Ep 2 : Continental Divide [Closed]

[Knock Out]

Knock Out was a fussy mech indeed. And more than a little vain and judgmental of others. If he'd only paid the faintest bit of attention to his surroundings rather than the state of Gypsum's finish, or concerned himself less with the fact that this part of the World seemed boring due to the lack of race loving humans? He might've noticed the sky and gotten out of here long before it would be the issue it was quickly becoming.

At least they were on the move, though – so it wasn't like they were going to get caught up in it while parked like they were only moments ago. That wouldn't have ended well at all. He did not want to get hailed on. He cared about himself too much for that! Sure, his line of work could be considered pretty disgusting in the grand scheme of things and people might question why such a narcissistic snob such as himself would even work as a Medic. He couldn't recall a day where he hadn't been splattered by Energon or coolant from someone he was working on. It'd happened more times than he could count. And while he was overly vain to the point of obsession? There was some morbid satisfaction in the nastier side of his work – he'd been doing it for so long, too, that he was more than used to it by now. Plus, it could be washed off! An excuse to pamper himself in the wash-racks!

But getting hailed on and possibly dented by bullets of ice? No. No, thank you.

He was doing his best not to drive too close to Gypsum, hoping his tone of voice over the comm would be enough to give the other mech the hint that finding decent shelter was the only thing on Knock Out's processor right now. He was curious about the other Cybertronian that Gypsum had met, and of course he wanted to ask more about it. He wanted to ramble on about himself if possible, too, as it was one of his favorite topics – but they could do that in the safety of wherever they found. Of which Knock Out couldn't seem to find anywhere – then again his idea of a shelter was probably different to that of Gypsum due to having an unrealistic idea of things and ridiculous high standards, so he was, of course, was being overly picky in what he was looking for. He was thinking of something sturdy. A bridge, something like that! Even though that was technically the worst thing to hide under in a storm.

He was honestly quite starting to panic at his inability to find anywhere close by that he deemed suitable. Although his field strangely remained calm. Thankfully, it seemed Gypsum had found somewhere - and the comment about it being their only option? Well, Knock Out wasn't about to argue. The Neutral mech was his savior this day.

I'm sure it'll be fine, anything is better than nothing at this point. Thank you. Lead the way!

He would follow Gypsum a little closer as he too turned off the main road – weirdly finding it safer to drive nearer to the other mech - as if it'd somehow protect him from the soon-to-be-hail. It wasn't like the other mech was about to slam on his brakes, and even if he did? Knock Out was built for speed and could maneuver accordingly. He must've been worried about the incoming storm, as he was strangely quiet and made no complaint about having to drive through a field. Anyone who knew Knock Out would know that he wouldn't do this under normal circumstance.

As they got closer to the structure? Knock Out would look at it in horror and dismay. It was run down and didn't look like it'd offer much in the way of shelter – he wasn't sure it even had a full roof! But like Gypsum had said? It really did seem to be their only option. It was minimal shelter or full exposure to the elements – and even Knock Out realized that some was better than none. Beggars could not be choosers, after all. Then again, outward appearances could be deceiving – even with buildings – so maybe it would be alright on the inside.

What do you think? Will this do? Can't say I've been out in any hailstorms so I'm not sure what to expect.

Better ask the expert. He just hoped that Gypsum would say yes.

[Deleted]

Driving through, or on grass still made him wince. Gypsum found it hard to get past the idea that he was "breaking" the fragile organic formations that covered just shy of every surface there was on this planet. Though, given the lack of obvious roadway up to the barn, plowing through the grass it was. He just would not think too hard about it, and remind himself that it seemingly grew back with ease.

The tall grass did tickle his underside though, which was a rather funny sensation.

Depends on the hail, really. Though this place 'as seen plenty of storms.. Bit o'hail isn't likely t'bring it down tonight either.

Upon approach to the old structure, he felt the first pit-pat of rain plunk down across his hood and windshield. Compounded with feeling Knockout hugging his rear bumper, he put a bit more hurry to his movements.

