stxletto-creep

[stxletto-creep]

[stxletto-creep]

The circle wasn't hard to spot from the air. Neither was the seeker in it.

He swooped down with the intent of telling Derecho to knock it off and get out of here, but he was hit with the scent of the wheatgrass as he landed.

There were now two seekers rolling in the shoots.

He wasn't supposed to be here. He had been told to stay far away from places where humans went.

But it was too tempting. The wheatgrass was too powerful. So he was rolling around in them, smushing the shoots down in a perfect circle around him. A good number of them were being chewed up, but wisely not swallowed.

The world beyond the wheat field did not exist to Derecho anymore. He was a purring wreck, consumed by the grass.

[stxletto-creep]

Today had threatened to be rather routine. His usual patrols had turned up nothing of interest, and monitoring things from within the Harbinger was proving equally uninteresting. He would consider it peaceful, if the lack of visible activity from either side wasn't so deeply concerning.

Naturally, the peace didn't last. Someone was rapidly approaching.

The message was met with a brief silence. First due to the shock of being located and communicated with, then the fear of what that meant to him, only to go right back to shock as the familiarity kicked in. Thundercracker? Here? Alive? Happy to see him? It seemed impossible.

:: Still no faith, I see. Though I could say the same of you. I hadn't expected to hear from you again. Just this once, I am glad to be wrong. ::

He sounded nowhere near as composed as he would have liked, the joy and nerves creeping into his voice. He wasted no further time in taking to the air himself. Mostly to make their reunion just that much faster, but also because he didn't want want to put just how far he had fallen on display by meeting the other seeker in a shipwreck. There was also a precautionary element to it; for all his excitement, he still had to approach it as though it were a trick. He knew full well the Decepticons were capable of this. The further from his base of operations he was, the better.

:: I manage it purely out of necessity. I hardly have any choice, for the time being. I intend to leave the instant that changes. ::

Back on Earth. It looked like such a pretty blue marble from space, but up close -- it's just a mud ball. This was one of the precious few times he'd landed and taken flight, wanting to 'stretch his wings' - but on this flight, he picked up a signal he hadn't seen since the fall of Cybertron. Thundercracker's reaction is as strong as it is instant. He changes course, making a beeline for the source of that life signal. Activating comms, he wastes no time in reaching out to his former commander.

::Starscream! Commander Starscream! This is Thundercracker -- Lieutenant of Seeker Squadron Omega-6. That you I'm seein' on scanners? I thought for sure you were dead.::

A brief pause is taken by the blue mech. He had to remind himself how much time had passed; no bot's gonna be the same after so long. Starscream, who seemed to change on the daily, was no exception. Was he even still a Decepticon? Would he strike at Thundercracker if he knew the betrayal he'd committed? It didn't matter. Starscream was as a brother to him - and the only reason he joined the Decepticons in the first place. Maybe revealing himself was a foolish move, but, just this once? Thundercracker didn't care.

He was just happy to get to see a familiar face.

::I'm headin' your way now, Screamer. Gotta tell ya, I don't know how you handle stayin' here. It isn't like Cybertron. Earth's so...flat.::

@stxletto-creep hit the starter call!

[stxletto-creep]

"LORD STARSCREAM, I MADE SOMETHING FOR YOU. PRACTICING... MEDICINE! MADE... POTION!"

The "potion" appeared to be some concoction of blue Powerade, grass and- the most crucial potion ingredient- dirt.

Drink up, Starscream.

Potion. Right.

He squints at the liquid Derecho was offering him. The Powerade on its own he might have taken a sip of. But he didn't exactly care for bits of the ground being included. This was the opposite of medicine. Potion of Ruining Tanks.

He didn't want to discourage Derecho's medical pursuits, but he wasn't about to offer himself up as a test subject for this.

"I think you will find I am in excellent health at the moment. Consuming a... medical concoction is unlikely to do me any good."

[stxletto-creep]

His words were recieved in a way that he had missed dearly. The Decepticons had obeyed his orders well enough in the moments he took charge, but they lacked this motivation and were uninspired by his vision. Not like the seekers at all. For a moment, the burrow stopped feeling so painfully stifling. He didn't feel quite so trapped. Instead, they were hiding away to make their grand plans in privacy.

