Once again, my sincerest gratitude for all the awesome comments! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!
The rest of that solar cycle passed rather quickly. Taking care to avoid catching anymech's attention, Switchshade found himself quite enjoying the feelings of comfort and family that nearly emanated through the base. After complaining loudly and pointedly within Ratchet's hearing for some time, Miko had settled down with Rafael and Bumblebee to play a form of earth amusement that she dubbed 'video games'. Bulkhead stood nearby, offering commentary and jesting with the humans as they played. Nearby, Arcee and Jack were animatedly debating the pros and cons of human mating habits, or in Jack's terms, 'dating'. It would seem Arcee wasn't entirely convinced on the wisdom of Jack's ideas of how to attract a suitable mate, and Switchshade gladly left them to it. The dark mech, instead, remained near to Ratchet, who was still clearly disgruntled about the results of his 'help' to the humans, and was grumbling under his breath for over a joor.
Lord Prime, for his part, had vanished some time ago, only to turn up once again a shot time later and join Ratchet at the computers, speaking quietly of strategy and tactics with his CMO. Deciding, despite his more than generous treatment, that he had no business listening in on such conversations uninvited, Switchshade quietly retreated from their general vicinity, feeling almost lost as he wandered away. Not halfway across the room, he nearly collided with Cliffjumper, distracted as he was, and it was only a quick side-step and a clawed servo flung out for balance that saved him from literally crashing into the red mech. The racer grinned a little too brightly, clearly making an escape of his own as Jack threw a not-so-subtle remark regarding Cliff at Arcee when she teased him about his love life, making the femme blush and the red mech retreat instantly.
"Cliffjumper, Lord Optimus commanded that I speak with you regarding living quarters this evening…? I- he said that my-the cell, was unsatisfactory. If you have a moment, would you mind please-" Cliffjumper interrupted instantly, that bright grin still plastered on his faceplates as he declared loudly and cheerfully, "Sure thing, my mech! One free berthroom, coming right up! Just follow me." Switchshade was forced to lengthen his stride to keep pace with the nearly sprinting racer, making it out of the common area and down a different hall in record time. "So, seeing as how this was a human missile base before we moved in, the berths are kind of makeshift, although we were able to come pretty close to replications of what we used to have on Cybertron. The rooms are human-sized, though, so it might be a bit cramped."
As he spoke, Cliff showed Switchshade to one of the empty rooms, a spare berth already in place in case any stragglers or neutrals showed up in need of safety for a night. Switchshade suppressed a smile when he glanced around his new chamber, the size nearly identical to that of his own private chambers on the Nemesis, and instead nodded his helm in thanks to Cliffjumper. "I am grateful for your aid, and your kindness." The red mech just nodded in return, a bemused look on his faceplates as he said, "No need to be so formal here, 'Switch. It's jus' me." With another grin and a wave, the red mech moved out of the room, eyeing the hall to the main room with some distaste before looking back at the black mech. "Hey 'Switch, question for ya. I was just gonna leave you to get settled in, but… Well. The others are all busy and whatnot, so what say you and I play a game?"
Switchshade cycled his optics in surprise. A game? On the Nemesis, he knew that many of the vehicons were fond of several games, both of Cybertronian and earth origins, and that what little free time was granted them was often spent in such pursuits. The only 'games' Switchshade had ever played, however, had been while he was a sparkling, and had decided to run and hide from the casseticons when Soundwave was working. They would give him several kliks to start running, and then give chase. Frenzy was uncannily good at guessing where he might choose to hide, although Ravage could sniff him out within Astroclicks. Rumble and Laserbeak rarely found him first, although when they did, they made quite a ruckus of their success. Once he had been caught, the victorious symbiote would drag their prize back to Soundwave's berth, and snuggles would ensue. Such games often ended in what the humans might deem a 'puppy pile', with Switchshade cuddled under several warm and comforting casseticons. The memory files of such times were some of the happiest of his life, even now so many vorns later.
Shaking his helm to clear it, he looked back up at Cliffjumper, the red mech eyeing him curiously as he waited for an answer. "I… must admit, I do not know many games. If you are willing to teach me, however, I would be most grateful to learn." The racer's optics lit up, and his smile widened. "Great! Come with me." He lead to way to another set of chambers, these identical to that which he had given to Switchshade, save for the odd bits of junk scattered around the room at random. "Welcome to my domain!" Cliff declared happily, gesturing with a sweep of a servo at the messy room. Odd feathers, uniquely colored rocks, old human newspapers, and a broken bottle were only some of the pieces of junk placed at random about the room, and Switchshade carefully watched his pedes as he attempted to navigate the maze, wondering why by the Allspark Cliffjumper would need such things.
"Just take a seat anywhere, yeah?" Cliff commanded, before turning to reach up on a shelf, retrieving an ancient looking set of Praxus Fold 'Em with another bright smile. Switchshade's optics widened. Rumble and Frenzy had been inordinately fond of the game, often gambling unpleasant shifts and duties as well as the rare energon treat as chips in their games. Soundwave had been amused, then exasperated, and had finally settled on resignation as the twins had learned of the game and fallen in love, never to look back. "I know that look. You've played this before, at least, right?"
Switchshade shook his helm. Despite the twins' cajoling, he had never actually taken part in a game, after Ravage had warned him of the likelihood of being swindled. Like his adoptive sire, Switchshade had a dangerous sweet denta, and never wanted to risk losing one of his precious energon goodies to the twins. "I have seen it played, but never partaken myself. I fear… I do not have anything to wager…" But Cliffjumper shook his head cheerfully. "No worries, mech. We'll just play for fun… for now."
After an initial rocky start, as Switchshade attempted to refresh his memories of the game, and to learn each rule and nuance, the game began in earnest, and soon several joors had passed without their notice. It was only when a firm knocking came at the door to Cliffjumper's chambers that Switchshade realized how much time had escaped, and he shook his helm, bemused but pleased at how the evening had progressed. When the red mech answered the door, Arcee stood before him, a small smile on her faceplates as she met his optics with a gentle look in her own. "We took the humans home a little while ago, and everyone else decided to retire for the night. You should probably consider getting some recharge as well."
Cliffjumper nodded, a conflicted and almost nervous tint to his own optics, but then Arcee glanced behind him, and all traces of gentleness fled her gaze, though there was no hostility in her voice when she spoke. "Switchshade." He bowed his helm slightly in acknowledgement before carefully sliding past her frame in the doorway, nearly bolting to his own chambers and closing the door behind himself quickly. Settling onto the surprisingly comfortable berth, Switchshade offlined his optics and prepared to defrag, his processor humming with warmth and gratitude at the thought of Cliffjumper's kind and unexpected venture of friendship.