Tissiress

[Corvid]

"Weak spots? I might know a few-"

Bursting from the surrounding vegetation into Swiftcut's field of vision, Graphene responded to the monstrous roar combat-ready, weapon in-hand. The scene unfolded before him, single optic not missing a single detail. Swiftcut was lying prone on the ground, another creature curled on top of her. Both still, his attention was pulled from them to the cause of their stumble; the large, hideous beast before them.

_{"Whoa, you're a big one,"} Graph uttered with a smirk, walking forward. Passing Swift, who would have seen him as he passed, focus sharp- his single eye an orange lit ablaze like fire, gaze burning through Asir. He steadied his grasp, digging his left foot into the dirt as he took a stance in front of the two smaller ones. One hand on the grip of his grenade launcher, finger at the trigger, the other around its forward grip to raise the barrel toward its target. Fixating on Asir at a high upward angle, it stopped squarely on the beast's chest before three rapid tugs of a finger sent three grenades flying grouped around Asir's center mass.

"Back to the ship!" he called back to Swift, then the flicker of static as comms opened. "\\Correlator, we've got incoming. Prep for launch."

[kaijir]

Even with the statement from the Aulveni, Rile seemed unsure, ready to slip from her arms when he could. However he stopped struggling momentarily. It was just in time for her to brace, the sight of his brother's claw piercing into her chest had a loud hiss escaping, distress flooding his taxed systems as Swiftcut's armor was torn away and they were sent sprawling to the ground. Twisting his smaller body slightly, he managed to catch a small portion of his weight on his arms, yet most of his weight landed on his companion, his legs tangled in his long talk. Clicking and hissing in that strange language, the Nagacon seemed almost frantic as his own wound was jarred and his systems flooding with survival hormones. Thoughts raced and screamed at him to protect her from more damage, his tail moving to free his legs finally, pain ignored as he digs his claws into the ground to pull his weight off her body. 

Before Asir could close in for another attack, his cruel smile ever present, and before the smaller nagacon could move from his curled stance nearly laying on Swiftcut still, another mech bursts onto the scene. Red optics widen as said mech takes aim and firing at Asir, the large Nagacon managing to just snap his arms in front of his face as the grenades slam into his chest plating. A loud roar thunders over the explosions, scales torn away and plating warping under the blast. It stunned both Nagacons for a moment, Rile instinctually lowering his body over the wounded Aulveni's once more, unsure. 

"His Face! Aim for his face." Finally snapping out of his shock enough to yell this to the new mech, he manages to straighten up, enough to try and hastily pull Swiftcut into action. the ground below him was slowly staining pink but still, it was ignored as he tries to quickly ready himself for their predator. The shouted words seemed to help pull the stunned larger Nagacon back, the green chest plating severely damaged, energon leaking in places along with shrapnel imbedded in the arm armor. But Asir was still standing. Enraged, Asir unsheaths both hidden blades over his hands, his large frame jolting as he charges straight for Graphene. "Better yet... Run! Please!" 

For now, Asir's attention seemed solely on Graphene, his enraged expression shifting into a crazed need to destroy. The single long audial was lowered in a hostile manner, fangs extended as the beast storms forward, his frame light and agile for his size yet his steps still thundering. Closing in on the mech between the former prey and the large techno organic, he strikes out, aiming a heavy arching swing down, a quick strike to try and slash Graphene, but his bazerk state hinders his aim greatly. 
"Payment. Death." Asir's Cybertronian language suffered and mingled with Nagacon Vernacular as he yells. 

[Cybiscus]

There was a hitch of her breath, gasping for air as it returns to her systems. Wincing, Swiftcut finally sits herself up once Rile was off of her, groaning softly as she held her chest. She was mostly in shock, glancing to the damage that had been dealt. She couldn’t tell if the wound was life-threatening or not. Upon further inspection, and a clearer vision, a trembling huff escapes her from the chunk of armor Asir had taken off of her. There were some nasty looking marks on her chest plating, however. Drops of light blue liquid were forming beads from the gashes, slowly turning into a tar-like color.

