the other hand, it just made you more stressed about Kuroo. He hadn’t breathed a word the entire ride. He hadn’t even taken a moment to gaze fondly at Kenma while he was rambling. And he always did that when Kenma was on a roll.

You managed to ask enough questions to fill the distance to Kenma’s house. He was speaking more than usual. That much was obvious, yes – but even for a Kenma that was geeking out, this was unusual.

And with the way his gaze kept flicking to Kuroo, you knew it was because he was truly, deeply concerned.

Kuroo still made somewhat of an effort to say goodbye to Kenma, despite his mood. The usual “make sure you don’t go to sleep too late, okay?” and “make sure you drink enough water, so you don’t get a headache.”

But before Kenma walked through his front door, he looked at you. And when you looked back, he held eye contact. Then he looked very pointedly at Kuroo, who was staring up at the sky. By the time you turned to look at Kenma again, he was already scurrying through his front door.

“You ready?” Kuroo asked, now looking at you.

You nodded, half-jogging to join him on the street. Even today, even when it seemed like he just wanted to go home and sleep, he was still walking you home. Sure, your house wasn’t all that far from his, but he still went out of his way every night, just to make sure you felt comfortable.

That quiet thoughtfulness was part of who he was. You’d seen him direct it at Kenma all the time.

The same Kenma who’d just sent you a silent plea.

The Kenma, who never looked you in the eyes for longer than half a second.

The Kenma, who had just asked you to speak to his best friend.

That was all the push you needed.

“Hey, Kuroo?” You murmured.

“Hm?”

“Are you okay?” You asked.

Kuroo looked at you, one eyebrow raised. He was torn.

Should he really burden you with this? Was it right for him to worry you again?

But you’re looking at him with such genuine concern, such genuine care. And the advice you’d given him when he was worried about Kenma had been both helpful and effective. And surely, you wouldn’t have asked that question if you didn’t want a proper answer, right?

Fuck it, he thought.

“I feel like I’m not measuring up,” he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “My blocking hasn’t been improving. And I don’t know why. I’ve been trying to work on my read blocking but I just can’t get it down. I can’t even fix the problem because I don’t know what the problem is.”

He took a deep breath, his steps slowing to a stop. “I convinced Kenma to stay on, but I’m not a team-mate he can be proud of.”

“Kuroo…”

You looked at him, cloaked in the shadows of the street. His gaze was cast at the ground, his brow furrowed and the smallest of pouts on his lips. You wanted to hug him, but you weren’t sure if that’d help.

You didn’t quite know what to say. You knew what it was like to get caught up in your own insecurities – you were sure most people did. You knew he couldn’t see himself the way you saw him; tenacious, hard-working, passionate.

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” you murmured. No, that was too soft – too wishy-washy. “I know that it… seems kind of silly for me to say, but you are.”

You clenched your fists to steel yourself, taking a step closer to him. That got his attention – he looked up at you, eyes slightly wide.

“You feel like you’re not measuring up, or that you’re not improving… but I don’t see it that way.” It was true. You watched him push himself harder each and every day, improving little by little. And when he wasn’t, he’d learn from those mistakes.

“It must be easy to lose yourself on the court, but from where I’m standing… you’re improving every day.” Your eyes searched his face, looking for any indication that your words were having some kind of impact.

“And… you don’t need to be the world’s best middle blocker, you know?” You said, tilting your head at him. “You’re good, Kuroo. And you know you’ve got space to improve – that’s your strength. That makes you a team-mate worth being proud of.”

He was staring at you, eyes still wide. The dim light of the street hid the blush on his cheeks. For that, he was thankful.

“Uh…” He felt like he should say something. But he didn’t quite know what. ‘Thank you’ would’ve been the natural response, but those words just wouldn’t come.

“Sorry,” you blushed, your nerves finally catching up with you as you looked away from him. “I didn’t mean to… push your boundaries or anything like that, but… if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Had you overstepped his boundaries? Had you made him uncomfortable? Those questions plagued you for the rest of the way home, Kuroo still quiet and reticent at your side.

You hadn’t overstepped his boundaries at all. Kuroo just couldn’t find the right words, even as you closed the distance to your house.

In all honesty, he’s touched. Touched that you cared so much. Touched that you reached out, even though he could tell how nervous you were. Touched that you were paying that much attention.

As he walked through the door of his own home, he couldn’t get the image of you looking up at him so resolutely out of his head.

He’d have to thank some deity above for the fact you were bad at chemistry, wouldn’t he?  

✉

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:57 PM: hey so uh

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:57 PM: i just wanted to say thanks

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:58 PM: for listening to me be all emotional like that

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:58 PM: i put a lot on you but you were really nice about it

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: so yeah

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: thanks

[YOU] 10:59 PM: NO! DON’T APOLOGISE!

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: !?!?!?!

[YOU] 11:00 PM: honestly, i don’t mind! and i’m happy to listen :(

[YOU] 11:00 PM: i’m here if you need to talk to anyone, okay?

[japan’s okayest tutor] 11:04 PM: you too

✧ ✧ ✧

You were alone.

Your sobs were the only sound fracturing the fragile silence of the empty gym as you slumped against the wall, your knees brought up to your chest.

Why did you have to fuck up so bad? You’d managed to survive your first year with no drama, the only cause of concern being your studies. They were overwhelming enough  to deal with on their own. You’d certainly felt down about your grades and whatnot before, but those ruts were a little easier to pull yourself out of. ‘They’re just grades,’ you’d try and tell yourself. ‘You can improve next time. And they don’t define you as a person.’ Even if you didn’t quite believe any of that, it was nice to have some rhetoric to at least attempt to counteract those thoughts.

But now? Now you truly felt alone. Like no-one cared about you.

You felt like you deserved it. Like anyone who cared about you was wasting their time. Like you were taking up their time and attention undeservedly.

It was all too overwhelming.

The pain choked you. Every thought, every feeling you’d been trying to fend off for so long ripped through you like an arrow.

Fuck, why couldn’t you just hold yourself together? Why did you have to be so weak?

You let go. And you cried. And cried. And cried.

The sound shattered the vacuous silence of the gym. You weren’t sure how long you’d been sitting there, letting your sobs rack through your body.

Your throat was sore.

Your eyes stung.

You were alone.

And you deserved it.

“Woah.”

You froze. You knew that voice.

“Hey.” Kuroo knelt in front of you, his hands finding their way to your forearms. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He was knelt in front of you, eyebrows knitted together as his eyes roamed your face.

You shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut. Shit, why was he here? Why hadn’t he just headed home?

You didn’t want anyone to see you like this. You didn’t want to worry them.

Kuroo’s arms found their way around you, coaxing you gently towards his chest. You collapsed into him, burying your face in his chest.

Fuck, that didn’t help at all. Your sobs came with more voracity, rawer and harsher than they had been.

He just held you, chin propped on your head and one hand rubbing your back. He didn’t say anything; he knew you didn’t need that right now. He knew that in moments like this, it was nice just to be held. To feel like someone’s there.

And then slowly, breath by breath, everything seemed to calm. Your sobs grew softer and softer against his chest, his gentle hums setting a new rhythm for your fractured mind. He was grounding you; each touch, each sound was an attempt to bring you back down to earth. You could tell it wasn’t the most comfortable position for him, crouched awkwardly in front of you while holding you to his chest, but he stayed. 

He stayed until your breathing had levelled out, and your grip on his shirt had loosened.

“There you go,” Kuroo murmured, letting you go. He shifted to sit next to you, and you immediately missed his warmth. You found a little comfort as he looped an arm around your shoulder.  

You took a long, shaky breath. You weren’t sure how long you’d keep it together for, but you were glad for the reprieve.

“What are you doing here?” You sniffed, rubbing your nose with the back of your hand. He shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t have made him worry about you.

“You didn’t show up for our little study session,” he said, eyebrows knitted together. “I tried texting you, but you didn’t respond. And I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Shit. You’d forgotten to tell him you’d ‘headed home early.’

“I was worried about you,” he murmured, giving your shoulder a squeeze.

You swallowed roughly, the guilt bubbling up in your chest.

“I’m sorry–”

“No.” Kuroo shook his head. “Don’t apologize. If you need to get it out, you need to get it out.”

You bit your lip, looking down at your hands. Your knuckles blanched pale as you clenched the fabric of your skirt.

“And,” he swallowed, “if you need to talk to someone… I’m here.”

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt everything rush back. The fight. The loneliness. The insomnia.

Kuroo didn’t need to hear this. And you didn’t want to burden him with this.

But God, you needed to talk to someone.  

“I- I had an argument with Hana,” you sniffed, fingers playing with the hem of your jacket.

You could barely remember how it started. Something stupid, probably. Something immature. But it had blown way out of proportion, and she wasn’t speaking to you anymore. You’d been spending your lunchtimes alone, behind the gym or in an empty classroom. You didn’t have the strength to face the rest of your friends, nor did you know what she’d been telling them.

It had struck at the worst possible time, too. The usual anxieties about grades and the future had been compounding recently. You’d been a bit more down than usual, and this whole Hana debacle had exacerbated that. You were usually able to manage feelings like this, finding ways to keep your head above water.

But not this time.

