maskormenacelogs | [ closed ] you who have soldiered through the profane

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[ closed ] you who have soldiered through the profane

WHO: Annie Leonhart & perhaps a few completely inappropriate persons (Starscream, Knock Out, and/or Thundercracker)
WHERE: Mostly throughout Heropa
WHEN: Early June
WHAT: Annie takes her list from her post on network and applies it toward finding... the least responsible guardians she can.
WARNINGS: The idea's so ludicrous you may just want to save yourself.

Giant electronic aliens. Annie had an appreciation for these descriptors that's been solidified here on Earth, even going so far as to introduce the term robot and its associated words into her vocabulary.

Observation and her own interactions with the beings she had in mind fell in line with what she wanted out of a 'guardian' as demanded by the entities asking after hers - a person of a legally recognized age over 18 who signed off allowing Annie to do any variety of activities where "adulthood" was ranked as a necessary requirement. People who aren't interested in Annie's personal doings, who aren't overly concerned about her physical or mental well being, and who didn't share a similar set of beliefs to the ones currently in favor in the United States of America.

Which explained why she was on the lookout for the individuals she was right now. When she had them tracked down, it's a simple enough conversation to begin.

In a manner of speaking.

"Hey, do you have some time to talk?"

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He's sitting at an outdoor cafe table and perusing the menu with a look of mild distaste when Annie finds him. He glances up at her question, blinks behind his large, black sunglasses, and then smiles. Her face looks... sort of familiar, but her voice definitely rings a bell. He's met this human before, and she wasn't as annoying as she could have been.

He gestures toward the chair opposite him.

"Oh, I might be able to clear some time... have a seat. What was it, Ana? Anne?"

The sunglasses make it more difficult to be sure of his identity, along with the whole squishy-human facade different from the last time they'd spoken in person. He's much less imposing at this size (thinks Annie, all of five feet tall). Not really any less flashy, just a more human version.

Annie takes a seat, inclining her head toward him. "It's Annie." Close enough, and somewhat better than she expected. At least he remembers her.

"You're Knock Out, correct?" Tilting her head to the side with her query, she settles her messenger bag next to her on the chair. It's better to be sure before opening up the particular can of worms she has in mind.

Huh. He hadn't been expecting her to recognize him like this — he hasn't seen her since he had a brief stint in the proper body. It's pleasing to think he can be recognized, though. If there are facets of his Cybertronina form visible in this shape, then maybe it's not such an awful shape.

"Right you are." Still smiling, he takes off his glasses to hang them from the front of of his shirt. He knows his black-and-red eyes are unusual among humans, but he appreciates that it's at least something he's kept consistent between bodies. "And what did you want to talk about?"

There's definitely no way of mistaking those eyes. It's funny - they're not relaxing to see in a body like this, but they still have her shoulders relaxing a fraction. So this is Knock Out, and there's no point in dithering around what she wants to ask.

"There's a custom here that requires anyone of my age to claim a legal adult over the age of eighteen as a representative of my interests, and sign off on things like work contracts and school notices." She crosses her arms over her chest, breathing out in a sigh of frustration. "I don't have a guardian, and I'm sixteen. I have two years before I can be in charge of myself as far as the law here is concerned."

Uncrossing her arms, she leaned forward, expression completely serious. "It wouldn't require any more than a signature every so often, but those are signatures that I need. What I want to find is someone willing to give me what I need in exchange for me helping them with anything they might want in the meantime." She levels a steady gaze his way, hands in her lap. "One of the names I've been considering is yours."

There's definitely no beating around the bush for this one, she gets right to her points. Knock Out at least approves of as little of his time wasted as possible, if nothing else. He listens with a cocked head, chin rested in one hand as he studies her. He just manages not to be visible surprised to hear that children are considered adults at just 18 years old (really, he would have sworn it would be longer... how long do humans live, again?), but watches her steadily as she lays out her proposition.

