re_alignment | AUDIO;

[Starscream opens his mouth. Then he closes his mouth.

Then he glances off somewhere intensely into the distance and remembers that he once said treachery is in the heart of all creatures and he doesn't want to be right. But Blurr lied to one of them by process of elimination, and he's about to lie to Soundwave, so that's a twofer right there.]

...Right. Yeah. 'Course. I was just thinking, you know, if anybody else told him. Which...we should be careful about. [it's strange, he can't remember feeling this bad about a lie before.]

[The body language comes off as weird, but. Well, a lot of weird stuff has happened lately. So, Soundwave pauses, his visor dimming. Maybe Starscream's acting funny because of ... well, you know. Ah ha, that kissing and the song, he doesn't know.

And completely takes this at face value. Gently, he places his hand to Starscream's shoulder.]

I didn't tell many. Jus' you and... well, a little bit to Drift, not much. Drift doesn't know what it was.

It's a big relief, though. I'd... I'd offer to remove it, but I probably wouldn't have managed that with his kind of processor. A-anyway, no worries now about that.

You gonna stop beating yourself up over it, then? [he reaches up with a hand of his own to touch the hand on his shoulder, the kind of reassurance he thinks Soundwave needs.]

Should we worry about you and me, instead? Give it to me honestly, Soundwave.

Ain't any promises, but it does make me feel better. Ain't a single person that deserves that memory. [He pauses at the hand, and settles under it for a moment.

Then Starscream asks that instead. Soundwave looks alarmed, then tugs awkwardly at the ends of his headband.]

H-heh heh, whaddaya mean? About us? [Oh boy. Why is even trying to evade that, Soundwave can't lie for crap.]

I can think of a couple. [Mostly Megatron. And Prowl. And--maybe a few others.] ...Sorry, I... shouldn't joke about it.

So--oh. I'm - I mean, you were out of your sensors, I'm not going to ...[hold him to anything. He didn't mean the kiss. That makes sense, given his awkward physical overtures now, he's a nice mech. He doesn't want to lead Starscream on. That all fits, nice and neat.

Time to change the subject.]

Nevermind. I really did come here to give you a hand, you know. Lifting things, or...whatever it is you need.

Well... I know what you meant. But I really couldn't do that to anyone.

[Soundwave rubs his forehead and he slowly shakes his head.] Stars, I... unlike the others, I remember everything. Not everything was... I can't blame everything on a magical paper page doohicky. So, um. I'm sorry.

[It's easier to assume that Starscream wouldn't be interested at all. Soundwave isn't like his Decepticons. Or... anyone, apparently. Sometimes it's hard to even fit in with "normal" Autobots.

No. He's just the abnormal one. Which is okay, but. Yeah. Anyway. This is him fretting mentally.]

Just, uh. Sorting out th' bar right now... [Oh, this is so awkward.]

Nobody's going to ask you to. [hopefully.]

Apology accepted? I don't--Soundwave, you don't know what I've done, so you unnerved a couple people for a couple days. Nobody died, they'll get over it, and you've done so much good work it's not like the karmic scales are tipped forever against you.

[pause]

...You're still worrying.

I know, I know. That's not what I mean. It's... man. I just didn't mean to weird you out, with what I did. M'glad you aren't bothered by it...

[He ducks his head.] Y-yeah. I can't help it. I'm not that worried about everyone else with what I was doin'. Mostly jus' you and Blurr.

You ...[he's not sure if he should make a joke about it, or what.] You're never going to get between me and my one true love; me.

[maybe that was awful timing. He's looking everywhere but at Soundwave. Those are fascinating bar glasses he's got there.]

I mean, you didn't. Mean. That kiss. Obviously.

...Right?

H-heh...

[At the question, he lowers his head. Not in shame, but in worry.]

...M'sorry. You don't... gotta think anything of it. But that was... that was me. All the way.

Wh--..I, uh.

[clears his vents, and looks up at Soundwave, completely taken aback.]

...Soundwave, you're not serious.

Scrap. I shouldn't have, uh. Said anythin'.

But I can't lie to save my tailpipe, so even if I tried, you would'a known. L-look, like I said... you don't hafta do anythin' about it. I got no expectations. I think we got more to deal with right now, anyway.

So you'd rather not talk about it. Well, that's fine, you can just listen.

[he bobs down behind the bar and starts putting glasses away (ostensibly anyway), trying to regain his equilibrium mentally] You know, it's funny. I thought I'd be the last kind of mech you'd go for. I'm ...I'm not even the best of my people, and my people aren't that great. Bunch of disgruntled thugs, mostly.

Now me, I'm a disgruntled thug with delusions of grandeur.

[he resurfaced from the bar, leaning his hand against the counter] Did I tell you I actually led them in wartime? Primus. You know what they did while I was in charge? They started eating each other.

How's that strike you?

Stars...

[He listens, carefully. Nervously, he plays with a glass in his hand as he listens.]

I...

I-I never assumed you were. Innocent of anythin'. Who is? I just...

I think you had to work hard to become a better mech, Stars. And that's okay. I don't know who you were. I know who you are now. That's who I like. That's...

[He trails off and spins the cube in his hands.]

It's not like I'm some fraggin' perfect dude, either. We've all done somethin' we ain't proud of. Some more than others. Maybe you did some scrap that was awful. Okay, fine, but I don't see you doin' that now. Not as I got to know you.

