[Video] | Vector Prime's temple | Ever wanted to know about Unicron?

[cliffjumper]

Okay, so... [The feed comes on at the same time as those few words are spoken, Cliffjumper sitting leaned back in a chair - the standard one for the desk in the rooms they're given. There's a frown on his faceplates but really... it's there to hide his being uncomfortable, not because he's particularly annoyed or torqued.]

We've all been told Unicron's behind all this slag, right? [Vague little handwave.] I suppose that ain't really gonna tell most of ya anythin' unless you've actually seen him, and since that isn't really safe...

[Cliffjumper trails off momentarily, shifts in his seat and then shrugs. If it was just the matter of people not believeing it, he wouldn't care, just punch the glitches who made fun of him (which he'd done a few times). But since Unicron - or its powers, rather, affected them here, it seemed like an idea to show why it should be taken seriously. Being told it "ate reality" didn't mean much in bare words, really.]

Gonna share a bit of memory with you. The quality ain't gonna be the best, 'cause I wasn't exactly at my best at that point, but it ought to be serviceable.



[There's something of an awkward pause, but Cliffjumper's not going to wait for anyone to chime in or detract and throw off his groove here, so suddenly the video cuts out, only to immediately be replaced by a slightly wobbling view of a ruined street on Cybertron. There's static at the edges, but nothing bad.

In fact, the worst noises in the feed are two; the screeching, rattling tearing of metal being shorn apart, echoing too much to have any particular direction, though that sound soon drops in intensity as the feed stabilises and Cliffjumper stops moving for a moment, dialling down his audio receptors.

That, however, is doing nothing for the other noise.

A noise which isn't really a noise, but nonetheless vibrates right along the memory being played up, underlaying everything. Even those not cybertronian would be able to pick up on a faint sense of certainty, of end. Not just death made into noise, but something more absolute, the negation of matter.

The wobbling movement starts up again, down the street, around a corner, around a building and then.

Stop.

There's a brief waver in the recording, and if this memory had been shared more personally and not over the Link, the transfer would suddenly have been swamped by fear. Then shame for feeling it, and fear again. As it is, Cliffjumper gets to keep that part for himself.

The view tilts slowly upwards, continuing upwards and whatever that is it's huge, the static at the edges briefly strengthening before clearing. Perhaps unwantedly so.

"---been most disappointed if the meat of my ancient enemy was anything but succulent!" That's as much a noise and not-noise as the shearing vibration which still underlies the memory; in fact, the thrumming voice tangles with it, strengthens it, and the view tilts a little, the edge of the building Cliffjumper rounded

visible at the corner as he ends up leaning against it.

Staring.

Because this being isn't just the size of a planet, isn't merely towering up in the air and literally standing on Cybertron as a giant hand descends and tears out a handful of metal and unfortunate mechs who didn't have time to flee to summarily put that handful into his mouth...

It's vaster than that, followed by an oppressive knowledge that even through a straight recording over the Link somehow is transferred that the physical shape is just suggestion, is merely the container of something far larger, something far hungrier and it's not just the metal of Cybertron which is being consumed here.

Another handful. What is being lost here can't be regained.

"---Fight! Fi--" That shout, terrible enough on its own, when followed by a scream that makes the air crumple, the view of the memory fizzle into static and blackness.

It comes back to light.

Unicron's face, the violently green optics wide, staring at a tiny speck of incandesence which can't really be translated. Briefly, that terrible vibration from earlier is eased. Left behind is nothing but soothing stillness, and Unicron reaches---

The view tilts as Cliffjumper slides down against the wall he's leaning against, and then goes black.]

... Uhm, yeah. Best I've got.

[Enjoy Cliffjumper's rather defensive growl and the scowl on his faceplates as now takes the place of then.]

Comments

[action]

[cliffjumper]

[Oh, he does appreciate it, at least after his stay in the negative polarity verse; they never had much issue in his original reality, not since the conversion formula to convert Earth fuels to energon was discovered quickly.]

Aw, come on, of course I want it. [Cliffjumper laughs, reaching out for it but not exerting any effort to throw himself over the table and wrestle Blurr for a cube.]

... Magic... word? What, like 'I still want it'? [Utter innocence as Cliffjumper just gave Blurr an "uncomprehending" wide-optics look.

... Blurr. Blurr no.]

