[Lumine exchanged a look with Palette and offered a faint apologetic smile over abandoning their project. It was designed to reinforce architectural structure to protect against Maverick attacks, and they'd been discussing the application to individual reploid armour. Fascinating stuff, really, but Axl had a way of... whining, putting it gently, and ruining any efforts at further progress. They'd revisit it once the field operative was done.
Lumine faces Axl with an air of his usual calm, the placid smile on his face reshaped by the absently fond exasperation at the complaint.]
How so?
[He gestures towards the doorway; they really should take it outside of the R&D lab.]
[He doesn't budge yet-- the chair he was in was comfortable, and he didn't feel like moving right now. Give him a moment, Lumine.]
That stupid Maverick made the entire place into a goddamn maze, and it was filled with traps like pitfalls and buckets dropping from above doors, and paintballs firing at you, and--! Augh!
[He's not going to mention how he fell for a good deal of them, despite being the Hunters' resident prankster. No, because he was the resident prankster. Because that would be huge blow to his prankster pride, not that it wasn't already suffering a severe blow due to this latest mission.]
And the Maverick wasn't even that much of a challenge! It was a total waste of time!!
[Lumine arches a naked brow while Axl goes on and on; he sees that injured pride. It's a tempting opening, but he refrains for the moment. Axl's too wound up to start picking on just yet without it blowing up, more likely than not. So instead, the engineer seats himself--midair, antigrav system keeping him aloft.]
Sounds more like a funhouse than somewhere for a Maverick to hole up.
[Someplace Axl should have enjoyed~]
Mission success isn't really what I'd call a waste of time, Axl.
[Folding his hands in his lap, Lumine tips his head towards a shoulder.]
Though don't imagine it was a particularly enviable experience.
It definitely wasn't a funhouse! It was more like an 'annoyinghouse' than anything else!
[There's a level of seriousness Axl expects from Mavericks and missions. Maybe if he'd been visiting off duty he would have enjoyed it, but...]
They totally could have sent someone else for this job! Why did it have to be me??
[Probably because he was the prankster. Which just makes it sting all the more to have fallen for so many of the tricks. Ugh. He's really glad his Navigator didn't have access to visuals during that mission, or she probably would have laughed at his state right after finishing off the Maverick. Covered from head to toe in all sorts of imaginable and questionable substances.
Thankfully, there had been a pool of water in one of the rooms of the maze and he had cleaned off there before reporting back to base.]
I'm saying no the next time a mission like this comes up.
You say that now, but you jump at nearly every mission.
[Which sometimes, Lumine'd noticed, earned Axl odd looks. Leaning forward, Lumine rests an elbow on his thigh, legs crossed, and props his chin on his palm. The opposite arm folds across his lap.]
Maybe you should have asked Palette to navigate for you; she's better at picking out structural information from feeds and research than most.
Missions are usually fun and exciting though! This one was just a total pain in the butt.
[He grumbles about it again; he's pretty sure he missed an area on him somewhere and there's still some weird substance left on him. Once he retreats to the comfort of his room he was going to thoroughly clean every inch of his armor.]
But she was busy with that project of hers. I didn't wanna bother her.
[And yet he bothers Lumine, who's working on the same thing.]
[Dammit Lumine, you always know where to hit to rub salt into the wound. He's tempted to wipe that annoying smile off the other's face but that would just make him even more amused. So he just folds his arms across his chest and pouts petulantly.]
Shut up. That Maverick's traps were terrible. They're nowhere near good enough to reach my caliber.
[Lies all lies he totally fell for them god how dare the Maverick beat him at his own game]
[Yeah, he knew. He knew, dammit. But after a few seconds of giving the other new gen a dirty look, he sighs and then grins. His anger and irritation always vanished after spending a few minutes bantering with Lumine. Something about the other's cool, rational logic and his subtle teasing calmed him.]
Maybe one day I can hope you'll become a more caring, loving friend.
[The vanishing negativity leaves Lumine with a small, satisfied look on his face. The differences between them act like a balancer, something to buffet against until whoever was railing discovered something level again.
Axl's "hope" is rewarded with a small fit of giggling, Lumine cocking his head to one side and peering up uncertainly at the older New Gen.]
I can't stop you from hoping, but I'd advise against it. You'll only be disappointed.
Of course. What a miserable fate I have been cursed with.
[Dry, sarcastic--and Axl undoubtedly knew better than to take the words at face-value. The arm around his shoulders made him bob minutely, system stabilisers (internal, unlike Axl's) adjusting for the weight instantaneously.]
[Perks of not being a field operative or his being one of the youngest Hunters on-base.
Doesn't much dampen the sarcasm, though. Which surfaces again with a resigned sigh.]
How ever will I survive?
[They have the strangest thesaurus in use.
Lumine peers back over his shoulder at Palette, the somewhat older reploid rolling her eyes and shooing them out of the lab ("If you're going to be like that, then at least let me work!"), and Lumine calls back to her as he's dragged away about resuming later.
Down the hall a ways, Lumine pushes a hand against Axl's face half-heartedly. Really, he doesn't need to be dragged the whole way to wherever or whatever it is Axl has in mind.]