Finally, he quirks a brow.

"Interesting." It sounds irritatingly bureaucratic, but possibly the kind he can profit off of. "If all you need is signatures, then what's to stop you from writing them yourself, hmm? It's not exactly foolproof identification technology, human signatures."

"Verification purposes. Lies and forgery catch up with you. Scrambling to cover up something the didn't exist in the first place is more time spent and effort wasted than having someone to show, if there's ever reason." The extent of what's on file with the government, and exactly how well funded and powerful a group it is regardless of individual affiliations is one Annie's keeping an eye on. She trusts none of it.

She trusts Knock Out to be self interested enough to possibly be open to the idea. Manipulations that come down the lines are ones she's prepared to handle, though she herself doesn't expect to need any such things on her own behalf.

"No."

Thundercracker doesn't even bother to turn to look at whoever's at the door to his building, attention focused on the television screens in front of him. Unlike the other three Cybertronians, Thundercracker has permanently retained his large, robotic form. Which means she's seeing a twenty two foot tall blue robot with wings sitting awkwardly on the floor, transfixed by some pointless drama.

"And I won't have any tomorrow or the day after."

Embarrassingly, Annie ran into Starscream as he was waiting for the bus. He technically didn't know how to drive a car and wasn't going to walk all the way back to the residence halls by himself. He's carrying a grocery bag of discounted and broken electronics. He turns, to snap at Annie before he realizes that wait, this was the human with that maneuver gear. The one that saved him from those werewolves: Annie.

His snappish expression fades into a scowl and a frown, trying to hide the fact that Annie was one of the few humans Starscream found interesting and potentially useful. "I suppose I do. After all, it's not like I'm doing anything."

It's more like meeting Knock Out for the first time, only Thundercracker isn't sitting in a car, he's blue, not red, and he's also staring at a series of television screens. Annie quirks up her eyebrows, looking around Thundercracker's space. Nothing looks immediately dangerous, so she hazards coming inside.

"Not even during a commercial break?" she asks, keeping her voice even as she takes stock of the robot who's about half her Titan size. She knows what commercial breaks are now. It only took listening to teenagers complain about them for about a month to figure it out.

She watches his expression change, one thumb hooked around the strap of the messenger bag she wore across the front of her body. Always prepared: it might have been a statement usurped by young girls in cps earning badges to account for all their skills, but Annie has an equal appreciation for doing what she can to plan ahead.

And to learn more about the people she's interacting with. Starscream's shift in expression is one worth noting to herself, noted along with the fact he'd told her of his immortality. He's someone who bears watching. Much like the bags in his arms.

"Would you like to sit? I'd hate to make you hold on to all of..." she gestures toward his bags, "That for too long." As a firm (if tentative) user of the public transit system (no more monorails ever), it makes sense to her he'd use the system at hand for transit. She's only learned how to operate something mechanical for transit in the last few weeks, and it half scares the hell out of her.

He nods, somewhat approving. The best schemes are kind with as many legitimate parts as possible to them. A (former?) Decepticon would know.

"Very well, fair enough." He taps a finger against his chin and misses the metallic clink it would usually make. He's still not used to that. "Next question, then — why consider me? If I give off an aura of responsible guardian to humans, then it's definitely news to me."

"You don't." Much like earlier, she sees no point in circling around to what it is she means by any of this. He's not an idiot, as far as she's aware. He's also possibly millions of years older than she was. There are some nods toward seniority one makes regardless of cultural and species differences. "You have something more valuable. Perspective, as someone who isn't part of this," she gestures to the cafe, people, and street by them, "And as someone who's probably lived for longer than there's been a human civilization."

If Bumblebee's information is accurate across individuals. (Bumblebee, someone she certainly isn't asking for this from.)

"To be blunt, I don't think you'd be overly concerned with caring. I'd prefer a business relationship over someone mistakenly assuming that I need a caretaker because this world says so, even if I've been living and working for the last third of my life just fine on my own."

