#i stg i tried to keep it somewhat brief but | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

advernia · 4 years ago

Note

What do you think would happen if Alice had fallen into Cradle with her child? I’m particularly curious about Sirius and Luka OwO

in general i’d say the presence of the mother-child combination in cradle would (rather, should) raise the tension higher because two people from the land of reason = two people who can repel magic, yeehaw. i think that gives the magic tower more incentive to be aggressive point blank bc 1) two magic repellers = greater chances of world domination plans being thwarted, 2) on the other hand they will make excellent test subjects, 3) them being blood-related + different ages (and possibly genders) opens more avenues for varied forms of experimentation, and 4) more ways to enter the land of reason, hella rad.

there’s probably more but morbid thoughts aside... here’s some general scenarios!

sirius:

he grew up having lotsa siblings + if you count the black army as the whole he’s raised a lot of brats lmao, so alice having a kid doesn’t faze him the slightest!

in the prologue where ray ends up catching alice, sirius ends up catching her kid instead. thinks the kid’s five years old or something. sirius is about to ask the child some basic questions, but the kid suddenly points to a running blanc so whoops. before the strange pair go rushing after blanc, kid says a thank you, mister! and that earns immediate brownie points because the! kid! called! me! mister! and sirius proceeds to make that veeeery clear to ray lol. maybe to fenrir and seth too, later.

so after all the prologue drama, alice & the kid formally introduce themselves as mother & child to the black army. there’s a few murmurs of reallys and awwws because tbh alice looked rather young to be a mother but oh well. it doesn’t change sirius’ welcoming and accommodating approach, though he keeps more tabs on the child because honestly...

a young child in the barracks... where there’s a stocked armory + shiny magic crystals... ridiculous brats - ehem, grown men prone to showing off + creating trouble... yeah. though it’s really not a hassle on sirius’ part to somewhat act like a babysitter, he gets to suffer being teased about nonsense like paternal instincts coming to life in full force lol!

though seriously speaking, he’s very careful not to ask / bring up the biggest subject of them all: alice’s husband (if there’s even one to speak of, ooh). on the kiddo’s side of course, it’s already hard enough that someone so young suddenly ends up in a strange place + gets their mother and themselves threatened by a whole goddamn army (sirius, to lancelot: i stg what are u doing???) + has to live out a whole month in a new environment all of a sudden, so he believes the least that he & the black army can do is keep the child comfortable enough so that the feeling of fear would be lessened, get a sense of comfort going on. sirius definitely can’t blame the kiddo if they start crying out for their father/home though - though he knows it’s not his fault + can’t do anything much, he’ll feel bad about the fact that he can’t do much for the child’s homesickness.

he’s not going to broach the topic on alice either - if alice wanted to talk, then he’d do his best to listen. if she didn’t then he wouldn’t dare ask, it’s a very personal topic after all. who was he to pry into her personal matters when she + her child would be leaving in a month???

so picture this: he did say he’ll help watching over the kid, but there’s not much to do bc her child is good enough. what a little angel, polite and curious and quiet. maybe a little too quiet, withdrawn??? hmmm. either way, the child didn’t seem too (pro)active. or was playful the term sirius was looking for?

like sure, there’s the loud laughs for stupid antics, answers when talked to, smiles and walks around the barracks on their own but... more often than not, the child keeps close to alice or is just around her general line of sight. separation anxiety, maybe??? that’s natural, so okay. or maybe it’s alice who’s always hovering around her child??? either way, there’s nothing odd about that, but upon longer observation...

the kid is just... really responsible / really loves their mom??? alice watering the plants??? quickly looks for another watering can / gets a bucket of water to refill the can with. general cleaning or laundry??? puts a hold on whatever they were doing, rolls up sleeves, gets ready to do some work. prep work for dinner??? peeling’s a bit wonky, but they’re doing their best while trying not to cut themselves...

this strikes off as a bit funny to sirius, because wow, they really are related. where alice is quick to offer her help on all sorts of tasks in the barracks, her child is just a step behind her, little hands willing to do some work. on some tasks, alice does tell her kid that she’ll be alright doing it on her own, but her kid insists doing it alongside her anyway. and that there, that’s a very alice thing to do, too. sirius - heck, maybe the black army would know that by now as well, lol, considering how alice flutters around the barracks looking for something to do if she’s not having some alone time + private time with her child.

though, as much as the help was appreciated... it doesn’t sit well with sirius that the mother & child are spending most of their hours working rather than enjoying themselves in cradle. he thinks it’s a shame, especially for the kid. back when sirius was younger, he would...... then he’d go to....... and then sometimes he’d.............

