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WHO: Starscream and Jetfire
WHERE: Jetfire's lab!
WHEN: Nowish
WHAT: Just science (and maybe some flu)
WARNINGS: None

If Starscream was in the lab, Jetfire had found, it was usually to make (unwanted) comments - and slink around poking things, and sometimes equipment disappeared (usually he found those small pieces in his room later and relocated them back again).

Starscream was fully capable of engaging in science, but he seemed reticient to do it if Jetfire was there, or with him. So it was kind of a surprise when that was what actually happened and he didn't even have to keep an optic on things to see what equipment was being... ah, relocated.

"Could I ask for your help when you feel finished with what you're doing?" Jetfire, eyeing the container he'd been given by Liege and the datapad-arachnid contained within it, just wished he could properly enjoy the situation though. It was somewhat hard with all his joints sort of aching though, but he didn't understand why.

If it didn't dissipate soon, he'd have to find a medic, if only to make sure it was nothing.

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Starscream looked up from his little project to eye Jetfire for a brief moment before responding.

"That depends. On a scale of 'What you find interesting' to 'What is actually interesting' how interesting is it? And will I regret saying yes for any given reason?"

He had a lot of stipulations with it came to getting his help sometimes ... unless he wanted to show off. Usually though, Jetfire fell off into scienceland and wouldn't stop talking. Starscream could only take so much science technobabble before he wanted to shoot something or someone.

At least Starscream showing off was usually worth it, whether or not it was from Jetfire asking for his help or not.

"Only if you're careless with violatile materials," Jetfire said with a brief smile as he opened the container and quickly grabbed the continually shifting "spider" within - it made it somewhat difficult to keep hold of it.

"I don't have as much as I'd like, but there's enough varied materials of various levels of violatility that it'll give a good idea of what the container can hold. I just want you to see if it can't hold something." Technically simple, but with a risk that things might end badly should the container fail at securely holding any given material.

"I want to look this... er, datapad over and know what the container can hold and since I don't know if I have something that'll be enough to keep the datapad contained and I don't have enough hands..." With a shrug, Jetfire offered the container.

Starscream shifted his gaze to stare at Jetfire with a more intent look. Oh, so he knew exactly what this was about.

So he then stood up completely straight and pointed a finger directly at the large, white, jet.

"I am not holding some creepy thing while you look at stupid science technobabble for the pit knows how long. Because I know you'll keep looking at it for the rest of the day, and I'm not some too for you to use!"

But Jetfire totally was a tool for Starscream to use. Double standard? Nah.

"Starscream." Briefly glancing down at the finger being jabbed in his direction, Jetfire then looked up at Starscream again and shook the container. "It's an empty container. You only need to put things in it."

He then held up the... arachnid, which had stopped shifting between datapad and spider form and was instead trying to keep both Starscream and Jetfire in its line of sight, twisting around in Jetfire's grip.

"You don't even need to touch this if you don't want to..." trailing off, he eyed the arachnid, "not that I'm sure how safe it is to handle given Liege found it safer to give it to us in the container, but kepeing it in there will not lead to any knowledge. And you're not a tool," the last he said nearly distractedly, eyeing the spider and really, why did he bother to protest the point?

It wasn't as if Starscream didn't use him as much and often as he thought he could. But then, that was the difference in point of view and attitude. Sometimes Jetfire just didn't understand Starscream's thought process and how he ended up being important enough to listen to all the while Starscream could in the next moment (try to) use him.

"If that thing so much as jumps on me, you will be sorry."

He kept his finger pointed at Jetfire for a moment and then stomped over to quickly grab the container out of the larger mech's grasp. He could deal with a container. But he was not dealing with the spider-pad.

Which, after taking it, he stepped back to the other side of the table again.

Away from the spider.

"It'd probably be more inclined to jump me than you, to be honest..." Grimacing at the brief rattle to his exvent, Jetfire knew there'd been some indications of some strange... multi-vector virus apparently going around, but it seemed odd. He'd put it aside for now.

