#starscream clearly doesn't do that

[cosmicswritings]

another angsty ficlet series i wanna get to writing is that during their time in the djd, kaon and tarn have an off and on relationship that both wanted to expand on after the war but obviously, they changed.

anyway, long story short, after tarn pops off kaon's head, nickle is able to fix him. kaon survives as does tarn in this ficlet but kaon, rightfully so, wants nothing to do with tarn. unfortunately for tarn, he ends up figuring out that due to previous events he is sparked, by kaon no doubt. attempting to turn a new leaf he goes to kaon and tells him - kaon ends up trying to kill tarn and is repulsed by him and the idea of a sparkling with tarn and denounces them both. tarn isn't upset, because he knows he did wrong and he just leaves.

i think this is something im gonna warp into my tarn and starscream aus where Starscream takes Tarn in after the trial. he just doesn't realize that tarn is carrying a sparkling. of course starscream takes her in .

[cosmics-beings]

i actually ship cyclonus and starscream very hard y'all. i just think that cyclonus can heal and be vulnerable for himself around starscream...at least in my aus with them.

[the-final-sif]

I need to hop back into my transformers bullshit for just a moment because I don't think they've had much interaction in canon, but I think it'd be really really funny if Tarn was actually terrified of Starscream.

Like, I dunno if MTMTE/IDW canon has confirmed Starscream's immortal spark for that particular series, but I'm going to assume it carries over. If so, it'd make Tarn's power basically useless against him.

In my ideal headcanon, Tarn got sick of Starscream's shit at some point and went against Megatron to try to murder him. He tried to do this subtly using his voice only for it to 100% not work even a little bit. He would've had this whole build up where he got Starscream alone and was attempting to be a dramatic bitch about the whole thing and build up to the murder and then-

And then it just doesn't work and there's a really awkward pause where Starscream is looking around kind of expecting something to happen when literally nothing does. Tarn is trying to keep a normal conversation going now while also attempting the murder again and again just for it to literally do nothing. Eventually Starscream gets sick of him being weird and walks out judging the guy.

It'd be so fucking funny particularly because Starscream having an immortal spark is generally totally unknown, so Tarn would have to assume that Starscream had found some way to render his ability useless, which is terrifying. Tarn is now extremely worried that Starscream somehow had a spy and found out what he was planning to do ahead of time. He might've even been able to get something into Tarn's head somehow to know his plan this well. Clearly that level of genius must be part of why Megatron keeps him around. Tarn was a fool for having attempted to disobey, and Starscream was clearly not a problem he could solve like this. What if Starscream reports this clear disobedience to Megatron? Tarn just tried and failed to kill the second in command! Starscream would have every right to demand his execution if he so desired, or save this as blackmail!

Tarn is just out of his mind spinning conspiracy theories and getting super high levels of paranoia about Starscream. Just doing whatever he can to not have to be in the same place as the guy. He runs under the assumption he's being blackmailed by Starscream for his attempt and does what he can to not cross the seeker.

Meanwhile from Starscream's perspective, Tarn showed up and had a very weird conversation where he kept raising his voice at random times and then nothing happened. Then the guy freaked out and got even more weird about it. He has no idea why this happened. He has no idea that Tarn is hiding from him. He thought it was weird and stopped thinking about it after a few days. Starscream's minding his own business and mostly forgot about this entire thing after two weeks meanwhile Tarn is having a mental breakdown about it for years.

[gravelsong]

I LOVE this scene so badly because I completely get it. Cliff hasn't stopped feeling guilty for a second over not killing Starscream when he had the chance, and he so badly wants him and Carly to keep being friends (you can TELL he cares about her so much), but Carly's trying so hard to avoid him, to avoid speaking to him, because she just can't understand why he didn't kill Starscream. She lost her father to him, Cliff lost Bumblebee and his clan to him, she just doesn't understand why he didn't take the shot, and because he can't do something that seems so crystal clear to her, she doesn't trust him anymore. And Cliff didn't take the shot because he was suffering, because the weight of everything was crushing him and he didn't want to continue a cycle of violence. The way you don't even clearly see his face in the last couple of panels, he's hurting over this whole thing.

