Perigee - Nadir Part 1

"-and as if that wasn't bad enough, I only just managed to get the dent out of my slagging hood! Doesn't help that I had to do it myself!", said Crankcase, punctuating his statements by slapping his fist against the break-room table he shared with several fellow Decepticons. The pause in the heretofore uninterrupted stream of complaints briefly puzzled Perigee, who sat adjacent to him. After a moment, she dared to enquire further.

"Why didn't you just go to the Constructicons? Scrapper or Hoo-"

The incredulous glare stopped Perigee's speech almost as surely as Crankcase's ensuing diatribe.

"Scrapper? After the last time that maniac tried to 'improve' my chassis, there's no way! I might as well ask Scavenger to do it."

A whimper rose from the opposite end of the table, as Scavenger started, "Aw, Crankcase, I'm right here...", but the stares from his fellow Decepticons seemed too much for the excavator, and he shrank back into his chair with a barely audible "Nevermind."

The silence at the table was soon filled again by Crankcase's whinging, but Perigee was no longer paying attention. Not that it made any difference; it seemed that Crankcase's complaints were not actually meant for any audience. Perigee mused that was surprising how even this aspect of daily life differed from the vorns she'd spent as an Autobot. The worst complainers there relished an audience- Gears, for the comedic value of his sardonic observations, was actually likeable because of it. Even Huffer's constant pessimism served as a reminder that he was actually doing his job, something that could not be said of Crankcase. Even his fellow Triggercons, for all their problems-- Ruckus's inability to bring the volume of his vocal processor below hazardous levels, or Windsweeper's obsessive cleanliness --still seemed to be abnormally eager to take on missions which kept them away from their supposed teammate. This, of course, meant that Crankcase was apt to sit around the base and vent his frustrations on the open air.

Perigee, in contrast, was moderately likeable as Decepticons go, with no particular social quirks that made her harder to deal with on a mission. If anything, she was apt to follow orders and not scheme for her own advancement over superiors, as well as being eager for encouragement for a job well-done. As a Decepticon, these were unusual traits that served to ensure that, while she was rarely in trouble with the upper ranks, she also tended not to stand out and was seen as lacking drive. As an Autobot, the same traits had been de rigeur.