[Priority Broadcast][Video - backdated to Wednesday]

[megatronicpolarity]

[The feed opens to a view of Megatronus Prime, a bloodied sword in hand. He gives it a hard flick to clear the worst of the gore from his blade, and a chunk of what used to be one of the monstrous centipedes flies off and knocks a nearby Acolyte in the head. It stumbles out of frame. Megatronus doesn't pay it any mind and addresses his audience:]

I imagine few of you will argue with me if I say that our guests have overstayed their welcome. Hospitality has its limits, after all.

[Besides which, he certainly never invited them to visit in the first place. Rude, centipedes. Very rude.]

When the creatures of the Badlands haven't the sense to retreat of their own volition, I find that a concentrated application of brute force is often enough to convince them of their error. My kin and I have determined that these monsters are likely led by a demon hiding at the core of an offshoot of the Badlands – if you've wandered outside of the Haven, you've likely noticed the approaching darkness. That is where we will be applying our force.

- and when I say 'we,' I don't simply mean my brothers and I.

Refugees, I call on you for volunteers who can fight; failing that, I'll accept volunteers who think they can fight. Anyone with a skill that would serve them well in combat, or those capable of supporting combatants. What you lack in size or experience can be compensated for through other means. I am willing to offer what gifts I can to those willing to fight in order to improve the likelihood of your... success.

[Survival. The word he means is 'survival.' Dragging Refugees to the heart of enemy territory often ends poorly for the weaker members of the group, but it's a necessary sacrifice.]

Unless, of course, you'd all rather be subject to regular attacks within the Haven. For those of you that care enough about your friends and your place here to act, I will be waiting for you in my arena. The Acolytes will direct you if you cannot find your way.

If you bear my Glyph, I expect to see you there.

[OOC note: there's a companion log to this post up over here for those who want to sign up their characters and collect a temporary boon ICly!]

Comments

[youdiedagain]

That's the one problem. There's two ways I can go about it. Leave my body in the temple and get carried into battle by inhabiting someone's weapon--I can find my own way home--or...

One of your gifts could possibly help me.

[megatronicpolarity]

Leaving your body behind may be problematic. Others will require the use of their weapons, and hopping between arms mid-battle is unlikely to be as simple as it sounds. We don't need the complication.

Some of the others may have passenger compartments that would be suitable for storing your body in transit. I do, however, believe I could do more than that to ensure your survival. Come see me in person.

[youdiedagain]

Good points. I'd rather play it objectively than rushing in.

...Sure thing. Where can I meet you?

[megatronicpolarity]

Rushing in has its place as a tactic, but it's best left to those of us with the heaviest plating.

Meet me in the arena. The tendency for these creatures to burrow inside has made some areas of my temple particularly hazardous, recently. There's little room to evade them within the lower corridors.

[youdiedagain]

I agree. And I won't lie, I'm the farthest down the list in that department.

[At the directions, he gives a nod.]

It'll take me a bit, but I don't tire out, so...keep an eye out.

[The feed clicks off, and after about...two hours or so of continuous running, Sissel makes it to the arena, ducking his head as he walks through the perfectly-large-enough entrance. Dodging monsters seemed to be the nuisance of the trip, really.

He looked around for any sign of the FirstForged, making sure to keep his eyes UP instead of level.

[megatronicpolarity]

[As the tallest living thing in the area, Megatronus isn't too hard to spot, even amidst his servant mechs. They've done a good job keeping the area monster-free. That much has kept them and their master occupied during the wait.]

Sissel, was it?

[He rarely bothers to remember the names of his brothers' Glyphed, unless he has a particular use for them.]

[youdiedagain]

[Wow, yeah, you certainly are a biggun, aren't you Megatronus. Forget 'looking around'. You're pretty much right there. He walks up, pretty much a lanky toothpick in comparison, with his hands shoved in his pockets. There's a hole in his chest with a blue glowing sphere eminating from it, but otherwise...

Typical human.]

That's right. Heh, First time I've been in this arena.

You can tell I frequent it.

[megatronicpolarity]

I occasionally peruse the Link. As for the arena, my Acolytes keep me informed of those who frequent it.

[Megatronus has only ever met the humans the Lambda has foisted on them, so his notion of "typical" may not be quite accurate when it comes to humans. Nonetheless, he's pretty sure holes in the chest aren't entirely standard. Not to mention that this one isn't flesh at all - he can tell.

He tilts his head, considering the odd little being before him.]