Around the barn he went, seeking out the buildings entryway. As luck would have it, the barn doors had long gone missing! Meaning, they had the freedom to simply drive right on in without hindrance. Such was convenient as the first bits of dime sized hail were beginning to plink down amid the start of heavier rains.

Carefully, Gypsum entered the building, making sure the shelter was not going to be disturbed by their trespass. The place did not seem inclined to fall on them out of existential spite at least.
 
This'll do, I suspect, such was said with a calm sort of confidence  He just was not concerned about the storm in the way Knockout was.

Other than a few spots here and there, the roof was whole, and the walls were solid enough to block most of the wind. They would be dry and sheltered from the storm. Sheltered, even if it was a musty old space, littered with the residual memories of farm life and local animals.

Never mind the cobwebs on everything. Just pay no attention to those.

[Knock Out]

Knock Out didn't care much for the ground beneath his wheels unless it was a nice, smooth, pothole free road. The grass tickled, was annoying, and no matter what speed he went at, or how careful he was? He always seemed to be picking grass, mud, and annoying little twigs out of his frame for hours after driving over it. But right now? That seemed like fun compared to being caught out in the oncoming storm, and as such he wouldn't complain about having to drive over rougher terrain than he was used to.

As long as it isn't going to collapse on us...

He sounded distracted as Gypsum inspected the outside of the building. Then again he couldn't be blamed! To a priss like him? The thought of getting hailed on was absolutely terrifying, and was no doubt occupying his every thought. The building didn't look that sturdy and he might've possibly been thinking about calling a ground bridge for himself to get out of here – but the fact he was nothing but a gentleman, may possibly need a favor in future, and Gypsum's words of confirmation that it'll do seemed to make him pause with that thought process.

Eh, he'll take it. The rain, and dime sized hail that had begun to fall probably helped with this decision, and he'd make a beeline into the building after Gypsum without a second thought.

...Alright, it was even nastier in here than he could've ever imagined. Which was to be expected, considering the poor building had been abandoned. There was something about the floor in here that felt even dirtier than outside, and so once he was 'safely' inside the building? He would quickly shift forms into his root-mode, doing a quick self-inspection of his frame to see if any of those nasty little hailstones had inflicted any damage.

Luckily for him, it hadn't.

He'd make a point of sidestepping and shifting himself so he was standing under one of the parts of the roof that wasn't a hole, and standing toward the middle incase the thing did collapse ontop of them. It seemed like the most logical place, then again he'd had the fortunate luck of not having a building collapse on him before. Hopefully he wasn't about to start now.

He was doing his best to not touch anything in here. He saw the cobwebs and couldn't help but shudder. He was used to the pristine, sterile environment of his Medical Bay, so this entire thing was a shock to the system – and not a pleasant one! The pitter-patter and clinking of rain and hail hitting the roof was horribly distracting, and so he would attempt to counter it with a distraction of his own – conversation.

“Soo... Once we are done with this fun little adventure, ah – no rush with that, by the way, I have all day! - Would you like a ground-bridge to the DMZ, or would you rather go find the other that you mentioned earlier?” He asked, eyeing Gypsum somewhat warily. He was curious about the other of their kind that he'd mentioned – and wondered how he'd manage to lose contact, not to mention who it even was that he'd had the luck of finding, and where he had found them. Knock Out came to Earth quite often for racing and movie-watching, and he'd yet to find anyone else aside from Gypsum!

Not that he'd ever really looked. 

[Deleted]

The barn may not have been perfect, but it would serve the needed purpose and see them through this storm. The ramshackle nature of the location did not bother Gypsum any, and he certainty was not as distressed by it all as Knockout was. It was what it was.

When Knockout transformed, he followed suit a moment later and indulged in a lovely, cathartic stretch. That was the main woe about roaming alien territory and laying low; the inability to get out of alt and stretch unless he was particularly careful. Now was as good a time as any, not as if any humans were going to tromp out here in the middle of a storm.

Amusingly enough, he looked bout as rough in this mode as he had in alt. He could do with a serious repainting one of these days, and probably a laundry list of minor repairs and cosmetic work. Then again, his last profession had not exactly been kind of things like paint jobs or the finer details of keeping up with looking spiffy. Compared to Knockout's near immaculate appearance, he looked like he should be right at home in the dilapidated barn.