.... right. if the guests wouldn’t relax themselves, then sirius would take it upon himself to show them a good time. it doesn’t have to be through big events, it doesn’t have to be everyday, it doesn’t need to be through fancy or expensive gifts either...... if only just to see both of them smile more often, then it’s definitely worth the time thinking about.

more bonus points if he’d get to see alice’s kid start acting like... well, a child! while there’s nothing wrong with being responsible or wanting to help, a kid should definitely experience all sorts of things, explore what they can, and most of all, enjoy themselves.

that’s what it means to be young, and alice should do the same as well... being in cradle is their adventure, after all! they’re not completely unrelated to the war but..... if anything else, sirius wants to fulfill the black army’s promise of precting them until the full moon comes around, and when that day comes.... he hopes the two have made a ton of good memories of their stay in cradle.

......... funny that this guy’s thinking about how make the two relax when he can’t even stop and do that for himself lmaooooo

luka:

lol he starts off the same as he’s always been in most routes: shying away + nothing much to say to the parent/child combo now suddenly under their wing.

though, he does keep watch of their eating habits on the first days of their stay: alice eats anything + everything so that’s a relief, she’s adjusting. now if only he can say the same for her child....

imagine alice’s kid still being uncomfortable & cranky a few days in cradle + black army company, refuses to eat much even though his mom’s urging him to. breaks into a tantrum one day, saying that i wanna eat mama’s cooking instead! or something similar for everyone in the dining room to hear before storming out. ooh. there’s a brief silence - most stares land on luka, who isn’t really offended.

..... well, okay, so maybe it did sting a little bit. alice apologizes to luka before going away to calm her kid down. fenrir + ray tell him not to worry about it, seth + sirius muse about the kid feeling all homesick / sensitive. cue other soldiers saying something about puberty (whut lol). or y’know, kids being kids.

luka tries thinking about the kid’s situation for a bit. away from home, living in a whole new environment, surrounded by a whole lot of other people with attitudes and faces way different from those around at home... huh. that kinda sounds like himself in a way, except that the away from home bit on luka’s part was a voluntary choice.

having realized that, luka has a better guess of what the kid might be feeling. overwhelmed, definitely. from a very hostile welcome with handcuffs + the red army carrying the threat of death, suddenly being surrounded by the kindness of the black army is a total 360. must feel unreal, suspicious, even. the sight of real weapons around, the existence of magic and all that, unknowingly having a power so strong the whole country fears it. sounds like too much too process for a child.

..... alright, but looking at alice’s kid being unfriendly + clingy to alice 24/7 + being such a crybaby also reminds luka of... uh, himself, when he was younger. not to his own mother, but to... well, jonah, ugh. it’s not an easy pill to swallow (it takes grudging acceptance), but at least luka gets to know why he always felt some pang of irritation looking at the child.

so the next time the kid starts crying over something/causes trouble for alice, luka surprises everyone in the room by taking the initiative to scold the kid for acting so selfish. tough call, by the way - the child is wow, stubborn as hell + likes to keep the waterworks going while screaming; luka’s got a pretty good idea of what he wants to say but is having trouble getting it across properly and in a less menancing manner, so in short its a mess. witnesses ray blackwell + fenrir godspeed find the whole scene sorta funny though, much support lol.

alice wants to cut in, but sirius + seth tell her to leave it to luka, who seems to be winning since her kid’s running out of energy from crying & shouting at the same time. luka seems to be calming down too, because his tone + volume + facial expression is getting less stern. this seemed like a good time to mosey out of the scene so sirius ushers the audience to go away lmao, even the worried mother (who, decides to eavesdrop instead. no one has the heart to pull her away... so they hover around the doorway with her too.)

not arguing with luka anymore, the upset kid starts to babble of nightmares about the scary men in red with their sharp swords, not wanting to sleep because maybe when they close their eyes mama might suddenly be gone and they’re all alone, the scary feeling of losing mama to strangers, and the list goes on and on. its a collection of fears + worries of a child, and luka’s patient enough to listen. in fact, he smiles wryly when there’s mentions of monsters under the bed: it’s embarrasing, but luka used to cry over that too.

... seeing the kid bawl their eyes out like this, luka really is reminded of his younger self. the clinginess, sudden outbursts, the fear of maybe one day, they’ll be left behind and will be all alone. luka might be speculating the kid’s feelings, but more than anyone else, luka would be the closest one who could relate to what the kid was going through because.......... he acted that way towards jonah, back when they were younger.

he wonders if they’ve mentioned any of this to alice, even if just the smallest of their fears. he wonders how long they’ve been bothered over those fears, if they’ve been sleeping well at night. with all those questions in his mind, luka’s not so sure what to say; how to comfort the child.

he still tries though, even if his words come out a bit clumsy, even if the kid’s still sniffling all the way through the process. it’s a quiet moment, one that lasts till the child has cried themselves to sleep. they just stay that way for awhile, the kid resting their head on luka’s arm, until luka decides to carry the child back to their room........ alice must be worried.

