re_alignment | [Video] In the Junk Pile

Entry tags:

✘ tf: animated | dirge (crau)

[Video] In the Junk Pile

[When the camera clicks on, all that's visible above a mound of junk is a pair of yellow wings. They twitch, wiggle, and then suddenly go straight as someone murmurs something that sounds like Oh, yes. That's lovely~.

The junk shudders and then explodes outward as Dirge climbs his way out of it, shaking off random scraps.]

Another day, another new world! And this one is so full of things just lying around...

[He's holding something that looks like it could be a mangled old gas mask, pinching experimentally at the long tube hanging from it.]

This place is mine now, understand? I've marked it. [He gestures and the camera swings to the word 'DIRGE' spelled out in old cans.]

So stay away. [The screen is obscured by a pointing claw, then narrow red optics, and then....just junk. It seems he's gone back into the pile.]

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I don't like being younger. [It meant he had less years than the others and less experience as well.]

No one has my personality. It's unique. Which means its mine and mine alone.

[Chuckle] Ambition is pretty close. And you can have one more- only because this is kind of fun. I'm keeping the rest for myself.

[Slipstream studies the comm images for a visual clue, as she thinks on every word. Some of her brother clones had been glaringly one-dimensional. Being the eldest living, she had witnessed four of them come online; heard their first words.

Dirge doesn't seem quite as narrow in personality, though Slipstream has difficulty consciously naming any particular evidence of this. He just seems more confident and accepting of his trait than she might have expected.

But, that trait itself can be traced to specific clues: marking objects as his, 'keeping' even the intangible and potential, repeatedly using "mine".]

You're kinda a hog; wanting things, marking them as your property, keeping them. Can't say Starscream doesn't have his greedy side. The loser does want rank, but he also likes his army building and collecting.

That's it! [Dirge claps, happy to be recognized- at least in trait, if not in name.]

I've missed you, you know. It feels terrible to have a sister around and then suddenly lose them. [Grimace] Especially for me.

[Slipstream grimaces in anticipation of what she's about to ask, because it already seems ridiculous.] So, how did we meet?

[She's got the idea people can fall out of the Lambda from different points in their timestream, but it's still hard to process. Temporal mechanics hasn't really been her thing.]

[If he notices she is uncomfortable he doesn't remark on it. He's plenty used to temporal issues by now.]

We didn't meet back in our world. Swindle told us there were others, but we never got to see them.

I met you in Axiom Nexus. Another place that pulls people in like this one. [Those kinds of places seem to like him.]

You were trying to help me.

So slagging falling into other universes happens often? [That sounds like what he's saying.]

I don't exactly remember doing that, yet. What was I helping you do?

This is the second time for me. [Shrug] Maybe I am just special?

Be less like myself. [Grin]

Clearly. [There is a little tone of 'depending how you define special' there, but it isn't really malicious. It is more an automatic irritable response to anyone Starscream-like.]

You mean more like yourself, and less like a Starscream? [Maybe not what Dirge meant, but it's how she thinks of it.]

[Sarcasm, as with Starscream, is something that just bounces off Dirge.]

No. Ehr, maybe. Less like.... a clone.

Exactly.

[So, they are able to think somewhat alike.]

A person entirely your own. Not Starscream. Better than him!

[But this might be her own drive more than it is truly Dirge's. She's not sure of his motivations, yet.]

Better than our template? ...Is that possible?

[Dirge had always aspired to having all Starscream had- but more? Why hadn't he thought of that?]

[Nod. Nod. Nod.]

It's not like it'll be hard. We have all the same skills and abilities! It's just a matter of not making the same mistakes.

And...having more things...allies...more variety of weapons...more knowledge...especially useful things.

[How it will pain her to help Dirge become resistant to manipulation of his greediness!]

But we're missing each other's personality fragments. How can we be better than Starscream without the full set?

[That makes him smile though.] More things, yes. That's always good. But isn't everything useful?

[She's not sure how to answer this. She's beginning to see how differently Dirge can views things, when they don't agree.]

Well, if you got the full set - as you call it - you'd be just like Starscream, who ended up a loser.

So, it's not like you lost any traits. You started differently. And you can gain your own traits.

[It's close enough to how she truly perceives the matter, but she's not yet sure if Dirge will accept her reasoning.]

If you just wanted everything, then you'd want the trait of generosity, too. And that would just-

Let's say average things out, or crash your logic circuits....

[Maybe she's said enough.]

[That's going to take him a few seconds to process. It helps that she at least tried to put it into terms he can understand.]

So... you're saying... being complete.... doesn't mean I have to be the same as Starscream?

Because he is a loser.

[Is he getting this right?]

Gener- Guhhhh.... [Oh that word just makes him sick.]

Okay, I don't want everything. Just... mostly everything.

You're catching on.

And, there are plenty of good things to collect here: allies, favor with the Big Bots, salvage - as you've found - information on other universes.

I don't suppose you can share that with me? It's not like you lose information, by sharing.

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[Video] In the Junk Pile

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