He did take a moment to peel a few stray bits of field grass out of himself though, armor rattling at the ticklish sensation that came along with the eviction.

Knockout's question drew his attention though, he looking up with a contemplative look and gave a casual shrug.

"Not too concerned with tryin' t'find th'other'un, after 'e up an vanished. Peculiar sort, doubt I could track 'im down again any'ow. Would be nice t'get t'where there are others again though."

He did appreciate this mech's willingness to help, hopefully he didn't up and vanish on him like his last contact had...

[Knock Out]

Knock Out held his arms out to the sides, also twisting and stretching with a low hiss of hydraulics as he loosened up after being in his altmode. While he had the luxury of roaming the Nemesis in his root-mode, he'd been driving for a while today – and as fabulous as he looked? Driving around for long periods was tiring. Plus he knew that he looked much nicer in his root-mode, and any chance to show himself off, even in a shoddy little place like this? He was all for it.

Once he was done with his stretching, he, too, would begin to pick a few stray blades of grass from various vents on his frame. He was mostly thankful that they had been lucky to miss the worst of the rain, and so the mud from driving over the field had been minimal.

Idly, he'd scrape at some mud that did have the unfortunate luck of marring his shiny, immaculate finish with a long, slender digit, and his gaze would drift over to the other mech. He made no point of hiding that he was staring, and quite possibly judging. He could tell at a glance that Gypsum needed a few minor repairs done – he'd been a medic for quite some time now and some things just stood out to him.

Even if he was silently judging of the other mech's paint job and how he kept himself – he wouldn't say anything out loud. At least Gypsum seemed to care a little about himself, as he noted that the other mech was pulling grass from himself also.

Nor would he offer to do any repair work on the other mech. He'd stated earlier his rank and what he was, and if Gypsum was brave enough to ask? Maybe Knock Out would indulge him with the privilege of being looked at. Then again, for all he knew? The Neutral base was equipped with a Medic and medical supplies – although he very much doubted that it was anywhere near to the level of that of the Decepticon Medical Bays, and Medic – of course. Maybe he'd take a wander around the DMZ once it was time to call in a ground bridge, just for curiosity sake more than anything.

He'd lower his servos to his sides, keeping his limbs as close to himself as he could now that he'd stretched himself. He didn't want to accidentally bump a mass of cobwebs, or knock into something that'd send this whole building collapsing on top of the pair. While his posture wasn't overly tense, it was slightly awkward – with the occasional wary glance upwards being made to triple check that no water was coming from above where he was stood.

At Gypsum's words, he'd glance down and offer him a genuine smile.

“Eh, types like that aren't usually worth the time, I've found. He could've-” He glanced up as a splatter of water fell on his shoulder, making him shudder and side-step away, before turning his attention back to Gypsum. “-At least had the common decency to see you to the DMZ, however. Being alone on this planet only leads to trouble.”

He had to give Gypsum some credit. He wouldn't want to be alone in this world, not knowing where to go or where others of his kind were. The other mech had done very well, and was very lucky not to have been caught by MECH.

“Enough about that, though. What is it you do, Gypsum? Or uh, did, I should say.”

He was genuinely curious, and once he'd wiped the offending water from his shoulder? Would give Gypsum his full attention once more.

[Deleted]

While Knockout was clearly ill at ease with their current accommodations, Gypsum seemed to hardly mind the situation. The storm was worth keeping tabs on, but he was confident that their shelter would see them through. The occasional wayward drip coming through the roof didn't seem to bother him any. A stray piece of hail zipping through one of the gaps in the roofing made him wince though as it pinged off his armor. More startle than pain, but it was enough to get him to shuffle a bit more out of range himself.

"Well, nothin fancy", he started while glancing upwards as if to try and gauge if he was beyond the risk of getting hailed upon again, "Worked as a miner, for a good long while on a fringe outpost. Ores an' th' occasional mineral deposits, mostly. Dirty work, but 'onest out there." Such would explain his scruffy appearance, at least.

