re_alignment | voice;

You know me. [He smirks and shrugs, because of course he can't do this the easy way.]

Well... we've got some people who've fallen asleep and suddenly remembers stuff from their own reality, but that ain't exactly the same. But since we've got people from different... uh... locations in the timeline? [He's not a scientist, don't ask him for elegant phrasing] from the same reality, I guess it oughta work?

... hey, what Firstforged you with, anyway?

As frightening as knowing you can be at times, yes I do.

[ have some teasing, Cliff. though it's, in part, true. CJ CAN be a little frightening when properly, ah, motivated. still a good friend, though. ]

I get what you mean. [ not a scientist, no. but alas, not everyone can be. ] In the end, since time progresses accordingly, there doesn't seem to be some sort of paradox or anomaly created.

[ Starscream dwells on this for a second, before CJ asks the next question. ]

Vector Prime, it looks like. Yourself?

Someone gotta be. Sideswipe can't do everythin' like that on his own.

[He doesn't mind either the teasing or the fact that some of them think it's true - he's firmly of the belief they need it.]

'S what I'm hoping, yeah. However the slag it actually works.

[Cliffjumper grins then and waves a hand in the air.]

Huh. I'm close, so just gimmie a moment. [While it takes more than just "a moment" between Cliffjumper abruptly turning off the feed and walking into the altar room, it doesn't take more than a few minutes either.]

Hey. We've got the same glyph. [Cliffjumper's not sure what he thinks of the little squiggle of relief in the back of his processor - the same thing happened when Megatron showed up. It's so slagging odd to react like this, since it just compounds the time he's spent in the negative polarity 'verse and how much teh Decepticons have wormed (mostly) inside his barriers.]

[ ah ha... that's a very quick cut off. as it means he is about to be greeted, Starscream can't help but be a little amused - and relieved. knowing that there are friends and allies does soothe was frazzled circuits he has about being "stuck" here, as another has put it. Cliffjumper has proven himself to have sound reasoning as well - something that Starscream is more than thankful for ~~since he believes himself to be far inferior to Megatron and all~~.

thus hearing that voice without the interference of a network is much better. it's welcomed. and actually laying optics on the other mech does, indeed, warm his ember a bit. ]

Not too disappointed to be sharing, are you?

[Starscream, we really gotta do something about that inferiority complex to Megatron that you got.]

Disappointed? Frag no! [Laughing, Cliffjumper shakes his helm as he comes up to meet Starscream, tilting his helm back. Like with the others, it feels strangely nice to meet them again.] Ya might be fussy [there were of course other words he could use, but that worked just as well.] but there's few others I'd have at my back.

'Sides, we've got more space than either the base on Earth or the ones on Cybertron.

[He grins a little, waving a hand loosely. Darkmount and their base in Kaon were both large, of course, but these temples were ridiculously expansive. And the only mechs he might want beside him beside the negative polarity Decepticons were a few from his own dimension and the Optimus he'd met in Axiom.]

[ there is no inferiority complex! only blind devotion. B( ]

"Fussy," hmm? Interesting word choice. [ he's aware there are many other things that likely fit that instead. Starscream will just accept it all, especially since CJ is admitting quite a bit right there. "few others." it means a lot, it really does, as it is not something that Starscream would have thought Cliffjumper would say out loud. and for that, his friend is awarded with a soft, warm smile. ] I'm glad you're here.

[ and really he is. but enough sap! Starscream gives a general wave about the place. ]

So where do you suggest I "unpack."

[That too, admittedly!]

Uh, yeah. [Cliffjumper sort of mutters it, having realised what he just said, and drags a hand down his faceplates, optics bright.] Nevermind that.

[Rooms. Easier to concentrate on! He shakes his helm and gestures to the doorway out of the altarroom.]

Well, uh. No one's gonna stop ya from choosin' whatever room you want, really. Ain't no rules or anythin' like that. If you want, I can show you where mine is and you can decide from there.

There's a balcony kinda closeby, so ya can leave that way too.

[He uses that balcony as an exit/entrance with his jetpack.]

[ and MAYBE Cliff's reaction is priceless. they may soften him up a little on the inside yet. B) and, for now, Starscream is content with what has already been offered in the way of "feelings." no need to put Cliff TOO MUCH out of his comfort zone ~~though the bot deserves it for that whole formal affair teasing.~~

Starscream nods, allowing for Cliffjumper to lead the way. a balcony sounds great. talk about an immediate way out and into the sky... ]

Given it a fair amount of thought, hmm? If you'd be so kind as to lead the way...