[banamine-bananime]

i really really like simmons quite a lot but i think i like him for different reasons than a lot of fans because usually i don't see the traits i find compelling emphasized as much as i focus on them.

really enjoy simmons as the intersection of "guy who Needs Constant Praise Or He'll Die Probably" and "in a constant state of agonizing about what is the Right thing to do/what he is Supposed to do/what is the Normal thing to do [while not seeing any distinction between these]" and "constantly chasing this ideal of being recognized and respected that is really not realistic, at least not with the way he's going about it like you can fill up the Respect Points Bar by grinding chores and the most obsequious dialogue options" and "would sell absolutely anyone to satan for a corn chip of that recognition/achievement/praise".

like

VERY fun to have a guy chronically brownnosing a) because he's genuinely reduced to an emotional wreck by any whiff of something adjacent to fatherly approval AND b) for rather cynically ambitious reasons totally ready to starscream it the moment he gets the opportunity. Very fun to have a guy who a) worries about things like recycling and veganism AND b) is down with turncoating and murder. Very fun to have a guy a) who idolizes and strives to emulate authority figures AND b) really at his core does not respect them except as someone who has achieved what he desperately wants, and secretly knows he would obviously do it soooo much better than these idiots. Very fun to have a guy who's a) really anxiously, fastidiously conscientious and cares about the right thing in abstract AND b) really low emotional empathy and gives surprisingly few fucks about other people when it comes down to it

because people contain multitudes, and characters evolve, etc. there's a wide spectrum of in-character simmons characterizations but i think the most fun are definitely playing with the ruthless asshole end of that spectrum lol. Obviously i don't mean like literally doesn't give a shit about anyone or would do LITERALLY anything in self-interest. clearly he does care (sometimes) and is not Evil. he's only half-evil on his dad's si- /shot

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

What if Earthspark Optimus and Megatron were sent to the Prime universe?

How do both factions react to the pair being allies and TES Megatron having abandoned the Decepticons?

-TFP Optimus is happy to see that at least one version of Megatron and himself managed to overcome their differences and became friends. He not so secretly hopes that maybe this will inspire his own Megatron to do the same.

-Yeah, no, Ratchet doesn't buy it. He's long since given up on Megatron and while this other version does seem to have turned his life around, that doesn't mean that Ratchet trusts him one bit. Reluctantly tolerates his presence, only because Optimus (both of them).

-Bumblebee is understandably wary at first, distrustful of this mech that is so similar to the one that took away his ability to speak. But after some time, personally witnessing how different this version of Megatron is, he ultimately decides to give him a chance and trust him. Treats him with kindness but there's still some tension between them.

-Surprisingly, Bulkhead accepts it faster than you'd expect it. Look, he doesn't really understand this whole 'alternative dimension' thing but this is clearly not the Megatron that they know. Yeah, there's a sense of distrust and unease but Bulkhead won't actively try to antagonize this other version of Megatron.

-Arcee doesn't trust this Megatron. He might have turned over a new leaf but that doesn't mean that his past is forgiven. And if he was anything like their own Megatron then he's got a lot of things to make up for. Keep a close eye on him, just in case.

-TFP Megatron detests this version of himself. He could never even imagine abandoning the decepticons, the army and legacy that he's created. This version of himself is weak, pathetic and a coward and it's his duty to kill him. In the deepest part of his mind, Megatron can't help but wonder if this will one day be his own fate.

-There are some mixed feelings for Starscream. One on hand, if Megatron were to abandon the decepticons then it would serve as the perfect opportunity for himself to take the place as leader. Surely his own alternate dimension counterpart have already done just that. But at the same time, there's this anger and disgust that wells up inside of him when he thinks about it for too long. Because how dare he? After everything they've done for him, after everything Starscream has done? To just give up and cast them aside? Like all those sacrifices meant nothing to him? It leaves Starscream with a bitter taste in his mouth and a feeling of resentment towards Earthspark Megatron.

