re_alignment | [Video]

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[Video]

[Blurr is sitting in front of a door and those familiar with the structure will be able to tell he’s in Liege Maximo’s Temple. He a scratched all over but still has all his limbs, the only thing missing is the Elite Guard badge on his chest but that’s Swindle’s fault. The door behind him has the letters [C.A.U.T.I.O.N.] written in it under a drawing of the Elite Guard symbol. It also seems to have seven millions of locks and then more. Blurr finally speaks, sounding a tired but serious.]

686 Ebullient Prism is under the Elite Guard custody now. [Don’t mind the fact that Blurr’s the only Elite Guard agent in the whole planet.] His psychopathic tentacle pet monsters was intercepted as well you all can thank Starscream for that. I ran away in the end though.

I know that many of you would like to have a few minutes alone with Prism but I’ll give you three reasons why that’s a bad idea:

The ^first one: if you try to override my locks and get inside this room that will make me be a very unhappy mech. [And no one wants that, Blurr would make sad puppy eyes at you. And then put a pair of stasis cuffs in your persona too.]

The ^second one: not just because someone deserves to die that gives you the right to kill them. [Blurr even delivers the line at normal speed, he wants to make sure everyone gets it.]

And LAST BUT NOT LEAST no one is allowed to kill him or torture him, Barricade and Starscream I am looking at you two, because we need Prism alive to make sure he deactivates the explosive he put inside the mechs he attacked.

Wheeljack in case you are looking for one of the bombs you made that's now missing...Prism has it. INSIDE HIM.

[Is that true, is that a ruse...it's actually hard to tell because Blurr's face is blank of emotion. Blurr is silent for a few seconds after that, letting the information sink in. At this point the camera swings over to reveal that Starscream is actually standing nearby, with a couple dings and scrapes up and down his frame and wings, adjusting his shoulder-mounted weapons uneasily--his optics widen a little at that last sentence and he shoots a look over, but doesn't say anything--yet.]

Thank you for your time and take care.

[and now Starscream butts in with an engaging, appreciative smile--first at Blurr and then at anyone who might be watching] I'm happy to report nobody was hurt badly and there was no major property damage, and that Blurr and I--Starscream, of course, your humble helper--were overjoyed to assist in making you all lead safer, more stable lives. [Torture references or no torture references. He adds] If anyone has further problems, don't hesitate to contact me about them.

[Not exactly locked to Barricade and Ratchet but this is only interesting to medics.]

We have one tentacle intact from that machine Prism was controlling ANY of you want to give it a look and figure out how it works and if that can help us to fix Soundwave and the others?

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No, I'm not. I've made more mistakes than any individual mech has a right to. But I'm not going to take on responsibility for any other Starscream's history. Just my own. Are we clear on that?

If you have present issues with the other Starscreams, I can do my best to help you.

Sure. You ain't - as of yet, anyway - annoyin' enough to be the one who almost killed me. Still a Decepticon. Still a positive polarity Starscream.

[And a whole slew of other people, Decepticons and Autobots both.]

Doesn't mean you probably haven't done similar things like murdering a lot of people. I wouldn't call those mistakes.

[A lot of things, but not "mistakes". He just snorts and shakes his helm.]

You ain't those other Starscreams, as ya just said, so how'd you even help?

[And why, Decepticreep? This is just confusing and frustrating.]

Right. People get murdered in war. Who knew. [he hesitates, and then shakes his head] You don't have to like me, or forgive me, or trust me. But "Thanks for stopping that murderer, Starscream" would be nice.

[he shrugs loosely] I could talk to them.

Yeah, 'cause genocide's--- [Cutting himself off with a growl and a huff, since he'd sort of, after all, agreed to not mix up what he knew of other Starscream's where it didn't belong.

Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't believe it hadn't happened.]

Rrrr. [The glare Starscream gets is as much annoyed at being called out for it as the prospect of saying it. He's not good at this. Even towards people he likes and thinks actually deserves it.] Whatever, yeah, thanks.

[It's snapped out, but not mocking, just... short and sharp.]

I ain't sure that'd work. [He refrains from snorting, barely, but can't really stop himself from tilting his helm back look up towards the ceiling.]

You get so angry, I could almost think you care. [the slightest quirk of a smile]

Sure, you're welcome; my pleasure to serve. [and his wings dip and angle down and slightly out, then back to their original position, a klik's rotation.]

Have you tried? Or did you just charge in shooting?

And why the slag wouldn't I care? [That may just be baiting, but Cliffjumper reacts anyway, one hand turning to a fist out of view.]

Tried what? I haven't even spoken to any of the Starscreams here except you! An' I don't really feel the need to talk to the mech that nearly killed me.

[A pause, Cliffjumper muttering on a lower pitch than direct normal audio range as he tries to keep his temper. There's no denial of "just change in shooting" because well... that's how it usually works. And then he grins slightly, a lopsided little thing.]

Only Starscream I've talked to an' with at length's been the one from the same reality as the white Soundwave, if ya know him.

[Which should tell you everything you need, if you do.]

I mean care about a fall from or rise to grace. For me. Personally.

[thoughtful look] We've all tried to kill each other.

[this pulls him up short and he gives a sudden look of intense curiosity.] What was he like?