“I just,” you swallowed, squeezing your eyes shut. “I just feel like something’s missing. And, and I’m… there’s… there’s this gap in my heart, and I don’t know how to stop feeling so empty.”

You took a deep breath, feeling it tremble through your body. “But… but I also just feel so numb.”

And all of it, even the numbness, was overwhelming. No matter how desperately you tried to distract yourself, you couldn’t. Nothing worked. You’d lost too many nights sitting at the bottom of your shower, letting the water run down your back as your mind ran in the same repeating circles.

You were exhausted.

“And part of me,” you swallowed, your throat rough and dry as your emotions tried to hammer themselves into something coherent. “Part of me feels like… like it’s wrong to feel like this.”

God, that felt stupid. Stupid, but true. On top of everything, you felt defunct.

And frankly, you couldn’t say why. Was it shame? Guilt? Something else?

“Hey.” Kuroo’s voice was low, almost soft as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “You’re gonna feel what you’re gonna feel,” he murmured, “You shouldn’t feel guilty about that, okay?”

He felt you tremble as you tried to take a deep breath.

He knew that your pain wasn’t a one-to-one reflection of his own. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to understand exactly what you were going through.

But he knew what it was like to be a small child, so afraid, so alone, without an understanding of what was really going on around him.

He knew what it was like to feel as if something was missing, like there was a constant gap in your heart. He’d felt that way when his parents had split up. He’d only been a kid, too young to properly comprehend why that had been happening.

All he had known was that his family had crumbled to pieces around him. And then his mother was gone, half a world away with little more than a kiss on his forehead as a goodbye. He hadn’t been ready for it. He had felt like he might never be.

That feeling of separation had followed him, even into his teen years. It was quieter now, a half-whisper on the bad days. Usually, he could ignore it, setting his mind to more productive concerns. But, it never quite disappeared.

Kuroo knew what it was like to be lonely.

And he hated seeing you go through the exact same thing.

Lonely. Afraid. Probably hoping that someone, somewhere, would acknowledge your pain.

That was the worst part. Wanting your suffering to be known. Wanting someone to look at all of it, to see it for what it was. But no matter how palpable that desire was, how desperately you wanted it, it was too terrifying. To speak up was to be a burden. To speak up was to expose yourself to pity; and that was always the last thing you needed.

Pity’s useless. All you were asking for, all you really wanted was understanding. Acknowledgment. To have someone see.

He knew exactly what that was like.

“You, uh…” The sentiment caught in his throat, somehow both persistent and reticent.

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

They were the very words he’d wished someone had said to him all those years ago. The words he’d wanted someone to offer him, a child who didn’t know how to reach out. To cry out for help.

And in that moment, with his arms around the manager who had looked after him and his boys so well, Kuroo felt that call.

✉

[passable at best] 8:30 PM: hey

[passable at best] 8:30 PM: how are you feeling?

[YOU] 8:45 PM: alright

[YOU] 8:45 PM: i ate dinner and i’ve just been watching youtube

[YOU] 8:46 PM: and i’ve been drinking a lot of water

[passable at best] 8:46 PM: i’m glad to hear that

[passable at best] 8:46 PM: make sure you get an early night, yeah?

[YOU] 8:47 PM: i’ll try

[passable at best] 8:47 PM: and if you need anything, please text me

✧ ✧ ✧

"Come to the temple with me."

The surprise was evident on your face. You’re glad he couldn’t see you. "What… just us?"

"Yeah." There's a pause. An almost painful one. "I couldn't get Kenma to leave the house, so…"

You pretended you weren’t disappointed. If anyone could see you, they wouldn't be convinced.

"Oh, well, uh…" Your fists curled into your nightgown. "Sure."

"Great!" You could hear the smile in his voice. It's the one you like best; full of sunlight, pure and whole. The one that reached his eyes. "I'll, uh… see you at eight?"

Usually, if someone had called you at seven-thirty in the morning, you would've simply ignored them. But when you’d seen that it was him, you’d answered immediately. The lack of hesitation was almost frightening.

There was no reason that your fondness for a certain Kuroo Tetsurou should scare you. You just knew that you adored the guy. In less than a year, he’d become one of your favourite people. And, he’d been such a solid support for you. Of course you’d go to the temple with him.  

But as you stood at the temple steps, swallowed up by a coat and two jumpers, you wondered if anyone was worth being this cold for.

“Sorry I’m late.”

You glared up at him, nose embarrassingly red.

“What?” He groaned, hands dug deep in his pockets.

“It’s cold.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“It’s eight in the morning.”

“Hey,” he grinned, reaching up and ruffling your hair with a gloved hand. “You could’ve said no.”

You huffed. Unfortunately, he was right.

“Well, I’m touched,” he chuckled, looking up at the sky. “It’s a nice morning, though.” He looked back down at you with a grin. He was far too peppy for this hour of the morning. “You ready?”

The walk up the steps was almost laborious, given just how cold it was. Your breath misted in front of you as you told each other about your first dreams of the year; he’s still regaling a tale about Kenma turning into a dragon with five heads and chasing him through the streets of Tokyo by the time you reach the fortunes.

You tried to shake off the superstitious jitters as you carefully chose one of the knots on the string. Kuroo showed much less care.

As you read the fortune written out on your strip, you let out a surreptitious sigh of relief. You looked at Kuroo, tilting your head.

“What’d you get?” You sniffled. You hoped you wouldn’t get a cold from this.

“Bad luck,” he said, turning the strip towards you.

You snorted. “Oh, ow.”

He shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.” His expression said otherwise; it was that half-grimace he had whenever he didn’t want to admit he was wrong. Or that Bokuto had done something cool.

“Really?” You grinned, tilting your head at him. “You’re not bothered by it at all?”

“Alright, what did you get then?” He peered down at you, puffing out his chest.

“A little luck.” You held your strip towards him, and he scowled.

“Bad luck’s more exciting,” he mumbled.

“Don’t be mad about it,” you smiled, nudging him with your elbow. “God just likes me more.”

“Oi,” he huffed, ruffling your hair with a cold hand.

“Hey!” You wacked his hand away, but he just cackled.

“Anyway, you’ve forgotten the most important part of a temple visit,” he yawned, looking back at the fortunes lined up on the strings.

“Hm?” You frowned.

"You gotta make a promise," he sniffled, his fortune scrunched up in his hand.

You pouted, your hands dug deep in your pockets. A promise, huh? Did he mean a wish? You weren’t about to argue the point. He’d win it, anyway.

“You go first,” you mumbled, a little embarrassed by the fact that nothing was coming to mind.

He paused, staring at you for a moment. You squinted back, perhaps half as a challenge.

"Hm," Kuroo puffed his cheeks out, looking up at the sky for a moment. "I promise… to always be there for you. No matter what."

You blushed. What sort of promise was that? And why did it make you feel like… this?

Thwump!

You were only half aware of it as you punched him in the stomach.

“What was that for?” He wheezed, hands clamped on his stomach as he stumbled back a few steps.

“You can’t say things like that!” You whined, feeling the colour in your cheeks growing deeper.

“Why not?” There was something a little too genuine in his frown.

“Because I was going to say something really lame!” It was only eight-thirty in the morning, and Kuroo had already worked his way under your skin. And you weren’t entirely sure he’d meant to. “If I knew you were gonna say something like that, I’d’ve said it back.”

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You still can, you know.”

“Oh.” Yeah. You could.

That was all he needed. In an instant, that familiar grin was once again adorning his face, and he was towering over you. A little closer than maybe was appropriate.

“Is that… a blush I see?” Oh, he looked far too pleased with himself. You had half a mind to punch him again.

“Shut up,” you huffed.

“Aw, have I made you all embarrassed?” He grinned, ruffling your hair. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words spoiled by his fake pout.

“If you don’t shut up, I won’t say it,” you threatened, glaring at him as resolutely as you could. The weird twang in your chest made it more difficult than it usually was.

He shut his mouth immediately, eyes a little bigger and much more expectant than usual.

“Kuroo Tetsurou–”

“Are you about to propose?”

“You know what? Nevermind–”

“No, no, no! I’m sorry!” His shoulders were slouched towards you, head tilted to the side and a bright smile on his face. “I’ll shut up.”

You took a deep breath. It certainly felt a bit like you were trying to propose to him. You shuffled that thought out of your mind as quickly as you could. Once again, Kuroo had put you in a situation you hadn’t quite anticipated.

“No matter what comes, and no matter how irritating you are–”

“Hey!”

“–I promise that I’ll be there to support you,” you managed to say, cheeks flaring and fists clenched. “I… really care about you.”

You couldn’t bear the look he was giving you. It was the look you’d give something you positively adored – something you believed would bring nothing but light to your life. It was a look so full of affection that you felt like you might shatter beneath it.

He reached out and wrapped you in his arms, pulling you gently into his chest. You snuck your arms under his jacket, circling them around his waist. You’d done it mostly on instinct, but you weren’t upset about it. It’s warm, and it’s nice, and you didn’t want to question it. 

There’s too much to worry about – studies, volleyball, the fact that it’s really not all that long until you’re third years. That took precedence. Whatever’s going on here – whatever this was – couldn’t take priority.

All you knew for certain was that you loved Kuroo Tetsurou. In what way didn’t matter. And this in-between, this unnamed space was comfortable. And, as far as you could tell, it belonged to both of you. If he didn’t want to say anything about it, then neither did you.