..... she is, actually. when she and luka talk, she keeps quiet of her eavesdropping. luka doesn’t tell her everything either, because he believed that some of the things they talked about are better said by the kid themselves rather than him relaying the message to alice.

there’s nothing much to say after that, so luka goes on his way. alice says a very sincere thank you before he goes. she... has a lot of other things to say other than just that, but.... maybe another time. maybe when she’s plucked up the courage.

anyway, after all that alice’s kid seems to have gotten off their... spoiled phase, lol. still a little clingy to alice, but is getting less prickly + talking to others now. most notable development though, is if the child isn’t around their mother......... they could be seen hanging around luka.

.......... cue comments on how heartwarming it is to see a young child tottering around luka like a little duckling. luka does not appreciate the teasing. especially when it comes from seth + fenrir because why are their grins so big??????? but he doesn’t say anything against the kid following him around lol.

#askdfghjl #ikemen kakumei #ikemen revolution #sirius oswald #luka clemence #... honestly if alice had her child with her the first thing i thought was....#family apPROVAL FIRST IKEMANS no route progression for u if there's none lol #lmaooo earn them kid brownie points before getting to the final boss bruhs

48 notes · View notes

verdigrisprowl · 7 years ago

Text

Dec 13 Odothon Part 1 - Star Trek DS9: S1E16, S1E11, S2E16, S2E18

Soundwave has An Idea about how to help Prowl’s current existential despair.

It includes showing him Star Trek episodes.

So far, Prowl is finding Odo exponentially more relatable.

ItsyBitsySpyers 5:27 pm *Soundwave's shift is over, it's hours until Prowl's, all the deployers save Chimera are crashed out after a late night, and neither him nor Prowl are due anywhere else for a bit.*

*Sounds like the perfect time to start the binge watching. Ping ping.*

(txt): Greetings. Offer: Initial Odo tapes tonight. Accepted? FakeProwl 5:29 pm Hold on, let Prowl check his schedule.

A tumbleweed blew across it.

«All right. When—now?» ItsyBitsySpyers 5:30 pm Must have escaped from Quark's lab. Nobody would dare open a bridge inside Ratchet's greenhouse.

(txt): Affirmative. FakeProwl 5:33 pm «I'll be over in a moment.»

It's less than a minute before he activates his avatar, and looks for Soundwave at their usual seat. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:36 pm Soundwave's not at his usual seat just yet. He's at the bar, filling a small cube with bits of metals, minerals, energon crystals, and who knows what else. Still regrowing that fang, you know.

He sticks a long sliver of synth-en in his mouth and carries his makeshift snack bowl over to the couch, nodding to Prowl.

(txt): Sit, sit. Brief setting introduction required. FakeProwl 5:37 pm "All right." And a greeting/permission ping, as he takes their usual seat to wait. "Beyond the introduction to the setting I've already had in the episodes we've seen?" ItsyBitsySpyers 5:38 pm Oh, much better. He'll reach out for Prowl's thoughts while he makes himself comfortable and gets into the usual lean.

[[Good point. Call it background data. Things that haven't necessarily been made clear in other episodes.]] FakeProwl 5:40 pm "Very well." He leans back against Soundwave, and peers at his drink. What all's this mess? ItsyBitsySpyers 5:44 pm [[Replacement materials for various injuries,]] he notes, pulling the sliver into his mouth with his tongue and crunching it up. [[Frenzy's control has slipped the last few weeks.]]

[[Now. You may remember that the Bajorans threw out the Cardassian occupying forces after fifty years of enslavement and slaughter. What you do not know is this: The wormhole that appears near Bajor and the formerly Cardassian space station is said to be home to the Bajoran gods. These gods are strange beings who exist in non-linear time. After speaking with Benjamin Sisko through their unusual methods, they choose Benjamin Sisko as their Emissary to the Bajorans and agree to allow passage through it. The wormhole lets travelers move to a very distant and previously unexplored section of the galaxy in mere moments.]]