"Dusty, dull, barren place compared t'this one. Wasn't much of anytin' by way of native life there. Nothin' like this place." The once miner hummed, just seeming a bit awed by what he had found on this planet. Worth the trip for the views alone, even if he was still trying to figure out why he ever thought coming here was a good idea.

Earth was still nearly overwhelming with the sheer insane multitude of organic life that....clung to just about everything. Even the empty places seemed to have some kind of sneaky life lingering somewhere. It absolutely took some getting used to, compared to the places he had lived prior to here. 

"None th'less, kept me busy an kept me out of trouble. Moved on when th'outpost started t'dry up." 

[Knock Out]

Ill at ease with the current accommodations was an understatement, although anything would be better than actually being outside. That being said, despite the roof over his head – as leaky as it was – Knock Out was finding it hard to relax. He was fidgety, glancing up every so often to check for build up of rain or any signs that the roof was going to collapse. Of course, he was just being dramatic, but he couldn't help it. It was while he was glancing up that he heard the 'ping' of a stray piece of hail hitting Gypsum – and it made him gasp out in surprise and quickly turn his attention back to the other mech to see if he was alright.

While he was silently thankful it had hit Gypsum rather than him, he couldn't help but feel a little bit bad. This mech had been nothing but pleasant, and he'd led Knock Out away from the storm – plus he seemed to have enough dings and dents as it was! ...Not that the tiny hailstone did any damage that Knock Out could see, but it was the principle of the matter.

He'd follow Gypsum's gaze upwards as he started to speak, loosely folding his arms across his chassis before turning his gaze back to the other.

“A miner, hm?” He hummed in approval, finding it amusing that they'd crossed paths. If they were back home, there was no way they would've ever ran into each other – even with Knock Out's former career of working in a body shop, he only dealt with higher end clients and wouldn't have given Gypsum's type the time of day or anything more than an indignant scoff in his direction. Yet here he was alone in an abandoned barn having a conversation. It was funny how much had changed.

“Honest and hard work. I approve of that. Folks like you kept the rest of us going, one way or another.” He offered a genuine smile. He got little to no appreciation for his current job of being Chief Medical Officer, so would give respect and appreciation where it was due – even if it was a few years too late.

“If you're ever homesick for the dusty and dull, Earth has plenty of deserts which I'm sure are similar.” He shrugged loosely – actually having no idea. There was no way in hell he'd ever do hard labor like that, nor go to a desert if he could help it – so he wasn't sure if it was even remotely close.

“...And if you ever want to get any of those dings or scrapes out of your frame, I happen to know a thing or two about that kind of thing, and not just because I'm the Chief Medical Officer,” He'd wink, before awkwardly clearing his throat after a pause. “...Because I worked in body and paint repair before the war, that is.”

He wouldn't elaborate on it further unless asked, not sure if Gypsum was even interested in either his offer or what he did before becoming a Medic – especially one of rank.

[Deleted]

He, by comparison thought nothing more of the stray bit of hail after a few moments other than to mind where he stood a bit more. In his former line of work he had been hit with, and shrugged off, far larger falling objects than a wee bit of hail after all!

As for work, even before his mining days back home, it still would have been unlikely that they would have crossed paths. His days prior to the mining outpost were largely spent engaging in nondescript odd jobs and bussing more than several tables in sundry sometimes dodgy dive bars. Not a fancy or even always easy living, but he had been able to usually make ends meet. A humble life, but he had done well enough for himself.

When dusty places were mentioned, he could not help but to chuckle and offer his own grin back at Knockout, "Aye, might be an idea some day. So much green, growin' things 'ere tha' it's almost overwhelming." At least in a desert he would be a touch less paranoid about breaking something fragile, organic, and living.

The commentary about repairs was waived off with a humble gesture, the shabby mech giving a chuff through his vents at the thought.

"Ev'ryone starts somewhere, an I imagine mech like y'self 'as more important sorts t'keep y'self busy with rather than a work-worn miner." There was a sort of humility in his tone, perhaps thinking he wasn't important enough to warrant a Chief Medical Officer's focus. Then again, Gypsum was often humble to a fault. That, and he had nothing of value to offer as fair compensation for the work.