[ and then a thought occurs to him. ]

How long have you been here, Cliffjumper?

[You are an absolute villain, Starscream. None of this negative polarity scrap, THE TRUTH IS OUT.

Cliffjumper huffs, ducking his helm as turns to do as asked.]

Ggggh, no. [Still sort of too bright optics because yeah, he did think of how easy it would be for Starscream to be nearby or choose another location.] I just use it as well. Didn't even plan it on, but it's closer out from there by usin' the jetpack than the nearest ground entrance.

And, uh... [Rubbing his neck, Cliffjumper frowns in thought.] Year and a half? Round there anyway. It's slaggin' odd ain't it?

[ totally a villain. Starscream is so dastardly, it's true. ~~just look at that bundle of vile Con down in some of those threads going on. it just showcases his disgusting, lowlife nature.~~

it's a horrible curse, Cliff. he can't seem to shake that little grin off of his own features. ]

You mean to tell me you don't enjoy being airborne? Not even a little?

[ he does. that should be evident by how Starscream can show off as a means of distraction, yes? ]

To be fair, this entire situation is odd. I'm not sure how you handled it when you came to be with us. I admire the fact that you took it as well as you did.

[ it's admirable, really. without CJ's influence, who knows if Screamer would have taken this as "gracefully" as he has. ]

[So utterly terrible!]]

No, not really. I know that might seem strange, epsecially as ya modified yourself and everything, but not all of us actually enjoys flyin', Starscream. [He waves a hand in the air, the grin on his faceplates obvious even if he hadn't turned his helm to look up at Starscream.] I'm perfectly fine on the ground.

The jetpack's just useful is all.

[He knew most of the 'Cons thought it strange that he was perfectly satisfied being ground bound, but even if the negative polarity modification method worked on him he wasn't sure he'd feel any more comfortable with it or that it'd mesh well.]

Yeah, if ya can call chewin' Prime out and gettin' shot to slag and then running around like a live and loose cable could be "takin' it well"! [Despite the roll of his optics and the snort, Cliffjumper has a lopsided grin on his faceplates. It hadn't been fun getting shot, but in a way the initial events are kinda funny in retrospect.

And he did adapt (sort of) rather quickly, didn't he...]

But there wasn't much else to do was it? Probably would've been far less easy if I'd ended up with your lot first though. Nothin' of what you'd have said would've convinced me if I hadn't seen that fraggin' madhouse that Iacon is myself first. [Huff.]

Aside from the obvious repercussions, I almost wish I was there to hear what you said to Prime.

[ because no one really back talks Prime - save Megatron - and lives to tell the tale. ironic how a whim of the evil mech's had been his own undoing when he had wanted to leave Cybertron. they wouldn't have been able to launch the Nemesis on time without CJ, that's for sure.

at the moment, though, Starscream has taken to reading CJ's "body language." he can't see the front to gauge the reactions, but ah well. just KNOWING the other is in good spirits does wonders for his own. ]

I would like to have thought that ending up with us first might have spared you getting shot, though. Some of us might have been instead, but at least you wouldn't have had your processor blown over those that look like your friends turning on you immediately.

[Snickering at that, Cliffjumper nods - it hadn't been fun, but well. He couldn't really regret his ill-concieved attempt at trying to school Optimus. Not that he hadn't yelled insults at the Prime since then, because he had.]

I'd pay a good amount of energon rods to find out what he was thinkin' before he shot me.

[Then he grimaces and shrugs.]

It wasn't fun, no. I'd rather not have been shot either, but it'd taken more time than we'd have had at the point to convince me. Tome we slaggin' well didn't have, what with the Ark.

[He's hardly delusional about his own attitude to not know he'd have been really stubborn about any attempts at convincing him of the truth.]

Even if they have an odd aftertaste where we come from?

[ he remembers, vaguely, that CJ had mentioned that. honestly, Starscream is looking forward to seeing if energon has a different taste from one reality to the next. it's like a science experimented.

but then he vents a sigh. it's true, though. there simply hadn't been enough time. ]

How about we just, as humans would say, count our blessings that all has turned out well enough?

[ it HAS turned out well enough, right? ]

Even with that, yeah. [A waves a hand in the air and shrugs.] 'Since, tastin' weird or not, energon's energon, and when there ain't a lot of it, it's worth quite a bit.

[Starscream can't see it, but Cliffjumper's pause then is accompanied by a twist of his mouth, almost a purse. And then he hums.]

Yeah, probably as well as it could have, too. Could be worse.

[And then he huffs, rubbing his chin as his optics flare a bit brighter and why are they talking about slag like this, anyway?]

