re_alignment | video;

Entry tags:

✘ tf: idw | starscream

video;

[Broadcasting perched on an outcropping over a lava flow, seemingly sounding unbothered by the misstep into a sideways universe--first rule of Decepticon Club is never let em know you're scared.]

So, this looks like Cybertron--actually, a lot like the one I just came from. But from my recon, it's either a time, a space, or a time and space displacement.

Little bee, are you here? [elaborating] I'm looking for an Autobot named Bumblebee. About this high--[indicates short, midchest height]--gold, kinda stout. I'll also accept Metalhawk, Wheeljack - Soundwave? How about Prowl, with my luck he's here. [Bueller?]

--For the rest of you, my name is Starscream. Maybe you've heard of me. [and he's smirking a little self-indulgently at the thought. No matter how dangerous or inconvenient it might be to be preknown in a brave new world, it's nice to be important.]

I'm here to help.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He waits until Starscream's landed and, well... settled. But there's not going to be an attack here, even less from Jetfire. Who, being that he hadn't been on the ground floor, simply waited for Starscream to arrive before he left from the nearest opening to land in front of the temple and a bit away from Starscream himself.

The biggest difference between this Jetfire and the one native to Starscream's (besides the difference in design) was that this one? Is taller.]

I'm scientist, Starscream. If I wasn't consistent, any results would be useless. [A pause as he crossed his arms, helm tilted.] And as far as I've seen, no matter the faction... We're all absolutists.

[Some of us are just less terrible than the others.]

And while I obviously have no idea how the Decepticons formed where you're from, or for what reason [he's being concentious here, he could extrapolate after all], I know perfectly well how it happened where I'm from, and what they stand for...

[Jetfire looks away briefly, following the view being on top of the mountain Liege's temple is provides. He knows, because he was there, listened, and, briefly, agreed. Besides the other more personal reason.]

If the method chosen was to impant kill-switch chips, then neither side obviously believes in even trying for a more moderate approach since you agree that was a suitable response.

[Starscream leans against the nearest outcropping carefully, the better to keep his whole attention on Jetfire as he approaches, and snerks.] So because I believe it, it's wrong. You don't even know me. That's hardly what I'd call a scientific approach, Jetfire.

[it's spooky, to see him like this. It feels almost like a dream, abruptly kidnapped and thrust into a strange universe to talk to someone he hasn't seen in a long, long time.]

Like I said. I believe it was a suitable response because I don't think there is another way to foster peace, at least not yet. Certain Decepticons are in it for sadism's sake, and there's no reasoning with that. Some of them just need time to recalibrate old grudges, but if the non-aligned Cybertronians--or the Autobots--get it into their heads that Decepticons are dangerous to them, fear pretty quickly reroutes into hate, which reroutes into violence--re-ignition of the war, path two. Autobots aren't exactly free of vice, either, and a lot of them are angry about their brothers in arms getting fragged.

So, essentially, tensions are high everywhere. Without a system of even temporary controls, the whole thing is going to destabilize very quickly, and we'll never get the chance we have right now again.

Wouldn't that depend on what, exactly, you're supposed to be wrong about? The only thing we've discussed presently has been scientific theory, application and discovery and you asking me whether kill-switch chips implanted in somebody is right or wrong.

[Turning back from the view, Jetfire shook his helm.]

In the case of science, that, like logic, can only stay morally, ethically and value neutral until application, as to make discoveries and get results, you need to affect your surroundings somehow.

[He slowly walked closer, because it was frankly kind of... startling to be talking to a Starscream who more or less - disregarding the differen altmode - looked like his own.]

And if I actually believed nothing mattered in regards to science and its ethical impact until applied, I... [He frowned, and stopped still quite a few steps away.] might well still be a Decepticon.

[Not what you were expecting to hear, perhaps?]

As for the latter... Necessary or not, even if your explanation makes the background slightly clearer, it still isn't right.

[Necessity has nothing to do with right or wrong, after all. Jetfire tilted his helm slightly, comparing the differences in the clearly cybertronian frame of this Starscream to the one the Starscream he knew had had back before Earth, mostly out of curiosity.]

Or were you thinking of something else?

[Honest curiosity, because besides disputing Starscream's claim of scientific discovery being morally neutral... Well, he hadn't said he was wrong (yet, perhaps).]

[he wants to say "everything", but he knows his reaction is interpreted far more from emotional circuits than logical ones. His frown at the "might well still be a Decepticon" part is abrupt and genuine] Autobots have committed atrocities. That's what war does to people, no matter what symbol they rally around. [Ambiguity, after all, was the light in which his old Cybertron was flourishing.] I disagree.