Hearing a familiar voice, the Aulveni lifts up her head, catching tones of gray and goldenrod. “Graphene..?” Her voice was soft, blinking her dull eyes to finally clear her vision from the fall. Her brows then raise out of surprise, realizing that it was indeed who she thought it was. Flinching from the sounds of explosions against Asir, Swiftcut winces; now even stumbling back onto her feet due to Rile pulling on her. Now, the charging Nagacon snaps her back into place, eyes wide with a gasp. Her gaze lingers on Graphene for a moment, biting her lip before obeying his command. Spinning around now, the Aulveni grasps Rile’s servo tightly, tugging him along as she resumes her flee away from Asir, leaving small drops of her own, now murky blood behind.

[Corvid]

Graphene didn’t run. Didn’t brace. A fool would have called him brave; anyone else, stupid. Irregardless of anyone’s opinions on what he should have done, Graphene stood there with a cocksure grin that rivaled Asir’s crueler visage in intensity.

Waiting until the last second to lunge backward from Asir’s assault, the giant’s blades both made contact. A hop back to get out of reach, avoiding being grabbed by the larger creature.

“You’re slow,” Graphene taunted. Chest plating heaved in exertion, and his chassis was rippled in pink from a splash of energon from his open wound. Asir had grazed the mech’s right side with one blade, a shallow ripple on Graphene’s head running down, fading just past his protruding chest plating. The other blade had dug deeper, and this is where the splash of energon had come from; although not deep enough to wholly penetrate his deeper armor, a jagged ripple striped down his left shoulder and arm, which now hung limp at his side.

It might have been unnerving to see someone injured in the first blow of the conflict taunting their opponent. He was clearly hurting- the arm, his chest plating pulling as it was- so why?

That question was soon answered.

Graphene suddenly stopped. His smile faded, his eye dimming, and dilating. He fell backward. Stumbling onto his back, the movement was awkward: almost rigid, mechanical in nature. Soon after, Asir would have figured out why- why the bot seemed so sure in himself in spite of the obvious power discretion- as he watched the mech transform. The tires of an off-roader dug into the underbrush, kicking up vegetation debris onto Asir’s blades almost as an insult before Graphene’s alt mode took him immediately out of the Nagacon’s reach, and further. It didn’t take long to reach Swiftcut and Asir with how short their run had been.

“Get on,” he ordered. “Let’s hope whatever this thing is doesn’t have an alt mode.”

[kaijir]

Rile was tense, his body running on a need to survive. He didn't even struggle as Swiftcut rose and started to run once more, pulling him after her. The long tail, stained pink from his wound, flared back and forth to help him balance as he followed. Worry gripped his spark, his audials flicking but remaining straight up as he listens to his brother attack their defender. The small Nagacon glanced back just in time to see his brother slash the new mech, a distressed hissing yelp escaping him. A need to protect washed over him, his pace slowing with the intent to pull his arm from the Aulveni's grip. Before he could, Rile was stunned as he saw the injured mech transform. The new shape was odd and alien to the techno organic, his wide optics staring at the sight before him as Graphene rached to them. Looking over at Swiftcut and only hesitating long enough for the larger Nagacon to roar something in their native tongue, making Rile flinch and scramble onto the strange form. 

"Nagacon. Serpent... Please hurry!" Making sure to take up as little room as possible, Rile settles in a crouch, his claws subconsciously gripping at the plating under him but careful enough not to pierce it. It would appear he was taking an ambush position, his audials lowered as his sharp gaze locks onto Asir. He was poised to attack, his plating flared to make him appear larger as a deep rumbling hiss vibrates through his small frame. 

"Slow?! You think I'm slow?!" Roaring in standard Cybertronian, having been born on Cybertron, he was used to Cybertronian alts. Asir rushes forward, practically leaping onto his wounded forearms as his shape seems to morph, limbs disappearing and scaled plating rises to a sleek surface. Letting out one more hissing roar, Asir now appeared as a giant snake, the sleek from immediately gives chase. With this new form, the large snake like form easily moves through forested area, his speed rapidly increased as his single eye remains locked on Graphene, his new passengers ignored for now. "You delay the inevitable." Shortly after the ominous grow escapes the Nagacon, his large eye flicks to Rile, a rumbled string of melodic hisses and growled words give away his addressing the red and black Nagacon, said Nagacon bristling as the words settle, showing them to be threats. 