So, uh, did ya get answers for all your questions from other people?

[Better topic.]

[ they are talking about this because Cliff is very obviously humoring Starscream... and Starscream might be taking advantage of it. just a little.

but hey, if CJ wants to change topics? sure, they can do that. ]

I think that I got everything important to note...

But I wouldn't mind a brief history of what has happened, if you are feeling up to it.

[ he doesn't want to force CJ to relive things he would rather forget. ]

[A little bit of humouring, yeah, and it was nice to have someone to talk to that he already knew, like with Soundwave, Ravage and Megatron. But topic-changing makes things easier.

Kind of.]

Uh... I can try but ya wouldn't believe all the slag that's been happenin'. [That grumble is partly because he hardly believes it as well, and he's the one who has three realities behind him by now and a lot of crazy slag that has happened.]

Well, we've had several attacks happen from either the Lambda [A wave upwards to indicate the time-space anomaly in the sky that, of course, can't be seen inside the temple.], and from the Badlands.

Like, one of 'em were a bunch of fraggin' giant mechanical worms, and the most recent thing was a pillar that went from the Lambda down into the core of Cybertron.

[Yes, Cliffjumper knows how that sounds.]

... and we've had a few fraggn' crazies around killin' people. [He growls, engine snarling along with him before he realises something and whirls around, pointing at Starscream as he continues to walk backwards.] And if ya meet or talk to a neon, obnoxiously coloured Decepticreep racecar don't fraggin' trust him.

He eats people's power cores. Energy. Whatever. I don't care what, but he ain't safe!

[ try him, Cliff. he's already been told that Primus exists. that things of legend are actually fact. now he is here, in another reality with a bunch of different versions of bots he knows and some he doesn't. at this point, nothing that Starscream hears can be considered weird or impossible. the impossible has already happened, more or less.

either way, he listens. CJ can go on without any interruptions from him.

well. until - ]

Have you been watching too many horror films, Cliffjumper? Eating power cores?

[Huff, and he's claimed that how many times already?? Only Shockwave's believed him so far. >8( And there's more than just mechs that eat others' energy, too!]

Like slag I have! [he has been watching a few horror movies though, yes.] I found the rustin', slag-spewing wreck creepin' on me in my room! And later he admitted it on the fraggin' Link, so no.

[Cliffjumper glowers, then turns around to walk (more like stalk) forwards again.]

That ain't even the strangest thing that's been goin' on, ya know.

[ really, Cliff? really? scowling that hard might break your face. ]

Has this mech done nothing to merit the ire the supposed police force?

[ because that seems like something that should have happened if energy core eating is something that happens. ]

[He'll scowl as much as he wants to!]

Just be careful, okay? [He's just going to sidestep/ignore the question because while he had overreacted a little to finding the 'Con creeping on him in his room, no one got hurt and he's still not happy over the fact that nothing else was done.]

Anyway, there's more than slag like that and people thinkin' they can murder and whatelse as they please. Not that we ain't used to that... [Negative polarity Autobots, man.]

'Cause there's been weird stuff happenin' since the beginning, like a book people found pages on and drew on changin' 'em temporarily after what they'd written, or when somethin' from the Badlands changed people's species.

[He's glad that didn't affect him.]

[ Aww, Cliff. it's kind of cute how you side step. it's also precious how much the mech really is concerned about Starscream. Enough to merit a "be careful." what this also means is that he will have to be on the look out. if CJ is THAT concerned, there is likely a reason for it. ]

Some things never change... [ that is a tone of disappointment. Starsceam had hoped that this situation would mean less people carrying on like they usually would. a pipe dream, it seems...

but he latches onto the new information, a smile playing on his features. ]

Oh? I'm sure you'd make for a charming human, Cliffjumper.

[ B) ]

[He might be a little biased, but creeping on people and wanting to eat them is pretty slagging serious in his opinion.]

If they did, the war wouldn't have started up again where I co--- Starscream! [He's not even angry, just grimacing as he turns enough to give Starscream a stare.]

They're okay, but that doesn't mean I'd want to be one! [Huff. And then he can't keep from asking, the stare narrowing into a squint.] Why'd ya even think that, anyway..?

[ ha ha ha. do you think he is really going to answer that, Cliff? ~~yeah he might in the next tag or two, but let's see Cliff squirm. just a little.~~

the answer? just a little bit of a teasing smile right back. ]

... [That squint narrowed as Starscream keeps quiet, and Cliffjumper huffs after a moment, flinging a hand out to point.]

Hey, you can't just say a thing like that and not answer!

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