[[What comes to pass after the aliens' choice spans seven years. We will mostly focus on the greater portions of Odo's role. When you have questions, ask them. He will give you what answers he can.]] FakeProwl 5:46 pm "Wait—is this a wormhole that opened up just as they were throwing out the occupying forces? Or has the wormhole always been there?" ItsyBitsySpyers 5:49 pm [[The wormhole has been thought to exist for at least 10,000 years, as it inspired the Bajoran religion. Rarely seen by others, it was widely believed to be a myth until recent explorations.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 5:51 pm [[It is always there; it is not always open and visible.]] FakeProwl 5:51 pm "All right. Got it." He nods. "Ready." ItsyBitsySpyers 5:57 pm ((i stg)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:01 pm Soundwave surreptitiously smacks something behind the couch with a feeler and clears the signal. There we go. FakeProwl 6:02 pm The wait, Prowl's sure, will be worth it.

{{S1E16 The Forsaken}} ItsyBitsySpyers 6:03 pm [[Wise rules.]] FakeProwl 6:06 pm "Hm. Reasonable rule-of-thumb speed deductions. I should hope that in cases not so quickly resolved, he goes by more stringent evidence." ItsyBitsySpyers 6:07 pm [[He tries, but it has not always been so. But you knew that.]] FakeProwl 6:07 pm Snort. /That's my job./ ItsyBitsySpyers 6:08 pm Soundwave huffs quietly. He wonders if this is something like how Mesothulas and Prowl originallywent. FakeProwl 6:08 pm "... I don't know much about shapeshifters, but I'd think most would not appreciate that sort of... blatant fetishization." ItsyBitsySpyers 6:10 pm Soundwave turns and fixes Prowl with a curious look.

[[We are a species of them. You should know *something* of them.]] Tiny head shake. [[But if he may speak as a telepath, no, it is not entertaining.]] FakeProwl 6:10 pm "You know that's not what I mean." ItsyBitsySpyers 6:10 pm [[He knows.]] Only poking a bit of fun, Prowl. FakeProwl 6:12 pm "Tsk." Anyway, he's got more things to gripe about in the show. "If he's coming to his commanding officer to complain about being romantically pursued, OBVIOUSLY he doesn't want it. Maybe said commanding officer should DO something about it rather than insist he ought to give in to unwanted advances." Annoyed huff. Prowl's been there, Odo, you poor thing. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:12 pm [[Agreed. It is likely a misguided attempt to "loosen him up".]] FakeProwl 6:13 pm "Ugh. Disgusting." (("i can swim" oh my GOD)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:13 pm ((RIGHT)) FakeProwl 6:14 pm ((yknow what i keep forgetting that i'm trying to use quotes for dialogue/nothing for narration, i'm gonna switch to nothing for dialogue/asterisks for narration)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:15 pm ((then so will i so as not to confuse you)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:16 pm [[He has made that exact pained expression behind his visor so many, many times.]] FakeProwl 6:16 pm *shoulders shaking. even Prowl can see the look of long-suffering patience on his face.* I believe it. ... "Quiet type". *nudge.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:18 pm *Light bobbing.* [[You are not as garrulous as her.]] FakeProwl 6:18 pm Oh, good. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:19 pm ((i was gonna skip completely past this but i love this conversation)) FakeProwl 6:19 pm ((i like it)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:19 pm ((this ambassador one i mean heh))

[[And he actually enjoys hearing you speak.]] FakeProwl 6:20 pm ... Oh, so the captain stopped having to take care of ambassadors when he hit one of them for trying to drag an unwilling ensign to his quarters-- --but when Odo complains of the same thing, he tells him to go along with her unwanted advances. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:20 pm [[Unfair, is it not?]] FakeProwl 6:21 pm Infuratingly. FakeProwl 6:23 pm *he grew up in a lab and he hates parties. hm.* FakeProwl 6:25 pm ... Ashamed or not, if he doesn't want to show it then you shouldn't be forcing him to. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:25 pm *Soundwave shivers slightly. Organics are liquidy enough as it is.* FakeProwl 6:27 pm *... is worried about him leaking out of the lift. that better be a very waterproof dress.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:27 pm *He seems to be all there.* FakeProwl 6:28 pm *so he does. and the same height, too.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:28 pm [[He apologizes for cutting the other side of the story, but it is less relevant to our interests. We will continue.]] FakeProwl 6:28 pm *nods*

