Goa looks as natural as he possibly can rolling right up to the foot of Trypticon and transforming to take a post under the giant reptilioid, out of sight.
Slipstream is on top of the beast, though she is quite aware that Goa just rolled up. She cues her internal radio, <Good cycle Goa.>
<'Lo.> Goa backs in further, scratching a little pit in. This wasn't a great view, but if anyone asked, he had tunnel vision and could see any kind of disturbance on the ground for sure... <Report?>
Slipstream replies, <Been quiet. Repairs are going well. They think it will be done in a few solar cycles.>
A long pause of static... <... And how have you been?> Goa adds, on the private band.
Slipstream chuckles, <Oh I'm sure they know we'll keep working until he's fixed. They aren't stupid. I am well, nice to rid of whatever that thing was that was trying to take my body over.>
Goa carefully checks his radio is off, THEN sighs with relief. <No, I was hoping against, say, an ambush. I'd bet my rations Starscream will get cocky about repairs in the last couple cycles.>
Slipstream mmms softly, <Considering that Megatron knows he's a traitor, and Shred made Megatron a control device for the beast, I would hope Starscream is smarter than to mess with it after all that work.>
The silence on the radio stretches on, and on, until there's a quiet scuffle as Goa climbs out from his little cave to peer up at the top of Trypticon. His curiosity drive is kicking in now -- he'd expect Slipstream to at least MENTION his absence ... and he'd missed her, for that matter. He starts climbing up with short bursts from his exhausts.
Slipstream can hear him coming, of course, her next radio holds a curious tone, <By the way, where have you been? I had to cover for your absence to keep Megatron happy.>
Goa freezes up as he hears the incoming comm, fingers digging into the plate of arm armor he was grabbing. <Uhhh...> He blinks as his CPU blitzes, trying to play this one off as gracefully as possible, <Cubicron.> He grimaces to himself. <There was an incident, got me tied up there. You know how I am.> Before his ascension resumes, he waits to hear the reply... But there is a thoughtful silence, before she replies finally. <Getting drunk and blabbing about how we found the cure first for example?> Looking natural, looking natural... Goa keeps climbing, getting one orange-silver arm hooked over the side of Trypticon's nose. "If that was me," He grunts as he gets a leg up, "And I fully submit it could have been, I don't remember it."
Slipstream peers toward you with her magenta optics, arms crossed over her canopy adorned chest. "Hanging out with Firestorm? Talking to your buddy down there? Kicking some other slave trader's skid plate in?"
He has to admit to himself ... Slipstream actually verbally outmaneuvered him. He hadn't /at all/ expected this from her tone on the radio. Goa shies away, sliding around -- still half-slung over Tryp's side -- and peering at Slip from the very tip of his nose, only his eyes and hands popping up over the edge. "Not exactly..." is all he can come up with, once he remembers to talk.
Slipstream's tone is neutral, curious, not really accusatory. "So what exactly were you doing Gooey?"
Of course, /now/ he does remember letting that little 'Con secret slip. He also knows better than to tell a soul -- the better convinced everyone is he remembers nothing from that night, the better. "Working, and letting myself go too much." Goa glares on the second clause. "So now I'm not doing that."
Slipstream uncrosses her arms, shakes her head, "Okay. Then why the evasiveness. Since when did you start keeping secrets from me or was this happening all along?"
"Secrets?" Goa pulls the upper half of his body over the edge, supporting his weight on his elbows -- he's smirking, but his optic ridges are held plaintively, his helmet cocked to one side. "No secrets or evasion... just staying out of the way."
Slipstream frowns a bit, peering with slightly narrowed optics. "Full details Goa."
Goa makes a gulping-grinding noise with his vocalizer, optics flickering like they did last fib, while his processor goes full-tilt boiling down the details. Poker-faced this Decepticon is not. "I worked at Torque's, then I might've gotten tipsy enough someone had to drag me back up here. Like I said... I don't remember. What did you want to know?"
