voice, forward dated post rescue

[ex_dishonestly997]

[it is still not decepticon to admit weakness so this post sounds hella jovial]

Next time it looks like I want an all-expenses paid vacation to Cybertron-knows-where, I'm not going to risk it. I'll just book a few days off from whatever it is stressing my processor and do the mountain retreat thing. Or drink.

So. Giving due credit to the planet for an overdue and pretty decent assassination attempt - I think, still a little fuzzy on that, I'll get back to you - what else have I missed? Vandal, how's your flimsy excuse for a house, any stiff breezes take it down yet? Blurr, are you still overworking yourself? Miko, Knock Out, your friends ever turn up? Soundwave, I'm thinking Sinatra? It's human, but nobody's perfect, right?

Megatron--...

...Still here?

Comments

[Video: private]

[a_father_to_his_men]

[The hurt in his expression is clear and well defined, not a physical pain, but an emotional one. After having been misjudged to be someone who would simply toss aside this Starscream in favor of the one from his own world, and now to see what about his words had hurt someone he considered a friend. These things combined to squeeze his ember.]

Starscream, I am sorry. I did not mean that my original understanding of Decepticons from polarities like yours remained the same. You were the first Decepticon from the other polarity that I ever met, knowingly, and you were a pleasant and wonderful surprise. I hope you can understand, what I had been told of the Decepticons in your polarity was describe as 'alike to the Autobots' of my own universe. The Autobots in my universe are unbearably cruel, they once had a reasonable founding for their wish for change but they forced that change with violence, acts they delighted in. This is what I used to understand other polarity Decepticons to be like.

Meeting you that was proven very wrong and so I realized that I could not judge anyone, no matter name or faction, by those things or expectations of a complete inversion of what I am used to.

I never meant to say that, knowing you now, I thought you were one who would commit atrocities, or act without due reason. I am sorry if the way I said my words conveyed that idea to you. I think no ill of you Starscream, nor of any Decepticons from your polarity simply based off that alone, I have been proven to that I must judge each myself for their actions.

And since you brought it up, no, I never have been, instead we were told 'join the Autobots or perish' and though I survived I watched as Polyhex burn. I will not say that either of our experiences were worse then the other, but I do know what it is like to be persecuted for peaceful action.

[He hoped, desperately, that he hadn't managed to alienate Starscream from him completely. He genuinely enjoyed the mech's company and not as some kind of stand in for his own Starscream, they were far to different for something like that.]

[Video: private]

[ex_dishonestly997]

So an idiot informed you. [his voice is dull again, quieter, withdrawn, far from the danger of hope.] You don't have to apologize to me.

Look, I... [briefly he looks away and blinks his optics off, letting out a frustrated and sustained hot vent in an attempt to cool down.]

...Thank you.

[it was insufficient, but in the face of that speech, that hurt on Megatron's face, he wasn't sure what recourse he had. Certainly didn't want to argue the point with Megatron, particularly when he was apologizing--it was a shocking relief that he hadn't uncovered some hidden nastiness in this Megatron that he was familiar with in his own.] --as for your Polyhex, I'm not saying you didn't suffer. I'm saying the Autobots in my world were no better than what you'd been told about us. Probably worse, considering the financial backing they had.

Just - it's complicated. It's really, really complicated.

I'm sorry I reacted like that.

[Video: private]

[a_father_to_his_men]

Perhaps in his world that kind of all inclusiveness is well placed, perhaps not, I can not know without asking more. All the same I have learned that I should set aside any preconceived notions about any one and learn them for myself.

I feel I owe you an apology, if not for what I said just a bit ago then for the short sidedness of allowing myself to judge individuals by a group concept.

You had every right to react as you did, my words were less well measured than I had hoped and they clearly did you injustice by that. My greatest worry is that I have managed to strain our friendship, which I value greatly. I do not expect you to deny any strain, but I hope you will honestly tell me if there is still something discomforting you in our discussion so that I can do what I can to sooth any harm I have caused.

[Video: private]

[ex_dishonestly997]

It's all right. I mean it, it's okay.

Just relax, you haven't caused any intentional harm. [mutters] It's not like I'm happy with what the war turned into, anyway.

I don't expect you not to try to apply your experience in a general sense to this world. That's what people do. [he just wishes Megs weren't so similar in voice and appearance to his Megs, so when he applies his experience it's not so... affecting.] And I can't expect you not to be who you are.

[Video: private]

[a_father_to_his_men]

My worry is hardly about intentional harm, but harm despite a lack of intent.

Nor do I expect you to be someone you are not, this includes feeling unjustly accused if it sounds to you as if that were happening.