I'm curious: do you experience pain?

[youdiedagain]

I'll just say it's an honor to meet you in person. The Link does you no justice in size or aura.

[He pauses a bit at the question, falling eerily silent.]

No. I can't feel anything except temperature changes.

It's a side effect of being...dead.

[megatronicpolarity]

[His immediate suspicion is that Sissel is angling for a favour, but he allows himself a half-smile beneath the mask nonetheless.]

The same can be said for most mechs. The Link cannot convey a presence the way a physical meeting can.

[He pauses for a moment, taking a step closer to Sissel... nope, still looks pretty alive from up here.]

You appear rather lively from this angle.

[Insensitive? Maybe, but he can't consider anything conscious and moving "dead." The mechanoid definition of life is likely a little different from the way organics use the word.]

[youdiedagain]

[Sissel judges the gap between him and the Prime, making sure he has the room to move if needed, but doesn't really flinch. At the last statement, he almost laughs.]

I put on a good show.

[His hand gestures to the blue glowing wisp in his chest.]

This is...me. Right now, I'm basically one giant puppetmaster, using this--[He knocks on the inside of his...body framework (where the waist/spine would be)] as a means of walking around. Every movement I make in this body is one of my powers at work.

[megatronicpolarity]

You're a conscious, thinking being, aren't you? The body you inhabit is irrelevant.

[Which is all to say that Sissel is at least plenty alive enough for his purposes.]

Nonetheless, I imagine your current state makes preserving it a priority. I can assist you.

[Megatronus crouches, which does only so much to negate the considerable height difference between them, but it's enough for him to extend a hand to within Sissel's reach. He clearly expects the smaller not-quite-organic to take it. (Or do the best he can to take it. Place a palm on one of his fingers, maybe.)

Are you a bad enough dude to accept an upgrade from Megatronus Prime, Sissel?]

[youdiedagain]

Ex-being. But yes.

[It's...odd, being told he's pretty much alive as long as he can think. That's the complete opposite mindset he's had.]

[When that hand extends out to him, he looks at it for a moment, before firmly placing his hand on that finger.

What's the worst it could do, kill him?]

I appreciate it.

[megatronicpolarity]

You can't qualify yourself as an ex-being until you cease to exist. Forms come and go; the consciousness remains.

[Of course, Sissel is speaking not only to a transformer, but to Primus' designated guardian of entropy and change. Inhabiting an inorganic body may not be the natural order for humans, but he'd consider it an opportunity rather than a curse.

Megatronus nods in response to being thanked, taking it and the pressure of his hand as consent. He focuses on Sissel's Glyph - not one of his own, but he can still use it to ground his power within the other - and Sissel can most likely feel something flash up his arm and stop at the Glyph.

Then he withdraws his hand and lets Sissel figure out what exactly it is that's changed about himself. It shouldn't be too difficult to notice the regenerative abilities he's been granted. Otherwise, he can crush an arm and see just how honest Sissel was being about his inability to experience pain.]

[youdiedagain]

...

I guess I never thought of it that way. But say you couldn't remember who you were. You're left with no body and...the bare minimum of a consciousness. Am I still...who I am?

[He had a point, though. He'd been wanting to be ALIVE again, as he'd spoken with Blurr about...but was this such a bad payoff? He had motion, powers, and the inability to feel pain. It was what any ghost could dream of.

The flash catches his attention, and his shaded eyes dart towards it as the light trickles up, stopping at his glyph. He could almost feel a little warmth around his chest area, and reached a hand up to t-...

His hand pressed against metal.]

You healed it.

[megatronicpolarity]

Is that important? You are someone, nonetheless.

[Live long enough, and memories are eventually lost anyway. People change. That's just life.]

It would be irresponsible to push already injured soldiers into a fight, don't you agree?

[In other words: duh. 'Course he healed it - and any other wounds the man picks up over the next week. As long as the black colour of Megatronus' symbol rings his Glyph, Sissel shouldn't need to worry about lasting damage unless he plans to take a nuclear warhead to the face.]

[youdiedagain]

...

[And suddenly, it's like an epiphany comes over Sissel. He was a ghost trapped in a world where Daylight never rose on Earth. He was almost technically immortal, more or less. It didn't matter who he was. No one would care about that...

Just who he is now.

And what he is...is a ghost.]

I get it.

And that would be a bit silly. I appreciate the gift, Megatronus.

[He can't help but smile at that. His body was practically indestructible.]