re_alignment | [Audio - Locked to Starscream] - backdated to shortly after Liege's post

[Starscream made sort of an 'oof' sound and actually tried to pull the harness off of him. He was going to be difficult, yes.

In fact, he probably struggled with the harness quite a bit before giving up with an extremely annoyed sound.]

Release me, at once.

[He'd have to do better than that to make the harness open up. Like... finding the particular button that did it.]

The harness is there for a reason, Starscream. And like I said, it's somewhat distracting with you floating around.

[By now, Jetfire's stopped, keeping his back end to the Lambda and remotely activating the scanner he's got with him. Starscream could probably actually get out now, but this close to the Lambda... Jetfire would rather keep him in there, even if it's silly.

It would, however, be interesting to see if the "block" that kept anyone flight capable from going beyond near orbit worked in reverse...]

Besides, I wanted to... ah, bring something up. [At least this shouldn't cause Starscream to do something... stupid.]

Liege has offered to make his... er, initiate. I ahven't accepted yet.

[Starscream was still struggling with the harness when Jetfire started talking about Liege's offer. He then paused and stared at Jetfire's cockpit dash.]

... First, what makes you so special to get that kind of offer?

Second, you better not do anything stupid.

Third, if you accept, I'm disowning you.

[Nope, not letting go, and he could both see (if he bothered to reroute the necessary sensory equipment) and certainly feel the stare.]

I would surmise it all depends on what each Firstforged finds useful assistance and how much any single individual bearing their glyph has, intentionally or not, given it.

[The pause after that is mostly because he can't decide whether to be amused or exasperated.]

Both of the latter two are sort of connected. [Especially when it comes to Starscream.] But no... I am not going to accept anytime soon.

[He's very good at delaying and deliberating on choices into the next forever. Starscream ought to know!]

Liege's methods and skill are... interesting, but I have some... ah, reservations.

I'll give you one warning concerning this situation.

[He glared harder at Jetfire's little bubble thing on his dash. And he pointed at it with a finger.]

If you even think about accepting, I will go move in with Skyfire.

I---Starscream!

[Jetfire wasn't even angry, just incredulous and surprised.

Not that he doubted Starscream would go through with it, because he could well see him do it. Not that it'd mean anything other than as a protest, but it was still...]

How is that... [The shudder that went through Jetfire's frame was Jetfire resisting transforming to talk to the Seeker face to face.] Perhaps you could explain to me why me accepting this - regardless of the fact that I harbour reservations of doing so - requires a... ah, threath. Like that.

[He still wasn't sure what to think of it.]

[Starscream remained rather poker-faced through the whole thing. He was sometimes good at that.]

If you don't accept, then you won't have to worry about it.

[He reached out and tapped Jetfire's little bubble dome thing on the dash.]

[He was, unfortunately. Though given what he usually had to deal with, it was probably just as well.]

That didn't answer my question, but... fine.

[Even if it wouldn't mean anything, as a threat it was still... confusing to deal with. He'd need some time. The sigh that accompanied the last word was as much static as it was a full-frame shudder of annoyance.]

Don't do that. And like I've been trying to tell you, I wouldn't accept it immediately... or even within the next few decacyles.

[Or longer, even.]

I'd rather know you weren't going to accept at all.

[He poked the dome a few more times just to be annoying.]

[It was a good thing he didn't really have a complete tactile sensory sensation from that as if it'd been his face or something. He did still feel the prodding though.]

If you're prepared to go through with your threat, I find myself forced to comply to your wish I don't accept it.

[Flatly said, mostly because he still couldn't believe Starscream had pulled that out.]

I think the readings we're here to take should be done in another klik or so. We should work on getting you capable of passing the limit the Lambda puts around Cybertron at some point...

[Because he'd rather not have to do this again.]

If it involves being under the knife of Liege Maximo, I am not interested.

[Or that stupid. Or that suicidal. Or anything like that. He sat back in the seat and huffed lightly.]