✉

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: hey hey

[YOU] 5:21 PM: hey hey hey!

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: no don’t do that

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: anyway, i just wanted to make sure you’re practicing appropriate after-cold care

[YOU] 5:21 PM: why do you always have to phrase things Like That

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: no idea what you’re talking about

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: anyway, drink a tea or two, stick a heat pack (or seven) in the microwave, and rug up

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: can’t have you going and catching a cold

[szopenhauer]

Did the last person you kissed celebrate your last birthday with you? no

Who is the person you would least like to be stuck in a lift with? Why? smelly drunk puking rapist murderer - do I really have to explain? If your parents looked in your inbox and read your messages, would they find out anything you didn’t want them to know? my sexts Have you cried at all during the past week? ... When was the last time you felt disappointed? What was the reason? now, no comment Who was the last person you had an argument with? how would you feel if that person never spoke to you again? both good and bad

Do you like forks with three metal pokers, or four? I don’t care Would you ever wear a hat with cat ears on it? I already do 

Have you ever eating raw sugar by itself? when I was a kid I was stealing it from my grandma’s sugar-bowl  Do you paint your left or right hand fingernails first? I don’t recall but probably left as I’m righty What about for your feet? not that I paint them but whatever What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done? hmm... Do you think fish are cute? some can be If you found an ant on your food, would you still eat it? doubt it How much do you weigh? 42 kg now

What was the shortest amount of time you’ve known someone before you’ve dated them? but dates or relationship?

Do you have any theatrical experience? If so, what have you done? just school

Don’t you hate it when people talk about their relationships constantly? every subject you talk about constantly is getting on my nerves tbh

Is there anything you need to say to anyone? I don’t know how/what/if I should/want to

If you could have anyone to do your eulogy, who would it be and why? my dad

If given the choice, would you rather go to Subway or a Chinese restaurant? Subway

Do your neighbors annoy you in any way? many ways

Whose car were you in last? I was in a taxi

How late did you stay up last night? I barely slept at all because of cannula/venflon and feeling like I’m choking, also noise and anxiety

What were you doing at 12:30 this afternoon? coming home 

Who did you last see in person? mom

When was the last time a member of the opposite sex hugged you? today (my father)

What is on your wrists right now? finally nothing and that feels weird, I constantly want to fix my ID wristband but it’s not there anymore

Where did you get the shirt you’re wearing? second hand - it has an elephant and Perfectly imperfect written on it

Do you like clowns? very

Are you listening to anything at the moment? I am

Do you twitch when your falling asleep? it happens at times but only rarely

Are your dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? we don’t own a dishwasher

Are you at home or with friends more often? home and I like it that way

Would you date someone 15 years older than you? noooo

Do you own a strapless bra? nah

How are you feeling at this exact moment? it’s complicated

Are you someone who worries too often? absolutely

Do you ever wonder how other people see you? obvi

What is one good thing you’re known for? How about one bad thing? don’t ask me

Are you taller than most? lmfao 

Are you the type of person who likes to be out or home? take a guess...

Has anyone ever said i love you to you and not meant it? it seems

Do you regret going out with the last person you did? going out as dating or just spending time with somebody outside?

When was the last time you showered? few days ago because I couldn’t move my arm :( 

Who did you last talk to in person? my mother

Do you ever have days where you just don’t do anything? yeah

Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? hahaha

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been stuck in traffic? not sure

What area of math are you best at? Worst? dunno

How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? only Dorota had similar taste in music to mine not counting my current gf’s love towards 80s songs that we share

How often do you “half-ass” things (put little effort in)? often?

Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? yes

Has a teacher ever made you hate yourself/your work? sure

What’s something that makes you incredibly nervous? everything?...

If you don’t have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? mixed feelings

If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn’t need them anymore? -

Have you ever considered going to art school? I have considered and am slightly regretting that I didn’t

How quickly can you write an essay? depends

Favorite episode of Spongebob? it’s not my fav but I remember the one where Spongebob painted the room most (why tho?)

Do you have any silly/odd emotional connections to anything/anyone? would say so

Do you play with your phone in awkward situations? I might

Do u own a rolling pin?: u don’t? :o

What’s your ideal indoor temperature?: never checked 

Does your kitchen have a theme?: ... apparently poop is the theme 

Are u a pack rat?: mhm

What’s the grossest thing u have found in your food?: bug, hair, piece of plastic...

Do u like ice cream sandwiches?: why not

Ever worn a flower in your hair?: for a moment

What surgeries have u had?: none 

What health problems do u have?: what health problems I don’t have?...

Do u like to sleep in?: yasss

Don’t ya just hate foot cramps? who likes those? 

Would you say you have an infectious laugh? not really Shouldn’t you be doing something else right now? omg thx for a reminder :o What is something you worry about often? every single thing Do you walk fast or slow? compared to?... Would you consider yourself healthy? Both mind and body. not at all Does sitting in waiting rooms drive you insane? not as much as majority of people, I can wait for a long time when I see the point and don’t feel the worst, I don’t need much entertainment to not get bored What form of public transport do you use most often? bus Would you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie? the opposite Have you ever been arrested? If so, why? I’m an angel Do you ever put sticky notes around the place to remind yourself of things? I have shitload of notes but they’re not sticky  Would you eat a spider for $50? hell no Would you rather be a kangaroo or a koala? koala Are you easy to talk to? am I? Can you juggle with more than two items? I can’t juggle with one item pfft At airports do you ever worry your luggage won’t arrive? scary but luckily I don’t travel by plane What other windows have you currently got opened? fb, youtube, tumblr drafts, google translator and google searching Who else is in the same building as you? my parents Would you like a penny farthing bicycle? maybe Would you ever consider visiting Ireland? what for? Would you like to visit Venice? no thx Did you ever eat leaves when you were a kid? my sister did Do you have any flags in your house? we occasionally put polish flag on balcony Are there any ‘keep off the grass’ signs where you live? just don’t throw trash on the ground on cemetery Have you ever walked on the grass with such a sign? that’s rude unless you really didn’t notice or had no choice Are you double-jointed? could say so At school which area of science did you prefer: biology/chemistry/physics? definitely not physics Which did you prefer between geography/history? neither Have you ever driven a tractor? didn’t have an opportunity  Does the smell of the countryside bother you? animal shit does Do you drink more water or juice? water 

Sweater weather or tank top weather? Which do you prefer. I like it hot, I hate winter but I enjoy sweaters Is there a cat in the room you’re in right now? stuffed only Do you enjoy going to the movies? prefer to watch movies at home

Are you an animal lover? I admire from afar How tall are you? according to my doctor I lost 2 cm  Is there anything you want to ask anyone right now? God  Are you gay, straight, bi, lesbian, asexual, or not sure? asexual/lesbian Are you more negative or more positive? negative Have you made any life altering decisions lately? I’m deciding

Do you have any songs currently stuck in your head? not atm Have you made a CV? several Where is the last place you applied for a job? (If you have) which was the last one... Are you photogenic? I’m ugly

What are you listening to right now? stopped because family member is asleep What are you going to do tomorrow? shopping if anything

Have you ever been judged on something you wore? been bullied

Think QUICK what word begins with c? clown :D

Are you a funny person? I believe  Be honest, do you go for looks more or personality? personality is more important but I’m picky

Are you a flirty person? a bit

Are you homophobic? I’m homo myself so...

How would you react if someone said you ruined their life? I know I ruin everybody’s lives

If you’re home alone, do you still close/lock the door when you use the bathroom? I don’t lock ‘em even when I’m not alone

What’s the stupidest song you’ve listened to today? nothing stupid

How is your hair currently styled? it’s dirty and after this survey I will wash my head finally

Do you ever stay up late just to be awake oh well...

Would you ever write a letter to someone you haven’t met yet, like your future spouse? I don’t think so

Would you rather spend the day watching movies or on an intense hike? entire day just one thing?!

Are you stressed about anything? always Have you ever stood on a frozen solid body of water? too dangerous for me Are you one of those people who take like, 50 Facebook quizzes at a time? whoops :x What’s on your bed? it’s so clean/empty that it freaks me out Are you texting anyone? no longer

Did your last beverage contain caffeine? it was just water

Did you get any friend requests on Facebook today? did not

What’s your least favourite song by your favourite artist? for example - one of my fav bands - Queen - I dislike Radio Gaga and We will rock you

What’s your best friend’s middle name? no middle name!

Who was the last person to comment on your Facebook status? my partner

If the person you miss turned up at your door now, how would you react? woah wtf

Where were you THREE hours ago? in here

What are you wearing right now? my leggings with colorful heart pattern

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? parent

Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? I got two shirts and socks 

What day is tomorrow? Friday

Do you remember the first person you ever kissed? we’re together now again

Ever use someone else’s toothbrush? that’s disgusting, don’t!

[verdigrisprowl]

Apr 26 Blurr’s Horror Stream - V For Vendetta

Prowl didn’t like the movie very much. He thinks it would have been better off if the society was left with the corrupt government and V was shot at the start. Better corruption than anarchy.