Now that they had waded through the tragedy that surrounded Vos, speaking of it only appeared to improve his mood further for the time being. He stood tall, failing to supress the flutter of his own wings. He cocked his head to the side, one brow raised as he considered the other seeker's proposal.

"I believe we already agreed upon granting you a position second only to myself for the duration of our work together. And since this now includes the restoration of Vos, it is only fair you maintain this role. You have personal experience with... previous shortcomings that I simply do not." He briefly glanced away in shame. "This will be invaluable in rebuilding the sanctuary that Vos should have been all along. Our endeavour is pointless if we build on unstable foundations."

For all his posturing and dramatic gestures, desperation crept into his voice towards the end. Vos couldn't fall again.

Starscream had a point! They were seekers and they were called that for a reason. Reasons unrelated to the Allspark, but it could be sought all the same. Seeing Starscream somewhat happy for once since he came down into Derecho's burrow made his wings flutter. Happiness was contagious among their kind.

Whenever Starscream spoke about Vos, he felt something he previously only felt toward Wreck-Gar. Even down here all alone in a hole in the middle of nowhere, Starscream was inspirational. To him, at least.

"CAN I HELP? KNOWING WHAT IT'S LIKE AT THE BOTTOM. NOT FUN! CAN HELPING STOP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. STOP [Whiteout] FROM HAPPENING AGAIN." Perhaps that was revealing too much of his own hand. But at this point, he didn't care. "THEN NO MORE SEEKERS HAVE TO FLY AWAY."

[stxletto-creep]

//I have returned home! Over the next few days I should finally get around to answering threads that have been waiting.

[stxletto-creep]

Derecho has something to show up, Lord Starscream! Pay no attention to the way his cheeks are filled with buzzing something, or that his vents have been clamped shut.

Do, however, pay attention to how he is now shaking violently, wings quivering from the effort. Observe, then, how his mouth opens and the buzzing bursts out in the form of an angry cyclone of bees.

He does some stupid little dance of joy and then disappears into the ground without explanation.

He is paying attention and he does not like what he sees at all.

At first he is deeply concerned for Derecho's health, but the worry is for nothing. No. It's somehow even worse.

It's bees.

They decend upon him. They pose no threat but they are swarming and buzzing. It's awful. He's going to be picking bees out of his vents and joints for days. He begins to scream, only to immediately shut his mouth for fear of getting bees in there. He is too late though.

He frantically looks to Derecho for an explanation, but there is no Derecho. Only bees.

[stxletto-creep]

//Forgot to mention but am on holiday for like a week! So my low activity is going to be even lower for the time being. Will still be around here and there but my access to a computer is limited.

[stxletto-creep]

(What’s the best thing about the canon you are writing?)

Oh there are so many things. I very rarely write popular canon characters but I could not pass him up. I enjoy terrible little sympathetic bastards in general. But he is also bird-shaped, as well as being simultaneously cunning and scheming as hell while also being just so incredibly stupid. I adore him.

I realise this is not one thing but I think he is very neat.

[stxletto-creep]

canon questionare.

questions best asked for those who portray canon characters, and for those who’d like to get to know the author behind said canons better.

What made you pick up this character?

How did you get into this franchise/fandom?

What’s the best thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

What’s the worst thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

What’s the best thing about the fandom?

What’s the worst thing about the fandom?

What’s the best thing about the canon you are writing?

What’s the worst thing about the canon you are writing?

Have you tweaked the character from canon? If so, what did you tweak?

Would you say that your portrayal is canon divergent or not? 

Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what?

What would you say is the most unique trait about your character?

Are there any other characters from the franchise you’d like to play?

Are there some characters from the franchise you can’t stand? 

What are your thoughts on the canon ships for the character, if any?

What is your personal ship bias for your canon character?

Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?

How long have you been writing the character?

Should people get into the franchise your writing from, yes or no?

If you could sum up your character with one sentence, what would it be?

Which song do you feel describes your character the most and why?