ItsyBitsySpyers 6:31 pm [[He wonders if you ever had similar troubles with Swindle.]] FakeProwl 6:31 pm I never encountered Swindle until he was a Decepticon and I was an Autobot. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:32 pm [[How fortunate for you.]] [[He suspects you've had at least a hundred fewer headaches than you otherwise would have.]] FakeProwl 6:34 pm I'm sure. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:37 pm [[If that is his only purpose, he should not have announced it.]] FakeProwl 6:38 pm ... I'm not sure that was legal. Odo's stakeout. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:39 pm [[Oh?]] FakeProwl 6:40 pm It depends on the exact laws of the jurisdiction, but—in many places with somewhat liberal laws—like this one—it wouldn't be. *oh! someone of Odo's species? leans forward.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:43 pm [[They may not have laws against such behavior if he is the only one anyone knows.]] [[It would be a strange thing to plan ahead for if you've never had reason to expect it.]] FakeProwl 6:44 pm They could have laws against breaking into a closed restaurant and hiding in it without the permission of the owner with insufficient reason to believe a crime is taking place. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:46 pm [[Hm. He supposes that would work. Though he didn't break in as much as he was carried in.]] FakeProwl 6:47 pm He's threatening a prisoner, with death, for not sharing information that has no pertinence to the case at hand. FakeProwl 6:49 pm Yes, I know, he's desperate to find out about his people—but that alone ought to be grounds for immediate leave without pay and an investigation into his conduct, and potentially termination from his position. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:54 pm [[Would that all other enforcers had always held your beliefs.]] Soundwave vents. [[There were none to catch him breaking his code this time, and we know from the collaborator mystery that he hadn't started reliably filing reports yet. Punishment is unlikely, at the moment.]] FakeProwl 6:55 pm *huff.* I know what other enforcers are capable of. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:57 pm *Soundwave holds a hand up. Now, now.*

[[He is aware of that. It was only a personal lamentation.]] *He lets it fall back down, then picks out a few crystals to eat.* [[He might have been listened to and let out of that prison.]] FakeProwl 6:57 pm ... Mm. *leans on more heavily.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:59 pm *Tips his head to the side to nudge Prowl. He's fine.* FakeProwl 7:00 pm *"sense of decency and justice." He likes the sound of Odo's people. ... assuming this liar is telling the truth.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:02 pm [[Practice.]] FakeProwl 7:03 pm Isn't it easy enough to just file the truth and the lies separately? *Oh! are they actually going to see Odo's people?* *... oh.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:05 pm [[You would think so, wouldn't you?]] *Munch.* [[The mind is an odd thing, Prowl. Some lie so much they come to believe it is their truth even when the files contradicting them are in their helm.]] *Munch munch.* [[Experiencing and sorting out those pockets is always more stressful than normal.]] [[And some are simply too careless to bother.]] FakeProwl 7:06 pm Hm. Perhaps I don't practice it enough to need practice. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:08 pm [[Perhaps you don't.]] *Soundwave rolls a silver orb between his fingers before closing his optics and popping it into his mouth. Mmm.* [[That is for the best. Leave it to mechs like him.]] FakeProwl 7:08 pm ... He's a quick thinker. Strategic. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:09 pm *Nods.* FakeProwl 7:10 pm But, he threatens prisoners. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:10 pm [[Unsurprising. The Cardassians taught him.]] FakeProwl 7:12 pm Mm. Unfortunate. FakeProwl 7:13 pm He has the potential to be so much better than that. ... But potential that isn't utilized has no worth. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:13 pm ((brb)) FakeProwl 7:14 pm In the meantime—he still threatens prisoners, jumps to conclusions, and conducts "investigations" that SHOULD require a warrant on insufficient probable cause. ((kk))

ItsyBitsySpyers 7:16 pm ((and back))

[[He does. But we are only beginning, and he has much to shed. He will require time and experience to grow.]] FakeProwl 7:17 pm Mm. And you say he does? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:18 pm [[Never to perfection, but no creature is. He does believe Odo learns to make better choices, in time.]] FakeProwl 7:18 pm That'll be worth seeing. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:19 pm [[Then we'll continue. But another summary of passing background events first, if you are ready.]] FakeProwl 7:20 pm All right. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:21 pm [[Between that tape and the next, the most powerful spiritual leader of the Bajorans clashes with one of her underlings, Winn Adami, over the gods' choice of Emissary. Winn Adami dislikes Sisko, believes him unworthy, and uses her religious status to undermine the Federation's presence on the station.]]

[[Later, she conspires to give a government member support and power in exchange for a promise that she will be the next spiritual leader, but turns on him when others find reason to do the same.]]

[[She will do much more. He will tell you of her as time passes.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 7:23 pm [[...And do not mind the title of the next tape. The meaning isn't what we would expect.]] FakeProwl 7:23 pm ... I should hope it's not the expected meaning.