In all honesty, though, he was trying not to think too hard on this mech's rank, and what the rank said about Knockout's importance and position among the Decepticon forces. To think of himself as being in the company of someone of such rank was a fair bit intimidating if he thought on it too long.

[Knock Out]

A low rumble of thunder made Knock Out flinch and look up in a panic. Okay good, it wasn't the roof collapsing on top of them. Just the weather. He'd stand awkwardly, rubbing the top of one arm with his other servo as he turned his attention – and tried to keep it on – the other mech.

“This planet isn't all green, you know,” He nodded matter-of-factually. “A lot of the more built-up, populated cities are severely lacking in foliage. Of course, they have park areas and what have you, but those are for the fleshb-- Humans,” He corrected himself, gently clearing his throat. “and not for driving on. Just if you're feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, there are other things to see.”

He couldn't really blame him – it'd taken some getting used to after living on Cybertron for so many years. Now he was used to it all, though, he didn't really notice. It was Breakdown that paid attention to nature and thought everything was beautiful. Breakdown stopped to smell the flowers and appreciate every tiny little thing, Knock Out not so much.

“Ah, not so much,” He offered another smile. “Slow day today. My assistant, Breakdown, is more than capable of holding down the fort.” It was a half-truth. If a Vehicon came in with half their torso blown off, or if anyone needed some kind of surgery? Then Knock Out would have to go back – as Breakdown was really only capable of doing the routine, boring day to day checks on the troops, and basic first aid.

The likelihood of anything major like that happening, though? Was oh so very slim. It was all so very boring back on the Nemesis, hence the frequent excursions to stop himself going stir-crazy.

Plus, Gypsum seemed to give him the respect that he so rightly deserved. He got little to no thanks for what he did on the ship, and most definitely no appreciation or respect. So this was a nice change, and as such? He would give Gypsum respect and his attention in return – if only to help keep his mind off the storm.

“Did you enjoy the work? The mining, I mean. I'm sure you have many a story to tell?”

Knock Out had plenty of stories from working in the body shop, but he wasn't sure if Gypsum would appreciate or be able to relate to them – as they mostly involved snobby, higher class folk. Not that Knock Out would be able to relate to mining stories, but he was good at listening and feigning some sort of interest.

[Deleted]

Personally, he felt it a bit ridiculous to not give any medic worth their profession a reasonable amount of respect. They were the ones that patched you up and put you back together when something went astray, after all! Taking a medic for granted was generally not wise for the sake of your own well being!

None the less, he felt his dings and dents were a tad beneath a chief medical officer. Now if say he had a joint or two worn down from hard work and on the verge of giving out or anything else of major concern he might have humbly accepted the help, but as it was, he could make due for now. Even if he was a shabby mess.

Knockout's questions left him humming in thought for a moment, looking for the best answers he could offer.

"Th'work itself was interestin'. It was 'ard, 'eavy, dirty work tha' was sometimes dangerous if y'weren't careful. I tended t'work down in tunnel mines, rather'n strip operations. Always th'risk of 'avin somethin' cave in on y'ead when y'work down in those tunnels. I've 'ad m'fair share of 'avin fallin' rock come down on m'ead. Can't say I didn't like th'work though" he chuckled, just thinking about the work he used to do.

"Th'teams I worked with were usually good sorts too. Aye, some may not 'ave been th'most pleasant, an could be a bit rough, but we tended t'work t'gether well enough t'get through th'days. It wasn't uncommon f'someone t'strike up some kinda song t'pass time during the shift, especially if we were doing some of th'more tedious repetitive parts of th'job."

Gypsum did rather miss some of those mechs. The time to move on had just come.

"Th'colony did 'ave a small port area too, where all sorts of people came an' went. It was centered around the sale n'trade of th'ores we brought up, though it 'ad a small retail district 'n a few social gatherin' points but nothin' fancy. It was a good place t'people watch an see who was comin' an goin. All in all wasn't a bad place t'be, even if we were in th'middle of nowhere, relatively speakin'," with that he grinned and shrugged, trying to think of anything interesting in particular to tell about.