[action]

[raceme]

[You should share that formula with the scientist here, Cliff. Perceptor wanted to make synthetic energon.]

[Like he's going to buy that look. If Blurr had eyes, those would have gone up.]

Not quite. Try again?

[Shhhh, you looked upset and he wants you to forget about that Unicron memory.Seeing you wasted is a plus]

[action]

[cliffjumper]

[Oh yeah, he did, didn't he. Cliffjumper has, unfortunately, missed that completely. And to be honest, he probably don't know the formula anyway.]

What, what else do ya want? [Cliffjumper can't really keep the grin under control, but his optics are kept wide and earnest still as he "thoughtfully" taps a finger to his chinguard.]

Let me think... 'you can't drink both of 'em anyway'? No? [The snicker is swallowed, but thrums like an echo in his engine-noise.]

Oh, wait, think I've got it. 'Please'?

[You're a real pal, Blurr. but really, why!!]

[action]

[raceme]

[Yes, he asked for it. Knock Out ended giving him the mixed formula of energon and chocolate, Perceptor will be entertained until he figures that out.]

[Blurr sits down, still holding the cubes close to himself, laughing at cliff's first reply.]

DING DING DING!...third time's the charm, they say. [there you go, he's handling over one of the drinks.] It wasn't too hard, right?

[He tries, he tries. Because it's fun.]

[action]

[cliffjumper]

[Rude, Knock Out, very rude.]

I don't know, I thought it was. Makin' me work when you asked me to come.

[He mock-huffs, letting a bit of static underlay the noise before he grins again and takes the offered cube.

And hopefully it'll work well enough~ Until somebody loses an eye!]

[action]

[raceme]

[Were you expecting any better from a Decepticon?]

Good things are worth the effort. [And that's a pretty good energon he got or you right there, friend.] Toast!

[Better not Ambulon would yell a lot if that happens.]

[action]

[cliffjumper]

[Not really, no. Especially not what's happened elsewhere earlier!]

I suppose. [Shaking his helm, Cliffjumper takes a good swallow, optics widening a little.]

Huh, didn't just go for the simple stuff did ya?

[Well, it wouldn't be CJ's fault, he'd be drunk!]

[action]

[raceme]

[Exactly. And yeah...]

[Blurr leans back on the seat. This is probalby the most relaxed he looked in ages.]

Is that a complain? I thought that it couldn't hurt.

[Blurr smirk softens.]

Are you feeling well?

[I'm sure we will find a way to make it his fault, somehow. のωの]

[action]

[cliffjumper]

Nah, not really. Ain't bad at all, so can't really complain, can I?

[Cliffjumper's slumped a little in his seat, but that, like Blurr, is relaxing.]

Huh? Sure. [Glancing up from looking into his cube, Cliffjumper shrugs, looks off to the side, and then back, hesitating a few moments more until...]

... er. Thanks.

[raceme]

No. You are not allowed or the next time you will be the one going to get the drinks.

[Blurr took a sip of his drink while he shrugs slightly.]

No problem, Cliff. And I wanted to be nice so I didn't prepare those. [He pointed to the drinks.] I'm still learning how to mix grades properly.

[cliffjumper]

As if that'd be a hardship, really. [They have a lot of energon, and it costs nothing, so getting the drinks would hardly be terribly overburdening.]

Eh, I'm sure ya can't mess it up that badly. [He grinned as he took another swallow.]

[raceme]

Who knows, you could trip on your way to the bar and end with your horns stuck on the floor. [Wouldn't that be something?]

Nothing exploded yet, thankfully. Yet.

[cliffjumper]

Uh-huh. How the slag would that even happen? [Have a narrowed, but definitely amused, glance your way, Blurr.] Sudden magnetism? I think someone would have to punch me into the floor for me to get stuck like that otherwise!

[Snickering, Cliffjumper shakes his helm.]

Well, you'd have to shake it around real bad for that to happen...

[He looks up from the cube, giving Blurr an exaggerated cautious look.]

[raceme]

Well, there was that one time with the Cliffjumper from my world... [Blurr waves a hand, not explaining what happened but thinking that Cliff imagine the rest.] Rodimus thought that magnets were hilarious.

Or drop it. That only happened once.

[He returns that look with a 'WHAAT, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT' one of his own.]

[cliffjumper]

[His vaguely incredulous, dry stare remains, and then laughs.]