'Cause that's what we're talkin' about here. [Cliffjumper snorts.] Even if it was, just because ya might not be doin' that any more doesn't make it undone, an' I'm even less convinced you'd actually be sorry.

[At that, Cliffjumper just growls, arms crossed. It's true, yes, but it's not as if they're all equal, as well as the reasons why aren't. He shrugs at the question about the negative polarity Starscream, a frown slowly forming.]

Polite, patient, worries all the slaggin' time 'bout everybody else and Galvatron... who was Megatron... in particular before himself. Good leader. He seems like slaggin' saint sometimes.

[This is said both with exasperation and some amused affection. Galvatron... well, he's not any better, even if some of that nowaday's tempered by... something hard to tell.]

That's your prerogative.

[he reaches up to stroke his chin, already hating this guy.] Sounds great. Can't wait for him to show up here.

[... Hope you weren't looking too much into the recording, Starscream, because Cliffjumper just started laughing. Which means the feed's sort of shaking.

At least it doesn't take more than a klik or so for him to calm down?]

You sure ya didn't sprain somethin' with all that enthusiasm?

[Yeah, he can definitely understand why no "regular" Starscream would be very enamoured with their negative polarity alternate, but it sure is funny anyway... While he's honestly amused in general, the grin is sharp.]

Edited 2012-08-16 20:53 (UTC)

I'll remember this, when the version of you shows up from there. [slightly more weary. For all he does--for all the slack he cuts the more malevolent Starscreams--the thought of a Starscream that's just and virtuous and effortlessly perfect kind of grinds his gears. A lot.]

So what are your plans.

He's dead. [A shrug, and then a slight glance to the side. Something feels off about that statement. Not that his negative polarity alternate isn't dead, it's just... something.]

An' even if he arrives from some point when he isn't, the fragger's apparently mostly a whole lot more naïve or somethin'. An' likes torturous executions of prisoners of war.

[That? That's the sound of Cliffjumper grinding his teeth for a moment, optics narrow, the glow from them bright. Then he just snorts and shakes his helm. He's pretty used to the thought; the anger's reserved for the simple fact that that's not what it means to be an Autobot. At least from his point of view.]

What, here? [Cliffjumper frowns, crossing his arms.] Hopefully some way of gettin' wherever we choose to go'll crop up, until then... why'd you want to know?

[Sorry, he's not just going to give that up. Not that he really has any plans.]

Oh, you sound mad about that. The torture thing.

[he's not predisposed for patience towards many Autobots, and it shows in his dismissive tone] I want to know because I'd like to be aware of who's going to help me and who's going to hinder me.

'Course I'm slagging angry about it! It ain't right! Doesn't even matter if they're positive polarity 'Cons, ya just don't execute prisoners of war!

[Abruptly, the yell's cut off and Cliffjumper jerkily crosses his arms again, as he'd been tossing them up in the air just earlier. The glare he gives Starscream is huffy and not as sharp as it could be, compared to the explosion before.]

Don't see why the smeltin' scrap I should tell you.

[bluntly.] I don't see what polarity has to do with anything.

[and then he smiles again, this time idly stretching his wings fully until the joints give a little pop and resettle] Okay, you're going to be a difficult one. I'll keep that in mind.

That's what I said, wasn't it--- [And then it catches up to him and Cliffjumper shrugs, even if he's still annoyed.] That's exactly what I said, 'case you, an' me, originally, come from positive polarity universes. Somethin' about how sparks're charged or whatever, an' it just doesn't matter, it's still wrong.

[Cliffjumper's optics narrows and he huffs, briefly looking away.] Sure I am. You ain't even the least bit close, so I've got no reason at all to tell you anythin'.

[And he isn't at all ashamed of that.]

I don't think you can define "good and evil" that way. In fact, I think a lot of it is owed to perspective. I think if you hurt someone badly enough, for long enough, they'll hurt you back, and if that's evil, well. I don't know whose place it is to judge.

Course you don't. You're not interested in being the bigger mech. Neither am I.

Yeah, it sure is perspective when a bunch of mechs claim that just 'cause there ain't any conflict in society, it's stagnating and then attack a completely unprepared an' innocent population to change that.

[The glare is pinched and dirty.]

And because someone wants to rule.

[He wasn't, even, technically or necessarily talking about his reality and the first brutal strikes against an unsuspecting cybertronian population by the Decepticons but rather about the negative polarity Optimus Prime and his Autobots, but the situations were strikingly similar.]

Don't see why I should need to, for a Decepticreep.

[Bigger mech? Cliffjumper? Hardly. He was a decent, courageous indvidual... but with no reason to love any (normal) Decepticons at all.]

Don't worry, I'm going to forgive you for not knowing anything about an interplanetary conflict you've never been near. [a weary exvent.]

Save the Autobot propaganda for someone who cares.

[Oh, no. You didn't just say that, did you?]

And you can slaggin' well stow your self-righteous slag in your vents! How 'bout you don't assume to know how the rustin' slag things happened where I'm from, instead of callin' it---

[Cliffjumper's immediately yelling, cutting himself off more due to anger, engine growling, than not wanting to finish, and they're done, slag it all. Sure, he doesn't have a clue. But Starscream doesn't either.]

[So enjoy that disconnect.]

Edited 2012-08-18 10:16 (UTC)

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