[Knock Out]

As Gypsum replied, Knock Out would try to relax some, trying to take his mind off the storm. Standing tense and on edge like this was an unnecessary strain, and he'd casually move to lean against one of the support beams of the barn with an elbow. The creak of protest that came from the wood, though, made him suddenly remember just where they were, and just how dilapidated this building actually was. It wasn't built to support a Cybertronian leaning against it! A quick, but awkward side step away and a glance up to make sure it wasn't going to collapse, and he'd turn his attention back to the other mech once he deemed it safe.

He nodded as he listened, cringing at the last part about the rock falling on top of Gypsum. Not because it sounded painful, but because the thought of the scratches and dents after receiving a rock to the face were less than pleasant.

He had to hand it to Gypsum, though, being a miner was something that Knock Out would never, ever do. He was used to hard work, sure. Or at least, his version of hard work anyway. Even on the slower days like today, the Medical Bay was always running – and he was always on call and always busy (except when he was taking some much needed time off to drive around on Earth, that was! But even then, he was on call). When he wasn't dealing with patients he was filing datapad after datapad of paperwork. He had many, many troops to keep track of – ensuring everyone was up to date with their maintenance, as Megatron ran a very tight ship. It was a thankless job, really. Yet he found an odd satisfaction in the chaos and the seemingly non-stop work.

He was more than aware of the dangers of mining, too – the Decepticons had soldiers even now that worked in the mines here on Earth to get Energon, and he'd fixed more mining-related injuries than he cared to count. Even Megatron had come in a week or so earlier with gnarly injuries to his frame due to a mine collapse. Knock Out had seen and fixed almost everything – but it was the getting dirty part of Gypsum's description that had turned him right off.

“Having a good team always helps.” He smiled. “I must say, my assistant, Breakdown, helps a lot. Between the two of us, we ensure the soldiers of the entire ship are in tip-top shape! While I could probably do it all alone, I know having him around has kept me sane through some of the harder days,” He chuckled at that. “Makes the day go faster having him around, that's for sure.”

The part about songs made him smile. Breakdown sang, sometimes. He wasn't very good at it, but Knock Out had caught him singing quietly along to some random tune every now and then. Or he would hum along to things as he cleaned and Knock Out busied himself with the paperwork at the end of a day. Knock Out would never admit it, but it did boost his morale some – so he could totally understand why the miners would sing to pass the time and how it would make things more tolerable during such awful work.

The port area sounded fascinating. He loved to socialize and was always curious about others, so a place like that would've been somewhere he would've visited more than once - even if just for the people watching and judging.

“Say, you wouldn't happen to have a song about two poor mechs stuck in an abandoned barn, would you?” He laughed. He was honestly joking and didn't expect Gypsum to break into a song or anything, but hey – songs helped the miners through the bad times, and as far as Knock Out was concerned? This was a bad time.

[Deleted]

The creak of the beam drew his attention, optics following the line of the support structure as if assessing it's stability with a sort of calm lack of concern. Near as he could tell, so as long as neither of them took out any of the supports, or cannonballed through one of the walls, everything should remain steady.

WHen Knockout began speaking, his focus re-orientated on the red mech, politely focused. For as attentive as Knockout was when the miner spoke, Gypsum paid attention to him in return. Much like the medic could hardly imagine himself doing the heavy drudgery work of mining, Gypsum could only imagine himself as being next to useless in Knockout's line of work.

Oh, he could probably hand off tools and follow simple orders fairly enough, but all the fancy and complicated parts of medical care were profoundly beyond him. His line of work dealt with poking rocks, not innards.

"Sounds like y'have quite a bit t'keep track of, " the comment had a fair bit of respect in it. Keeping up on the well being of any number of mechs was an undertaking as far as he was concerned! The exasperated looks he or the other miners received when they had to shamble in for some type of repair from the company medic alone spoke about what kind of ordeal it could be!

He did grin a bit though, hearing how Knockout spoke about his assistant, and couldn't help but to comment in a friendly tease, "Sounds like y'might be a bit fond of him."