-Soundwave have never considered the possibility of Megatron abandoning the decepticons. It's always seemed impossible, crazy even. He knows Megatron better than anyone else, knows his conviction, his resolve and unbreakable will. Yet this version of Megatron forces him to consider it. It's a thought that leaves him feeling confused, devastated, furious. So many emotions that he has no idea how to handle. So, he pushes them aside, buries them in the deepest parts of his processor and locks away. Soundwave can't allow himself to start doubting, not now, not ever.

-Now, Knockout have never considered himself to be the picture of a loyal decepticon but the mere thought of Megatron, even alternative version of him, abandoning the decepticons and allying with Optimus Prime, is very amusing and slightly gratifying to him. He's always had the backup plan of defecting to the autobots if his situation with the decepticons ever took a bad turn so this makes him feel better. Of course, he would never tell anyone this.

-More than anything, Breakdown is confused. Why would Megatron abandon them? He doesn't know the situation in this alternative dimension but still, this mech was still the leader of the decepticons. What made him lose faith? What happened that made him decide that it wasn't worth fighting anymore? These questions make Breakdown feel doubtful and causes him to look at their own world's Megatron a bit differently, with some hesitation.

-Honestly? Shockwave couldn't give less of a fuck about these questions of loyalty and betrayal. Nah, he's much more interested in this alternative dimension that the two bots came from. Imagine the data, the knowledge he would possess if he managed to figure out the science between cross-dimensional travel.

-Dreadwing remains adamant in his belief in the decepticons and lord Megatron. He refuses to look at this copy of his lord and compare them to each other. They are clearly two very different bots and should not be confused as one and the same. As for the fact that this mech abandoned the decepticons? It is treachery of the highest degree and is deserving of death.

-Airachnid sees this as an opportunity to seed some chaos among both the autobots and the decepticons. She whispers words of doubt to both sides, things that will make them falter and turn them into easier targets. When everyone else are fumbling for answers it will be so much easier for her to come out on top.

[darkstarofchaos]

Okay. While we're talking about EarthSpark S1 problems that have been made worse by S2. Why is Megatron special?

One of the weakest parts of EarthSpark for me has always been the fact that Megatron is the only Decepticon known to have defected. Later on, Cons like Breakdown, Tarantulas, and even Starscream added some nuance by showing them willing to risk themselves for non-Decepticons, though understandably, none of them were willing to defect at that point. But even though such Cons clearly existed, none of them defected along with Megatron, or at any other point during the war.

And Megatron's own defection was just... It's painfully obvious that he was developed to be a Good Guy and didn't have a lot of thought put into what he was like as a Decepticon. By his own admission and Starscream's assessment, he was a violent leader who ruled with fear, but all it took to make him change sides was... Seeing a human care more about his side than he did? That's it? And if that is why he changed sides, he clearly took the wrong lesson away from that, because he still doesn't care about what used to be his side. Instead of trying to do better by them, he abandons them. And then all he has to do to make Optimus trust him is... Scan an Earth altmode. Really.

It all feels very weak to me, and doesn't adequately explain anything. Did Megatron make any attempt to be a kinder leader, or did he just defect immediately after seeing the Error Of His Ways? How did we get from "damn, I don't care about my guys enough" to "my whole cause is corrupt, I'mma go now"? Did he ever try to use his position as leader of the freaking Decepticons to end the war peacefully or steer them onto a better path, or did he just wash his hands of them the moment he considered himself morally superior to them? If he did try to use his influence before bailing, how did he change so much so fast that none of his officers wanted to follow him anymore? Why did he give up on his entire faction and not bring any of the more open-minded Decepticons with him?