She'll go along with the expectations because it's easier in the end. She'll be careful of the hows; even now, it's been simple statements of fact, nothing entreating. Knock Out is invited to draw conclusions and make judgments on what she's said on his own.

"No." Still not looking at her, he shifts into a more comfortable position - one leg pulled up to his chassis while the other is tucked underneath him. "Because you want something, and I don't care."

Thundercracker is assuming, of course - why else would anyone be bothering him? He's stayed out of trouble and out of the public eye, minded his own business and not bothered anyone. So the only reason anyone - especially a human would be coming to him is because they wanted something. And as far as he's concerned, well, he's not the 'bot they're looking for.

"If it'll take that long then I suppose I will sit." He sighed, as if Annie was inconveniencing him, instead of the truth that he was just waiting for the bus. Frowning, he looked around and spotted a park bench across the street.

"That'll do," he said, gesturing towards the bench. Without waiting for Annie to say anything or do anything else, he started to walk towards it, assuming she would follow him.

Ah, her fine metal... companion sitting in front of all those television, those are the words that she's hoping to hear. Annie makes wide tracks around what she guesses his easiest reach is, off hand, undeterred by his attitude.

It's perfect.

"That's exactly why I want to speak with you." No point in beating around the bush. "I'm looking to strike up a sort of.... mutual assistance bargain with someone who doesn't care about the things I want."

Annie pauses to look both ways before crossing the street, having learned that bit of wisdom from a six year old girl on her second day here. It paid to listen to even the youngest children. They had a different perspective on things than their older counterparts.

She followed after Starscream once she was sure not to end up testing her own healing against an oncoming car, holding her messenger bag against her thigh. Her eyes wandered back to his bags of electronic things, wondering if the collection was a Cybertronian pastime or simply part of a laundry list of whatever made him tick. She waited for him to sit before speaking.

"Are you familiar with guardianship laws here?"

Starscream notably doesn't, crossing the street without looking, simply assuming that the cars would stop for him. It's obvious that Annie's got more knowledge of human culture than he does--it's also obvious that Starscream is an egotistical idiot who's barely paid any attention to human laws and customs, despite his new humanity himself. As they reach the bench, Starscream sits the bag down, sprawling on the bench, leaving a small amount of room for Annie.

"Of course not," Starscream responds, with a slight scoff. Why would he be familiar with guardianship laws? He doesn't have a kid. "Why are you asking?"

That gets his attention, and he turns his gaze from the screens to her. At first he doesn't say anything - studying the small human. "What makes you think I'd be interested enough to agree?"

To say nothing of the fact he doesn't trust her. Thundercracker wouldn't call it paranoia as he would a lesson learned over the time he was abandoned on Earth. She says 'mutual assistance' and he hears 'I want something from you, and if I don't get it I might resort to violence. And if I do get it, nothing's making me hold up my end of the deal'.

"Nothing." She isn't here with a complex game plan. Her best asset for now is the often grating honesty people from home might recognize from when she speaks. "I don't know if there's anything that would make you interested. All I can do is state my case. Nothing ventured, nothing learned."

Any more tangible gain than that is gravy.

"Or however the saying goes." She knows what she can offer of herself that only comes down to a cost of time, but as she glances at his televisions with their morning, disjointed images, she wants him to consider her ignorance first.

Annie eyes what he's left unoccupied, eyebrows slowly moving upward. She's actually surprised he bothered leaving her any of the bench, though she doesn't oblige herself to sitting there. She stays standing for now, resting a hand on her hip and trying not to wonder if Starscream's going to blindly wander through most of his human-side existence testing the limits of his resurrection simply out of carelessness instead of intent.

Probably.

