kismet_loop | [Video/Action]

Video
[The feed comes on to show a bot who really has been rather quiet lately, offering a crooked half-smile.]

Hey folks.

[Did that seem like too much steam? He was just standing there, it didn’t look like he should be venting nearly that much steam in that case.]

Was just hopin’ someone c-could do me a favor, n-n- [Well that sudden malfunction of voice didn’t bode well. The titanium bot stopped dead, a tremor running through his frame as the sound of something grinding in his chassis was heard, the echo of something snapping accompanying the sudden jerk of his frame, steam billowing around him as his optics went dark and he suddenly sank on his feet as his systems simply forced a shutdown before something else went wrong.

The silence stretched a moment before there was another jerk of movement from the bot, steam hissing from vents as his gaze lifted, the light of his optics narrowed to pinpricks as there was a sudden tearing of fabric and he suddenly struck out at the drone. Not like anyone would know if the drone fared well after that; the feed cutting abruptly.]

Action
[Even if someone missed the video, it would be quite clear that something was not right with The Spine if they ran into him outside. His normal almost awkwardly smooth, practiced way of moving had been replaced by a heavy sort of gait that he hadn’t used since he was younger, the way he seemed to look through anyone that came near.

Sleeves shredded, fabric hanging in tatters around the weapons his arms had shifted to, the bot clearly on the hunt for something. Not seeing the city around him, seeing instead a bleak landscape, hearing the metallic trumpeting of the enemy. Whatever else might be happening, it was plain that he did not mean well for whoever crossed his path.]

((OOC: Warbot malfunction! There's some chance for some triggering mess- body horror, violence, death, things of that nature, so if you don't want that, just put an ooc note in your first reply and I'll make sure everything's a-ok. Also if you want your character and Spine to throw down let me know what the limits are/if you want to deal with them dying or not, serious injuries etc. His app has all the info on his warbot weapons but ask me if you need clarification!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Normally a moose, metal or flesh, could expect to win this stand-off. So when instead of dodging, The Spine simply planted his feet, and let weaponry sink back into his arms so his hands were free?

In another, less dire situation, the sight of the titanium bot seizing poor Bon Ron by the antlers, and using the moose's momentum to swing abruptly and heave the massive mechanical beast like a discus might be funny. But it certainly wasn't, even if the most harm that came to the poor beast was landing on a nearby building's roof. Pausing only to make sure no attack was coming from that way before turning his attention silently towards Sam again, steam hissing from vents as he considered her, clearly assessing if she was a threat or not.

So far so good, given weapons had not made a reappearance yet.]

Oh, god. [Was he---he WAS. Sam took a moment to just stand to see The Spine turn and toss Bon Ron up and out of sight.] Oh, shit.

[Retreating wasn't something Sam did often or well, but she rushed for the cover of the nearest corner. She wasn't going to just wait for The Spine to complete his evaluation, not when she could try to stack the odds, try to see to her safety. To do that, she didn't have to get far or away---just out of sight, just for a moment.]

[She realized she didn't have the pencil she usually used on her as she rounded the corner, and nearly shouted another swear before deciding it didn't matter: she'd improvise, make the most of her magic being what it was. Snorting in 'fine, fuck it' exasperation, Sam nipped at the side of her thumb---up near the nail, where it seemed easiest to draw blood---and scrawled a Label on her forehead. PAL wasn't an eloquent descriptor, but it was quick, it was easy to do while working blind, and it was in the neighbourhood of what she needed...]

[...and no-one would notice the letters, or what they were written with, while the Label was in effect.]

[Taking a breath, Sam stepped back into sight of The Spine, watching for any sign of recognition, or (if things were going to go from bad to worse) ill intent.]

Hey...?

[Good thing for Sam, it did seem to work. The bot's posture eased slightly as he studied her a moment before turning his attention to the area at large, to see if that mechanical moose would be coming around for round two, or if anything new would be coming to threaten them. The area being quiet was good, but the bot wasn't shaking from the state he was in, though even as he approached Sam, the weapons were still away.