I don't trust him and neither should you.

I'm quite sure one of the other Firsforged might have other ways of achieveing the same result.

[Jetfire takes a moment to look over the scanners and their results remotely. Not long left needed now.]

I don't trust him, Starscream. I'm hardly that simple, and he has questionable ethical methods when it comes to getting the results he wants from his research.

[That didn't mean what he offered still wasn't tempting. With a static sigh, Jetfire started to speed away from the space-time tear again.]

Done. And I just... it seems this would be a situation where the Covenant might actually have been useful, but if I remember right not a lot of information of the first thirteen is readable still.

[It's a bit frustrating.]

Well, you could always get an interdimensional phone that goes into the past and call up Megatron. He was reading all about it.

Or Sunstorm.

You do remember that mostly everyone who looked into that was crazy, right?

[Right? Crazy religious people]

Yes, beacuse that's at all feasible, even if we ignore the issue of time travel and changing the past.

[He'd facepalm if he could, but given in what form he's in and what he's doing...]

I'm well aware, but given the situation here some more information would be useful. I doubt merely reading it would suddenly make one automatically unreasonable.

[He wouldn't become that Starscream. He just wants some more information to go off on!]

How would you know? Have you actually met anyone who has read it who isn't crazy?

[Starscream would just go back to fiddling with trying to get the harness off now.]

Two individuals don't make a pattern or a statistic, and we haven't really met many at all who has read it extensively at all.

[In response, the harness actually tightens a little. Stay put, why don't you?]

... Starscream, can you just wait until we're inside the... ah, forcefield the Lambda seems to create before you leave? It won't take that much longer. Unless you'd like to attempt to see what happens when, lacking any modifications as you are, you attempt to go through the field in the opposite direction.

[Starscream pauses at that.]

...

I'd rather not end up on a strange planet with annoying looking plants.

[Like the ones you brought back.]

[At least that got some sort of desirable reaction, and Jetfire sighed.]

I doubt that would happen, but it probably is prudent not to attempt that experiment presently. Even if it might be interesting.

[He accelerated a little more, sacrificing a quicker time to brake when they were inside the field for the speed of getting inside it faster.]

I didn't even bring back the most annoying ones. I wouldn't have wanted them in my cockpit even if I'd had the ability or space to do so.

[He can't quite keep his compsure and briefly, Jetfire's voice loses its tight composure - some of those plants had been very... unpleasant.]

[Starscream shifts his gaze to look back at the bubble-dome.]

Why? What did they do?

[Would Jetfire have become a plant person?]

[He shouldn't have said anything, should he?]

While plants do possess some ability of motility, some of the plants on this planet showed proof of a motility far beyond normal, from what I know, and there were some... incidents.

[Even without any facial expressions to help betray him, Jetfire sounds decidedly pained.]

With vines.

What kind of incidents?

Please do continue.

[More harassment material.]

... Starscream, why would I willingly elaborate on the where and how of these incidents? [Does he look like an idiot?] Suffice to say it was hard to say if they were due to some primitive plant intelligence and thus curiosity, or merely very fast growing.

It was... awkward [Not the word he'd really use, but that would require actually going into the details. Outside, Jetfire's wings flick minutely, but carefully enough to not disturb his course.] enough I don't particularly feel like dwelling on it.

You know, I think humans made movies about that sort of thing.

[Maybe he could find one in the junk pile.]

... Precisely what I wanted to know. [He can't grimace, but there's a slight huff brushing into static in his voice.] Admittedly, if I'm not misremembering, there's a similar---

Nevermind. Want to get out and fly? We're past the... field.

[It was somewhat annoying to have no more exact way of naming the effect the Lambda had on the space around Cybertron that made them unable to get out beyond it.]

How much longer are we staying out here?

[Why won't you teeell him.]

[Audio - Locked to Starscream] - backdated to shortly after Liege's post

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