"Explanation purposes. There's a standard in place here that requires any human under eighteen years of age to either have a legal guardian on paper or to emancipate themselves if they have documentation of their ability to support themselves, and letters of recommendation from unrelated persons in the community." Frankly, emancipation would be easier if it didn't require a certain level of full time employment and dedication to base-line survival Annie didn't want to throw herself down to quite yet. "Since the latter is currently not realistic, it leaves me looking for assistance with the former."

Assistance, she says. More like a thorn in her backside and an agenda to find people who don't actually care about anything but what they can get out of someone else on a purely business manipulation end of things. She levels an even gaze on Starscream, hand dropping away from her hip. "I need someone willing to sign off as my legal guardian who isn't interested in any actual part of guardianship. Someone who might be persuaded into forming a kind of business association for practical purposes. I get what I want, and I get them something they want, that sort of thing."

... There's something to be said for bluntness. It sure doesn't waste time.

This is the guy who inadvertently tested his regeneration by getting killed by Megatron multiple times in just a day. Carelessness testing of his limits is his middle name.

As she mentioned the need of a guardian until age eighteen, Starscream wrinkled his nose. That was young. Of course, humans lived shorter lives than Cybertronians (how shorter, Starscream couldn't remember) but his point still stood. Still, the fact that the younger humans had to have guardians was something that he himself was confused about--especially considering that how could imPorts get a legal guardian, what with being ripped from their homes and things like that.

But the idea of a business association...that sounded wonderful. After all, he was curious about Annie, about her world, and about that 3d gear. Of course, there were a few things he needed to press and question first. "So this guardian business--I don't have to do anything for you, do I? Because I'm not taking you places or checking up on you if you get hurt or something like that."

Hey, he was just getting the blunt part out of the way! Starscream wasn't paternal. And, if Annie was coming to him to ask about this, she should know just how not-paternal he was.

Star"carelessly testing his limits"scream. It does have a certain ring to it...

Annie's expression remains inscrutable while he speaks. Guardians are, to some, stand in for parental figures. She wants and needs nothing like that. Her own father trained her relentlessly through her youth for a purpose he apologized for, before begging her to make the world out to be her enemy... and return to him, alive. Your father will always be on your side...

No, she has a father. She'll never need anything else like him.

She doesn't want anyone else's idealism infecting her that way, not as a belief system, but as a movement she can't find the strength or will to break away from.

"You sign papers saying I'm allowed to work here or there, that I can attend a field trip, but nothing more than that." She already arranges her own transportation and doesn't plan on getting injured - not that her injuries will stick in so many ways. It's not something she plans on advertising, but it gives her a decent amount of confidence that he won't inadvertently be called on to report to her location for such things. "I won't be able to guarantee someone won't try to contact you for another reason, but it seems unlikely. I'm not someone who seeks out trouble. You won't be expected to do more than sign."

She doesn't seek out trouble. Just Decepticons. Two totally different things.

Edited 2014-06-04 05:15 (UTC)

He leans back on the bench, listening. This sounds...fairly easy. Just signing papers sounded like something simple enough for him. Of course, he wasn't going to do all of this out of the goodness of his heart (mostly because there wasn't that much goodness in his heart). But he'd be willing to do that.

"If I do decide to do this, I'll want something in return, of course." There's no such thing as a free lunch. And, before Annie could protest, Starscream continued on with his request. "I want more information on your 3D maneuver gear. Design plans if you've got them, of course. If you don't, close inspection of the gear will do."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It doesn't rhyme."

It's not an outright dismissal of her, however. Thundercracker turns his full attention on Annie - red optics narrowing into thin slits before he vents the air from his system.

"What do you want?"

The rhyme sounds better to her ears, but regardless, Annie inclines her head toward Thundercracker. He recognizes the saying. He's more likely to have the right of it.

He's filled with such startling sounds that she forces herself not to show overt awareness of.

He gets to the direct question, and she responds in kind.

"Someone willing to be a legal guardian on paper. Someone who's willing to allow me my freedom of movement denied by the laws here based on my age, in return for whatever favors to them I can accommodate."