There are so many questions that either aren't answered or only get vague suggestions of what might have happened, and the answers we do get aren't enough for me to buy Megatron's redemption. It all feels too fast and too easy, and I do not understand why he could defect from the faction he led but less committed Decepticons just didn't.

And now all of these issues are worse than ever, because all the nuance the other Decepticons had is gone. Now it's just "Y'know, Decepticons. They're evil." Apparently not all of them, because Megatron is still hanging out with the Autobots, Con insignia and all! I ask again, why is Megatron special? Why does he get to change but all the others have to be flat and evil?

The real-world answer, of course, is that he never changed. He was conceived as a good person and ally to the Autobots, and that's how he's going to stay. But you cannot have a "Cons are just evil" story while the ex-leader of the Cons is walking freely in the Autobot base. Megatron's entire character is only possible with the assumption that Decepticons are capable of changing, and trying to revert to Cons Evil makes his redemption weaker than ever. Because it's so painfully obvious that he was written to be a good person and his dark history doesn't actually matter.

[earthspark-shockwaves-reduction]

I love how like. the mentors/Dad 2s the terrans get just keep getting More Wild. like:

Twitch -> Wheeljack. just a Good ol' Guy. our favorite yeehaw mechanic.

Jawbreaker -> Grimlock. Everyone's Favorite Dinobot. Got a bit of PTSD from The Horrors but really who doesn't.

Nightshade -> Tarantulas. Morally Grey Neutral Scientist. Spindly Spiderman (no not that one). Had to do some fucked up things and develop/take some fucked up stuff but he's just Trying To Survive. Cares about Nightshade a lot but clearly experiences Moderate-Severe Horrors.

Hashtag -> Starscream.

[icyrambles]

y'know i love idw1. it is by far my favourite continuity purely because it has the balls to actually do some weird fucked up shit with those robots but one of my forever gripes with the series was how they handled the combiners.

also spoilers for idw1 (not massive but enough that i should warn ya if you haven't read through the series)

not in the sense that i hate combiners or combination but mostly just because i think it's weird that they never tackle the horror of being a combiner. it's never really touched on that most of the combiners were forced together and that combining has a permanent effect on a cybertronian's mind.

sure you've got prowl but idw is written so that the reader is meant to hate prowl, or at the very least dislike him, so you're automatically geared to not give a fuck if he's suffering a little bit. and his relationship with the constructicons is never really given the screentime it probably should've gotten so we never get to hear their opinions on being forcibly fused with an autobot's mind. (clearly they don't seem to mind it at the very least but i have a hard time believing that they just magically were okay with suddenly being part of a gestalt)

first aid literally shows up on cybertron with five other guys that he's only vaguely familiar with and starscream just decides that they're "good enough" and forces them into a gestalt. and then we literally never get to see if first aid gave a fuck about this whole situation. hell one of his gestalt members, rook, literally gets killed in lost light and first aid just, doesn't care, and neither do any of his gestalt mates. they're just like, "eh, moving on"

fucking hell, sunstreaker, ironhide, mirage, and motherfucking optimus prime get put into a gestalt with prowl and the most they have to say is "wow prowl you're really fucked up" and that's it. do they just all have to deal with the consequences of being a combiner. optimus never seems to bring it up ever again and neither does sunstreaker, even when they're in the same place together.

the combaticons seem to be rather fucked up about the whole thing, but that's not because being in a combiner team fucked them up, it's more because they combined with a fucking corpse and sharing a mind with a brain dead swindle seriously sucked ass.

like think about the effect of combination for a quick second.

a mech is forced to share everything about themself, from memories, to thoughts and emotions with another group of mecha (up to five depending on the combiner) and they just, don't get a fucking choice in it. idw talks a lot about bodily autonomy, what with the themes of functionalism and cold constructed mechs but they don't seem to apply the same emotion to the combiners. they're just a plot tool to be throw around when the writers needed a big bad to face or a defender against some type of higher force

combiners are only scary because they're big and angry and difficult to control but the real fear should be focused on the existential horror of having a character whose mind is forcibly fused together with another group of people

[arceespinkgun]

Saying this as someone who watched all of TFP as a teen and had it as the first TF show they watched all the way through: Earthspark is really the anti-TFP, isn't it? lol Spoilers for both shows:

In Earthspark, the show is centered on Black characters who are being threatened and strong-armed by a military organization, instead of having the only main Black character be happy to be in the military. A military base is the safe haven in TFP and a prison in Earthspark.