[Cybiscus]

Swiftcut’s breath was beginning to heave now, a burning sensation in her throat growing. In fact, her whole body was starting to burn, almost tripping over a rock from one of her knees seizing up for a brief moment. Despite the aching sensation, she felt around her, the Aulveni kept her grip on the nagacon’s servo, and her legs moving. Her heart almost jumps out of her chest as Graphene suddenly pops up right next to them, her eyes glowing bright and darting to the side. She looks over him, then winces from another piercing roar from Asir. Letting out a huff, she wastes no time to climb on the roof of Graphene after Rile, gripping the edge tight so that she wouldn’t fall off.

The Aulveni takes the moment of ‘rest’ to finally breathe, gasping for air as her antennas flare up over her head. She presses a hand to her chest, attempting to steady her heartbeat before glancing over her shoulder to peek behind him. However, this was a mistake for her already trembling heart, eyes growing wide out of shock once she sees the serpent slithering at remarkable speeds towards them. The way Asirs body moves over the terrain, it made her hitch out a gasp of fear. This was it, this was totally it for them. The terrible thought that their demise could’ve been her fault creates an incredible knot in her stomach. A twitch of her frame, feeling her head spinning as a lump in her throat forms, shooting her hand up to cover it over her mouth.

Now, all she could do was curl up slightly and duck her head down to shut her eyes tight. Her other hand makes creates a death drip onto the frame of Graphene’s alt. mode, heart beating at incredible rates. Unable to calm herself down, her body seizes up as she waits, for whatever to happen, holding her breath.

[Vortex]

Five Pods would be seen flying towards the planet of Tissiress. They would begin to burn as they entered the atmosphere. The pods flew above the bots below crashing a couple of clicks away from them. Smoke was seen rising into the cold sky as the pods burnt and something emerged from them. A bot would step onto the ground of the planet. 

"This Hell hole of a planet is cold! Why are we comin' here, Onslaught?!"

[Corvid]

Everything spun around him. Not literally, but in his mind’s eye Graphene was racing for solutions, digging deep within himself for an answer to their predicament. He wasn’t as unaccustomed to situations like this as Swiftcut was. Where the Aulveni had become overwhelmed by panic, the Cybertronian saw a situation like any other. This was just another day at war, only now fighting a transforming Nagacon, apparently, as opposed to another Cybertronian. He might have wondered when he had started to become so callous to the mortal peril if he hadn’t been so singularly focused on how to avoid succumbing it.

“So he can transform,” Graphene thought to himself. Fighting… more like fleeing a Nagacon. Crushing undergrowth ‘neath rugged tires, even in his tough alt it was a bumpy ride. Keeping to tighter gaps between sturdier tree trunks would let them keep pace with their large serpentine pursuer, but for how long? Precursory scans of the surface hadn’t shown any relief to this craggy terrain to provide hope for outpacing him. No matter how tight Swiftcut’s grip, Graphene knew it would take only one hard landing to jostle his riders loose. Unless making a stand against their opponent, in which case the odds were impossibly stacked in Asir’s favor, they’d have very little say in what their fate would be. With few resources and even fewer options, the situation looked dire.

Until the Abysmal Passage flew overhead.

“Correlator, that had better be you flying,” Graphene commed over the deafening roar of the cargo ship’s engines. It cast a shadow over the treetops, making the forest dim like the night as it passed and circled. Swiftcut and Rile wouldn’t hear the response on Graphene’s comms, but Correlator came in loud and clear.

“At the helm. What’s the rush?”

“You have our location?”

“Yeah, but-”

“-Open the aft fuel exhaust and purge our tanks in a line behind us.”

“Uh, alright.”

Light returned to the forest as the ship departed. The rumble of its engines grows quieter than before, but remains present. Save the harsh, low hum of Graphene’s engine and the snapping and rustling of broken forest debris in the wake of Asir’s path, for the moment, the forest is silent. Then, all at once, the roar returns full blast. Strafing above, the ship passes- slowly for a ship, but still leagues faster than the intense chase below- trailing a stream of noxious fuel behind it. The line falls in the distance between Graphene and Asir, dividing them. Graphene seizes his opportunity.

Transforming, Swiftcut’s grip is broken loose from Graphene, sending her and Rile skidding off of him into the undergrowth. Digging his heels into the ground to halt himself, kicking up a cloud of debris around the three, he holds out a hand to steady himself, weapon ready in hand behind him. Even before he’s halted to a stop, his hand whips around and fires. An initial flash from the grenade only lasts an instant before it gives way to a brilliant flash of light. The line of fuel goes ablaze.