Welcome to the 'speedxstealer' room. The chat room has been cleared by the moderator. FakeProwl: *prowl is here early and WAITING on soundwave's couch* Neddles: *Soundwave -thought- he was going to be his usual early self, but apparently someone has beaten him to it. Intrigued and just a (really big) smidge delighted to see this, beelines for his seat.* Neddles: *A number of deployers come in after him, dancing to the music, and scatter.* Neddles: *...Soundwave might be a little suspicious about the song choice, though.* B l u r r: / dragging a cart in behind him on wheels. Grumbling and tugging it to his couch. / Neddles: *Time to assist! Frenzy darts over to the cart and gets pushing from the opposite end.* B l u r r: / flicks finials/ Hn..? Oh, hey. /slides the cart up, with help, to the side of the couch / Neddles: \\WHATCHA GOT THIS TIME?\\ B l u r r: Weapon systems. Neddles: \\FRAG YEAH! MY KINDA CART. WHAT FOR?\\ B l u r r: New upgrades. Possibly. Whirl: *trots in, pausing in the doorway with his head tilted quizzically* Neddles: \\WHIRL! WEAPONS!\\ Points at the cart. Neddles: \\WHATCHA UPGRADIN'? YOU GONNA DO IT HERE?\\ Whirl: That's an unusual pick for--what? *perks up immediately and finishes entering* B l u r r: I might not do it right  here. It's a thought process. B l u r r: / lifts up a turret and looks it over. Hums / B l u r r: (( i almost wrote turtle. )) Whirl: You're tooling up, Teach? *draws up to the cart and looks between it and Blurr* Whirl: ((pdkfd__ Whirl: ((The Battle Turtle)) B l u r r: (( yes good )) B l u r r: Maybe... it's a thought process. Tarantulas: *Tarantulas is summoned by talk of weapons - zoop, down from the ceiling on a line, tiny spide on blurr's shoulder* B l u r r: / reaches a claw up to pat pat the spide / Whirl: *pauses, huffing, and zoops his helm up* ...Tarantulas? Whirl: *that big ole eye is thrust right up on the spide* Tarantulas: *is patted! will stare back at the eye* Yyyyes? Whirl: What the hell. I had no idea you got that SMALL. Tarantulas: I thought I - haven't I told you? Neddles: \\THE SPIDER? WHERE? I DON'T SEE HIM.\\ Neddles: *Frenzy hops about looking* B l u r r: / sets turret down and pulls up part of a missile launcher / Hnnh.... broken. /tosses it back inside / Neddles: Immediately redistracted. \\DON'T GOT REPAIR PARTS?\\ Whirl: If... you had I'd forgotten. Whirl: *shrugs; he doesn't seem alarmed to see Tarantulas. Mostly just surprised* Whirl: Teach! Don't--GIVE ME that. B l u r r: I do... but these aren't MY parts. Whirl: Here, set aside your broken weapons. I can work on them. B l u r r: No, it's mine. I stole it myself. /huff / Whirl: You got a table or something? B l u r r: / he's joking of course / FakeProwl: *oh, is tarantulas over there?* Tarantulas: *jumps off blurr, size up, transform, right in time for prowl to see! yiss* FakeProwl: *of course. of course he's with Blurr. Prowl is beginning to learn that in any given room Tarantulas immediately makes a beeline for the worst person there.* B l u r r: I don't have a table right here right now. B l u r r: / sets missile launcher aside for Whirl / FakeProwl: *Smokescreen. Blurr. Black Shadow. Next he's going to be having dinner parties with Tarn.* Whirl: Then I'll sit on the floor. Pass me 'em. Tarantulas: *worst, u mean the BEST* B l u r r: / excuse. He can be invited to our cannibal dinners / Neddles: *Soundwave nods to Tarantulas. And he'd hope there were no dinner parties with Tarn. He'd be in serious trouble then.* Whirl: *he Tarantulas: Make a pile of whatever none of you want, I'd be more than glad to snag some scraps ~ Whirl: 's gonna plop his *** right there on the ground with no dignity whatsoever, turning the missile launcher over and over*Is this from that universe we went to? Whirl: Where your main squeeze is from? B l u r r: I'm willing to share once I'm done seeing what I need. B l u r r: Main /what/ ? B l u r r: [[ lemme know when youre all ready ]] Neddles: \\SQUEEZE. YER HOT BOT.\\ B l u r r: Er... Neddles: ((ready whenever!)) B l u r r: / see, he has two now. Which one do u mean / Whirl: ((I am!)) Whirl: Roadbuster. Is this from his dimension? Neddles: *Well, if everyone else is going to be distracted, Soundwave's going to take advantage of that and get even more settled than he already was.* Tarantulas: *tara's face is a ??? but he knows he'll never keep up with blurr* B l u r r: Oh, yes. Tarantulas: *HUGE !!!!! FACE* B l u r r: / looks at Tarantulas. Do u wanna sit on the couch with? / Tarantulas: *good thing no one can see it* FakeProwl: ((ready!)) B l u r r: I'm thinking of possibly installing some weapons... well. /He/ was thinking it. Tarantulas: (( reddi whip FakeProwl: *he's gonna. quietly. hot spot his holomatter avatar through whirl* FakeProwl: *this time he remembers to ping a permission request. ... 2 seconds after he already did it.* Whirl: That's what I figured. Looked like it. *still turning it over and over--* HEY. FakeProwl: Sorry, sorry. Whirl: *swivels his helm and fixes him with a slit-eyed stare* Whirl: You forgot, didn't you. FakeProwl: ... I remembered after I did it. Whirl: Same diff. *waves a claw* It's fine. FakeProwl: This is an improvement. I'm improving. Tarantulas: *alright, probably best to just listen to blurr and hear what the roadbuster business is. but no way in heck is tarantulas getting anywhere near touching distance of a telepath rn* Whirl: *and back to the rocket launcher* I've got my cleaning kits on me, but I dunno if the tools in them will elp me with these. You got any for this kinda weaponry? Neddles: *Poor Tarantulas. Everywhere in this room is touching distance of this particular telepath.* B l u r r: Uh... /fishes around in the cart and holds up a kit / FakeProwl: *clearly tarantulas is avoiding him. why is tarantulas avoiding him. what did prowl do. or fail to do.* Neddles: *But he'll refrain.* B l u r r: / Blurr is not by soundwave! / B l u r r: / u can sit by this fool / Tarantulas: *he'll settle on the opposite side of prowl shhhh just have him as a buffer btwn* Neddles: *Well, if nobody else is taking the spot by Blurr, Frenzy will.* FakeProwl: *oh, is he coming over?* Whirl: Excellent! *takes it and sets it on the floor by him* And, I mean, forgetting isn't so bad; everyone does. B l u r r: / glances at Frenzy and smirks a bit / Neddles: \\GUNPOWDER PLOT. I'M ALREADY FOR THIS ONE.\\ Neddles: *But he's going to keep peeking at what Blurr's picking through.* B l u r r: Most of this weaponry is from their junk pile... B l u r r: But, he /insisted/ . Whirl: That's a damn fine gift, Teach. He's a keeper. B l u r r: ... Oh, stop. /mumbles/ Whirl: *he's being utterly sincere this time; not even teasing* B l u r r: / flustered. Twitching claws. / Whirl: *he DOES shoot a sly look to Blurr, but that's as far as he gets this time* Tarantulas: *sitting on floor near prowl now, yis, nodding to soundwave and nudging prowl hello* Neddles: [[He already dislikes the television figure.]] B l u r r: / pulls up another set of turrets / FakeProwl: ((in the first five minutes the VILLAIN of the movie is ranting about Muslims and immigrants and homosexuality. how did the alt-right fuckboys latch onto V as one of their icons lmao)) B l u r r: / twitches finials . Oooh knives / Whirl: *after staring at this thing for, like, ten minutes, Whirl finally sets it down, extrudes his fine manipulators, and begins to methodically disassemble the broken launcher* B l u r r: / his favorite / Whirl: ((IKR)) Neddles: *Rumble scootches forward. Another good fighter who's a good speaker, and therefore, probably a good writer?* B l u r r: [[ there's a guy in my class doing this monologue and im like lmao so many v sounds ]] FakeProwl: *prowl hates how he speaks* Neddles: *Soundwave tilts his helm to one side.* B l u r r: K-KYAHAHAHA!! /wiggles claws / Neddles: [[...Well.]] FakeProwl: *trying to figure out who the bad guy is supposed to be* FakeProwl: *the dude in the mask: on the one hand, he saved the viewpoint character; on the other hand, he blew up a government building. and his speech is annoying.* FakeProwl: *thhhhinks he's on the government's side.* B l u r r: [ lemme know if / when it drops ]] Whirl: *glances up* You got another one of these? Same or similar model? Whirl: I can probably get one workign with the parts from two. B l u r r: Uh... Hn. /fishing through the cart. Holds one out / This is another part of one. Whirl: *plucks it up and sets it aside* Thanks. B l u r r: Mhm... Whirl: *and goes right back to the disassembly; he's dividing his attention between the launcher and the movie* B l u r r: / looking over a turret/ I wonder why he'd want me to even consider these. B l u r r: I absorb shots, I'm not the one shooting Whirl: Because turrets kick ***. Whirl: You should give it a shot. Shooting things is a laugh and a half, Teach. B l u r r: I'm not really a fan... FakeProwl: *yes. definitely against the man with the bombs.* B l u r r: / he's all for rooting for V / Whirl: nICE. Whirl: ((whop)) Neddles: [[Clever, clever.]] Whirl: Ha! Neddles: ((oh my god i just noticed i never changed my name back)) Whirl: ((OMG)) ItsyBitsySpyers: ((*coughs into appropriate name*)) FakeProwl: *he's just a Megatron with a fancy accent. A terrorist and a traitor who wants to destabilize the nation, and who will happily kill innocents and assassinate leaders to do it.* B l u r r: K-Kyehehehheh! B l u r r: Look at him! Such a skill with blades, it almost rivals mine. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Will reserve his judgment until he learns more about the society.