[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

[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.

[raceme]

No no, that's not it. I don't think that. [Not at the time at least. Blurr's optics got brighter and he looked down at his glass.] Wheelajck does.

[Wheelajck was still a sore spot for him. Blurr thinks that Bulkhead probably has the same mentality as the other Wrecker but he never dared to ask him.]

[cliffjumper]

Okay, good. [Cliffjumper frowns a bit longer at Blurr, and then just shakes his helm.]

But no, that ain't why. I may do stupid things, but thinkin' my life ain't worth anthing ain't the reason.

[Cliffjumper smirks dryly and takes another sip of the cube, eyeing Blurr's dampened mood.] Want to talk 'bout it, or should you just get another drink?

[Because he can't promise he'll have something useful to say for whatever it is and whatever Wheeljack's got to do with it.]

[raceme]

Good, that's good. But why do you want to join them?

[It's Blurr's time to fidget with his drink..] It's not like there's much to say about it.

[He wouldn't know where to start, either. He didn't really tell anybody about Wheeljack, only Bulkhead. They ended together and they were happy, so Blurr let them be.]

[cliffjumper]

Well, everybody's gonna end up dealin' with the slag thrown our way either way, but a group can be useful. [He shrugs, scribbling out the glyph in energon that he currently has on his arm.] But well, I don't know 'em, and since it ain't necessary 'cause the other half's ragin' megalomaniac torturers, I might not.

[Looking up, Cliffjumper frowns.]

Uh-huh. That means there is, but if you don't feel like talkin' about it, that's okay ya know?

[Not an ounce of recrimination here, just stated fact.]

[raceme]

Yes, I know. But the wrecker's missions are mostly suicidal. I wish that was different. [Blurr takes a sip of his drink, frowning.] Being part of the wreckers is not a excuse to not follow the law either. Don't make me arrest you, because I will.

[He smiles at the last part, joking briefly.]

... [The glass is put down and Blurr looks away while rubing his own glyph distractedly. It's been worrying him lately because it changed again.]

I know. Thanks, Cliff. It doesn't matter anymore, so it's okay, really. [Blurr likes to keep that sort of private things private, but he appreciates Cliffjumpers's words. He still changes the subject.]

The wreckers have quite the appeal, First Aid seems to like them quite a lot. You are not joining because you are trying to pick up mechs, are you?

[cliffjumper]

[Cliffjumper, even if Blurr hadn't frankly blind-sided him with that statement, would've let Blurr change the subject as he wanted to. He wasn't going to push, and sometimes it helped if someone just showed a bit of support.]

I--- what?! [Sputtering, Cliffjumper just stares for a moment as he tries to gather his wits.] Wh--- No! Why the slag would that be the reason!? [He flails a bit, waving a hand around - the hand holding his cube, and thus splattering a bit of energon before he catches himself.]

Blurr, what? 'Sides the fact that anythin' here could be a fraggin' suicide, so I doubt the Wreckers will be able to operate like they do as usual, who would do it just... 'cause of... that?

Pffffff Cliff's face. Poor bot

[raceme]

[That was open few the reason why Blurr liked Cliffjumper so much, he can listen and not pry. Is the face that Blurr knows that he could talk to him if he wanted what really helps.]

A reason is a reason. I'm sure Teddy did things only to be able to...what word did he use....[Blurr stared at the distance for a few seconds.] Ah, right! SCORE!

Sorry, did you forget what happened with overlord showed up? [Because Blurr didn't, Wheeljack died that time.]

8Db

[cliffjumper]

Uh, Blurr. While I dunno what Teddie is, exactly, but he seems kinda organic, and it ain't the easiest for organics to have sex... interface... with cybertronians.

[Flat staring, though he's still somewhat bright-opticked from his surprise. Then he grimaced.]

No, I didn't forget, but Wheeljack wasn't the only one who went after him, and it wasn't just Wreckers who did. All of us here gotta deal with the slag that comes up, Wreckers or no.

♥

[raceme]

He's a bear. He doesn't look anything like the ones I saw on Detroit's tv but maybe real bears looks like that. I don't think he wanted to do that with Cybertronians. [Blurr takes another sip, an slightly confused look on his face.

Don't look at him that way :x]

Fine, fine....I won't complain anymore but if you die I will kill you.

[cliffjumper]

... He ain't a bear. [Shaking his helm, Cliffjumper taps the cube against the table as if to emphasis his point.] I don't care what he claims, but if anythin' he just looks like a cartoon of a bear, or a stuffed toy.

Not a real, actual bear.

[He'll look at you (almost) however he wants!]

And yeah, probably not, but be probably doesn't know what "scoring" means, then.

[Cliffjumper snorts, smothering a grin both at the idea of that and Blurr's last comment.]

Sure, you're welcome to. I suppose I'd deserve it if it happened.

[raceme]

He also can look like a blond human. I saw him once. Teddie is...Teddie. [Blurr doesn't quite understand it either.]

[Meanie.]

Good point.

[He would be lying if he said he wasn't expecting that.]

You do indeed. And how does that Wrecker thing works? You have meetings or train together?

[cliffjumper]

... Yeah, then he's definitely not a real bear, whatever else he is. [With a grimace, Cliffjumper shrugged at that.

And hey, he's only as mean as he has to be~]

Dunno yet, I mean, I met with Wheeljack and stuff, to show him what I could do, but like I said [Cliffjumper shrugs again and slides down in his seat a little.] I ain't decided if I'm gonna join or what yet.

[raceme]

When did you see a real bear? [Blurr asked out of curiosity rather than to debate Cliffjumper's affirmation.

>:|]

What's stopping you from taking the final decision? [Blurr might not want him in danger but he wants to help Cliffjumper.]

[cliffjumper]

[Cliffjumper just grinned, a little dryly.]

Well, besides the times we saw 'em on TV, I've been on Earth collectively around ten of their years at least, and the Ark crashed out in the wilderness. Did see quite a few animals.

[He sat back in his seat after that with a shrug, eyeing his cube and its diminishing content.]

Like I said, I don't know 'em. They're Autobots, sure, but ya never know... and unless it's necessary I ain't gonna work with guys I don't know.

[Frown. He's still considering it, though, but he's wary.]