A blaze this hot would be enough to deter even the most beastly of Cybertronian. Graphene was sure of it. Albeit believing them to be safe, he maintains a ready stance, prepared for an attack.

[kaijir]

Rile was tense, his claws digging in slightly into the plating beneath him, scratching through the paint on the plating. He was tense and seemed ready to spring forward but the sudden arrival of the ship overhead had him jolting back slightly, landing on his stained tail. His red gaze stared up at the ship, never having even seen the ones his parents came on. It seem to stun the small nagacon but once it moved on, the injured techno-organic finally snapped his attention to the pursuing serpent. Scrambling back into a crouch, he locks gaze with Asir, the large serpent closing in. Before he could make any more, the ship was back and some fluid was dropped onto the ground between his brother and the fleeing group. 

As though connected by instinct, both Nagacons flick their tongues out, taking in the makeup of the new introduced liquid, Rile jolting backwards and slapping a servo over his mouth as he had yet to 'smell' such a thing before, and Asir paused only momentarily. The pause gave Graphene enough time to shift, Rile tensing and all but launching himself at Swiftcut to cling to her and curl enough to take the brunt of the fall impact. A sudden blaze erupted before the large Nagacon, making a loud hissing roar escape him as he rapidly shifts back to his root mode. It took his claws gouging the ground to stop with his momentum. Over the flames, his single glowing optic could be seen, said optic narrowed and burning hotter than the fire before him with rage. 

"Run you cowards! I will find you." Seemingly unfazed but the fire warming his system, the large nagacon paces only the barrier, staring straight at Graphene as the blaze casts shadows, making the false mating marks seeming dance across his partially visible face. The slitted green optic flicks to Rile, a twisted smile slipping over his face as that native hissed language returns, words only meant for Rile to head. And with every one that fell from painted lips, Rile tensed and curled in on himself a bit more. 

"W-...... You need to leave. Get out, get safe." Finally speaking up, interrupting the large Nagacon held at bay, he slowly forces himself to stand, offering a clawed and to Swiftcut to help her up. "Get on that..." He paused, mumbling in that unique tongue for a moment. "Ship? I don't think he can follow." Glancing back, his tail jerks behind him, barely skimming the ground as only the blaze kept them safe. It was the only moment he felt safe this close to the murderous Nagacon.

[Cybiscus]

If it wasn’t the roaring engines of the ship that snapped her back to her senses, it was the sudden vault through the air and onto the ground with Rile, making her squeal out of surprise. The thud jostles her a bit, but she blinks her eyes wide a few times. The stench of fuel fills her nostrils, making her almost gag from the sudden rush of the sent. The Aulveni swivels her head just in time to see the fuel turn to flames from the grenade’s explosion. Her antennas click, flickering from the wave of heat grazing them, her gaze traveling slowly between the light silhouette of Graphene, to the fiery barrier and the shadow of Asir behind it. It was then, she felt a rock drop inside of her stomach. Even more so when she hears Rile’s words, her head turning then to face the servo he was offering. As she lifts her head to glance up to Rile’s optics, her expression could be seen plain as day. Guilt.

She knew of the Nagacon’s reluctance throughout the whole chase, she knew of his pleading words, and yet, she never acknowledged it. Swiftcut’s desire to help him had clouded over everything else. The fact that now all three of them were in danger, and causing such a fuss to warrant Graphene and the Abysmal Passage crew to come to their rescue. She had made a fool of herself, but mostly, made everyone else suffer because of it. They were all injured, when she could’ve just simply...The Aulveni takes in a deep breath and sighs, shaking her head with a look of defeat. “...Alright.”

Swiftcut carefully takes Rile’s servo, using it to steady herself as she stands back up onto her feet again. Even though she felt light as air, her knees ready to give out at any moment, her eyes focus on the Nagacon. “I’m- sorry. For all of this. This commotion could’ve been avoided if I had-” she stops herself for a moment, looking for her next words with a pained expression evident on her face. She knew that an emotional-filled speech was the last thing she should do at the moment, but felt that she should owe Rile that at least. Her feet shift in place, finding her voice to continue.