The spider, on the other hand, was still doing its best to keep both Starscream and Jetfire in its sight, twisting around to follow the Seeker as he darted back around the table.

"Thank you." Giving Starscream a half-smile, Jetfire eyed the datapad-arachnid. "Given the way it keeps shifting and twisting about, I'm wondering if it will even be of any use as the... er... altmode? indicates it could be. The container might prove to be more useful."

Starscream snorted and glanced from the container to Jetfire and then at the spider, which he gave a very narrowed stare.

"If it does, I'm not stopping it," he growled his response, narrowing his gaze.

Who in their right mind made a datapad turn into a spider that wouldn't stop transforming back and forth?!

"If I have to, I'll just collapse the entire building on both you and that hideous thing."

Looking up from the spider and trying to get it to keep still without crushing it, Jetfire stared for a quiet moment between Starscream and the arachnid, optics flickering down and then up.

"... Starscream, it's not even a real arachnid. While I admit it's somewhat... questionable, why does it unsettle you so?" If he was someone else and would have thought of it, he might have held his hands out, as it was, he merely made sure his grip was secure.

Though he did have a faint urge to hold the datapad up closer for Starscream's inspection.

"And what do you suppose will happen if you let go of it?"

Which Jetfire better not let go of it. And it better not come crawling on him sometime. Or jumping on him.

Or getting close to him at all.

"Well, I wasn't planning on letting it go while it is this... er, twitchy, so we wouldn't be finding out. But I could make an educated guess and surmise, that since it seems to want to keep us both in its field of view, that it would get to a position in the lab where it could do so," Jetfire said and then shook his helm, not even thinking of the fact that his grip was also sort of petting the creature-object while he spoke.

"But, that's a supposition only. I'm not a xeno-biologist." And he'd never had any interest of being so. Their wildlife had been pretty, he supposed, but neither it nor other planets' potential widllife was interesting to him.

"Since it doesn't have any weapons that I've been able to record or observe, the damage it could cause if that supposition is wrong would be extremely limited."

Starscream just shot Jetfire the blankest and most deadpan stare he could muster. Really. He should have expected that sort of response -- Jetfire usually went off on those sorts of tangents.

But really?

"If it crawls inside your cockpit or somewhere, I'm not pulling it out."

And then he may have to lock Jetfire out of his own room as he can't have creepy spider getting in there.

That suggestion drew a grimace out of Jetfire and a shake of his helm, but whether that was a denial of Starscream's comment or disgust over the suggested action...

"Why would my cockpit be the best place for it to put itself? Besides, my cockpit is very much sealed at the moment," Jetfire said, optics narrowing slightly as he spoke. He didn't have any issue with the datapad-arachnid really, but the suggestion of something crawling around inside of him was quite... unpleasant.

"But perhaps you could explain what your issue with this thing is?" Here, have Jetfire holding his hand out towards you, Starscream, as the datapad within tried to twitch around to keep them both within its sight.

"One day I am going to make you watch some Earth movies-GAH DON'T GET ANY CLOSER."

Starscream did not finish his small ramble because Jetfire decided to come forward. In a reflex action, he lifted his hand to aim an arm cannon at Jetfire ... well, mostly at Jetfire's hand holding the spider, but still Jetfire. (Since his hand was pretty much the size of a small mech anyway)

"Look. I don't ask you about all the stupid things you don't like," which namely included killing and dismembering things, "so stop asking me these questions!"

"Starscream..." And then he paused, eyeing Starscream and the null ray pointed at (his hand) him and shakes his helm. "Fine. I won't ask."

He even moved the hand he was holding the datapad in out and away from Starscream, while closing his other hand over the null ray's barrel (and Starscream's hand, incidentally). Squeezing gently, he tilted his helm.

"I might not mind the movies, though, if you could find the ones you're clearly thinking of."

"Keep it away from me and I might look some up for you."

