November 30th
((Bracer)) (U)

Oracle wanders on out of the gates.
Bracer is leaning against the gate near to Omega Supreme, idly watching the traffic coming in and out of Crystal City.
Oracle nods to Bracer like she usually does. She obviously closer to normal than she was last time you saw her.
Bracer sees the nod and returns the gestures "Hello, Oracle. How are you functioning, this cycle?"
Oracle sighs. "I am fine I suppose."
Bracer hmmms "that sounds slightly better than yestercycle, but still not cheerful. What's up?"
You say, "I'm just kind of confused...that's all. But I don't think anyone can be of much help to my problem."
Bracer sighs "You know....I have felt confused about things too. But I've never been in this situation."
You say, "Sometimes I don't even know exactly /what/ my situation is."
Bracer nods his head "I can imagine. That conversation with Fortress yestercycle couldn't have helped."
Oracle shakes her head. "It didn't, and I'm not sure if my conversation with Triage helped either."
Bracer says, "Triage?"
Bracer says, "You spoke to her afterwards, did you?"
You say, "Yes, I did. She wasn't impressed with my attitudes at all."
Bracer says, "How do you mean?"
You say, "Well, she told me that she didn't like the way I was always getting Brawl in trouble. Popular opinion is that I should forget about Brawl."
Bracer says, "Popular with who?"
Oracle shrugs. "I don't know. Most people I talk to think it's better that I leave him alone."
Bracer says, "Yes, but...what is in your core?"
Bracer says, "What do you feel within your pump? Perhaps for your own, and Brawl's safety, it would be better. But how would you feel if that happened?"
Oracle blushes slightly. "There are too many factors...." She seems about to say more...but doesn't.
Bracer says, "Continue?"
Oracle shakes her head. "I'd rather not. Everyone thinks I'm crazy enough as it is....they might lock me up one of these days if I'm not careful."
Bracer says, "I don't think you're crazy"
Oracle quirks an optic ridge. "Oh? Why not? Everyone else /must/. I know Starfire does."
Bracer says, "Starfire is a child, who doesn't understand the workings of the pump."
Bracer says, "She is intelligent of course, very....but while I'm certainly no genius when it comes to feelings...such as this, she has no idea what it can do."
Bracer says, "Something that can bring you flying above the stars, and then set you crashing to the ground in moments. Terrifying. She is repulsed by basic shows of affection...haven't you seen?"
You say, "She is looking for a straight, easy answer in a messy, complicated world."
You say, "I wish there was a simple answer to my current situation."
You say, "I know. But that doesn't stop me from wishing there was one. Matters dealing with people and their emotions are never easy."
Bracer sits on the bench in front of the gates and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees "Wildfire and I have been there, you know. She's left me a good many times, crushes me every time...
You say, "Somehow this seems a little more complicated than that."
Bracer says, "I know how you feel"
Bracer says, "Well...can relate. Not that I've ever gone out with a decepticon before."
You say, "Brawl's faction is only one of my problems at the moment."
Bracer says, "Others dealing with Brawl?"
You say, "It's not one Decepticon mech I have to worry about now, but two."
Bracer notices the movement, but doesn't immediately connect it. After a few nanocycles, he comments again "Lunar, then?"
Oracle flinches as the last name is called, but says nothing.
You say, "Lunar is my next biggest problem, though not in the way most people think he is...or maybe they do."
Bracer shakes his head "I don't know what your connections are with him, Oracle, but I cannot deny that that mech worries me considerably."
You say, "He worries me too, in many more ways than one. In fact, /I/ don't even know what my connections are with him, so I don't expect anyone else to."
Bracer says, "What did happen, Oracle?"
You say, "When? When he attacked me? After that? Before?"
Bracer says, "I'm not asking as an officer, he's none of my concern...he'll be going back to the Decepticons. I'm asking as a friend, concerned...what happened When he attacked you, before, after...whatever. I just don't understand."
Oracle sighs. "Perhaps we should sit down somewhere. It isn't the shortest of stories." She pauses. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you Militia members the other day...I wasn't myself."
Bracer looks around "Where would you like to go?"
You say, "It doesn't matter to me."
Bracer stands and heads into the gates. He looks up and waves a hand at Omega Supreme. "Good cycle, Omega."
Oracle moves to follow Bracer.
The Defence base emits a huge rumbling sound "Company appreciated, conversation interesting."
Bracer stops and eyes Militia House and then looks back to Oracle "You wanna go in the house, or shall we go for an enerbrew at the Blaster?
You say, "Where are you more inclined to go? I haven't been at the Blaster since my attack really."
Bracer says, "Does it give you bad memory glitches? I'm sorry, if so, we can go anywhere else."
You say, "Not at all. There just hasn't been as many people there since the Decepticons were banned from the City."
Bracer says, "Well then, I haven't been there in a while, if you don't mind?"
You say, "I don't mind."
Bracer looks around the bar, which, as Oracle said, is relatively quiet. Shotglass stands polishing her counter while the few customers spin playful conversation with and around her. Bracer turns to look at Oracle again. "Pick a spot"
Oracle nods and takes a seat at one of the tables closer to the bar counter.
Bracer takes a seat across from Oracle and gestures for Shotglass. She femme nods her head and calls out "What'll it be?"
You say, "Enerwine please. Thank you."
Bracer says, "Just a midgrade for me, Shotty...uh...green please."
