[Video/Text]

[4_toteachus]

[So Four has gone through a lot over the past few days. She's not totally sure why she agreed to it, or why she continued to go through with it, but in the end she had done it. Tarn is far too nice and charming for her to resist. The result of that painful and extremely creepy ceremony ended with a Decepticon brand on her. Honestly though, she doesn't remember a lot about the ceremony.

It's probably for the best.

Four turns on the video and proudly shows off the Decepticon brand that has replaced the number 4 on her chest. The significance of the symbol escapes her, though she does know what it means and why some have it and others don't. To her, it just means that she's a lot closer to the Cybertronians than she was before. Isn't that cool?]

I'm a Decepticon now!

I think it looks rather nice! It was painful to get, and I don't remember a lot of the ceremony though.

It was an interesting experience for sure.

Comments

[Action/Text]

[4_toteachus]

He said that the Decepticons were about freedom of choice, and that they fought for equality. He said that the Decepticons were the harder path.

He also read me a lot of poetry, which was nice too.

[After typing that out, she puts down her communicator and walks up to him, her arms outstretched and her expression worried. She doesn't understand the look on Thundercracker's face. She hates not understanding.]

[Action]

[notyourblueangel]

[Four, how do you manage to break AND melt his ancient, jaded spark at the same time?

The last is…almost an absurd image, and that absurdity draws a small grin from him. He can't hug her or pick her up quite as he'd like, so he offers her a finger to hug and cling to as he lifts her to his flat palm, then sort of..."nuzzles"? her with a fingertip.]

He's right about it being the harder path, especially for some. It has been for me.

[How much does he tell her? He's never really spoken freely to anyone. Not even Skywarp...not that his wingmate didn't know his spark anyway. He huffs a cycle of air through his vents, deciding it won't hurt to tell her. Best for her to be prepared anyway.]

Freedom and equality . . . our brand did mean those things. Once. A very long time ago. I joined the faction when I was young, much much younger, fresh out of the military academy. Megatron talked about changing the world, and a lot needed changing. The ruling regime at the time was . . . not the fairest it could have been. But there was no hope for it. The leaders refused to change, so we were going to completely overthrow it and build a new one. The resistance - the Autobots - proved stronger than we guessed it would, and our world fell into all-out war. And as time went on, what we were fighting for . . . changed. Megatron was going to conquer the Autobots, wipe them out, take over the world himself, and the universe from there. We were no longer freedom fighters. But we were willing to do whatever it took to win. Strength and power were what mattered, and if you didn't have the strength to survive, you didn't deserve to. Because of our methods, and because of the ideals of the Autobots, we attracted and accepted a lot of murderers and sociopaths too, who saw the war as an excuse continue their violence unchecked. So long as they did what Megatron told them, no one stopped them. And our reputation with the Autobots and the Neutrals - those who refused to take a side - got even worse.

Four . . . I've helped to level whole cities. I've killed countless people, including innocents, in the name of the Decepticons. That is why the Autobots hate us so much and the First-forged are wary. It's different here - we seem to be lucky that the worst of our kind who have been pulled through so far are Starscream and Frenzy. There are worse. Back in our own home worlds, we are not good people. [A soft huff.] /I/ . . . am not a good person. I can behave as I will here. I don't have Megatron or anyone else standing over my shoulder, keeping me in line. I don't have to do something if I don't want to. But back home . . . I'm not the same person I'm allowed to be here.

[He goes quiet for a moment, then realizes if he's going to continue holding Four, he should probably put her communicator in his palm too for her, so he does so.]

[Action]

[4_toteachus]

[Four says nothing at first. She's aware at this point that she's made a very rash decision, and she doesn't doubt that what Thundercracker is telling her is true. He's Thundercracker after all, he wouldn't lie to her. Her eyes click and she listens to his voice, noting the rise and the falls of his tone, and feeling a deep sadness weigh somewhere in her chest.

The physical contact is appreciated as she places both tiny hands on the finger petting her. She places her face against it and looks up at him. There's no way she can believe that he's a bad person. There's no way she can believe that there's no good in his spark. She wouldn't love him as much as she did otherwise.

Eventually she lets go and retrieves her communicator.]

I love you the way you are. And you love me too.

I just wanted to be closer to you. Be more like you by wearing the same badge.

[Action] LOL sometimes I wish I could use 2-3 icons in a tag. XD;;;

[notyourblueangel]

[Okay, that?...was SO not what he was expecting to hear. She's told him before she loves him. Truth is, he does love her too, like a little sister (a really REALLY little sister), but he's . . . never really had exposure to a relationship that wasn't either strictly professional or very dysfunctional in some way, so he honestly doesn't know how to recognize it or respond. But . . . for him? His optics flare softly in surprise. She did this to be closer to HIM?]

Four . . .

[He cycles a soft sigh through his vents, a small smile creeping onto his face, and he nuzzles her again with his fingertip.]

I'm honored. Thank you. Just . . . you see why people are concerned for you, though? I don't want to see you hurt because of it.

[He won't ask her to remove it. He does, however, need to know she understands what she may have gotten herself into.]