Just like she'd predicted. Annie keeps her expression neutral, looking away from Starscream's face after a few seconds, as if she needs the time to contemplate what he asks.

In a funny way, he'd be helping sign off on her getting into a more modernized version of the equipment he's so interested in. Annie breathes in, breathes out, and meets his strange eyes straight on.

"I'm not an engineer," she says, a true and honest statement. "I don't have design plans." It's her warning, and it's all the truth, right now. It may be the whole truth going forward, too. She has no guarantees.

"Close inspection of the gear while I'm in attendance. No taking it apart without my assistance. It's designed to break down into its component parts. I can train you in maintenance and function of my own equipment until arrangements can be made otherwise."

"That's it?" Now he really is suspicious. It seems too simple, too cut and dry and straight to the point. A basic exchange - his complete disregard for her in exchange for whatever he needs or wants from her. He thinks of Bumblebee, oddly enough, before he remembers the terms of that agreement are different, based on 'friendship'.

But on the other hand it's appealing - life's difficult enough when he can't fit anyone and he can't figure out how to be human like everyone else. Someone who can get him what he wants without question, well, he can see the value in that.

At she mentions that she isn't an engineer, Starscream can't help but frown slightly, an obvious look of judgement on his face. Then what good was she? But, as Annie kept talking, telling him about how the gear broke apart, Starscream's expression shifted to a little smirk. If it broke apart, then he could easily take notes on it that way and find some way to recreate it.

In Starscream's eyes, at least, this agreement benefited him more than Annie.

"You have a deal," he said, smirk still on his face. "Now, when do I get to have a look at that wonderful little device?"

Should she be concerned that the one bit of brilliant engineering was allowed to survive in her world of out-back-shootings for inventing anything the monarchy wasn't pleased about might fall into Starscream's hands?

... No, not really. It's not "advanced" relative to what can be found here, and it's not the equipment itself that's a weapon. It's the user, and the user's tools. Annie brings her messenger back around front, pulling out a clipboard and pen. She hands them over to Starscream, businesslike and serious.

"When these have been signed and I've delivered them to the appropriate office." Which could mean later today, honestly, but she leaves that much unsaid. It's not so hard to figure out, after all.

Friendship. Yeah, Annie supposes friendships could actually work in very similar, less outlined ways. You know, for normally functional people (and Cybertronians) who don't have connection issues.

As it is, she nods her head. "That's all I need. I don't see a point in making things overly complicated." Too many particulars does complicate things, and she can work out what favors might be called in - after all, she's taking this particular gamble because she doesn't believe Thundercracker is insane enough to be asking for her to do bodily harm to herself or others. He asked for help with getting televisions delivered.

That level of human society interaction Annie can handle. She doesn't mind being a go-for - that's part of military training, and life.

Edited 2014-06-07 07:21 (UTC)

Taking the clipboard and pen, Starscream started to sign on the dotted lines, not reading the papers at all. While he didn't really trust Annie, he agreed to do this. Plus, he didn't care what she did or didn't do. All that mattered is that he got what he wanted.

After he signed all the papers, he handed it back to Annie. "So...is that it?" It was way too simple, in his mind.

She lifted an eyebrow, accepting the papers and pointedly making sure they were secure again in her messenger bag before responding. "I still need to deliver them for processing, but yes. That's it."

One of the few benefits to being an imPort minor being the incredible streamlining of all guardianship issues where other imPorts were related. Watchmen, watch yourself. It was an amusingly simplistic idea. She appreciated it for the moment, but she wondered how this would come down on anyone later if the system were abused for nefarious purposes. Hers hardly counted in the long run.

"You can head home with your goods in the meantime. I'll catch my own ride downtown to the offices." She highly doubted he wanted to come along, but she meant what she'd said. No equipment visitation until her paperwork was on file.

Got it in one, Annie: Starscream doesn't want to go downtown. "The bus might run that way," he remarked, with a little shrug. Spoilers: he didn't know if the bus did or didn't. But it probably doesn't.

