So tell me what's wrong..

[rungout]

WHO: Rung and Mirage
WHERE: The good docyor's office
WHEN: After Mirage's recent post on the comm.
WHAT: Time for a nice long chat about..well, whatever it was Mirage needed to talk to him about.
WARNINGS: N/A


Rung was never one to turn away an individual that needed to speak with him. Hed urged Mirage to come by as soon as he wanted, the doctor having quite an open day ahead of him given things had been pretty easy going as of late.

Which wasn't bad by any means.

He was currently in his office, big surprise there, idly playing with one of his light orbs as he reviewed files in his head. There was a lot to add to some of his patient files and he'd been slacking quite a bit as of late.

Plus, he'd discovered that the less he really thought about it, the easier it was for him to create and control the light orbs. If he thought too hard...well...generally they didn't do what he was aiming for him to do.

Thus, practicing when he had the spare time.

Comments

[perfavore]

It was a hard thing to admit, when you were once so proud of yourself. That you actually might need some counseling. Some people would see it as a weakness--and Mirage, sadly used to be one of those. He used to see himself as invincible. And that the only ones he met on the wrong end of the blade would soon be scrap metal beneath him.

It wasn't like that here. Here...time played tricks on you. No one could be perished forever.

And secrets were kept. Secrets that drove you to insanity. It was because of this that Mirage needed a clear answer. No one he asked seemed to give clarity, or at least a good enough reason to see things the way they should. Maybe Rung could help with that.

He'd heard of the bot's reputation after all.

So in he steps, wings folded down, feeling rather awkward about all of this.

[rungout]

The light orb stills in Rung's hands as he comes out of his thoughts, sensors alerting him to mirage's arrival. He offers the other a smile and dismisses his small creation to stand, edging around the desk as he motions the other fully into the office.

"hello Mirage. Please take a seat, make yourself comfortble," the therapist offered with a slight tilt of his head, reading the others body language.

Comfortable might not come easy but he was still going to offer and encourage.

[perfavore]

Mirage's wings perk up at being addressed, feeling rather awkward about this whole situation. He was used to being smoooth, or at least nonchalant about most situations.

This was completely different.

"Gratze, signore." There was no way he was going to reject the bot's hospitality, taking a seat.

"I did not catch you at...bad time?"

[rungout]

Once the other sits, Rung reclaims his own seat, scooting the chair forward a bit before he gets settled.

"Not at all, Mirage," he reassured the other with a gentle smile. As far as Rung was concerned, he saw himself as 'on call' 24/7; it was just a part of being the sort of therapist that he was. If someone needed him, he planned on doing whatever he could, no matter what he was doing.

Which would explain quite a few things about him being something of a loner and forgettable he supposed.

"Now, you said there was something you wished to discuss?"

[perfavore]

Rewind would have a lot to say on the 'forgotten' part. At least in his database. Mirage, however, only nodded. It was good that Rung was so willing to hear him out.

As prideful as he was...he needed this.

"It is about events back home, and events here. They are not a good mesh, you see."

His gold-tipped fingers idly tap together, wings flicked down.

[rungout]

This..was something that Rung understood quite well and it showed as his expression became a bit more understanding.

"Because of a particular event or an individual?" the therapist inquired, scooting a bit closer to his desk so he could fold his arms on top of it, already recording everything for his own sake later.

[perfavore]

"Both," he sighed, tilting his head up.

"It is about Sideswipe. He's from an earlier point than I am in. Before...his world crashed down. I'm from after that point and so are the Decepticons in this world." His wings flick down, eyes doing the same.

"I've made deals with them. To keep the information secret until I could find the right time to tell him what happened in our world."

It's not something he's proud of. He'd abhor the idea of making deals with Decepticons, were it anyone other than Sideswipe.

That's just how much he'd sacrifice.

[rungout]

Ah.

Another situation where individuals from the same universe are from different points. Rung can definitely see how this would be problematic, especially when there's something difficult to tell another on the table.

"You're trying to protect him from the truth," Rung summarized quietly, head tilting a bit as he studied Mirage, trying to get a good feel for his body language--

Though it was coming easier than the therapist had expected. Odd.