Slipstream nods and says, "Thank you." she smiles a hint, "See, that wasn't hard now was it." she states, then peers off into the distance.
"I didn't mean to leave anyone holdin' the bag up here... I didn't even know I could have that much on my mind." Goa is comfortable enough with the seeker's posture now to pull himself up and perch on Trypticon's head fully. "But I'm halving my rations and taking most all the shifts."
Slipstream grunts a little to that. "Why? Feeling guilty?" she asks, "Good, you should. Disappear for days, I had to lie to Megatron. I'm am not exactly amused."
Goa inches backwards... "Lie? What'd you say?" He's wide-eyed ... this is news to him. "Not guilty. No use for guilt over somethin' outside my control."
Slipstream doesn't even look toward him as she looks across the landscape. "I told him that you required a little rest and relaxation after the whole crystal removal episode and having been rather jittery lately. It was a partial truth, you have been jittery. I just didn't know where you were resting and relaxing."
"Thanks, but... Decepticons don't 'need' R&R." He stands up to get into the femme's field of view, smirking the same cautious expression from before. "If it happens again, I can take whatever's coming to me." Goa steps over cautiously to take a scanning position at her side ...
Slipstream is still not looking at him no matter where he stands. "You better."
Goa takes Slipstream's hand without a word from her side, cradling it in his and stroking it. "What was that you told me about being well?"
Slipstream finally looks toward you when you take her hand and stroke it. "I'm well, but tired. I took your shifts, my shifts... I haven't rested since you disappeared."
Goa quickly realizes the no-win quality of this situation -- urge Slipstream back to Polyhex to recharge, or have her barely online out here, either option separating them in some way. "... Sit down then. I'll scan." Without letting go or pausing his calming attention to her hand, he starts up a terrain scanning cycle, his helmet rotating mechanically on his neck. "Can I ask why you didn't hunt me down?"
Slipstream sighs softly at the question, "Shred cannot remember much, I've no idea where Starscream is, there's was a number of guards that are afraid to be out here because of that thing that's infecting people... someone had to watch this thing. You can take care of yourself, you don't need me to hunt you down.. even if I am worried to death."
Goa taps her arm. "I can take care of me, but that doesn't mean I'm taking care of you. I owe you, for cooling the flames on my aft up here at the very least. ... And I do mean very."
Slipstream has yet to sit down, she shakes her head a little. "Take care of me Gooey? Make me sound old, feeble, or sick." she murmurs. "I only did it because I care about you.. because I love you. You don't owe me."
Goa snorts, then chuckles. "Ah, Slippy ..." He stops his watching completely to turn, tug her arm, try to pull her to attention. "Love is no good if you don't take care of your own..." He drifts, puts a finger to his chin, and turns his head aside, musing under his breath, "... and maybe vice versa, too ..." But he snaps back to look at Slipstream. "Come on. Don't make me drag you back too."
Slipstream gets tugged, frowning at what your deal is.. she's tired, cranky.. not in the mood to be jerked around. "I was going to go rest when someone showed up. You are here now, so I can go. You don't need to drag me like a sparkling."
"You don't have to go if you don't wanna. I just didn't want you to fall over from bein' so stiff." Goa frowns. "But if you're gonna, I'll drop in before next shift..."
Slipstream pulls her arm back and sighs, "I don't want to go, but I have to.. it's time I take care of myself now."
Goa says nothing more before throwing his arms around the seeker's shoulders, drawing her close in an awkward bear hug. "Honestly, Slip... I'm sorry I lost contact with you. Just not so much my duty. Take that however you want."
Slipstream accepts the hug, but doesn't return it. She's just not in the mood. "I forgive you Gooey. I should go before I fall and hurt myself."
Goa pulls away, frowning, noncommittal. "Alright, alright... stay in radio contact, alright?" He turns away finally, gazing back out at the Cybertronian horizon.
Slipstream nods and rises up off the beast's head, then flies off toward Polyhex to get some well deserved rest.