“I can tell you’re experienced with things like- this- I should’ve put faith in you. It was also wrong of me to try to force you to run away- to leave your home- it was wrong.” At this point, Swiftcut was speaking her thoughts, acknowledging the possible logic. She turns her head a little to shift her gaze to the fire, her frown growing. “It was selfish of me to act like this- to act like I was helping someone again- to be some hero. I- sorry.” Her glowing eyes glance up to the ship above, expecting the pick up to be soon before the fire goes out. Swiftcut chuckles at herself then, shaking her head once more, mumbling under her breath, “We’re complete strangers as well...I could’ve prevented this ruckus by minding my own-” Facing Rile once more, letting out a trembling sigh. Her antennas raise quick, noticing that she was still holding onto his servo, immediately letting it go with an apologetic look. In another part of her mind, she was screaming to herself how wrong this was- to leave Rile here on a planet with a psychopathic beast. As much as the fact pains her, Rile’s wishes of wanting to stay- for their sake, should be acknowledged. And, once again, they were only strangers, why would Rile have any reason to go with them? At this point, Swiftcut just didn’t want to cause any more trouble, for anyone. With a tilt of her helm, the Aulveni tilts her head, giving the Nagacon a light, caring smile, though it was filled with pain.

“We will leave. I’m sorry- again. Just- please stay safe, alright?”

[Brawl]

The Combaticons would stand in the craters where their pods dropped. Their mission was clear. Destroy anything in their way. Brawl looked around as his weapons would charge up. Onslaught would stand up.

"All us remember our mission. Destroy everything that gets in our way."

He said as he shot missiles from his back into trees and landforms. The combaticons move destroying anything in their path. They were near Asir and Rile.

[Corvid]

While Swiftcut stumbled over herself apologizing, trying- and failing- to come to terms with the situation, Graphene spent that time doing the same, but in his own way. Silently, he peered across the fire. Anyone might have mistakenly thought he was merely brooding over Asir's words, but this wasn't the first time the mech had been pursued by a powerful and dangerous enemy; he hardly thought it would be the last. What he truly stood there thinking about was...

"No," he had waited a full two seconds after Swiftcut's disjointed speech, giving no chance for Rile to either accept or object to her attempt at "goodbye."

"By my calculation-" extending his fingers slowly and moving his lips as though counting in his head- "you owe me 1,000 shanix worth of fuel." He didn't have to do the math: he knew how much fuel for his ship cost, and how much they'd dumped, and he knew full well that it was well over 1,000 shanix worth. He didn't care.

He didn't care about the fuel, or about what or who Rile and Asir were. Graphene didn't know the full story- he didn't even know as much as Swiftcut about what had happened- but neither did he have the conflicting thoughts about the situation that Swiftcut held onto. To him, he saw this as being about as cut-and-dry as they come: Rile was in danger. He didn't have to be.

"You're coming with me. You're gonna work that debt off somehow or another until the cost's settled, got it?"

It was at this point the Abysmal Passage returned, beginning its decent to the harsh swaying of trees and foliage in its path. The flames continued to roar behind them, now swaying in Asir's direction by the unforgiving wind of the ship's engines.

The light of the flames behind him and the shadow cast by the ship above left Rile and Swift seeing nothing but the darkened silhouette of the Cybertronian, standing with his head tilted back slightly to marvel at his own vessel momentarily. Never before had Swiftcut seen him appear so certain of himself than in this moment.

Graphene couldn't care less about the shanix. He just needed an excuse for Rile to come with them. And from the sound of it, whether they realized it or not, perhaps Rile and Swiftcut needed a reason for it, too.

"Make sure he makes it aboard. He's your responsibility now," he shouted over the engines to Swiftcut, passing by her and the smaller techno organic. He held two fingers to the side of his helm, muttering some reply, presumably instructions for their departure to Correlator. Moments later the ship backed off, and landed near enough for the three to walk to the nearest side entrance.

[kaijir]

The sound of the ship returning once more, blowing the flames in his direction, forced Asir to retreat. His wounded arms and damaged chestplating needed attention as energon drips down them. No party from this hunt escaped uninjured. His specialized clawed paws allow him to move nearly silently through the forest, walking the length of the fire, taking him in the direction of another source of curiosity. Already, his mind was calculating a way to ensure he could follow his sibling, knowing the small Nagacon would not remain planetside much longer. He had no need to hear the further exchange, while Rile was the self sacrificing type, he had already figured the probability of the stunted serpent to remain on Tissiress was miniscule. Perhaps this new source could be of use. 