He dropped the topic though, when Knockout quipped about a song, and he laughed along with him.

"Can't say tha' I do. Not exactly a common situation", he laughed again before a thoughtful look crossed his face.

Seemingly distracted with his thoughts, the miner leaned against a piece of derelict farm machinery. A few moments later he was counting out some type of pattern on his fingers, while humming a few bars to himself, the tune adjusting as he went. He might have seemed a bit daft there in those few minutes, having trailed off from the conversation in favor of humming and nearly muttering to himself, hands gesturing lightly in conjunction with the humming and the thoughts rolling through his head.

Soon enough he seemed satisfied with whatever thoughts he was chasing, almost nodding to himself, "Hm, that'll do..", the comment more spoken to himself than anything else.

He turned his attention back to Knockout, grinning just a bit, "M'not th'best with th'on th' spot stuff.. but.... " He trailed off, before rolling back into the humming, which was soon there after replaced with singing.

Hard and steady the rain overhead,
the hail firm an fast on the beams,
an 'ere we are, with naught for a bed,
but dust and forgotten memories.

The walls narry block the whistling wind,
an the roof yawns open to the brooding sky,
The boards an' nails groan and grind
In stoic decaying misery.

Two lost souls caught in misadventure,
Wandering paths crossed unexpectedly,
Waiting out the stormy weather
Lookin' on toward better days ahead.

He let the simple little tune fade back out, a sheepish grin and shrug favored to Knockout at the end of it all. Surprisingly, the miner seemed to have a decent, almost folksy, ability to sing. Not that he tended to think much of any skill he might have and had a tendency to be painfully humble about it when complimented.

[Knock Out]

“Quite a bit is an understatement,” He chuckled, but he did note the respect in the tone. For everything that Knock Out did on the ship, he didn't get much appreciation nor thanks. Especially not from the higher ups, anyway. The occasional Vehicon would thank him, but even that was rare. Breakdown got more thanks than he did – and that was because the big blue lug took the time to get to know each and every Vehicon. “It's challenging work though, which I adore.” He added. At first it'd been a little overwhelming but he'd quickly grown used to it – it wasn't like he had a choice. He could be replaced at any time, he assumed, and so had to keep on top of things.

“Mm, Breakdown?” He couldn't help but smile at Gypsum's comment. “He tolerates me, and I tolerate him – which is more than I can say for most. That and I've known him for far too long, now.” He chuckled. “He started as my bodyguard back during the war, so it's only natural I've grown to like him – he saved my life a few times, after all.” That was about as much as he'd say on the topic of his partner, but there was a certain affection in his voice as he spoke of the other mech.

He'd casually wave a servo to Gypsum, as if telling him not to worry about the song if he couldn't think up one on the fly. He'd mostly been joking about it anyway, and hadn't expected the other mech to burst into song just because Knock Out had asked.

There was a moment of quiet, although it wasn't awkward in the slightest – and he couldn't help but watch as Gypsum seemed to be thinking about something. His helm tilting just slightly as the other mech began to hum. Was he actually going to do it? He'd stand up a little straighter as Gypsum commented to himself, and would nod and smile as Gypsum addressed him – before trailing off into a song.

He listened intently, the smile not leaving his face. He wouldn't have been able to come up with anything like that on the fly, and was obviously impressed by what he'd heard – as no sooner had Gypsum stopped, Knock Out would clap his hands together in a short applause.

“Amazing!” He laughed. “You sing really well – better than Breakdown!” That was probably a huge compliment coming from Knock Out, not that Gypsum had ever heard Breakdown sing so couldn't compare himself. “I can see how singing back in the mines lifted your spirits, as I feel better about this entire situation after hearing that. Thank you.” His words seemed genuine and sincere, and he really did appreciate it.

“Maybe the weather will lighten up a little after hearing it, too.” He hummed in thought, casting a glance upwards through one of the many cracks in the ceiling. It was still definitely raining out there, and the occasional tap-tap indicated that there was still some hail, although it didn't seem quite as bad as it once was. Not that Knock Out would go out in it regardless.

