I will be traveling to the water planet of Azure at the request of its rulers, and to a surface location overseen by a Warden. Although this is intended to be a purely diplomatic task, as with any mission off the ship there carries a certain level of inherent risk. I would be appreciative if you'd consider joining myself and a few others.
[ He's careful not to phrase it as an order; he may have practiced that a handful of times before connecting the comm. ]
[Ew, it's a Starscream. Not the one involved in a political trashfire of his universe, but a high-ranking Decepticon nonetheless. Still, it's better than working with a high-ranking Autobot, and the plant of Azure...]
That's where the shark kid we found is from, right? [It felt right to follow up Undertow's rescue with meeting his parents. Plus, they might like the group better if they were reminded of all the favors the Cybertronians did for them.]
[Krok did get him out of the slavers' clutches, but he thinks back to the constant biting. He gained the child's favorable opinion, but at the cost of pain and agony.]
[ Recently Bass requested some important information. Who... is the strongest Cybertronian on this ship. He received a hot tip that it was 'Shockwave' but also 'not the Senator one'. There were a few thoughts that went through his processor. One... it was really dumb that there were two people here with the SAME NAME. It must get confusing! Two, while he does (surprisingly) know what a Senator is, he has no idea what a Senator looks like. Do they wear signs? Bass guesses probably not.
This leads him to one conclusion: He has to fight BOTH of them to make sure he's actually fighting the strong one.
This leads him to a second conclusion: He has no idea where Shockwave lives. He could ask for direction, ask if anyone knows... but that begs the question... If they know how strong Bass is will they even tell the truth?
There is now one solution: He has to canvas the ship himself and check every inhabited room he comes across.
So there's the backstory. And that's why Bass, armored up in his winged Treble armor (being able to fly covers ground quicker!) is pounding aggressively at your door.
[ After Krok finishes a long day of dealing with Krok typical luck he'll find a rubber duck on a chair in his room. When this duck is picked up the tiny gears within are activated by motion and it pats the holder on the shoulder. Don't worry buddy. ]
There came a tentative knock on the door to Krok's office. Standing on the other side was Velocity and the security vehicon who'd escorted her here.
She offered Krok a weak smile and hugged half of her four arms with the other half. "I- I know Knock Out isn't here right now for my therapy anppointments, and Ratchet said-" She hunched, averting her gaze with an expression somewhere between misery and frustration. "Mandatory. Sorry you've been dragged into my problems. Again."
There was pose that Rung does, with one leg cross over the other and his hands steepled together, when he greeted his patients. Krok wasn't fond of copying others, thus he leans back on his armchar, legs spread and hands on the armrests as if relaxing to watch the game on television.
When he turned his head to Velocity, his mask hid any expression and gave him an air of more mystery that he deserved. "This is what my job is. There's nothing wrong with coming to me if Knock Out's not. Come," He held out a hand at the couch. For once, a serious concern. Ratchet had warned him that Velocity had a lot to work through, but he hadn't been practicing on minor concerns without developing his skills.
Velocity nodded without looking at him as her head fins snapped shut. She forced them open again with a muttered word down at her feet, flushing purple when they snapped shut again.
She went to go sit on the couch but immediately got back to her feet and started flapping out all four of her hands at her sides with an unhappy grinding noise in her chassis. "Nothing even happened this week," she scowled down at her feet. She'd been feeling so frustrated and unhappy and- and angry since the mission but she couldn't direct it at Megatron, could and would not. So she paced and she muttered and she snapped out her hands at her sides. "Shouldn't have to be every week. Twice, some."
Oh. Krok hadn't expected that Velocity would start out so impassioned, even if she wasn't going straight to the matter. Most people, such as the Vehicons, were incredibly shy and needed to get gently prodded to talk.
"So what happened the last week, if nothing happens so far this week? It sounds like there's a lot happening." A pause. "We didn't even do our formal introductions. I'm Krok. Our first session will be one hour long."
Velocity flicked her optics at him with the briefest flicker of softening of her tense expression. "Hi, Krok. I do remember you. Velocity. Sorry, I- I didn't do the rules. 'Hi,' make optic contact and smile and ask how they are and say you're fine, thank you..."