---

Having glanced once to see his brother retreating, the sound of the ship's engines hurting his audial, Rile seemed much more relaxed. Lowered audials twitch as his attention is brought back to the Aulveni, his damaged spark constricting in his chest as she speaks. His grip tightens slightly on her servo, his eptics dim as his gaze lowers. It almost hurt to have her apologizing but he understood. He remained silent through her short speech, subconsciously clinging to her servo until it was pulled from his grasp. At that point his own seemed to hover there without a clue as what to do with it. Rile desperately wanted to wipe away the guilt she felt, he too shouldered some blame. The small Nagacon knew he could have been a decoy. In the end he lifts his head as though to speak but Graphene spoke up first. 

Hearing the mech speak had his attention fully drawn to him. Red optics brighten, his exhausted frame swaying slightly as he was basically ordered to come with them. Some of the words made no sense to him. What was a Shanix? Was it something he could hunt for them? He seemed baffled for a moment before realizing this was something he couldn't escape. This was something he didn't necessarily want to escape. He owed them for getting them hurt. "O-okay." His voice was soft as Graphene passes by. His tail falls limp onto the ground, the matte black scales bright pink from the still bleeding wound. The strain to his systems were setting in, the energon loss exacerbating his stressed situation. 

Staring at the ground between Swiftcut and himself, he seemed to debate speaking. Keeping his hands at his side, his own knees nearly giving out as the fight or flight slowly eases out of his system, pain radiating up his back. Ever resilient, he ignored it. "Please don't apologize." He started, lifting his right servo to rest over the massive scar on his chest. "Please don't make it seem like you regret this. This was.... This was the first time anyone cared." Finally glancing back up to lock gazes, his face was vulnerable, pain coloring his soft features. "I played a hand in your injuries... I was selfish, hoping to have some kind of positive interaction." Digging his claws into the soil beneath him, the glow of his optics flickering for a moment, making him shake himself back to full attention. 

"Only thing I regret is that you both got hurt. I owe you... But... But I don't regret meeting you. I'll never forget your kindness." Lifting his free servo, he hesitates for a moment, trying to gauge the proper social interaction. In the end, his legs partially giving out had him make up his mind on the go. Letting his momentum carry him forward, he leans against her, slinging his arms over her shoulders, careful of her wound. Resting his forehelm against her uninjured shoulder, an audible wheeze could be heard from his taxed systems as he seemed to hug her gently. "Thank you.... I don't think I've been this hopeful in my life. I'll do what I can to keep you safe." Slowly his grip tightens, his clawed digits clicking on her armor softly as he seems to cling to her almost desperately, seeking some kind of contact. "Both of you."

[Cybiscus]

Graphene’s interjection after she was finished catches the Aulveni off guard a bit, swiveling her head a bit to glance over to the Cybertronian. She blinks a few times while he made his statement, slowly tightening her lips together with a light wince when he mentions the fuel and expenses. Knowing full well what shanix was, Swiftcut knew just how essential it was- especially when it comes to the ship’s upkeeping. Of course, she felt at fault for that as well, how simple she could just say that she could work to pay that off, too. Such an offer from her could be considered ludicrous, as who knows how long that would take her to return the number of work required. If they were to ever find her own planet, she probably would still need to work. Before she could protest, Graphene had already made up his mind, along with the Abysmal Passage returning to them. Taking notice of the mech’s stance, she stares at him for a moment, glancing over the hard edges of his silhouette. For some reason, the sight alone was able to make the Aulveni’s heartbeat slow at a reasonable pace, and she really couldn’t explain why. Perhaps she was calm now that technically, they were out of danger. However, that doesn’t mean all of those troubling clouds in her mind went away. Closing her lips again, she sighs, glancing down to the ground and flinching briefly once the ship lands near the three of them. Antennas flick against her head, taking note of her new responsibility- one that she still had a hard time accepting, even thinking it wasn’t to just…

Swiftcut’s antennas flick again, her audials catching the soft apology from the Nagagon next to her. She snaps her head to look back at him, her body tensing up as soon as she sees the pained look on his face. It was one she was all too familiar with, one that especially made her heart crush. Listening to him blame himself just as she did before, it only makes her lips tighten downward into a slight frown. It was when he mentions the kindness, her face begins to soften into mild surprise. The Aulveni would never guess what would happen next, her eyes growing full with a soft gasp when Rile’s legs gave out with his frame leaning forward. She quickly moves to catch the Nagacon in her arms, wrapping them under the joints of his shoulders. But, that wasn’t the reason why she was surprised. A click runs through her throat, freezing up when Rile’s arms draped over her shoulders. At first, she thought it was just the small snake flailing as he fell, but that was soon changed when she feels his arms tighten around her for a hug.