[stxletto-creep]

Talking to someone whose life didn't revolve around this idiocy was an odd experience. But while catching Derecho up on everything was not a pleasant experience for either of them, something about the other seeker's obliviousness was almost comforting. A reminder that even now, it was possible for them to have a life outside of the war.

"If anything, we should count ourselves fortunate that they didn't attempt to destroy the Allspark altogether. They left us something to seek out. And what mechs could possibly be better suited for the job?"

Some hope had returned to his voice, but there was no telling how long it would stay there. Hope, fear, anger and utter dismay seemed to take turns in gripping him for five seconds at a time. They had a plan now. They would do what seekers do best. He tried not to think about the specifics too hard.

"Excellent. When the time comes, we will simply disappear from this world without a trace. The Vos we rebuild will be the greatest in Cybertronian history. They lack the influence to poison it again."

He wanted to go back to life a few hours ago, when he was blissfully unaware of all of this and his primary concern was whether or not he was tunneling too close to the Harbinger.

He hadn't noticed how angry he got. Air blew noisily from his vents in an appeasing chuff as he sought to calm himself, lest he frighten Starscream. For as much as Whiteout terrified him, what Starscream went through sounded like a living nightmare. The sheer stupidity of it all! And for what?

"... Of course they did." Wings flicked once. He was reminded of the blasted ruins of energon mines he had stumbled across, where it was clear some sort of scuffle broke out and the solution was to simply destroy the precious resource altogether. At first, such scenes were baffling. No longer.

"Can counting on [Derecho]. Sneaky! Hidden from everything this long!" Starscream was agreeing with him again. One good thing to arise from this dismal conversation. He could even forget about plotting behind his Lord's back. "Nobody will know. Having many [dirty little secrets]. What's one more?"

[stxletto-creep]

There are absolutely NO options on that list that Cliffjumper likes, so he picks the one that's just as painful for the Seeker as for him. The Autobot leans in, and oh so awkwardly taps his arm against Screamer's shoulders before immediately pulling away again.

That counts as a hug, right? Right. Mission accomplished. No one ever speak of this again and all's good. (@cliffandthekid)

There is a moment of absolute panic as Cliffjumper approaches him, only to freeze when he is horribly and awkwardly tapped on the shoulders. For once, he was rendered absolutely speechless. As soon as Cliffjumper pulled away he took a few steps back, looking equal parts confused and offended.

There was no risk of him ever mentioning this to anyone.

[stxletto-creep]

Not knowing what else to do with the tiny empty cup, he tosses it back at Judas. There might not be enough in there to drink, but there sure are droplets to splash everywhere.

"It was... fine, from what little I could sample. Not that this is a request for more. Unlike some, I prefer to not ruin my frame with garbage."

Judas knows exactly what he's doing too. There's no resistance to the cup being pilfered, though he does move back from the claws on instinct.

"It's pretty good, huh? Honestly these things never last out here in the heat anyway, it's supposed to be more ice than that."

[stxletto-creep]

@captainseamech

Sloooowly pushing an energon cube with his foot towards him. That... counts as feeding right?? Plus, he's a bit wary of him

​

The wariness goes both ways. Energon is energon, but this is a completely unfamiliar mech.

As soon as the cube is within arm's reach, it's immediately scooped up and held close. Before High Tide gets a chance to change his mind.

[stxletto-creep]

Oh no.

Optics narrow at the cup. He doesn't want to be interested in its contents. But they happen to be that very specific delicious shade of blue. "Of course not. I have no interest in your human beverages. Not to mention the ridiculous size. Having 'some' isn't exactly an option." Just to prove how stupid it was and how much he didn't want it, he very carefully picked up the slushie and drank what was essentially one whole drop of liquid. "See? Pointless."

@stxletto-creep

"You want some?" Asked while sitting on his car's hood, holding up a clear cup filled with bright blue slushie.

[stxletto-creep]

@worm-of-theseus

FEED.

​

Derecho provides sustenance. Nothing new, but certainly nothing to complain about either. He will be feasting today.

[stxletto-creep]

A Starscream has appeared! What to do?

Flatter Feed Awkward hug Worship