So far everything was turning up daisies for her, wasn't it? Deciding she was obviously not a combatant, the bot took her by the hand to turn and lead away, trying to find someplace 'safe', though in the state he was in it was dubious he'd find anything.]

Edited 2016-03-18 04:54 (UTC)

[Thank god. Sam let out a breath as The Spine quite clearly concluded she wasn't a threat, following his gaze as he scanned their surroundings. Nothing and no-one, with the exception of her comm drone, which had shot up (presumably to follow Bon Ron's arcing flight) and was now sinking back to shoulder-height. That was alright; that meant nobody with bones to break would go the way of Bon Ron. She had to hope (and hope like hell) the poor thing would prove functional or fixable when found. She'd look as soon as she could, but---]

[The crisis came first.]

[Even as The Spine was reaching for her hand, Sam decided she'd roll with it (since it seemed the sensible thing to do) and so moved to accept the hold, following a few steps before asking]

And where're we headed?

Out of the c-c-mb-t zone-

[No that wasn't smoke twisting in with the steam he was venting, what gave anyone that idea? Just leading Sam along like he was trying to find someplace safe to bring her. His maps of the areas around the mines didn't include buildings like these, so he was running blind at this point.

But when the drone sank back to Sam's level? He certainly seemed to notice that, using his careful grasp on Sam's hand to pull him behind her, letting go of her hand for the moment to...

Wind up and punt the poor thing like he was going for a field goal. Once it was safely hurtling away, he simply turned to take Sam by the hand again and start moving like nothing had happened.]

Edited 2016-04-15 02:45 (UTC)

I---

[The pank of the comm drone being sent into Cybertron's stratosphere (Christ et calice et calvaire) ended that thought at 'I,']

[Out of the combat zone. It wasn't the best answer, but it wasn't the worst. Without any actual combat, it only meant 'away from here,' and that---that was alright. That was potentially advantageous.]

The hospital should be safe.

[It had to sound legit; as a sentence unto itself, it was entirely reasonable. As a solution, it seemed worth a shot. Paian would be at the hospital, or available to it, and (probably, hopefully, had to be) able to help.]

[The bot nodded at the suggestion, glancing up and down the street to make sure there were no more errant moose or drones about before he started to walk, leading Sam along. And while he was entirely malfunctioning, it seemed his pathfinding was working; either through luck or simple design he was leading in the right direction for now.]

[There was that---a substantial relief---though heading (and hoping) for the hospital had one complication: going by Gateway. If The Spine was amenable to the idea in his current condition, great; if not, what would be would be, 'a long walk' especially. Sam supposed she'd find out soon enough, and that the second scenario wasn't particularly problematic. Not ideal, but not awful.]

[Good luck with that one, Sam. Though it might happen that he'd notice her gait, and if it took a bit longer and things were quiet enough?

She might just be finding herself being given a piggyback ride. It wasn't like she was heavy, and he could bear her easily, keeping his laser array free for if any threats cropped up.

Hi-Ho Silver, away?]

[Sam has lived through many moments in which it wouldn't've been inappropriate to shout "life is so goddamn weird already, this might as well happen" and this---though she does not shout it, does not say it, only thinks it---is one of them.]

[Whatever. As "um, okay?" as it is, she'll deal and do what she does best: come out all roses.]

How you doin', Spine?

[Unfortunately in this state, he's not a very good conversationalist. However her use of his name does get a glance back at her before his attention returns to where they're going. She knows his name, so clearly in this state? She must be one of Peter's employees. What was she even doing in the combat zone then?]

[Moot point. The acknowledging glance Sam got was better than nothing at all, but... not reassuring, not really. Everything else---the strands of smoke where there should be nothing but steam, the somehow off sounds The Spine occasionally produced, and the distortions of his aura---outweighed it by much too broad a margin. Resigned to spending the rest of the ride in relative silence, she'd watch for other Haveners to warn, and wait.]

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