Getting up from the bench, he grabbed his bag of electronics, nodding at Annie as he gets up. "Tell me if I need to do anything else. And keep in contact about the maneuver gear."

"I'll be in touch." Annie inclined her head toward him, turning on her heel and walking away with a definite purpose.

One down... whatever else to go.

Thundercracker doesn't say anything for a long while, debating the wisdom of this as much as he can. It's different than with the EDC, that much is clear, and Annie isn't going to check up on him like they did with annoying regularity.

"Okay, but I want to make some things clear. If this turns into something more involved, I'm out. And you can't stop me from doing that, either, or make me do something I don't want to."

He thinks about threatening her, like he did with Prowl. But he saved Earth because he didn't think humans were worth the time spent on killing him. It's changed now, and he holds them in slightly higher esteem. So he won't threaten her. That and he thinks she's smart enough to know that he won't take being screwed over well.

Annie waits, inclining her head forward when he does make his clarifications. She expects nothing different than this, and the clarity falls well in line with her own desires.

"You're free to walk away whenever. Send me a notice, and that's it. We're done." Simple as simple can be.

Another long second before he nods. "Alright, I'll do it." Someone willing to get him what he couldn't without any questions would be a good thing to have regardless, and what did he care if some human child wanted to circumvent laws to get what she wanted?

He's pretty sure that's a typical occurrence among teenagers anyway.

Absolutely typical. Television practically sang that from the rooftops, though really, it's more from the living rooms. Few people partake in the fine art of rooftop boobtube viewings.

"Thank you." It left signing paperwork as the last little step... which at his present size, is one that gives her pause. "I hate to ask... but how fine is your motor control at that size?"

"Uh..." He actually doesn't know, and there's a sheepish look flying across his face before he shrugs. "Alright?"

It's not perfect, but he's been practicing handling small things when the government back home can't get him anything appropriately robot sized.

"Enough to sign something this size?" Annie pauses to fish out the paperwork she'd been handed by the appropriate officials, offering it up over her head to show to Thundercracker.

He takes it delicately between two fingers, or as well as a giant robot can, and then holds out his other hand for a pen.

Yeah, he'll figure out someway for this to work.

Annie holds the pen by its very tip, carefully handing it over. There's something appreciably ludicrous in watching him handle so carefully things he dwarfs so completely.

Annie understands the feeling, personally, but holds her tongue. What does it matter? It's neither here nor there.

His handwriting at that size is atrocious - just scribbles that resemble something like Thundercracker on the bottom of the page. But he at least remembered to put it in English instead of Cybertronian.

"There. Done."

It's with the same sort of attentiveness that he hands the pen and and the papers over to her. He's still warry, as if there's something else to this he hasn't quite understood. Do they shake hands? Can he shake her hand?

Annie accepts all the papers and the pen back, looking at his hand. She... reaches out to pat one finger, if he doesn't move his hand entirely out of the way. Shaking on it at present sizes seemed ill advisable.

"I'll turn this in to the proper office for processing. Other than that, we're done here. Thank you for your assistance, Thundercracker."

Polite and to the point to the end.

Patting his finger seems acceptable, although he does give her a strange look. It's more personal than the interactions he's had with humans before - the EDC tended to stay a fair distance away from him. Something he said he liked. There's no better way to learn about humanity than what they think is important to show to each other, but still.

Thundercracker doesn't look as if he's going to say anything else for another long moment before:

"You're welcome."

He moves away from her then, now with their business concluded he can go back to his screens without interruption.

Annie merely nods once more, accepting the dismissal and feeling no further need for conversation. She tucks the papers away, along with the pen, and makes her way on out of the warehouse.

"Have a good day." She says as she leaves, a last bit of politeness on her part. She doesn't actually stick around for a response.

Time to go get things filed away!

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[ closed ] you who have soldiered through the profane

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