With the Nagacon’s forehead resting on her shoulder, her body tenses up even more. She felt like she was in such an awkward position, doing nothing more than just merely holding him up by his shoulders. This sort of affectionate motion...it was something she hadn’t had in a long time. Not ever since she- well- left Aulvenia. Who knew that the Aulveni yearned for something like this for so long. To share an embrace with another being- though this one, in particular, was cooler than the others she had hugged in the past. Even still...it was a nice feeling- so much that Swiftcut wanted to fight it. This sort of thing was only shared with those who had a deep bond with one another, such as a band- a family. And for it to be so simple for a stranger to do to another, it was almost bizarre to her. And for her to think of not minding it at all, she didn’t want to get used to it. Not when knowing him was going to be temporary.

Then, her antennas flick from his thanks, following it up by a promise. Honestly, for him to say that...it was moving, and it made her cave. Making sure to keep him held upright, and being mindful of the wound on his back, Swiftcut cautiously pulls Rile closer to her form. That same desire of wanting to keep him safe came back- which confused her, they weren’t in any danger by any means. For now, she couldn’t help it, keeping the Nagacon within her embrace was what was in her mind at the moment. With a hand gently rubbing along his lower back, the Aulveni closes her eyes while pressing the side of her head against his helm, adjusting her antenna as she does so. “It’s alright- you’re okay-” she softly sputters out in a whisper, comforting Rile for now. The Aulveni shifts her head to give the side of his helm a brief nuzzle, her glowing eyes opening once more. The flick of the fire’s heat reaches her side, making her flinch and reminding her of the blaze right next to them. Her eyes peek over to the ship, catching the side entry- it was best to get moving now.

Without a fair warning to Rile, Swiftcut’s hands move to his waist to hoist him up, ducking an arm beneath his bottom to let his weight rest on it. Turning her frame, the Aulveni makes her way to the entrance with haste, using the limited strength she could have left to carry the Nagacon inside.

[Corvid]

Only catching a glimpse of the sweet embrace, Graphene quietly turned away to let Swiftcut and Rile have their moment. It was surprising, in a way. He racked his mind thinking about it for the next several minutes as he set to checking the ship's status, but in the end he simply couldn't remember when the last time he saw someone hugging was. Before long the thought had passed, the mech satisfied to let it fall by the wayside with a million other sentiments of intimacy he hadn't the time to dwell on further. Now, to his comfort, was the time to set back to work. And in the dimly lit, cozy hallways, the chill of the air amid his stagnant equipment along the route to the Passage's cockpit greeting him with an embrace equally warm and inviting as any hug ever could be, he once again found peace. Even allowed himself a moment of calm before entering that old, familiar corridor that led him to the final stretch before his cockpit chamber. Once he did, the not altogether unwelcome sight of Correlator at the controls was waiting for him.

"Hey, welcome back. What was that all about?"

With a scoff, he traipsed behind the seated bot and lent a heavy hand to his shoulder. "Locals."

"You want to take over?"

"Nah. You go ahead."

Already feeling the weariness dragging at him, he shoved it and the sudden unwelcome thought that he was getting too old for days like today into the back of his mind. Removing his grasp to set himself down in the corner with an unceremonious plop, the golden mech fell into a heap, letting an outcropped chunk of paneling serve as a momentary seat while he rested.

"Where to next?"

"Any word from Horizon yet?"

"No, not yet."

A contemplative "hmmph" followed with agitated silence. Peace was always fleeting, and while the Astrobots' silence might not have been as urgent a cause for worry as a building-sized serpent on your backstrut, it was a cause for worry nonetheless. Correlator could practically hear Graphene stewing in aggravation, but resisted the urge to interrupt Graphene's thoughts, and let him break the monotony in his own time. "Borealis," he finally said, shifting to get comfortably situated with a grunt. "Refuel the ship for me when we get there. I have some business to tend to."

It didn't take long after that for the ship to take off, Swiftcut and Rile safe and secure in the hull of the great cargo freighter. Below, the fiery barrier still burning in the wake of the Abysmal Passage's departure from Tissiress.