* Whirl: *These guys remind Whirl of the Functionist, and he is not, regrettably, above killing innocent people in the face of revenge* FakeProwl: *and now he's killing cops.* Whirl: *or letting them get caught in the crossfire when it comes to taking out his enemies* Whirl: *and now he has a myriad of turret parts splayed out neatly in front of him; he gets to work on the second* FakeProwl: *leans on soundwave. quietly takes hand.* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[...Forbidden works.]] Tarantulas: *wait, when did those parts get all over the floor and where did those deedly boppers come from* Tarantulas: *someone was hella distracted apparently* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave curls his fingers tight and leans in.* B l u r r: /vents and sets the turret aside / ItsyBitsySpyers: [[He remembers hearing of so many confiscated pieces.]] ItsyBitsySpyers: *Buzzsaw makes an angry noise from somewhere above.* B l u r r: I would pay a lot of money for pieces of art, honestly. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\...YEAH? HOW MUCH?\\ B l u r r: Depends on the art. Whirl: *Whirl's already started methodically disassembling another, so if Taratulas cares to look, he'll see the whole process* Tarantulas: *he's definitely leaning over a bit to watch, yep* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave wonders if this human will be wearing his mask for the entire movie, and when he first started.* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Buzzsaw floats down toward Blurr.* ItsyBitsySpyers: }}What kind?{{ B l u r r: / flicks finials and glances up / Hn? B l u r r: Well... hnh. I would like a statue of some sort. ItsyBitsySpyers: }}A personal representation?{{ B l u r r: No no... not of me. B l u r r: Of someone... else. ItsyBitsySpyers: }}Who might -that- be, if I may inquire?{{ B l u r r: [[ lmao me, tbh. ] B l u r r: [[ i feel like I tell people that all the time when they ask who i am ]] B l u r r: ... /mumbles/ Optimus Prime of Tyran? Whirl: *HE'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR THAT* ItsyBitsySpyers: }}Ah, a glorification piece.{{ Whirl: *pauses to glance up with another sly look* B l u r r: / he's adorable! Like a child, this murderer . / B l u r r: Yes, one of those /mumbling / ItsyBitsySpyers: }}Then I, Buzzsaw, offer my considerable artistic services.{{ B l u r r: Ah? Whirl: Can you make the statue animatronic? You know, able to, I don't know... lift its foot? Stomp? RedWhiteScreamer: *Sneering at everyone and everything before taking a seat* B l u r r: .. Stop. RedWhiteScreamer: (Hi :) ) B l u r r: [ hey! ] ItsyBitsySpyers: }}Can I - newspark's play!{{ Whirl: (( o7 )) RedWhiteScreamer: (Got the Matrix on TV also. lol Multi tasking like a pro) B l u r r: I don't want it to step on me. Whirl: *snickers, but does stop, and returns to his work disassembling the turret* This one looks salvageable, Teach. B l u r r: Ah? RedWhiteScreamer: Hm, Blurr could use a mask like that... Whirl: Yep. Give me another... fifteen? Twenty minutes? B l u r r: You could use a knife in the face. FakeProwl: *he talks like a Decepticon* ItsyBitsySpyers: }}If you are truly interested, send me the details and your offer. I will consider it.{{ B l u r r: ... /nods helm/ I'd be glad to. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Floats up to his usual space and resumes watching the movie.* Whirl: How would he show off his teeth if he got a mask like that? RedWhiteScreamer: I'd say so could you, but you've already got several loged in there. B l u r r: Those are my teeth, you twit. RedWhiteScreamer: Teeth, knife, aft, all looks the same on you B l u r r: Oh for pit sake. Whirl: He's got great teeth. RedWhiteScreamer: (much love for these two) B l u r r: Thank you, Whirl. Whirl: *nods; he meant it* RedWhiteScreamer: Coming from a faceless wonder, it's not saying much. B l u r r: / snarls and throws a piece of metal at Starscream / Whirl: Pfft--*glances up from his position on the floo r and swivels his helm over* And somehow, even without a face, I'm not as butt-ugly as you. Whirl: And I'm DESIGNER UGLY. Whirl: I'm SCIENTIFICALLY-ENGINEERED ufly. Whirl: ...*ugly RedWhiteScreamer: *Snorts* Sure thing, whirlybird. Whirl: It's Whirl. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Slowly seeing more reasons why the masked human might choose to do what he is doing.* B l u r r: / pulls up a set of long rifles, but they're broken/ Hnh... Whirl: People can only call me "whirlybird" when I'm the literal bird. ...again. FakeProwl: *still doesn't sympathize.* FakeProwl: *a decepticon fighting a mediocre government and a decepticon fighting a bad government are both decepticons and both worse than whatever the government is up to* RedWhiteScreamer: *Boredly watches the weird humans and their cultures* What a garrish human cloaking. B l u r r: Honestly, I don't know how any of these will fit on my frame. B l u r r: / grumbling and fishing in the cart / RedWhiteScreamer: The pink frilly waist tarp? B l u r r: No, that's something YOU would wear. Whirl: THIS one, I wouldn't recommend. It needs an ammunitin feed and a power supply, and you need all the power you can get. Whirl: Besides, you're built for speed, so bulking you up wouldn't be the BEST idea. RedWhiteScreamer: Hm, no the pink would clash with my red paintwork. B l u r r: pink is a variation of red. Whirl: If you've got anything in there that's light and uses energy-based ammunition, throw it my way. Might work better. RedWhiteScreamer: I wouldn't expect YOU to understand colors. Whirl: And, we both know I'D look the best in that frilly getup. *waves a claw* B l u r r: / vents and looks at whirl / I don't know. I also don't know what exactly he wants to install. Whirl: *he's joking, of course* B l u r r: Why wouldn't I understand colors? I match perfectly. RedWhiteScreamer: *Turns a shade a green imagening Whirl in a frilly pink dress* Whirl: *shrugs; I don't know either. I'll look through your stuff, though, when I'm done here. RedWhiteScreamer: Aw, Blurr, no one has told you? RedWhiteScreamer: Each part of you is just a liiitle off shade. B l u r r: K-Kyehheheh. That's okay. B l u r r: It means that my purple just looks better with another purple. B l u r r: When you mix shades, it makes quite the melody. RedWhiteScreamer: Tch, can't take an insult can you? B l u r r: Oh, I can take them. When they're done the right way. RedWhiteScreamer: (Misterrr Anderson) ItsyBitsySpyers: *Is damned curious about what all this 'what you did' was.* B l u r r: / flickers optic. Aw... she sounded like she meant it, too / FakeProwl: *... her death was an oddly tender scene* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[He hopes we will see what is in that journal.]] FakeProwl: I think we are now. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Good. Good.]] Whirl: *eyes the screen warily for a few moments; this could get uncomfortable. Well, he has weapons to distract him* RedWhiteScreamer: *Wings twitch* RedWhiteScreamer: Hm, I thought Earthlings weren't fire proof B l u r r: / pulls up a bundle of wires/ Well, this is pointless. /tosses it back in / Whirl: *and, done with the turret* Okay. Like I said, this won't work without a power supply, or ammunition feed. Mechanically, it's sound, but there's some parts of it that could do with replacing. Whirl: But, it works. *sets the repaired turret aside and starts to gather up all the leftover pieces* What else you got? B l u r r: A few guns. /pulls them out and vents/ B l u r r: What am I supposed to do with all of this? /vents again/ I don't understand why he wants me to look em oer B l u r r: *over Whirl: Because he's a WRECKER, and giving people guns is ROMANTIC. B l u r r: /rolls optic/  It's not my approache. Whirl: Even if YOU don't use them, they'll be valuable to your crew, after all. B l u r r: *approach FakeProwl: *so he survived a disease and he was brought in to help come up with a cure for it, and he blew up the facility? Because he was being experimented on—to SAVE THE POPULATION?* Whirl: Take it from someone who knows. This--*gestures to the cart* Is enough to make any self-respecting person who knows PROPER romance swoon. B l u r r: He didn't GIVE me these, I just salvaged them. B l u r r: He wants to install them on me, I think. Whirl: Oh, well, I thought you said he gave them to you. B l u r r: I mean, he and Topspin have them all over the place. Whirl: Anyway... if there's anything in there you think might be useful to YOU, lemme at it. I could use an actual challenge. *he wriggles all of his horrid deedly-boppers at once. It's a dreadful spectacle* B l u r r: / smirks a little and holds out an RPG looking weapon/ I could install this on my back. Or split it into two and slip them on my waist. B l u r r: The problem is my processor... ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave's quite sure they were designing something. They talked about nuclear power - often part of modern human weaponry - and viruses 'leaving wealth intact'.* RedWhiteScreamer: *Watches the pile of scrap metal sitting beside the pile of broken guns.* Dressing up for a date,? B l u r r: No. I just got back from one. Whirl: OH? B l u r r: Er... Whirl: *SUDDENLY MORE INTERESTED IN BLURR THAN THE GUNS* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[The human female must leave there. Now.]] ItsyBitsySpyers: \\HOLD UP. YOU WAS ON A DATE?