I'm not gonna... argue that as someone who wants to be with you. [Though in his ember he knows he does. He wants that, but he shouldn't.] I'm sayin' that as your friend who'd never turn his back on you.

[He leans both elbows on the counter, pressing his fingers together in a rough steeple as he stretches forward, a bit like a cat not sure if this is a safe lap to jump into or not.]

I really like you.

[this is said like a confession of firebombing, of theft, of genocide.] "Strength should come from within, not without." External resources are currency, they can be taken away, they're tools of enslavement. Anyone tapping strength from another mech is tapping a finite resource.

That's Decepticon ideology, as far as I understand it. If you can't stand alone, you don't deserve to stand at all. I didn't--...

I know you'd be a good friend to me. [and more. Maybe more. He dares.] You could be a good anything you wanted, to me.

..I think you missed a spot polishing this bar.

[Oh. The glass almost falls from his hands at that. Both the confession and just kind of how Starscream positions himself, he isn't sure why, but. Yeah. Maybe it's silly, but his ember flutters a little.]

I... I don't know if that's true. About me. But I... ah, frag.

All I should say is that we don't have to be anythin' you don't want. I appreciate th' warning, but I think that's just your way of saying that you're lookin' out for me. And that's real super nice of you.

I guess I just. Um. [Hooooo. Soundwave sets down the cube and rubs at his facemask for a moment.] I-I know my... mindreading makes you uncomfortable. That's okay, I get it, I know why, it's okay it's-- [Starscream said he wasn't a freak, that's nice, he appreciates that, but it's the first time he's probably made Starscream that uncomfortable or upset.]

I think Blurr likes you too so maybe I. Shouldn't. Um.

[It's not an excuse, he argues to himself. He's just trying to look out for his friend. He isn't eager to crush Blurr's spark if that's the case.]

Are you calling me a liar? [he is so amused by the prospect he's trying not to lose it, keeping his face carefully composed.] Sure I'm looking out for you. While you wear that badge, you're not just one of His, you're one of ours.

[oh the telepathy, bummer. Yeah.] --I didn't handle that well. I'm not much of a ...I like my privacy, but I'm not excusing that I was a real aft.

[he pauses at that thing about Blurr, genuinely delighted by the prospect of having mech-candy for each arm] I should charge admission.

[He scoffs a little.] Psh, whatever. ... But I appreciate the sentiment, dude.

...I know. But you had good reason to be.

[That earns a nervous laugh.] Yeah, well. I'm just sayin', it's worth a point to see and make sure that ... I ain't gonna make this worse. With what I did, and. Sang.

[levelly, walking around the bar] Someone has to make sure you don't go jumping in front of any psychopaths.

Yeah, that's me. Mr. Justified.

[coming up close to him, almost helm-to-headband] Let me worry about Blurr. I can take care of all the dopy blue martyring mechs in my life.

I don't go jumpin' in front of them. ...Do I?

[By the time Soundwave realizes he's being approached, it's a little late; they're close. Very close, and his visor is brightening up in surprise. Haha, was that his internal fans kicking online or what?]

I... well. Yeah, okay, I... yeah, I trust you with that. [Of course, that makes sense.]

[his voice is low, silky, encouraging.] You like to prove you're more than just a nice guy, that you're brave. A fighter. You don't have anything to prove to me.

[he reaches out with both hands to stroke the little horn tips of Soundwave's helm, on either side. If this isn't genuine (and how could it be? Who could believe in Starscream the way he can't believe in himself?) it doesn't matter, he wants to take as much as he can from the fantasy that he's desired, and wanted, and cared about. It looks for a second like he's trying to decide whether he wants to kiss Soundwave silly or say something else, and he struggles for a second before deciding to make words, but it's a very near thing.] I'd sing to you, but I can't carry a tune in a wheelbarrow-alt.

Edited 2012-09-27 17:43 (UTC)

[He's not much for arguing, but even if he was, Soundwave legitimately can't think of any reason to say that Starscream's wrong. Because... he's not.] Well, I... I guess that's true.

[The touching causes him to go very still. It feels like a long moment of fingertips tracing up, exploring his helm and it feels so nice. No one's touched him quite like that in awhile. His ember feels like it's burning a little more strongly.]

Eh-heh, just leave the singin' to me... [Gently, he leans into one hand, nudging towards it. Not quite a nuzzle.]

I still owe you, though. [and Starscream feels more than a little enthusiastic about paying back debts. The fact that Soundwave is nuzzling at his hand makes it easy for him to lean in and steal a kiss across the side of the morale officer's face.]

There. Now you can stop feeling guilty.

For what-- [Oh. Oh!

There's a soft surprised noise at the kiss; he holds still for the brief contact, and when Starscream moves away, his hand instinctively goes to touch the spot in disbelief.]

Th-thanks. So, um. This is okay?

[Soundwave is sort of waiting for it -- some kind of bummer news. He can roll with it, usually. Something like Starscream is already seeing someone, going to see someone, maybe it's Blurr, who knows, or... Starscream will disappear again.

That's sort of been his luck. He feels awful for expecting it.]

If my Megatron shows up, you have to be a little ...flintier around me. It's bad enough I'm spending time around Autobots and humans, I think he'd blow a gasket if he knew I was playing around like this.

[For Starscream, these interactions are a series of motions, corrections, compensations, a little like flying. Wrong moves threaten graveyard spirals, overcorrects are just as bad as no action at all. It's ...delicate.]

If you're okay with being my dirty little secret.

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