FakeProwl 7:26 pm Why don't they leave him alone about his love life? I think he's demonstrated an extreme disinterest. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:27 pm *Soundwave shakes his helm.*

[[As he's said: organic preoccupation. He imagines it feels similar to all the greyface questions.]] FakeProwl 7:28 pm No, no—I understand. It's a rhetorical question. And if you think it's an /organic/ preoccupation, then you've lived a far more peaceful life than I. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:29 pm *Soundwave looks at Prowl out of the corners of his optics.*

[[He has been putting up with Wheeljack for several years. He would need to be dead to think it is limited to organics. But Odo hasn't referred to mechanical life.]] FakeProwl 7:31 pm It's because they think that anyone who does not function and process emotions in a way identical to themselves is malfunctioning and "missing out" in a way that they find intolerable, because if they were to accept that his chosen state of existence is NOT hellish then it calls into question their own paradigms on relationships. And therefore his deviance makes it necessary for him to be cajoled, coerced, and bullied into submission, until he resembles everyone else. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:34 pm [[There is also that. He cannot tell you how often his early multiverse years - no. His time before prison as well. How often his refusal to share sparks was called into question. Or even to talk about his personal life.]] *More crunching, this time a little harder than necessary.* [[There was a Jazz who enjoyed that. Compared him to a panda, once.]] FakeProwl 7:34 pm *suppresses a grin. Odo's on an alien planet, hears that people have been disappearing, and he immediately drops everything to try to solve it.* A—a "panda"? *pan-duh?* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:34 pm *Hand motion.* [[A species of Earth beast. So disinterested in mating it is going extinct and must be assisted.]] FakeProwl 7:35 pm ... Something dying that needs other people to help it. You understand it. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:36 pm [[...The pandas?]] FakeProwl 7:37 pm No. What I'm talking about. The way people like him get treated. *nods at Odo.* Sexual harassment as a socially-administered medicine for a perceived disease. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:38 pm [[Ah. Yes, he does.]] *Taps his fingers on the cube rim, thinking.* [[You sound irritated by and experienced enough with the idea he believes you do too.]] FakeProwl 7:39 pm Hff. /Yes./ ... What's the significance of the Bajoran... audio flap jewelry? Ear. Ear jewelry. FakeProwl 7:41 pm *"i just don't do faces very well." Prowl sympathizes with that too, and he's not even a shapeshifter.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:42 pm *Soundwave knows it's been called something before. He searches his files. This world, the Bajorans, Bajoran culture, adornments and armor...*

[[Earrings. D'ja pagh, to them. Individualized symbols of... religious faith, also designating family. And caste, before their Occupation and war.]] FakeProwl 7:42 pm They had a caste system? Has it been abolished? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:44 pm [[He likes this youngling's fur adornments. They are intimidating.]]

[[Hm? Yes. Practical reasons. All were required to be equal to successfully fight a resistance. When it was over, too many were doing other things and had been born without them to return.]] FakeProwl 7:44 pm The spines on the back of her head? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:44 pm [[Yes, those.]] FakeProwl 7:45 pm ... How rigid, compared to ours? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm [[Yours or his?]] FakeProwl 7:46 pm ... I don't know how different ours are. Uh—mine, if you can compare them adequately. ... But if ours are different enough you have to ask about it, I want to hear more about yours later. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:50 pm [[As you wish. He is still learning about yours; please correct him if he is wrong. His files must be accurate.]]

[[To his knowledge, you were all assigned based on your shape and its details. Given a matching function. The Bajorans were assigned through their family lines - creators and offspring through generations were given the same status. The Major Kira's family were placed as aritsts. He does not know when or how the originals were decided.]]

[[He does not know if specific functions were prized more than others, for your world. The Bajorans are forced to pay their higher ranks respect.]]

[[He does not believe either of you had the opportunity to leave them.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 7:51 pm *Soundwave leans forward. Where did the scanner go?* [[...That is somewhat disturbing.]] FakeProwl 7:52 pm ... Can the people not exist past a certain distance...? ... Are they holomatter? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:53 pm [[It would appear so.]] FakeProwl 7:57 pm ... Amazing. They're not artificial intelligences, they're fully physical people with their data held inside themselves—but their matter is made by a generator. FakeProwl 7:59 pm She's nice to him. I hope they don't all die. FakeProwl 8:00 pm "the Dominion"? Is that the Cardassians? FakeProwl 8:01 pm *throws up hands. What mechaphobic nonsense is this? "she's not real because her memories are in a computer" oh rubbish* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:01 pm [[He wonders how their new personalities are created and what makes the selection of traits to pass on.]]

