re_alignment | 01

[When the vid feed pops up on the Link, it starts with Swerve looking pretty confused, but this isn't exactly new to anyone who knows him.
To those who don't, welcome to Swerve-ville! Population: This boxy motherfucker and a whole lotta mouth.
He does perk up pretty quickly though, which again, isn't all that surprising. Swerve is pretty ace when it comes to looking like he's perpetually in a good mood.]

You know, I kind of thought we'd crashed through some kind of portal at first, 'cause this looks a lot like Cybertron. So I was thinking maybe there was some kind of massive surprise twist on the way and the Knights of Cybertron were actually on Cybertron the whole time, but it was an alternate version of Cybertron and the quest was actually supposed to teach us a lesson about perseverance and friendship.

Buuuut then some mech who was with me when I came out of recharge explained most of the actual situation to me. Kind of a disappointment, really.

[Though, if he thinks about it, this is actually pretty good. If there was a test on how everyone on the Lost Light was best friends, they would have failed it pretty quick. Because they're them.]

But, uh, just a note here? Waking up to a mech who was watching you during recharge just to explain the whole situation? Actually pretty creepy. So... might wanna get management on that.

((OOC: Tags forthcoming when I return from classes.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but it might actually be more interesting than a quest. Not to say I'm willing to give up on what we're doing either.

Well, that's how it works, isn't it? Reintegration and second chances and all that. Everyone deserves one. Well, not everyone, but in this case yes. [There is a limit to second chances. We're calling it the Overlord Limit. That is it's official name.]

Regardless, it'll keep things here interesting. [A gentle roll of the optic if you're keen enough to catch it.] Though they've been pretty interesting so far already.

I agree. It's not about the mistakes we make, but how we handle the aftermath. Drift needed a different perspective before he realized his mistakes--how Megatron had used him. When he chose a new path, he could have stayed in Crystal City and hidden there, joined the Circle knighthood fully, lived in a utopian society. But instead he chose to return to war and his original goal--to make a difference--just in a better way.

[When half the people you hand around with have visors, you get pretty good at detecting eyerolls.]

I don't think that living in a utopia would be the best thing ever for most mechs in the war. Soldiers and all. Getting used to peace is already pretty weird for me, and I was just a scientist. Can't say I minded having him on our side though. Not that I was there for most of the stuff him, Blurr, Perceptor and the rest got up to.

[Wing is not exactly the most stealthy at hiding his emotive qualities either.]

We're seeing some of that here actually. It's hard to shift gears after so much fighting. [A patient shrug.] I am hopeful though.

Part of him wanted to. Because new Crystal City is everything he'd ever wanted. Everything the lost and the empties and the gutter mechs were denied by the Senate and the system. Not just because there was no poverty, but because no one was forgotten.

[He smiles.] You know I bet he'd like hearing that.

You keep having that hope, buddy. Someone's got to. [It's not so much that he doesn't, but if they've been at war for a few million years, he's pretty sure it'll all have to pan out. Don't even get him started on the survivor's guilt.]

No poverty? Huh. That's pretty impressive, actually. Makes ya wonder why we didn't get started on that right off. [There's kind of a thoughtful expression on his face before he shakes himself out of it. Thinking about how long they fought even after Cybertron went to slag is not something he's inclined to focus on right now.]

He probably gets it enough, so don't worry. Don't think he needs the pile on from me. Too much of a good thing, ya know.

I intend to. [He keeps at it like it's a duty as well as an inspiration, because yes, someone has to.]

We couldn't model our society after the one we knew on Cybertron, we had to start over. And at least in the small community we had, several thousand, it worked. [He nods, because both he and Drift have pondered this too.] Unmaking the old system first was the problem...

[Wing chuckles, though there's a bit of sadness behind it.] Actually I don't think he does. But then that's me. I wish others could see him the way I do, though very few do.

[How bizarrely honorable of him.

Swerve listens attentively and keeps his mouth totally fucking shut about what happened to Crystal City. He's done being responsible for people's misery. So fucking done.]

Sounds interesting, but I guess you guys had plenty of time to figure it out. How long did it take ya? [The way he says it isn't bitter or blaming. Just a statement of fact. The war happened. They weren't involved. The end.]

You must know him pretty well to pick up on that. Can't say I know him the same. Like at all, really. But, you can't really control what others do or say or think. Well, not without seriously breaching the laws of ethics. 's the way it goes. [There there, buddy.]

[This is a great mercy you bestow, because though he will need to know sooner or later, such crushing news now would be ill-timed.]

It rather evolved out of necessity, with some help from the Circle's leadership. Survival is a big motivator. Everyone needed to lend a hand to help build the city. Former function didn't matter so much; we were forced to adapt, take on new roles, be flexible. It took a while to find a suitable location and the start building. The first hundred years or so were difficult as we sorted through the rough parts. But the important part was recognizing what wasn't working, then being proactive in changing it. [Wing is glad he can speak openly about these things without ill feelings. He knows it is not always the way for some.]

I do. I was his mentor then, and eventually his friend. And, gladly, something more than that now. [He nods.] No, you really can't. His situation is a bit unique though.

[Slowly but surely, he's learning when to exercise tact at the most serious moments. He's getting there.

He listens with sort of a vague interest born out of simply wanting to know. Swerve's always been kind of curious as to the form, use, and function of just about anything. Metals predominately, but there are other things. Still, it gets him thinking about the whole ordeal, as far as flexibility goes.]

Kind of ironic that for a species that adapts by switching out alt-modes and armor and all sorts of parts had so much trouble with the whole [Vague hand gesture] thing. Not your Circle. Just in general.

[The news of the relationship isn't really a big deal to him, though he does have a private moment of 'how do they even with so many sharp pointy bits'.] Isn't it like that with everyone? No situation is exactly the same as another.

[Points for personal growth mech!]

Yes, I've sad this myself. It's odd that we'd have such a rigid system when we, ourselves are so malleable. You'd think we could adapt to changing times better. [He laughs somewhat ruefully.] When I hear mechs complaining about how all they can do is war after so many millennium doing it, this is what I remind them.

[Very, very carefully and creatively. Not to mention, some of those sharp pointy bits are the most sensitive.] That is true, everyone has their own personal challenges.

[Are they gold stars?]

I think the issue with that is that it takes a while to get used to it. We're all so used to the war, I mean, it went on for millions of years. No one really knows what to do with peace anymore. [It's all said with a deceptive sort of casualness that doesn't betray lessons he learned from a technically dead mech.] I figure we'll learn on the go, but I don't expect us to ever be able to let the war go entirely.

[No, energon goodies. Just don't eat them all at once.]

I do think eventually people will change, but it's ironic that a species that is so adaptable physically can stagnate in other areas so easily.

[You're not the boss of how many things he can cram in his mouth, Wing. GOSH!]

I dunno. It kinda makes sense if you think about it from an individual standpoint. We live so long that we get used to things being the way they are.

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