"And it's weighing down on you, I'm assuming? Having these secrets from him."

[perfavore]

There's a soft sigh at Rung's confirmation. He's told this story to Barricade, then Vector Prime, and now him. Hopefully, this time some clarity would come to him. What's another telling of the same tale?

"Protect him. That's...a nice way to put it." He looks at his hand, rubbing two gold-tipped fingers together. "He's so perfect, as he is."

Annoying, brash, prideful. Those would be usual words to describe him. But Mirage had other words.

"He's not broken, as I am. I've witnessed death. Some twice over. The badlands have taken almost all the Autobots from my world, but have left the Decepticons. And now...with Sideswipe and Bumblebee...I can't let them break."

His hands go to his chest, avoiding Rung's gaze.

"It is driving me to insanity. I cannot sleep any longer."

[rungout]

"...You are carrying a heavy load all by yourself, Mirage," Rung said quietly, relaxing back in his seat again. "There's..a difference between protecting others-caring for them-and keeping secrets; hiding the truth. You want to protect Sideswipe, I understand that, and Bumblebee too. But, in the process, you are damaging yourself. So what happens when you finally hit your breaking point?"

He understands what the other is going through though. He's seen it before, dealt with others that have felt similarly to the way Mirage feels. It was common in war for individuals to want to protect those that were still innocent in a way; untouched by the true horrors of things.

But Rung had seen it enough to know that it never worked the way individuals wanted it to.

"If you want to protect them, you need to be honest with them and yourself. You need to care for them and they need to care for you; that's what being a team is about. You are trying to carry the weight for three mechs and you're drowning. This place..can be just as cruel as the worlds that we come from but that's all the more reason for us to keep those we care for close and be honest with them. Secrets will only cause more pain."

[perfavore]

The Ferrari sat there, looking at his hands as the clenched and unclenched. Hit his breaking point...he was dangerously close now. Ready to crumple at a moment's notice. It's how he wound up here in the first place. If you are going to avoid a disaster, you have to go in prepared.

"I do not know. There's not much else for me to lose. For Bumblebee and Sideswipe...they lose everything they had."

Granted, they'd already lost it in their world...

Drowning was a good term for it. With no one to take his outstretched hand. Everyone merely assumes...he's swimming. Those wings droop as he turns to Rung, his eyes helpless and pleading.

"How could I possibly approach him with this?"

[rungout]

There is someone now, Mirage, and he'll do everything he can to help pull your out of the torrent that's pulling you down.

"There are two options that I can see," Rung stated after a moment of thought, optics dimmed a bit as he ran over the options in his head. "One, you approach them yourself. Sit them both down somewhere private and tell them what's going on. What they don't know. Option two is similar but..you could bring them here and we can all talk together."

He didn't want to force the other to go with that option but he was willing to play mediator; to be a support pillar for Mirage if he wanted it.

[perfavore]

It all boiled down to telling Sideswipe. Both Sideswipe and Bumblebee. The only thing is...it would break both their sparks, and no matter how much he tried to tell himself it wasn't true, he'd be responsible for bringing down that wall.

To crumble that perfect world.

"You would...assist me?"

[rungout]

"I would, yes. That's what I'm here for and I'm happy to help in any way that I can, Mirage," Rung said reassuringly, having played mediator many a times in the past so this was really nothing new to him.

Plus, the red bot was headed down a dangerous path and the therapist wanted to put an end to that as quickly as he could.

"Whatever you would like me to do, I'm willing to do it."

[perfavore]

There's a long pause after Rung's offer. His wings twitch idly, deep in thought about the situation. He could try by himself...but he didn't trust it. He'd back out, and the progression into insanity would continue.

He needed Rung there to give him a push.

His eyes shutter, closing for a moment as he looks away.

"We will do it together, if you would..."

[rungout]

"Of course, Mirage. Whenever you are ready, I will be more than happy to sit down with all of you," Rung said sincerely. It wasn't going to be easy but they would get through it and, one way or another, he was going to help Mirage over come this feeling of going crazy; of losing control of things.