[[No. No, no... the Dominion is worse. Far worse.]] *Considers how much to spoil and not spoil.* [[You stated that your war spanned thousands and thousands of planets, that you controlled or slaughtered unknown numbers of beings across the galaxy.]] [[They are like that.]] [[And we will meet them.]] FakeProwl 8:02 pm Hm. Another warmongering empire. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:02 pm [[One to put even the worst of the Alpha Quadrant's to shame.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 8:05 pm *He must remember to use that word in Prowl's direction sometime.* FakeProwl 8:06 pm ... Quark's clever, I'll give him that. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:07 pm [[Yes. His ability to plan and adapt is admirable.]] [[Ah...]] *What a gift this youngling has been given.* FakeProwl 8:08 pm *indeed* *that's how you do it. you become friends with someone and THEN show off your abilities, once they've earned it. you don't show off your abilities to make friends. it never works.* *says prowl, who learned how to juggle.* ... We didn't finish discussing caste systems. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:09 pm *Agreed. Or things like faces.*

[[We did not. Do you wish to pause to do so?]] FakeProwl 8:10 pm Sure. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:10 pm *Soundwave nods. It'll stay blank for a moment, then.* FakeProwl 8:11 pm You're correct—we're assigned based on shape and details. For instance, as a medium but durable car, I could have fulfilled a large variety of administrative or light labor positions; since I was built with a light bar, I could only become an enforcer. FakeProwl 8:13 pm And yes, some functions were valued more highly than others, and accordingly ranked higher; the rarer ones, generally. Although that wasn't universally true. How important a function was was decided as much by politics as by statistics. FakeProwl 8:14 pm There WERE a few rare cases where someone could step outside their function. If you were brilliant enough, lucky enough, or connected enough—or some combination of the above—you could be declared "alt-mode exempt." Such status came with freedom to choose one's position. I may be wrong, but I /think/ the entire Senate was alt-mode exempt. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:16 pm *Soundwave's face wrinkles where his nose would be. No, it couldn't be universally true, could it? That would've made The Ornament the rarest of all, and Soundwave's never heard anything about Rung being so respected.* FakeProwl 8:16 pm It carried more weight in some places than others. In Iacon, obtaining alt-mode exemption was tantamount to obtaining instant nobility. In Petrex, it was as often as not a pariahhood. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:32 pm *Nod.*

[[He told you Sentinel Prime created ours long, long ago. He has few details of the original specifics - those were not priority discoveries, for him, and now most of the knowledge is destroyed - but he thinks it might have been something like yours. Shapes and pieces to functions. Still unwanted,]] *Which Prowl might be able to tell by the way Soundwave's lips curl,* [[But less... less.]]

[[By his time, corruption had set in. Mechs were assigned castes based on what was open.]] *Pause.* [[He simplifies. There were the guilds' personal preferences, political games, and so on. A hyper-talented few were actually placed where they wanted to go, often as a kind of walking proof of the Council's wisdom. But most were simply warm frames filling adjusted quotas protecting those already at the top as long as they could manage. And next to nobody blatantly suited for manual labor would receive anything else.]]

[[Changing required the same as it did for you.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 8:34 pm [[...And there were those thought unworthy of any caste, like Ravage. But he has mentioned that.]] FakeProwl 8:37 pm ... How beastformers were treated in my universe depended on what else they transformed into. If there other mode was something with a function—a tool, a vehicle, whatever—then their other mode was the one that determined their purpose. FakeProwl 8:39 pm But those whose other mode was bipedal... I don't think they were ever given an official function. Many Functionists believed that they belonged with "their kind"—the animals they looked like, out on the streets or in the wild. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:45 pm *In short, a microscope could be a scientist or a shopkeeper or a janitor, but a construction vehicle was unlikely to be anything but construction.*

[[Most of those who resemble animals are minicons. And here, minicons rarely have what most consider "real" alt modes. They fold into armor that changes based on their host and docking location. It was one of the things used as "proof" of minicon inferiority.]]

[[The largest of the beastformers typically resembled our Underworld life and were ostracized for that reason instead.]] FakeProwl 8:46 pm Ah. Well, rest assured, my universe came up with completely unique reasons to ostracize beastformers and minicons. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:47 pm [[He is becoming distressingly familiar with that problem as he encounters other timelines.]] [[...Thank you. For treating his deployers with respect. And as individuals.]] *Getting emotional at the thought of all the worlds where such Cybertronians are treated like pebbles to be crunched underfoot. Getting angry.*

[[We should... we should continue.]] FakeProwl 8:49 pm *a nod. of course he treats them like people; they are. but he understands that's not a universally accepted fact.* Yes. We should.

ItsyBitsySpyers 8:51 pm *Soundwave lets his fans spin for a second to clear off the heat of that anger while he summarizes.*

[[He will only show you Odo's short section in the next, but you will need the surrounding circumstances.]]