[and he won't go further into it, because he doesn't want to risk any more alienation than he already has.]

Listen. Jetfire. I need your help. If you could--show me around. [it is so hard for his ego to put himself here, it really is]

[It might be telling (if thought processes were public to all involved in the conversation) that what Jetfire immediately thinks of at the "accusation" was his and Omega Supreme's decision to go with breaking up the mission and focus on one part... But that's it. He frowns, optics dimming slightly.]

I'm not going to claim to know what the Autobots of your dimension have done, Starscream, but in mine? Not really.

[He then just straightens up, shifting his shoulders and, while turning half towards the nearest entrance of this part of the temple, automatically angling his wings down. He doesn't need to, really; the temple is built of and for a mech at least 20 feet taller than he is, but it's automatic.]

In the temple, or the Haven? [He turns back towards Starscream again, shaking his helm.] There's not much yet in either place, truly, though I'd advice caution with the fractal corridors... you do know where your room is in there?

[he shoots a cynical look in Jetfire's direction re: Autobots being made of goodness and light.] I'll believe that when I see it. [Can't shut down his voicebox quick enough, sometimes, no matter the consequences.]

"Not much yet"? You mean building wise, or hazard wise? [he moves to follow, drawing short and looking up at Jetfire as the mech stands almost close enough to reach out and touch--an instinctive Decepticon show of lack-of-fear, something that is important to display, even if not to actually feel--Starscream is pretty good at bluffing when he has to.]

No idea. I didn't even know I got a room. [he may have blanked the Acolyte initially...a lot.]

[The response is a faint twist of Jetfire's lips; not quite able to keep the amusement hidden enough.]

You could always mention it to my... er, the Starscream from my reality, as he's here as well. You look... well, he's still in an altmode derived from Earth, but your colouration match. I'm sure he'd go on at length about our soft-sparked behaviours.

[If Jetfire recognized the behaviour or not, he didn't really react except to turn around, briefly - automatically, even - reaching out a hand to rest it on Starscream's shoulder and gently pressing in the direction they were facing.

Not so much pushing as guiding, and completely automatic, as he dropped his hand right after.]

Both, really. The Haven [a gesture behind them to indicate more than just Liege's temple] with the... ah, temples of our hosts is all the finished buildings there are... Hazard-wise...

[A shrug as they passed through the doorway, his expression somewhat distant.]

We had an attack a bit ago, beings unmarked and immediately hostile upon landing... There was some indications attacks such as these have happened before, and then there's the added possible hazards of a young Cybertron...

You forget who you're talking to. I know what Starscreams do best, and it isn't giving unbiased accounts. [it feels strange to diss himself in any capacity, and not very pleasant, but this Starscream is older and wiser and fancies that he understands his own shortcomings a little better than he used to.]

...Anyway, he calls me soft.

[he looks attentive, and gives an understanding nod about the "young Cybertron" part] Makes sense. Practically everything outside Iacon was a hazard, back home. [His optics blazed briefly as he took in the interior of the temple's entrance, venting quietly. Ruminating mentally over that touch and what it could mean--for the other Starscream, anyway.]

I owe you. For your help.

No, if anything, he'll exaggerate how utterly pathetic we are... That doesn't mean he'll necessarily lie about it.

[Really, "non-biased account" he would have thought to be a given and thus accounted for when asking any questions of Starscream. He's used to "translate" and thus doesn't really factor that part in.]

Doesn't surprise me. [Jetfire shakes his helm, because it really doesn't. Of course Starscream would prefer to see himself as the "best one" even if that wasn't something that could be reliably measured.]

I heard from Wheeljack what happened... [he frowns, and then shakes his helm again. Something still feels odd about that whole thing, but maybe it's merely what Wheeljack described had happened with the Matrix.

And the touch was partly because of a parallell familiarity... as well as Jetfire simply being somewhat physical.]

Owe me? [He pauses, infinitesmally, glancing down at Starscream before continuing to walk.] For this? Hardly.

[He wouldn't be considered "owed" for bigger, more substantial things, so this? Not really.]

I don't think it's pathetic to want to see our race survive--whichever badge you're wearing. My people had a mission that was worth serving. So did the Autobots, in my world. [But he's not cutting anyone any slack re; war atrocities. Except ~~totally~~ possibly himself.] But you fight for long enough and you'll lose whatever virtues you started fighting for.

Wheeljack's probably got some convoluted but accurate explanation for all this, yeah. [A flicker of unease at the thing about not owing. He doesn't like uneven accounting.]

I owe for your time and trouble, anyway. I can't ask for your trust, can I.

Survival? [Jetfire frowned, curious, since that choice of word was...] That's an... interesting way of phrasing it, or did the war start out because of a lack of energon in your universe?