\\ Whirl: You went on a DATE? How was it? Where did you go? Did you blow anything up? FakeProwl: Indeed. B l u r r: / flicks finials./ Er, well... no. I mean, we went out on the town in disguise. Whirl: As vehicles? FakeProwl: He's in trouble. B l u r r: ... Ah. Well, sort of. B l u r r: We had to use holoforms for a moment... RedWhiteScreamer: *Watches Blurr now instead* Whirl: Ohh. Whirl: Hey, whatever floats your boat. B l u r r: It was... all right. Whirl: *sly look* Did you have a good time? How romantic is he? Dish, Teach! RedWhiteScreamer: Wait, I haven't heard much from- B l u r r: W-what? FakeProwl: He's going to die for this stunt. Whirl: How did it GO? Whirl: And--yep. Probably. This is why you don't get far unless you start blowing up buildings. Whirl: And tearing apart the oppressive government with your own claws. B l u r r: It went... smoothly. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[This is her second time seeing that.]] B l u r r: well. I mean... /shifts and looks at Whirl and Frenzy/ These humans tried to rob us. Whirl: Did you rough em up? RedWhiteScreamer: *Glances at the screen* Hm, guess we weren't theonly ones with a Senate. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\WHAT WAS THEY STEALIN'?\\ B l u r r: Oh, we did. K-Kyeheheheh. We worked pretty well as a team. Tarantulas: (( ooc i gotta run - assume tara left for an experiment, sry :c B l u r r: / twitches claws/ Whirl: ((seeya! Whirl: Nice. RedWhiteScreamer: (( Just imagined Taran succenly skittering on the clieling)) Whirl: That sounds like a damn good date, Teach. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[What is the purpose of removing the fur?]] Whirl: *gonna rifle around on the cart. He'd rather not watch this closely* FakeProwl: ... Maybe it's a hygiene thing? FakeProwl: They need special soap to wash their fur, and things get tangled in it. RedWhiteScreamer: And Prime wanted to save these things? Whirl: Anything in here energy-based, Teach? FakeProwl: If they cut off all the fur, that's less time and effort they have to spend showering her. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Nods. He sees.* B l u r r: I don't know... one of the guns might be. B l u r r: They weren't stealing anything- I guess they wanted money, I don't know Whirl: ((may I assume whirl finds one?)) B l u r r: But, we wiped them out. Er, well, he didn't let me kill them B l u r r: [[ yeh ]] Whirl: *nods* Sounds like he was being a good Autobot. RedWhiteScreamer: Egh, this is boring. *Stands and dusts himself off* See you never, BLurry. RedWhiteScreamer: ((ttyl bbs!)) B l u r r: [[ byyeee ]] Whirl: ((seeya!)) B l u r r: He was... he always is. Whirl: *at last he pulls out a promising-looking pistol* B l u r r: hmm? ItsyBitsySpyers: *...Ah.* Whirl: *he's turned the pitsol over again and again, and now he starts to disassemble it* B l u r r: Look useful? Whirl: Interesting story. Reminds me a little bit of the way things were. FakeProwl: *is trying to figure out why the Valerie human was taken away* Whirl: God, there's nothing I hate more than Functionists. Mm? *looks up* Dunno yet. Whirl: Still taking it apart. B l u r r: Pit, they remind me of the Decepticons. I mean, more or less. Our Decepticons are a pain. Really focused on keeping things the way they are. Whirl: Waot--so-- Whirl: *wait Whirl: HE did it? ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Of course.]] Whirl: ...I'd kill him. FakeProwl: ... HE'S been keeping her locked up?! And—and torturing her, and—?! B l u r r: So she wouldn't be afraid anymore. Whirl: I'm all for tearing down the government, but I'd still kill him. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Where did you think the letter came from? She mentioned the same plants he leaves.]] FakeProwl: *darkest scowl* Whirl: Pfft, now he's trying to make HER feel guilty. B l u r r: Oh come on, human. Whirl: She's just traded one leash for another. Whirl: Grab one of his swords and kill him! B l u r r: /flicks claws / B l u r r: He makes sense to me. Whirl: Yeah, well, I dunno how many years YOU'VE spent in prison, Teach--*removes a piece a bit more violently than is perhaps necessary* Whirl: --but if I ahd the chance to get revenge for everything that was done to ME, I would. B l u r r: / shrugs / Whirl: And I wouldn't waste my sympathy on the fraggers that PUT me there, either. FakeProwl: Oh, come off it you self-absorbed scrap. You spent who-knows-how-long torturing her, you don't get to act like you did her a favor. B l u r r: Depends on what kind of prison you're expecting me to answer about. FakeProwl: He didn't liberate her, he indoctrinated her into a cult. Whirl: *shakes his head curtly* Forget I mentioned it. I don't wanna talk about it. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Absolutely not a fan of that method, but is interested in what will happen now.* Whirl: *snorts; she's not wrong* FakeProwl: *at least she can still recognize that he's a monster* B l u r r: / hahaaaaaaa. Flicks finials. Mumbling to each side / Whirl: Anyway. Unless you've got duplicate parts for this one, I don't think I can salvage this one. B l u r r: I can find some. B l u r r: I have to go back to see him soon anyway. Whirl: Got a datapad? Whirl: I can make a list. B l u r r: Mm... /shifts and holds out one / B l u r r: I'm not sure that he wants these weapons on me anytime soon. B l u r r: I just figured I should match. Whirl: *plucks it up and sets it aside; he gets back to work, tapping out occasional notes as he does* B l u r r: Or maybe he figured- I don't know. They seem uniform in nature. Whirl: Well, even so, might as well do something useful while I'm here. B l u r r: Mm.. ItsyBitsySpyers: *He thought so.* Whirl: *watching the screen raptly again; the deedlies are momentarily still* Whirl: *back to the gun* FakeProwl: *well, the government is probably bad—depending on how much V was lying—but still against V. has seen first hand what people like him lead to.* FakeProwl: *annnd here's the start of it* ItsyBitsySpyers: *So very familiar.* FakeProwl: *scowl darkens* Whirl: That was a well-done scene. Whirl: Good storytelling. FakeProwl: *squeezes Soundwave's hand* B l u r r: Mmhm. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Looks over, curious.* ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Bothered? FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Too familiar.» ItsyBitsySpyers: //...Not gonna lie, I was sorta expectin' a theme park to blow up or somethin'.// Whirl: Pfft. Did that happen in your dimension? *glances over* B l u r r: / snort / B l u r r: Oh for pit sake, this human is annoying. Kill it. B l u r r: He reminds me of the Quintessons, except angrier. Whirl: Oh, I'd love to see him dead. ItsyBitsySpyers: //One of the first things, yeah. Supposed to be a 'frag you' sign.// ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave squeezes back, then, and nods.* Whirl: Pfft. Whirl: I dunno if they blew up any theme parks in our dimension... *glances back* Prowl? Anyone blow up a theme park in your timeline? FakeProwl: Everything blew up eventually. Whirl: So I gather. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt) Soundwave wonders: This, only way similar problems ended? Whirl: *looks to Rumble* I didn't see any of it firsthand, of course. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «What? In riots and anarchy?» ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Affirmative. If other viable solution ever found. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Rumble's about to open his mouth and ask if Whirl was still in prison. Decides he probably shouldn't.* ItsyBitsySpyers: //Course.// Whirl: *he's 100% right, though* FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I don't call this a "viable solution."» Whirl: *returns to the gun* B l u r r: I remember when the Decepticons started blowing up buildings. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): ...What thought better? FakeProwl: @Soundwave «A bad government.» Whirl: Very satisfying. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\YEAH? WHAT HAPPENED FOR YOU GUYS?\\ Whirl: Now, kill the rest of them. B l u r r: Yes good! Slaughter them all! B l u r r: / looks at Frenzy/ who, me? ItsyBitsySpyers: \\YEAH, YOU.\\ ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): ...Cannot agree. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I don't expect you to.» B l u r r: Yes-!! Whirl: Nice. B l u r r: Look how well knives work. B l u r r: My favorite. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Small nod. For that much, at least, he is grateful.* B l u r r: / brilliant! / B l u r r: / looks back at Frenzy/ what, you mean during our war? It was a typical outbreak. I didn't join up until things were mostly established, though. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\HOW COME?\\ B l u r r: I was still lecturing in Polyhex when the sparks of war started. B l u r r: Optronix left and returned, renaming himself Optimus Prime. After that, war was inevitable. B l u r r: Megatron wouldn't give iup. B l u r r: *up FakeProwl: *... they didn't start shooting the civilians* Whirl: All right, this one's done. I've put it back together the best I can, and here's what you'll need to fix it. *sets the gun back on the cart and passes the datapad to Blurr* FakeProwl: *sags in relief* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Rubs thumb against back of hand.* ItsyBitsySpyers: \\OPTRONIX? WEIRD NAME.