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Lumine faces Axl with an air of his usual calm, the placid smile on his face reshaped by the absently fond exasperation at the complaint.]
How so?
[He gestures towards the doorway; they really should take it outside of the R&D lab.]
i hate my icons
That stupid Maverick made the entire place into a goddamn maze, and it was filled with traps like pitfalls and buckets dropping from above doors, and paintballs firing at you, and--! Augh!
[He's not going to mention how he fell for a good deal of them, despite being the Hunters' resident prankster. No, because he was the resident prankster. Because that would be huge blow to his prankster pride, not that it wasn't already suffering a severe blow due to this latest mission.]
And the Maverick wasn't even that much of a challenge! It was a total waste of time!!
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Sounds more like a funhouse than somewhere for a Maverick to hole up.
[Someplace Axl should have enjoyed~]
Mission success isn't really what I'd call a waste of time, Axl.
[Folding his hands in his lap, Lumine tips his head towards a shoulder.]
Though don't imagine it was a particularly enviable experience.
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[There's a level of seriousness Axl expects from Mavericks and missions. Maybe if he'd been visiting off duty he would have enjoyed it, but...]
They totally could have sent someone else for this job! Why did it have to be me??
[Probably because he was the prankster. Which just makes it sting all the more to have fallen for so many of the tricks. Ugh. He's really glad his Navigator didn't have access to visuals during that mission, or she probably would have laughed at his state right after finishing off the Maverick. Covered from head to toe in all sorts of imaginable and questionable substances.
Thankfully, there had been a pool of water in one of the rooms of the maze and he had cleaned off there before reporting back to base.]
I'm saying no the next time a mission like this comes up.
[Grump grump grump.]
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[Which sometimes, Lumine'd noticed, earned Axl odd looks. Leaning forward, Lumine rests an elbow on his thigh, legs crossed, and props his chin on his palm. The opposite arm folds across his lap.]
Maybe you should have asked Palette to navigate for you; she's better at picking out structural information from feeds and research than most.
[But at least there weren't any visuals.]
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[He grumbles about it again; he's pretty sure he missed an area on him somewhere and there's still some weird substance left on him. Once he retreats to the comfort of his room he was going to thoroughly clean every inch of his armor.]
But she was busy with that project of hers. I didn't wanna bother her.
[And yet he bothers Lumine, who's working on the same thing.]
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Considering they're missions, they're not supposed to all be fun and games.
[Lumine leans forward just enough to look up at Axl rather than head-on. And then the smile spreads across his lips.]
At least you were in your element, right?
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Shut up. That Maverick's traps were terrible. They're nowhere near good enough to reach my caliber.
[Lies all lies he totally fell for them god how dare the Maverick beat him at his own game]
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Lumine's smile only faintly broadens--barely noticeable, really. Such a brat, despite being older.]
From the way you're acting, I'd say they were at the perfect level.
[You wouldn't be complaining so much if you hadn't fallen for them, Axl.]
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I'm acting like this because they were so terrible it annoyed me as a prankster! That's all!
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I'm sure that's what it was.
[Not.]
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You're supposed to agree with me and nod sympathetically. You're doing a bad job of being a friend Lumine.
[No he loves you still JUST STOP BEING A SMARMY BASTARD]
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[R&D is to be feared. All of R&D, including engineering.]
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Maybe one day I can hope you'll become a more caring, loving friend.
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Axl's "hope" is rewarded with a small fit of giggling, Lumine cocking his head to one side and peering up uncertainly at the older New Gen.]
I can't stop you from hoping, but I'd advise against it. You'll only be disappointed.
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Then you're stuck with me until it happens.
[Which probably meant forever, admittedly, but Axl was okay with that. He slings an arm around the other's shoulders.]
Alright, now let's go do something fun!
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Of course. What a miserable fate I have been cursed with.
[Dry, sarcastic--and Axl undoubtedly knew better than to take the words at face-value. The arm around his shoulders made him bob minutely, system stabilisers (internal, unlike Axl's) adjusting for the weight instantaneously.]
Like not bothering Palette with complaining?
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Don't worry, I'll make sure your life passes by full of pain [joy] and suffering [laughter]!
[Of course. Dry, sarcastic wit was Lumine's forte.]
Yeeees, exactly! [He waves at Palette in apology and then drags Lumine out of the lab with him with the arm slung around the other's shoulder.]
So let's go!
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Doesn't much dampen the sarcasm, though. Which surfaces again with a resigned sigh.]
How ever will I survive?
[They have the strangest thesaurus in use.
Lumine peers back over his shoulder at Palette, the somewhat older reploid rolling her eyes and shooing them out of the lab ("If you're going to be like that, then at least let me work!"), and Lumine calls back to her as he's dragged away about resuming later.
Down the hall a ways, Lumine pushes a hand against Axl's face half-heartedly. Really, he doesn't need to be dragged the whole way to wherever or whatever it is Axl has in mind.]
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In the mood for anything particular?
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[Lumine sighs, shakes his head.]
I thought you were the one responsible for this?