Shotglass give a short laugh "You lush, Bracer" she calls as she fills the order. The waitress `Downtime' picks up the drinks and deposits them on the table for Oracle and Bracer
Bracer picks up his glass and eyes the green liquid inside "It started here?"
Oracle nods her head. "Yes. Lunar and I met over a staring optic contest." She thinks for a moment, trying to recall the incident.
Bracer says, "A Staring optic contest?"
Oracle remembers something. "Actually, the first time we met was when he and Fallout were chasing down Dust...but there were so many people there, that I didn't really pay attention to him at the time."
Bracer chuckles slightly at the mention of Dust "I can imagine that....she's a handful, that one."
Mecha-Feline stalks in with tail held erect.
Oracle nods. "Sometime later, we were at the Blaster, and that's when the conflict started. I had been talking with Patrol and I watched as Lunar left...just because I watch most people I recognize as they leave. He was quite rude, so I kept watching him...he watched back until we were just staring at each other. Onslaught didn't like this, so he made Lunar leave, so he had to drop his gaze first. I suppose that incident made me talk to Lunar again the next time I saw him."
Oracle waves Duskstalker over to the table.
Mecha-Feline stalks over to the table.
Bracer hmmms "His rudeness interested you?"
You say, "No, the fact that Onslaught seemed so eager to stop our little contest of wills. Neither of us wanted to back down and avert our gaze, but he was forced to."
You say, "Good day Duskstalker."
Bracer says, "Ahhh....the fact that Onslaught had deemed it be ended." Bracer furrows his brow further, and then turns and nods to the feline before continuing "Did you search out Lunar because of Onslaught?"
Mecha-Feline sits near the table, listening.
You say, "I didn't exactly seek him out. I was at the Blaster again and he was too. Unfortunately, so was Brawl."
Bracer says, "When did you start...seeing Brawl? Before this?"
You say, "No, but I believed what happened in the Blaster that day got me into this situation. That's when Lunar started acting a certain way towards me, and that's when I started acting a certain way towards Brawl."
Bracer says, "A certain way" Bracer repeats "that's a little broad in term. I'm not trying to pry, just trying to understand"
Bracer asks quietly "Did you want anything from the bar" to Duskstalker as Oracle thinks
You say, "I'm getting to it. A good story needs time to grow...even if that story is a true one."
Oracle takes a sip from her drink.
Mecha-Feline says, "No thank you."
Bracer nods his head in agreement as he takes a drink of his own soda-poppy green stuff.
You say, "The problem started after the sub-space disappearances stopped and everyone was returned to Cybertron. Brawl came into the Blaster quite confused."
Bracer grunts "That was an experience I'd rather forget. I'm sure Brawl was confused"
Oracle blinks. "You went missing as well?" Continues. "Anyhow, Lunar tries to use his confusion to his advantage. He convinces Brawl that he is still dreaming, so Brawl starts being even ruder to me and Screenshot, who was also there, and drinking more than he should. Consequently he got sick, so I stopped this nonsense and tried to set Brawl straight."
Mecha-Feline just sits and listens.
Bracer says, "Ahh...and Lunar took offence to that?"
Oracle nods. "Of course he did. I ruined his 'fun.' That's when he started, 'threatening' me, but looking back, I think it might have been more of a warning."
Mecha-Feline stalks off for better things to do.
Bracer says, "You didn't see that then, though?"
Oracle shakes her head...she's got a mouthful of drink.
Bracer says, "So he decides he's got a hate on for you, and follows you out at a later time?"
Oracle clears her mouth. "Something like that. We argued for a while. He didn't actually say he /was/ going to hurt me at that time, but he said he would if he /had/ to."
Bracer says, "If he -had- to....and he believed he -had- to hurt you?"
You say, "Perhaps not at that time. I think he was just trying to scare me."
Bracer says, "So...what happened that night?"
You say, "Nothing really. I thought I had offended him before, so I tried to make it up by offering him a drink. He refused and I left shortly after that."
Bracer swirls his green beverage and then takes a gulp. Naturally, the faceplate has disappeared into subspace, so the subtle concerned frown is evident on his face.
Bracer sets the glass down "And he followed you"
You say, "Not that night. That came later. Not much happen between Lunar and I, but Brawl and I was another matter."
Bracer says, "You grew attached to him"
Oracle nods her head. "Trouble seems to follow Brawl, and most often I am there following as well. Don't mistake me, this wasn't intentional, it just happened that way." Pauses. "Sometime later Brawl was quite depressed because he lost his petro rabbit. I guess it was the next best thing to a femme for him. I don't know if you heard what happened?"
Bracer says, "Petro Rabbit? I remember Onslaught mentioning something about a rabbit"
You say, "Well, Brawl was going around calling this stuffed Petro Rabbit his 'girl'. We all knew it was nonsense, but some of us picked on him, others of us played along with it. But a couple of Autobots stole his rabbit, put it beside Omega Supreme, and made a creation that looked like a cross between Omega and the rabbit. It was a joke, but Brawl took it quite literally. He was crushed."
Bracer puts a hand over his face "That's inordinately cruel." he sighs "Factionals, they'd never do something like that to one of their own. I suppose it has a demoralizing effect or something like that. Did you end that joke as well?"
You say, "Not exactly, that was Midstream's doing. I merely comforted Brawl. He seemed to take it as an offer. I didn't think of it that way at first, though I was starting to grow a little fond of him at the time, though it was mostly pity."
Bracer nods his head slowly.
((Remember Trans35))