[Considering what Starscream's saying, he doesn't think so, and while a war in the end does become about survival, especially if it goes on during millions of years, it was still a curious way of wording it.

And Starscream's harsh cynism, applying it to both sides makes Jetfire wonder how much is exaggeration, and where it comes from. ~~You'll have to excuse him, but your world is a lot grimmer than his.~~]

And perhaps that would be the end result... but I haven't seen that happen yet.

[A shrug.]

He wasn't overly interested in discussing it, but I'm... vaguely familiar with planetary reformatting, if only by situational similarity to an event at home. [Which he had, really, only heard of when Bumblebee and Ratchet updated him on the situation.]

Not so much trouble, but if you insist.

[And he can't presicely hide the brief, dry smile at the mention of trust. That may be the issue, especially with his own Starscream. Trailing a hand over the crystalline walls as they walk, he's definitely carefully choosing which corridors to take...

While he's planning to go into the fractal corridors, he wasn't doing that now... and would do it alone.]

As far as I'm aware, you can choose whatever room you wish. I believe the area that is Liege's would be pretty noticeably locked.

I'm talking postwar. [a pause] But it's not like the mechs who'd become the Decepticon forces were having an easy time of surviving prewar, either. Apartheid and caste will do that.

[he's not pulling any punches re: the sordid history of Cybertron, falling into step naturally behind Jetfire with aplomb, now that he's decided it's not some hideous trap of any kind.]

I'm going to want to speak with him sooner or later.

It was... what? [That? Genuine surprise because no... The Council might have been questionable - uncertain how much, even - but there really hadn't been anything like that in Jetfire's universe.]

It seems the differences are quite... large, despite all the similarities.

[Not just design similarities, since several events seem to line up pretty similar... if, apparently, completely differently.]

You might have more luck trying to contact him over the Link, but he doesn't seem... mm, unapproachable.

[Technically, anyway. Jetfire does keep sort of pausing to let Starscream catch up and walk beside him. No reason to be walking behind him, now is there?]

[He stops as Jetfire stops like, the third time, and opens his hands innocently. ] Is there a reason you don't want me on your aft?

Not really, though I see no reason for you to have to walk behind me when we're having a conversation.

[Honestly Starscream, what is the reason for that? They're not going to be attacked in here. ~~and even if they were, Jetfire would probably be inclined to at least make sure no one got injured~~.]

You take bigger strides, it makes sense. [He blinks up at Jetfire, the picture of Seeker innocence. Which really isn't saying much.]

So where's your room, for reference? In case I need something.

[He's not really buying it, at all, though the slight tilt of his helm and the dry expression could perhaps just be due to being faced with "innocence" from Starscream.]

I'm used to match strides to whomever I'm walking with... Anything else would be rude.

[He's also specifically used to match pace with (in this instance his own, but it sort of carries over) Starscream... or even slow down to let him go first.]

Ah... Up on the third floor, half around the mountain from the main entrance. There's a balcony close by that gives easy entrance and exit from the air.

I don't mind. [But he's not going to come right out and demand to be allowed to walk behind.]

...Sounds nice. There's a real danger in getting too comfortable here.

[He just shakes his helm, but if Starscream wants to walk behind him, he'll not insist. He's trusted (perhaps foolishly) in tenser situations.]

Er... Perhaps, though considering the recent attack from the lambda, espescially as we didn't get all of them... [Giving Starscream a questioning look, Jetfire starts walking again, this time just "ignoring" Starscream staying behind him.]

And I think almost all of us present on Cybertron currently aren't in any actual danger of getting too comfortable, if for nothing else that while we're home, we aren't home.

The FirstForged taking care of us, all this energon, no real faction tension besides the odd mech stuck in the past... [he hasn't heard about the Sharkticons yet.]

It's probably important that I get back to democratically ruling Cybertron sooner or later, you're right. I'll let the real scientific geniuses work on that.

The energon being abundant ought to be a natural state and not a cause for being considered getting "too relaxed". [Jetfire shrugs.]

And while it's certainly preferable to see at least a toning-down of the faction tensions, for some, those are still very much present business, and while we could hope we'd all be able to not perpetuate old patterns...

Sooner, rather than later, I'd surmise, but it won't be a particularly easy thing if it's not to be left to chance at all, but put under our knowing and exact control. There are quite a few factors that need to be taken into account to even make a possible dimension-piercing space bridge workable for the variation of dimensions we have present already.

[Calculating the number of separate universes within several different multiverses, even with the possible help of such formidable individuals as their hosts would... be complicated and slow, at best. And that was just to start with.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

video;

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!

action!