IC contact

[daintylegs]

"Hey, sorry I missed your call! I'll try to get back to you when I can, okay?"

Comments

[aminerproblem]

[FROWN]

So you know nothing of how this happened. Nothing at all.

[daintylegs]

No...?

[Tailgate says slowly, as if he can't imagine why Megatron is pushing this.]

Have you asked Magnus about them yet? Maybe he knows.

[aminerproblem]

He doesn't, and I'm curious why someone outside of our quarters would even be aware or interested in what was taken.

[daintylegs]

Beats me, I wasn't anywhere near your room.

I feel like you're accusing me of stealing though. The nerve!

[aminerproblem]

You say that like the three of you don't enjoy getting into mischief.

[Riptide was with him in the whale for the last two days. Sideswipe doesn't even know about his books. That narrows the list down pretty quickly.]

[daintylegs]

Mischief is one thing, but thievery is another!

I promise I have no idea where your stupid datapads went to.

[He gives a firm nod, confident he's gotten out of this.]

So is that everything?

[aminerproblem]

[He narrows his eyes, not missing that slip up for even a second.]

My stupid what?

[daintylegs]

[Oh. Shit. Tailgate realizes his mistake instantly. Now would be a good time to confess, but also he thinks he might be able to wiggle out of this.]

Your datapads. Those are what were stolen right?

I mean, it's not like you own a lot of things. Process of elimination.

[aminerproblem]

That's an incredibly fortunate first guess.

[He sighs, still annoyed with this but not really interested in dragging it out longer than it needs to be.]

Tailgate, I don't care why you took them, I just want them returned immediately. I've had many weeks worth of writing stored on those datpads and I'd like to complete what I started.

[daintylegs]

[Well, looks like the cat's outta the bag, whatever that means.

But this is not going to end well.]

Let's just say that if, hypothetically, I did take your datapads. I'd have probably have donated them to someone else to help save the whales. So, I think it'd be accurate to say that they're not going to be returned. In this hypothetical scenario, that is.

[aminerproblem]

...

[There's a long moment of silence, where Megatron slowly, carefully cycles air through his vents. His hands are clenched into fists, his face is a tentatively controlled frown. One thing is certain: he's getting too damn old for this bullshit.]

[Somehow, he manages to retain a patient tone:]

You gave them away?

[daintylegs]

[Tailgate instantly switches to his last line of defense: Tears.]

I'm sorry! But they were asking for things to give the mercenaries and I didn't have anything valuable to give them! Please don't be mad, I just wanted to help.

[aminerproblem]

So you gave away my personal effects to mercenaries - organic mercenaries no less - to pawn off to some collector?

[Saving the whales doesn't seem too convincing a reason.]

[daintylegs]

They were the most valuable things I knew of.

And after tormenting that one whale, I figured I owed it to them to help them.