[Deleted]

There was a high likelihood that if someone suggested that he might share shelter in a decrepit barn with a ranked Decepticon official, he very well may have scoffed at them. He just wasn't the sort that ended up around, let alone socialized with, important ranked figures. Yet, here he was, socializing with an important ranked figure. Funny how that kind of thing worked out sometimes.

When Knockout applauded and complimented the silly little shambled together tune, the once miner just laughed and waved him off, humble about his singing. He wasn't terribly used to the compliments or having his singing appreciated like that, after all!

"Thank'y, an' m'glad a bit of sillyness 'elped. With m'crew y'learned t'improvise a bit on th'spot t'keep up, sometimes. Also kept th'same workin' songs from goin' stale." he hummed, seeming more pleased that the tune had done some good than he was over the compliments to his talents. He'd never thought much of his singing voice, not seriously, anyway.

"As for th'weather, this shouldn't last much longer by m'guess," Gypsum hummed and glanced upwards as well. The wind was petering out, still a good gust here and there that rattled some boards but the frequency was lessening. He doubted it would be over long before it had cleared enough to be safe enough to get out of this creaky, dark, now rather damp place.

Not much to do beyond chat and keep one another company, until then.

"So, once th'weather lets up, what d'y plan on doin with y'self? Can't imagine following me around as I blindly wander t'nowhere is all tha' enchanting," he flashed another grin, though he was genuinely curious. He really did need to figure out what to do with himself though. Getting dropped off on this planet really started to fall neatly into the category of Poor Life Choices. Everyone had one sooner or later, unfortunately.

[Knock Out]

Just as Gypsum never thought he'd be sharing space with a ranked Decepticon official, Knock Out also never would've dreamed he'd be here with someone from the Neutral faction - and in a human barn no less. Even back in the day on Cybertron they wouldn't have crossed paths. They were in two completely different social circles, and Gypsum didn't seem the type to hang out in some of the, ah, seedier bars that Knock Out seemed to frequent in his off time.

“Aw, I wouldn't call it silly. You did well coming up with it! Breakdown does the same. Sort of, anyway. He mostly just hums the tune to songs he already knows, and if he doesn't know a part? He makes it up as he goes along. It's quite charming, in a way.” Would he say it lifted his spirits and morale like it would've done for the miners down in the cramped, dark caves? Not really. But it was still nice to listen to, though. Knock Out could appreciate a good song when sang well, which was why he gave praise and applause for what Gypsum had just done.

“You think so?” He cast a wary glance upwards through one of the cracks in the ceiling of the barn, as if that'd help clarify the answer to himself. But sadly he couldn't tell. He'd never been caught out in a storm like this before on Earth, especially not one with hail, and so sadly had no idea how long they lasted. The rain part was alright – annoying at best, the thunder was loud but it wasn't like that could hurt him – but it was the hail that scared him the most.

The question asked would draw his attention back to Gypsum, and he'd smile.

“Not sure, really. I'm surprised I haven't been called back to the Nemesis yet,” He shifted his weight some, sidestepping away from where a puddle had begun to form from one of the many small holes in the ceiling. Must've been a slower day than he thought back on the ship, either that or Breakdown knew not to call for Knock Out unless it was a seriously dire emergency. “I still fully intend on getting you to Haven like I said, but after that? Who knows. Catch a drive-in movie, race some fleshbags... The, ah, rev-head types seem to be out more after rain, something about the slick surface being easier on their tires when they do 'fancy' skids.” He added airquotes to the word 'fancy' as he spoke. What humans considered to be good really was nothing special, and the fact they needed the aid of the rain to show off was laughable.

“You – ah, you still did want to go to Haven, correct?” He asked casually, eyeing the other mech up and down. Maybe Knock Out's wonderful company and earlier offer of fixing up Gypsum's paint and dents would be enough to convince him to join the winning team; they could always use more miners to oversee the Vehicons, so it probably wouldn't be too much effort to convince Big M that he was worth it. "I only ask because I've heard that place is... Well, can't say I'd much like living in an abandoned mine.” He'd quirk a brow. Then again, Gypsum may feel right at home... Still, couldn't hurt to ask.