Magnets, huh? [Almost reflexively, he rubs one of his horns.] No one better try that.

Or, yeah, drop it. Got tripped?

[Yeah, sure. Accident.]

[raceme]

No one would dare, we know you have big bearings. And by that I meant big weapons.

[Blurr laughs and then nods.] Frank is not allowed in the bar anymore.

[IT WAS TOTALLY AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT >8(]

[cliffjumper]

And more than one of them! [Laughing, Cliffjumper wriggled his cube at Blurr and continues to snicker when Frank is mentioned.]

Well, that'd sure explain things. Excitable turbofox among volatile liquid...

[UH-HUH. YOU OUGHT TO HAVE KNOWN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN!]

[raceme]

Those are two things that should never get mixed. Nevereveragain. [Blurr took a long sip of his drink, enjoying it.]

And what have you been doing lately? [Bad things, like joining the Wreckers? >8/Cliff should tell him about that.]

[HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO PREDICT THE FUTURE?]

[cliffjumper]

Better not. [Another smirk as he took a drink, and then shrugged.]

Explorin' a bit 'round Haven... Tryin' to find some chemicals sometimes, might be interesting to try and go wider than what I know already.

[Hey, hey now! He never actually joined, just cautiously-but-suspicious announced his potential maybe-interest!]

The police force goin' well?

[.... UMMMM. let him come back to you on that.]

[raceme]

I've been exploring more than before as well, I found some interesting caves...But I've been avoiding locked buildings, you can imagine WHY.

[A potential maybe-interest! You could tell him about that then. Blurr fidgets with his cube, looking down and the bright pink liquid.]

There's been some changes. Probably for good. [Probably. Blurr's not sure about Prowl because he doesn't know him all that much but Magnus trust him so far.]

[-3- 'kay]

[cliffjumper]

No, I'd never be able to guess. [It's said with a grin, but then Cliffjumper nods and trails a finger in an errant little puddle of energon that's somehow ended up on the table.] Probably a good idea though.

All that fraggin' work, and for what? Music. [He huffs, scowling a little. If Soundwave was still around, he'd have given the thing and all the litte data slugs which just contained more music, to him. As it was, though...]

I noticed. Hopes it works out... [He pauses, frowning a little as he makes another squiggle on the table with the energon, even going so far as to dip his finger in the cube before taking another swallow to add to the shrinking painting material.]

Vaguely thinkin' of maybe joinin' Wheekjack's Wreckers, but... [He grimaces, shakes his helm.] Dunno. I don't know any of 'em.

[raceme]

[Blurr nods, his optics following Cliffjumper's finger.] I still wants to analyze it thoroughly. Perhaps is not just music and instead it's some sort of code. [He doubts it but it that was the case it would make their trip worth it.]

Thank you. All is still being reorganized. [Blurr is curious about what is the other mech drawing but he doesn't ask.]

Bulk and Wheeljack are the one who agonized it, they're great mechs....WAIT, WHAT!?

[cliffjumper]

If ya want to try, welcome to it. Dechipering things ain't really my thing--- [Cliffjumper looked up at Blurr's outburst, a wry expression on his faceplates that wavered between amused and confused.]

Uh, yeah. Like I said, thinkin' 'bout it, but, well. [A shrug, and he brushed his fingers through the nonsensical squiqqle he'd made on the tabletop and started over. It really wasn't anything besides abstract designs and maybe a glyph or two.]

[raceme]

But deciphering and hacking is fun! I could teach you how to do it if you want IT OFTEN comes in handy. [Cliff you don't know what you unleashed, Blurr could talk about this all night.

The wrecker topic gets him focused, though.] But, why? You know how dangerous it can be. [He have enough worrying about Wheeljack and Bulkhead.]

It's because you think your life doesn't matter too? Because it matters to me.

[cliffjumper]

[He might have answered the bit about hacking and dechipering first, but Blurr's reaction to his answer about the Wreckers had Cliffjumper pausing, staring for a few moments.]

Where the slag did ya get that idea? 'Course it does! But scrap's dangerous around here either way when something happens, so if ya go in a group... [Trailing off, Cliffjumper shrugged, eyeing Blurr narrowly.]

And what'd you mean "too"? That better not be what you think for yourself, Blurr. And I doubt I'd have the patience for hackin' and dechiperin' really.