\\ B l u r r: / grabs the datapad/ Thanks. B l u r r: / vents/ He had an odd name before, but it became better. Whirl: *winces* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[...He does have to admit that was the most exciting rendition of that piece he's ever heard.]] Whirl: Interesting movie. B l u r r: More or less. Whirl: Heh. Whirl: Nice wallpaper. B l u r r: / rolls optic / ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy wolf whistles.* Whirl: ((brb)) B l u r r: [[ mk ]] B l u r r: / huffs at Frenzy/ What. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy snickers and nudges Blurr.* B l u r r: / rolls optic/  What? ItsyBitsySpyers: \\YA ALWAYS USE YOUR SWEETSPARKS FOR SCREEN SAVIN'?\\ B l u r r: ... No. B l u r r: / sometimes / ItsyBitsySpyers: \\UH-HUH.\\ He just laughs some more and crosses his legs to get comfortable.* B l u r r: It's not ALWAYS someone important. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Dissatisfying ending. Outcome wanted. Whirl: Not a bad shot of him. B l u r r: No, I suppose it's not... Whirl: *also obviously delighting in teasing Blurr* Did he send you this snapshot himself? B l u r r: No... Whirl: A little something to keep you warm on those long, cold, interstellar nights, eh? FakeProwl: @Soundwave «They ended it at the correct point. If it went any farther, it would have to show the riots, the mass murders, the battles, the famine, and the dead in the streets.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Instead it ended with soldiers deciding not to shoot civilians. That's the only happy ending it could have had.» B l u r r: It's just something I have. Whirl: *snickers, ferrying the last of the loose parts onto the cart* Anyway. You should let me work on the rest of this stuff. *leans back and slowly extends his legs, one by one, stretching* I know guns. B l u r r: It's not so much the guns that are worrisome, it's the way they will install into my frame. B l u r r: I won't be able to fold them into my armor. Whirl: Then, why get them installed at all? B l u r r: I think he wants me to. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Prowl certain? Present humans not united? B l u r r: Now, I don't usually do what other people tell me, but they're a bigger crowd to work with. ItsyBitsySpyers: *He's not being contrary. This is a topic of some seriousness to him.* B l u r r: Those Tyran mechs are bigger than I am. Whirl: You gonna add them to your crew, or something? ItsyBitsySpyers: \\SO DON'T FOLD 'EM IN. HIS DEADLINESS HAD A BIG OL' CANNON RIGHT ON HIS FRAGGIN' ARM.\\ FakeProwl: @Soundwave «That's how revolutions end. There are still people in power. Those people won't decide to give up power just because two of them died.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Even if the former government has completely fallen—the fact that those "united" people agreed that the last government was bad doesn't mean they agree on what a good one looks like.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «All we know for certain that they agree on is that violence is how to deal with the people who want to establish a government they don't want.» B l u r r: / snort at frenzy/ B l u r r: more like... the other way around ItsyBitsySpyers: *Mildly frustrated air puff.* Whirl: *tilts his head. Give him a second* Whirl: *hops up* You're gona roll with them for a while? FakeProwl: *concerned sideways glance. too far? should prowl shut up?* Whirl: Teach, may I make a music request, while I'm hangin out? B l u r r: ... Pardon? B l u r r: Roll with- wait, what? Whirl: A song. B l u r r: What for? Whirl: And I promise, this isn't me poking fun at you. It's just a song I like. B l u r r: It depends...? Whirl: *pings it* ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt) Cannot trust, accept failed government. Violent revolution end... yours, own Cybertron situation. Sincere desire: joint work effort succeeds, functional society produced.-- ItsyBitsySpyers: Other action option not known if failed. Whirl: No big deal if you can't. Anyway... what were we talking about. Oh, yeah--'Buster taking you on? Wrecker consultant or something? B l u r r: Uhm... /fiddling with claws / B l u r r: [[ lmao i totally forgot I like. OWN that song. ]] Whirl: *perks up* Thanks, Teach. B l u r r: Mm. Whirl: ((A GOOD SONG)) ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): ...Population, society salvage: important. Also tiring. Age beyond age felt. B l u r r: [[ YES INDEEDY ]] B l u r r: / twisting claws together and cracking the joints/ Not exactly a consultant... Whirl: *tilts his head again; he's tapping his foot to the song* Whirl: *lightbulb, AT LONG LAST* Wait--d'you mean--did he pop the question? THE question? FakeProwl: @Soundwave «... Mm. Yes. It is important. But if things go wrong again—another revolution and another war aren't the way to salvage them. They're the way to end them.» Whirl: *ZOOP* Did he--did Roadbuster ask you to JOIN? ItsyBitsySpyers: \\HOLD UP. CAN HE DO THAT?\\ Whirl: If he's the leader, he can. B l u r r: / slight noise / Whirl: Well--that's the way it worked here, anyway. Whirl: *if Blurr doesn't dodge it he's gonna get whapped on the shoulder with a claw* Quit being coy, you walking skidplate! Spit it out! B l u r r: / flicks finials/ Ah... Whirl: *snorts and shoots a deadpan glance to Frenzy* One thing;s for sure, if he DID, he didn't recruit Blurr for his oratory skills. B l u r r: Oh, shut up! ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl:(txt): Affirmative. New war unwanted. Revolution thoughts - other planets, timelines. Not own, Prowl's. Already done. Rebuilding needed. Desired better pre-war solution recipient: others. B l u r r: / vents and faceplate is heated / B l u r r: He might have, in a round about way, asked me. Whirl: *WHAPS again* Lord, was that so hard? If you can't even SAY it, you wimp--! B l u r r: / scowls/ Whirl: *whaps YET AGAIN, HARDER, but this time there's enthusiasm behind it, and his optic curves into a gleeful curve* Congrats! Whirl: I mean, you'd BETTER accept. Being asked to join the Wreckers is--it's the best, mech. Whirl: You won't regret it. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «We should be looking for a best-case-scenario Cybertron, I suppose.» B l u r r: / grumbles/ B l u r r: It's a lot more than that. Whirl: How so? B l u r r: They defend the humans. Whirl: And...? B l u r r: I would rather kill them. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «... Hm. A year ago, Pipes told me he was looking for a universe that was better off than ours.» Whirl: I'm assuming they're not going to defend the specific humans that attacked Autobots on the planet. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Assurance: Soundwave looking all years since defection. None seen. Until located, post-war salvage best attempt. B l u r r: No, but I dislike humans all the same. Whirl: And please, you're gonna let a little hang-up like that stop you? Pathetic. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I thought it was a... silly, utopian notion—a universe where Cybertron is unambiguously better off, not just subjectively. But it's a year later and I still keep thinking about it.» Whirl: I'm telling you, you join the Wreckers, they're gonna be the best damn years of your life. Take it from someone who knows. B l u r r: / scowls at Whirl / B l u r r: It isn’t a little “hang-up” Whirl: Yes, it is. ItsyBitsySpyers: *…That’s unexpected. He rearranges himself to get a better look and nod. Go on; he’s listening.* B l u r r: No, it isn’t. Whirl: Then lay it out for me. FakeProwl: *no, that’s it. his point’s finished.* B l u r r: I don’t like humans for a REASON. B l u r r: You KNOW the reason. Whirl: Because it seems like a stupid thing to get caught up on, if you’re just feeling pis sy because the humans you’re protecting are the same species as the ones who screwed you over. ItsyBitsySpyers: \AW, C'MON. YA GOTTA SAVE LIKE. A COUPLE FLESHIES. THEY MAKE GREAT HORROR FILMS.\ B l u r r: / crosses arms and just vents / B l u r r: Forget it. Whirl: *snorts, but, shockingly, does back off on the humans thing* Whirl: Regardless… *raises his claw, as if to whap, but instead nudges* It’s good. Whirl: I think that’s it. B l u r r: / rolls optic / Whirl: How do you even–what is it that people say at times like this? “I’m happy for you?” B l u r r: Their family… they’re not gonna like me. B l u r r: / mumbles and rubs his abused shoulder / B l u r r: It doesn’t matter anyway. I already told him my answer. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Prowl might think his point’s finished, but he’s sparked a bit of curiosity.* @Prowl: (txt): Memory revisitation reason? ItsyBitsySpyers: \WHADJA SAY?\ Whirl: That’s how it works. Whirl: Not at first, probably, but knock em around a bit, get into a few life-or-death scrapes, and pry enough bullets out of each other, and you’ll warm up to one another. Whirl: *ZOOP* And? FakeProwl: @Soundwave «… I don’t know.» B l u r r: and what? Whirl: *whaps* You KNOW what, knucklehead. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I mean—I know right now. Right now, it’s because we’re talking about finding a Cybertron that went better than ours. But in general, I don’t know.» B l u r r: / scowls and swats back at him jokingly/ I told him yes! Forpit sake… knock it off. Whirl: *sways dramatically under the hit and snickers* THOUGHT so. Whirl: But trust me–you won’t regret it. Whirl: Look, I get it–you’re feeling conflicted. A lot of mecha do, I mean, not just for the reasons you do. Whirl: ((…swap those two)) B l u r r: It’s different with me for many reasons… FakeProwl: ((did it just refresh for anyone else?)) Whirl: It’s different for everyone. Whirl: ((not me :|a)) FakeProwl: ((CAN SOMEBODY SEND ME THE LOG THEN PLEASE)) Whirl: But like I said--best years of your life. Nothing else comes close. ItsyBitsySpyers: ((can do)) FakeProwl: ((my record goes up to "B l u r r: / scowls at Whirl /")) B l u r r: I'm not moving in with him... FakeProwl: ((thank)) ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): ...In utopia, Prowl rests. Whirl: Well, obviously, you've got to stay with your crew. