re_alignment | VIDEO;

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✘ tf: shattered glass | soundwave (crau)

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[Leaning back, slumped in a chair is Soundwave. He's holding his keytar close, slowly strumming bits of music into it. Yet, none of it is its usual cheer, the upbeat determination that he usually plays.

As he presses the keys, playing the morose tune, the holograms from his keytar form a display of crystal plants attempting to emerge from the floor by his feet. But they gray out, crumble, and turn to ash. Something trying to live, but expiring quickly.]

It doesn't matter. Does it.

I'm just gonna sit here, and listen. All that noise in my head, comin' in. Every beat, every rhythm. In and out. I can't stop that. Each one, new and different. So. Much. Sound.

...

Don't come lookin' for me. I have enough noise.

[ooc: Your character may or may not be inspired... to feel massive discomfort from Soundwave's current music.]

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Thanks.

[and then Soundwave's mouth is touching him and he temporarily pauses, sensing a goodly amount of emotional hazard and sudden treacherous ground that wasn't there before.

Kissing. Oh, boy.

Then he casts that thought aside to the review-this-later pile, where so many thoughts are discarded before he can make any use of them, and pulls Soundwave into a hug.

Big guy loves hugs, right. He is always giving them out.]

Why don't you let down your guard a little, and I can lend you some surface confidence. Would that work?

[There's almost a pause of consideration as he feels the sudden embrace. Slowly, Soundwave settles against the Seeker a little, placing his arms around his waist and lightly resting against him.

Despite whatever may be going on in his head, he seems to accept this, too.]

Sounds like a plan.

...Thank you. For coming for me.

[Starscream's assessment: the mech is isolated. And lonely, and depressed, and he doesn't want to put that on anybody, and that kind of vulnerability spreads like a crack in the windshield under stress.]

It's not a problem. Thank you for not trying to offline me, I know it gets tempting.

I don't desire to kill anyone.

[No matter what state he's in, that's true.

He exhales, tilting his head to rest on Starscream's shoulder.]

But I doubt you'll be able to stay with me for very long. Will you? You are a busy mech.

[he genuinely ponders. There's no force in the world that can keep up with Blurr if he doesn't want to be kept up with, and as far as he knows, Vandal is in the Medbay and has at least Fort Max pulling guard duty. Neither of them are sure bets, but both are safe enough to call for the moment.]

I'm here for as long as you need me, Blue.

[he pats Soundwave's back, scritching his fingers up along the smooth metal surface]

We should ...do something, sometime. Something that's not a crisis.

[The answer seems to earn him some relief. Soundwave's arms tighten very briefly around the jet in some strange form of thanks.]

I wonder how long that would last. Hm.

[The scritching on his back -- that's actually. Quite nice.]

I was supposed to sing for you. Wasn't I? Frank Sinatra.

Heh. Well, I don't know exactly what I'm like in your universe, but I'm starting to think I need a new rolemodel, anyway.

[Spoilers he would hate his SG self probably violently.

He smiles a little.]

Yeah? It's not an obligation, if you don't feel up to it.

He is... sweet. Kind. Extremely loyal. He despises being a leader, although he is quite good at it. I do not enjoy violence, but he utter abhors it.

[Yeah, you probably would, Starscream.]

It is not an obligation. Let me go through my data and choose a song.

I will have to let you go.

[Regretfully, but he does release Starscream from their embrace.]

He sounds like--[A TOOL.] ...someone worth following. [feels awful man]

It's okay. I'm not going anywhere, you don't need to chain me to the ground or anything.

...Thank you.

It had not occurred to me. I suppose that I still could do that, but I'm lacking chains.

[That could be a joke. Could be.]

All right. I think it would be best if I sang without my keytar. The holographic imagery is tuned in to my emotions. It would be uncomfortable if I used it.

[As in, he's in a horrible mood and that's why it displayed something so depressing.

Soundwave sits back and considers which song.

Then he begins to sing.]

[Starscream stands rapt, silent, weight balanced on one foot a little more as he listens. It's a glorying sort of song, he likes the subject. A lot. And he is definitely a listens-to-the-lyrics kind of guy, so after Soundwave is midway through, his faceplates are a little hotter... that could be due to the kiss he's still processing, but it's a lot to take in at once. He impulsively bleeds in air from his compressors to cool his turbines, a soft running hum hopefully masked by the voice.

And when he's done, what can the Seeker say?]

...You do a great a cappella.

[Step one? He feels better.]

Hey, thanks Stars! I mean, probably would'a been better with some background music, but I guess that wasn't so bad.

[Step two. He realizes what kind of song he picked.]

Oh. Oh oh, uh! I mean, you know. The song had stuff about-- flying. And that's why I picked it. Really!

[Step three. He sort of kissed Starscream on the helm.]

Oh smelt did I really--

[Final step. He realizes what he did to Blurr. And that occupies him more than anything else.]

No, oh no, Blurr...!

[shoves romance aside in a metaphorical sense to get at the business side of things. If Megatron were here, he'd be proud.

But Megatron is not here and Starscream can no longer catch reflected glory.]

You feeling more lucid, now? Listen, if he ran off, there's not gonna be any catching him. He's twice as fast as I am on his worst day.

No no no, Starscream! I uploaded a memory to him.

[He reaches for his friend's shoulders, grasping them desperately.] Completely everything, like... like he was experiencing it. Everything. How I felt, how--

This is bad! And--

Oh frag, I don't blame 'im if he never forgives me for this. How could I do that to him?

[Scrap.]

...okay. Calm down. I understand. We're going to make it better. [but how? Don't ask him, man. He just enjoys the feel of those hands on him again, as dangerous and inappropriately timed as it is.]

Do you want us to go look for him?

I can't just ... take it away from him! Frag, I would if I could.

[He tries to keep himself from sounding so distressed, but he can't. Soundwave did a terrible thing to Blurr, even if he agreed to the process. Even if Blurr seemed comfortable with the idea that it might have killed Soundwave, he still blames himself.

He himself knew what would happen.]

We should. We have to.

Yeah. Won't be an easy fix, but few of the things worth doing are.

We've got to find him and slow him down enough to talk to him. I say we give him a couple cycles to burn it off first.

[There's a small, distressed noise from Soundwave. Though he does think Starscream is right; running off to try to chase down quite possibly the fastest mech here is entirely pointless and a waste of time.

Still, he can't help but feel the ugly amount of guilt inside of him. Those memories were meant for no one.]

...Yer right. [Soundwave sighs.] Guess we just gotta wait it out.

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