[[One of Quark's former lovers returns with two students. All three are Cardassian political dissidents. The Cardassian government demands their arrest and pretends to accept a prisoner trade with the Bajorans, but tells Garak it will end his exile if he kills the prisoners before they can leave.]] FakeProwl 8:52 pm Garak is the one who likes to pester the doctor? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:52 pm [[Yes. The scaled one he likes.]] *Slight frown.* [[The shopkeeper. Not the tall one who interfaces with prisoners.]] FakeProwl 8:53 pm Gold Docket. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm *Slight quirk up.* [[Nearly. Gul Dukat.]] ((NETFLIX Y))

ItsyBitsySpyers 9:04 pm [[Insulting someone is not the best way to get what one wants.]] FakeProwl 9:04 pm No. Especially since he's treating him like he can't care about people just because he isn't romantically inclined.

ItsyBitsySpyers 9:08 pm [[Since you may wonder... Garak lets them leave safely because he loves his homeworld. Quark says he doesn't understand and Garak suggests the thing about love is that nobody really understands it.]]

[[In any case. Not long after this, Bajor's spiritual leader perishes. Kai Winn and one of her fellow priests vie for the position. He destroys his chances to win to protect the reputation of the former spiritual leader after damaging news is uncovered, and she takes the position.]] FakeProwl 9:09 pm Who's Kai Winn? *that wasn't the name Soundwave mentioned earlier, was it?* What are her politics? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:10 pm [[She is the one who interfered to undermine the Federation politics and attempted to conspire with a government member. Her politics are... what were they, now.]] FakeProwl 9:10 pm Ah. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm [[She believes the Federation species have no soul and exist in darkness because they are not Bajoran. She believes many scientific truths are blasphemous and feels much of society should be handled in a highly religious, highly conservative manner.]] FakeProwl 9:12 pm ... Uh-huh. I've known some people like her. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:13 pm [[Good. Then you may anticipate more interesting background on her as we go on.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 9:14 pm [[He enjoys this tape, but others are more important. So. Some time after her continued scheming, several of Deep Space 9's members go to the Gamma Quadrant on a scientific journey. A Vorta running from other aliens called the Jem'Hadar - the species that enforces the Dominion's will - bursts into camp. All are captured and later work together to escape. The Vorta returns to the station with the crewmembers, where they are exposed as part of a plot to plant a Dominion spy in the station. The Vorta vanishes, returning home.]] FakeProwl 9:15 pm The Dominion being the empire on the other side of the wormhole. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm [[Yes.]] [[The Vorta and the Jem'Hadar are their sweet words and iron fist, respectively. Those who do not obey one will suffer under the other.]] FakeProwl 9:15 pm Hmm. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:16 pm [[Afraid these Jem'Hadar will invade, Sisko secures an experimental warship with a cloaking device on loan from the Romulans. The crew must leave to convince the Founders of the Dominion to consider peace. All are temporarily replaced.]]

[[Including Odo, who's removed from office due to a failure to follow procedures, disrespect for the chain of command, and having frightening abilities. He did not escape the punishment you wanted for him.]] FakeProwl 9:17 pm ... How many experimental warships with cloaking devices do these people have? You'd think they'd figure out cloaking devices by now. Hah. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:18 pm [[The Romulans have many, but do not belong to the Federation and do not share. They share now because they, too, are afraid - but only one.]] FakeProwl 9:18 pm ... "Frightening abilities" is no reason to remove him from office, though. The other things—yes.

ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm [[It is not. But we have heard at least once that other species have persecuted his kind.]] FakeProwl 9:20 pm Yes. Unfortunate. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:22 pm ((oh my GOD rabbit you are pissing me off tonight)) FakeProwl 9:22 pm ... So they're off to meet... the Decepticons, essentially. *hff, or maybe Cybertronians in general?* And to tell them that they want peace? I'm so sure that's going to go well. FakeProwl 9:24 pm ((CRO HAS FALLEN. I, PUFF, NOW CONTROL THE-- oh)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:25 pm ((god see if you can rewind it to 26:20 remaining or right around there)) ((every time i click rabbit interprets it as me passing off control)) FakeProwl 9:25 pm ((infinte lag)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:42 pm [[Hm. We may have to stop here. His equipment seems to need recalibrating.]] FakeProwl 9:43 pm *Nods.* Next time, then. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:43 pm [[His apologies. Enjoy the remainder of your night.]] *Head bump?* FakeProwl 9:44 pm *Head bump.* And you. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:45 pm *Nod nod.* FakeProwl 9:45 pm *A farewell ping, and he disappears.*

#chat #slenderwave

1 note · View note