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): This - current plan, old plan, all - not needed. Weight gone. Whirl: But it's--you know. It's a thing. *you were handed a place to belong ona  silver platter, Blurr; it doesn't get better than that* B l u r r: Aside from that, there's new alliances. B l u r r: A new map. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\I HEARD NEW MAP.\\ Whirl: Yep... *simulates a loud sniff and mimes wiping a single tear from his optic* I can't believe it. Teach, growin' up. Whirl: And joining the Wreckers. B l u r r: ... oh stop. /fiddling with claws / B l u r r: There's just one... tiny problem. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «... There are a lot of scenarios where I rest. Starscream dying. Somebody writing a highly sympathetic tell-all book about my life that makes me out to be a hero. Cybertron exploding.» Whirl: I'm never going to stop, and you're going to have to learn to accept it. Whirl: Damn, Blurr. You really got it all going for you, don't you? A damn sight better than you used to. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I don't linger on THOSE phantasms.» Whirl: *nudges, and there is even a hint of sincerity in his voice* Good goin'. B l u r r: ... What do you mean? B l u r r: / looks confused / B l u r r: / but smirks just a bit / B l u r r: Maybe you guys can come over sometime. It's not my place to invite mechs over, but... you know. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt) This, -perfect- rest. That, utopia basis. Constructicons gone. Enemies gone. Personal struggles eased. Freedom owned. Whirl: If you ever need a chopper to help you blow stuff up again, feel free to call me in. I'm an expert. I can be your ***-kicking consultant. B l u r r: K-Kyeheheeh. Yeah, I suppose. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Finding a universe where everything had gone right wouldn't neutralize my enemies or pull the Constructicons out of my mind.» B l u r r: We'll have to see what storm the planet brings us Whirl: *salutes* Keep me updated. And let me know when you need more stuff don with these--*gestures to the gun cart* Whirl: Gives me something to do. ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Negative. However, imagining self there since beginning: appealing. That, personal theory. Perhaps Soundwave: wrong. Possible. Idea only. B l u r r: … I haven’t told him about the weaponry and my processor. B l u r r: I don’t know if it’s going to last, but I can try. Little by little. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I haven’t been imagining myself there since the beginning.» Whirl: …@Blurr: it might not. Good things rarely do. ItsyBitsySpyers: \UH. YEAH, MAYBE I'MMA RAINCHECK YA ON THE VISIT A WHILE. EX-CON. Y'KNOW.\ Whirl: @Blurr: So enjoy it while you can. B l u r r: So what, Frenzy? They don’t care. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I’ve just been thinking about Pipes’s search for a universe like that.» ItsyBitsySpyers: *Really? Surprising. He nods and accepts his correction.* B l u r r: @Whirl: Don’t know how well that’ll go. Whirl: *shrugs in response* ANYWAY… I’m going to go on. B l u r r: Yet, I admit… /presses claws on his scarred jaw/ He has this way with violence that tears limbs from sockets and it’s absolutely perfect. Whirl: Seriously, Teach. *pauses. And then suddenly LASHES OUT IN ANOTHER PLAYFUL WAP* Good going. B l u r r: / makes a noise and swats back at / Whirl: *snickers* FakeProwl: @Soundwave «… I don’t understand how people can do that—fantasize about history having gone differently.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I’d think that the more mentally elaborate the alternate history becomes, the more bitter and disappointing reality becomes.» Whirl: Later, losers. *waves to Blurr and the gathered mecha* If you wanna take advantage of bing tangible, Prowl, better do it now. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy waves* FakeProwl: … Hm. B l u r r: / waves claw/ FakeProwl: *leans head over for crest tap?* B l u r r: / fiddling with claws. Looks at Frenzy/ Anyway… B l u r r: You should come over again. I found a new map. ItsyBitsySpyers: *More than willing to indulge that. Might ping Whirl a thank-you.* ItsyBitsySpyers: \WHERE’S IT GO?\ ItsyBitsySpyers: \AIN’T ANOTHER THUNDERTRON, IS IT? I WAS PICKIN’ PIECES OUTTA MY SPINES FOR DAYS.\ Whirl: *he’ll pause in the doorway long enough for it to happen, throw one last salute, and trot off* ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): In cell, living death, reality already bitter, disappointing. History divergence scenarios: appealing. *A pause.* Prowl not all wrong. Later, escape, vengeance scenarios preferred. B l u r r: No no… Thundertron is good and dead. B l u r r: I don’t know where it goes. That’s the fun. ItsyBitsySpyers: \HOW DO YA KNOW IT AIN’T GONNA BLACK HOLE YA?\ B l u r r: What’s the fun in knowin? The fun of piracy is never knowing where you’re going, just knowing what you’re chasing B l u r r: Besides… I’m confident that there is no black hole. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «… I’ve never been able to find solace in fantasies. Any solace in any context. Past divergences, future hypotheticals—even at my lowest moments.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «I think I’m not wired for it.» ItsyBitsySpyers: \YEAH? THEN WHATCHA PLANNIN’ TO DO?\ ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Different. Interesting. What done, in lowest moment? Where found, solace? B l u r r: Just see what’s on the other side… to find the treasure. B l u r r: Maybe fight. K-Kyeheheheh. FakeProwl: *a long, long silence* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy “whispers”.* \CAN I COME?\ FakeProwl: *the silence is still going* B l u r r: / smirks and leans over. Whisper / Yes, of course. Actually, I have a question for you. ItsyBitsySpyers: *…Uncertain shift. Should he not have asked that? He doesn’t know what’s wrong with the questions, but…* FakeProwl: @Soundwave «………………………. Magnets help.» ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy scoots in and wiggles in excitement.* B l u r r: How would you /motions to Frenzy/ Like to be a member of the crew ? Officially? You don’t have to travel with us, but you’ll be considered an alliance. You’ll be someone who will be invited on- B l u r r: every hunt. And allowed on the ship whenever you like. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave is suddenly 300x more glad he thought to have Tarantulas smuggle some to Prowl during the prison stay.* ItsyBitsySpyers: \…NO KIDDIN’?\ B l u r r: No kidding. ItsyBitsySpyers: *A loud, loud whoop. That’s a yes.* FakeProwl: *winces* B l u r r: K-KYeheheheh. / reaches into subspace and motions for Frenzy to come over / ItsyBitsySpyers: *If he scoots much closer he’ll stab Blurr with all his pointy bits. But he’ll scoot a little more.* ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl (txt): Noted. Much explained. … Personal collection, Soundwave’s. B l u r r: / go ahead. Pain is invited./ Here. /holds out a metal symbol. It is their pirate symbol. / B l u r r: For you to carry so my crew knows you. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy glances around, snatches the symbol, and stuffs it right into his subspace with a grin.* B l u r r: / smirks/ B l u r r: Welcome to the Skeleton Crew’s alliance. B l u r r: They like you, you know. The crew. ItsyBitsySpyers: \THAT IS THE COOLEST FRAGGIN’ NAME.\ ItsyBitsySpyers: \YEAH?\ B l u r r: K-Kyeheheheh. You like that? B l u r r: / nod nod / Yes. Dart especially liked you and your abilities. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Proud puff up* B l u r r: / smirks/ And I like you. I think you’re all interesting. B l u r r: But you. You helped find Thundertron. It’s only right you get to be part of the crew. ItsyBitsySpyers: \…I DON’T GOTTA BE PART OF THE SHIP THOUGH, RIGHT? LIKE THEM MOVIES WITH THE FEELER-FACE FLESHIE.\ B l u r r: No no… that’s for the mechs we kil. B l u r r: *kill ItsyBitsySpyers: \GROSS.\ He snickers though. \KAY. I’M HONORED TO BE ACCEPTIN’, SIR.\ B l u r r: …/smirks / Captain. ItsyBitsySpyers: \UH, RIGHT. CAP'N.\ B l u r r: / nod nod/ So, you’re always invited. B l u r r: Of course, if Soundwave lets you. ItsyBitsySpyers: \COURSE. BOSS FIRST, ‘N ALL THAT. CAN’T BE NO OTHER WAY.\ ItsyBitsySpyers: \I GOTTA HURRY UP 'N GET BACK THOUGH.\ ItsyBitsySpyers: *Darts back over to Soundwave. The others follow shortly after.* FakeProwl: *Soundwave's about to leave? a farewell ping* ItsyBitsySpyers: *He starts to give another crest bump, realizes he can't, realizes he CAN but probably shouldn't do that here for something so small, and gives one as best he can to a non-solid hologram anyway.* FakeProwl: *fuzzy non-bump* ItsyBitsySpyers: (txt): Must continue apartment upgrade, check Ravage Metroplex progress. ItsyBitsySpyers: (txt): Will see next opportunity.  *Rises.* FakeProwl: *nods* See you next time. FakeProwl: *disappears*