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[tenthtimeisthecharm]

There is a brief pause filled with audible clicks and thuds, followed by the slightly echoey acoustics that come from someone recording audio in a large room. "Hello hello! You've reached Dr. Velocity! Feel free to leave a message or a video or whatever here, and I'll do my very best to respond promptly! And if it this is about the stickers, Ratchet, I didn't do it! Love and love and love!"

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[tenthtimeisthecharm]

Velocity almost blurted out everything all over again, before she physically drew back again. She couldn't. It was bad enough she'd told Megatron, and he'd been there, but... but maybe it would be best if Nickel knew at least something?

Velocity shuffled unhappily and looked away, her face twisted through an expression of the deepest shame. "...I promised something," she said eventually. "And it's not the sort of promise I can break, or at least I don't know of any way I can do that right now. From what I've been able to tell, this-"

She bit her glossa mid word, abruptly changing her mind. Coward, she told herself bitterly. She was always a coward.

"...I'm not okay," she said with a wobbly attempt at a smile. "That's why I wanted to go on sabbatical again, but being on my own just made me think of it and how I messed up again, and-" She gave hitched little laugh.

"And I'll handle it. That's not lying. I'll figure it out. I fix my messes."

[deceptamom]

Nickel is silent for a moment. It's obvious from her expression that she's not completely satisfied with her answer. But it's also clear how much effort it took for her to just let Nickel know THAT much.

Oh Lottie... what have you gotten yourself into?

"I'll trust you to clean that mess up then. But if you need me, Lottie please I'm terribly good with a broom. And a sniper rifle," she smiles. And she means it. She's always been fierce about the folk she cares about. She's lost too many of them.

"Oh and one more thing. Velocity I want you to look at me. Look at you," Nickel draws herself up to her full height. To Velocity's full height. Standing tall, shoulders squared, expression of determination, of devotion to her friends on her face, "This is your frame. This is your face. You're capable of standing like this, of looking someone down like this. I know you are."

[tenthtimeisthecharm]

Velocity nodded automatically even as she pulled back another step back. Nickel was just trying to be nice, but hearing it now only served to make that shame bubbling up in her chest feel even worse.

Then Nickel said that, and Velocity's optics went wide and bright as she looked back at her. She started to say something, but it caught in her throat and took several tries before she finally managed to get out a soft, "You really think so? What if-" She took that good look, and something inside her twisted. "Maybe you'll leave behind something of you when we switch back, that I could?"