She twisted her mouth and resumed flapping her hands and pacing. "F-fine, fine. It's been fine. I just-"
If Krok was disturbed by this diversion from the rules, he didn't show it. "Have you met Misfire? The one who was locked in the closet for a few months and then ended up having to pay a debt on the spa planet? He's my comrade. We don't typically do formal greetings, but I figured that we should follow some sort of script in here. Professionalism or whatever."
He waved a hand, then leaned back into the seat. "How so? Restless can mean many things."
Velocity slowed her pacing and shook her head after a brief hesitation. "Is he- was he someone from back home? Riptide said I was somebody he knew and respected, and..." She plucked at her own leg plating with one hand while the other three flapped at her sides, face drawing down into what was almost a flinch before she started pacing again.
At that next question she hunched, looking away. "It-" A hitched vent in, and out as a miserable noise she tried and failed to stifle. "...Angry. I don't like being angry, not when-"
She made another, smaller noise. "Do I have to say? It's in Ratchet's notes, isn't it? Or-" No, she realized with a look of dawning resignation. It wouldn't be in his notes, because she hadn't ever told him. "It- it's fine."
"Who knows? Riptide and I are probably from different points in the timeline. If we ever met...maybe. Misfire likes people who like to get into trouble with him."
He peered at Velocity. She didn't seem the time to do well under pressure. Could she manage running from law enforcement after stealing a vending machine?
"...You kind of have to mention it. Something made you angry, and acknowledging that it did is step one. The next is to figure out why it keeps doing this to you." He set his datapad on his lap. "How long ago was this? Years? Months?"
Velocity shifted, looking here and there as if it would give her an out from this conversation, before giving a shuddering sigh. "...I-" She swallowed hard and looked towards the door, knowing the officer from security was outside in case she tried to bolt from mandatory therapy, but wanting, needing, to run and run and run.
Finally, she sagged. "I was on the recent mission with Megatron and Didi and C-Cal and BD-1 and Rung and Shotlock," she mumbled, slumping back onto the couch and rubbing one arm. "My Megatron. My friend. The smaller one? At the end, he- he took sparks we were supposed to save and made them into a weapon and- and he left," she whispered miserably, then in an even smaller voice, "He left me..."
Pain and worry started to mix with frustration and anger as she sat there, and she turned her face down towards the floor so Krok wouldn't see her expression. "...It's bad when I get angry. I can't be. But I am now, all the time. So- so I just have to figure out how to make that stop. And it'll be okay."
This was a lot to manage, let alone address in the first session. First things first, he had to get a plan on how to address all of these issues. He could say that he was fortunate that Velocity mentioned everything within minutes of arrival. This, in a sense, was an easy patient, though very, very complicated.
"Runt, right? He's...well, let's not talk about him when he's not here." Krok had opinions about Megatrons in general, even those that have not formally defected to the Autobots. Something about distancing himself from the leadership that persuaded Krok to the movement soured his opinion on the mech that started it all. Megatrons, in general, appeared to think about their personal wants over others'.
"His issues are his own to address, and I say this as a therapist and for your stead. But it's a big thing to happen, this betrayal. Am I right to assume so?" He wrote down his personal notes and a summary of what Velocity mentioned, particularly points that they had to address in future sessions. "How has this changed your opinion of him?"
video; $aircommander
I will be traveling to the water planet of Azure at the request of its rulers, and to a surface location overseen by a Warden. Although this is intended to be a purely diplomatic task, as with any mission off the ship there carries a certain level of inherent risk. I would be appreciative if you'd consider joining myself and a few others.
[ He's careful not to phrase it as an order; he may have practiced that a handful of times before connecting the comm. ]
@Crocodad
That's where the shark kid we found is from, right? [It felt right to follow up Undertow's rescue with meeting his parents. Plus, they might like the group better if they were reminded of all the favors the Cybertronians did for them.]
no subject
no subject
[Krok did get him out of the slavers' clutches, but he thinks back to the constant biting. He gained the child's favorable opinion, but at the cost of pain and agony.]
Make sure you have a medic on-hand.
no subject
no subject
Action, There and Gone
It doesn't look like this someone has really rifled that much through your possessions. Or stolen anything.