Really, he didn't know as much about Earth movies as he let on and would probably end up finding some really terrible ones with killer spiders in them.

He huffed and pulled his hand away from Jetfire. It wasn't like he could shoot him anyway with his hand over the barrel, sadly enough.

"You stay on that side," he pointed to the opposite side of the room, "and I'll be over here."

If you shot him, Starscream, his grip on the arachnid would loosen and it'd get free. You don't want that, do you?

"I suppose that might be acceptable," Jetfire said and let Starscream pull his hand away - though he caught his fingertops and bent down enough to brush his lips against the metal before letting go and going back to "his" side of the room.

With the datapad-arachnid.

"And Starscream, don't think you can leave here when we're done with that container if it turns out to be useful for more than keeping radiation-bombarded animated datapads contained." He didn't even turn around as he said it, rather just raised a hand in the air (it happened to be the one holding the arachnid) in brief warning.

Starscream snorted in Jetfire's general direction. What did that overgrown oaf think he is, some sort of thief? ... Though he had briefly considered taking it if it did indeed prove to be useful.

"How about I stick your head in the container?!"

He could find a way to keep Jetfire as a disembodied head on his desk. However, he'd still have to deal with all the science talk so maybe that wasn't exactly a good idea either.

Considering Starscream had proven to have a tendency to... ah, move things he found of particular use to a location that was more suitable to him, Jetfire found to reprimand to be perfectly suitable.

"And that would really be preferable to this?" Jetfire grimaced and gestured at himself, thought briefly flashing back to the CR chamber he'd found himself in.

Very necessary, yes, considering the situation, but he had no idea how long he'd been in it until he was thawed out.

Sometimes, he just didn't know...

"Besides, you know that wouldn't work. The spark would extinguish."

"I don't know, but I could stuff you in a box whenever you'd start to talk too much."

The thought of being able to do that probably amused him far too much than it should have. Probably enough for Jetfire to be worried.

Starscream leaned forward against the table.

"And is that a challenge? Because I'm sure I could find a way."

He'll just find someone random to experiment on. It doesn't count as murder if they don't die, right?

He'll just... take a step backwards and frown right deeply at you, Starscream.

"As... ah, flattering as that is, I suppose, no, it's most definitely not a challenge, Starscream." Jetfire knew that it was things like this that would never have occured to Starscream before the war, which was... well, reassuring and unsettling in one.

"Because I don't doubt you could find a way and I prefer myself like this," Jetfire said, eying Starscream for another wary moment and then, tucking one hand behind his back (the one holding the arachnid), he crossed to the table again, leaning forward, a few fingers against the side of Starscream's helm.

"And regardless what patience you don't have for discussing science, I would hope you do too." There's as much of a hard edge of warning in his voice as there's way too little space between them for anything but a kiss...

Well, almost.

He'll just step away now.

Oh Jetfire don't tease him like that. Starscream snorted and shruggled his shoulders nonchalantly.

"You'd probably still find a way to irritate me even as just a head."

And he wouldn't be as useful. Jetfire was an excellent shield when someone was trying to kill him ... or as a bodyguard he can use to beat other people up.

Maybe a few other reasons as well.

"But go back over to your side with that spider thing I know you still have in your hand. I'll let you know if I find out interesting about this container."

He paused and then smirked at Jetfire.

"Then maybe you can convince me of your worth in that body and not as just a head."

He'll tease you however much he wants if that will distract you from current thoughts.

"Considering what you'd have probably done to cause the situation, I think some frustration on your part would be well-earned," Jetfire said blandly, though there was a faint smirk on his lips.

"Out of sight, out of mind not working for you?" He chuckled and then paused before turning around. The shadow of a smile deepened into a real one as Jetfire reached out and trailed one finger down Starscream's cockpit. " And if you require convincing, I'll see what I can... ah, do about that."

And then he did step away from the table properly and went back to the workbench up against the wall.

There were some work to do before anything... else, after all.

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