How do you know someone was here? There is a tiny plastic human toy baby tied and dangling from every knob and handle in the room. ]
ACTION: A small box outside your door contains a handful of...
Action (you are under no obligation to respond to this your character can be 'out')
This leads him to one conclusion: He has to fight BOTH of them to make sure he's actually fighting the strong one.
This leads him to a second conclusion: He has no idea where Shockwave lives. He could ask for direction, ask if anyone knows... but that begs the question... If they know how strong Bass is will they even tell the truth?
There is now one solution: He has to canvas the ship himself and check every inhabited room he comes across.
So there's the backstory. And that's why Bass, armored up in his winged Treble armor (being able to fly covers ground quicker!) is pounding aggressively at your door.
Sorry. ]
Duckstribution
Mandatory Therapy!
She offered Krok a weak smile and hugged half of her four arms with the other half. "I- I know Knock Out isn't here right now for my therapy anppointments, and Ratchet said-" She hunched, averting her gaze with an expression somewhere between misery and frustration. "Mandatory. Sorry you've been dragged into my problems. Again."
no subject
When he turned his head to Velocity, his mask hid any expression and gave him an air of more mystery that he deserved. "This is what my job is. There's nothing wrong with coming to me if Knock Out's not. Come," He held out a hand at the couch. For once, a serious concern. Ratchet had warned him that Velocity had a lot to work through, but he hadn't been practicing on minor concerns without developing his skills.
no subject
She went to go sit on the couch but immediately got back to her feet and started flapping out all four of her hands at her sides with an unhappy grinding noise in her chassis. "Nothing even happened this week," she scowled down at her feet. She'd been feeling so frustrated and unhappy and- and angry since the mission but she couldn't direct it at Megatron, could and would not. So she paced and she muttered and she snapped out her hands at her sides. "Shouldn't have to be every week. Twice, some."
no subject
"So what happened the last week, if nothing happens so far this week? It sounds like there's a lot happening." A pause. "We didn't even do our formal introductions. I'm Krok. Our first session will be one hour long."
no subject
She twisted her mouth and resumed flapping her hands and pacing. "F-fine, fine. It's been fine. I just-"
She'd just wanted Megatron here.
"I've just been- restless." Angry.
no subject
He waved a hand, then leaned back into the seat. "How so? Restless can mean many things."
no subject
At that next question she hunched, looking away. "It-" A hitched vent in, and out as a miserable noise she tried and failed to stifle. "...Angry. I don't like being angry, not when-"
She made another, smaller noise. "Do I have to say? It's in Ratchet's notes, isn't it? Or-" No, she realized with a look of dawning resignation. It wouldn't be in his notes, because she hadn't ever told him. "It- it's fine."
no subject
He peered at Velocity. She didn't seem the time to do well under pressure. Could she manage running from law enforcement after stealing a vending machine?
"...You kind of have to mention it. Something made you angry, and acknowledging that it did is step one. The next is to figure out why it keeps doing this to you." He set his datapad on his lap. "How long ago was this? Years? Months?"
no subject
Finally, she sagged. "I was on the recent mission with Megatron and Didi and C-Cal and BD-1 and Rung and Shotlock," she mumbled, slumping back onto the couch and rubbing one arm. "My Megatron. My friend. The smaller one? At the end, he- he took sparks we were supposed to save and made them into a weapon and- and he left," she whispered miserably, then in an even smaller voice, "He left me..."
Pain and worry started to mix with frustration and anger as she sat there, and she turned her face down towards the floor so Krok wouldn't see her expression. "...It's bad when I get angry. I can't be. But I am now, all the time. So- so I just have to figure out how to make that stop. And it'll be okay."
no subject
"Runt, right? He's...well, let's not talk about him when he's not here." Krok had opinions about Megatrons in general, even those that have not formally defected to the Autobots. Something about distancing himself from the leadership that persuaded Krok to the movement soured his opinion on the mech that started it all. Megatrons, in general, appeared to think about their personal wants over others'.
"His issues are his own to address, and I say this as a therapist and for your stead. But it's a big thing to happen, this betrayal. Am I right to assume so?" He wrote down his personal notes and a summary of what Velocity mentioned, particularly points that they had to address in future sessions. "How has this changed your opinion of him?"