On that note, Earthspark doesn't joke around about the trauma of people of color (still not over how the premiere of TFP jokes about Fowler being tortured) and always follows it up across multiple episodes.

We also get to have detailed explorations of the ethnicities of the main characters, instead of... well, basically nothing with humans like Miko and Raf in TFP.

The show doesn't waste the viewers' time with lengthy relic hunts that later devalue the relics' power. The villains in Earthspark want a relic, they have the resources to go get it, then the heroes get it back. When the villain fails in that plan, he just goes off and gets new weapons to use.

It's clearly stated multiple times that nobody deserves to be abused, even if they do bad things, and they use Starscream (who was relentlessly abused and mocked for it in TFP) to make this point, too, though they also make it a point with Shockwave and probably had Mandroid murder Croft—who had been exploiting him—for this reason.

Earthspark has beautiful and lush backgrounds that are constantly in motion, which TFP almost never had due to budgetary constraints.

TFP had a lot of homophobic and misogynistic elements, like when it had Arcee be disgusted by the color pink (???) or Smokescreen called Starscream a "stiletto-heeled freak," while Earthspark represents a wide range of women with varying gender expression and has a main non-binary character whose journey is key and who is also not mocked or tokenized.

There's a lot of discussion of war crimes still being wrong even when the people committing them want to protect the Earth, whereas in TFP a lot of really disturbing behavior like strapping a bomb to an enemy POW or suggesting torture as a method of interrogation was just sort of... not addressed at all.

I'm sure there's a lot of other stuff too, but this is just really noticeable off the top of my head.

[transingthoseformers]

Sorry just thought of a fun brand of Megastarop.

Optimus post-war having figured out he no longer has a chance with Megatron because Megastar worked out their issues and getting drunk when Ratchet finally gets him to a party. He's mooning and retreats to a balcony only to be caught like a startled cat by Starscream who is being bristly because he feels insecure about the MegOP.

(He and Megatron need to talk about this but they've just figured out how to discuss their feelings so it is a work in progress fuelled entirely by Starscream holding Rung hostage during one mission and getting accidental therapy and then proceeding to kidnap him and have him as an emotional support Autobot for months long enough for Megatron to also get talked to.)

Optimus is just trying to be mature and saying he won't interfere as Starscream snips but then gets sulky and finally because he is three sheets to the wind asks how Starscream got him to top acvording to rumors. Optimus drunkenly rambles about how that was always an issue because they both had preferences and clearly Starscream was worth making the effort for.

Starscream is now speedrunning attraction because he's picturing it and Optimus in new ways and says oh he doesn't.

Cue drunk Optimus looking at him wide eyed and going oh and saying now his jealous for a different reason because no one tops him and they all make asusmptions

Starscream is having an "oh no he's hot" moment mixed in with a "I know too much" meltdown before Optimus is retrieved by Jazz who squints at Starscream suspiciously.

Starscream is just up nights thinking about this because it turns out Optimus is not perfect and uneffected but also a hot mess and a person not a Untouchable Religious figure and this and Optimus being mean has made him infinitely more attractive.

After several months back and forth and working things out and an appointment with Rung that Starscream actually scheduled instead of making off with him again as promised, they all work things out and Starscream is living his best life.

Omg yes

That's a lovely way to do it

The war is over, Optimus is having feelings, Rung gets fucking kidnapped by Starscream,

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AUTOBOT

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AUTOBOT

Optimus trying to be the bigger bot here but also fuckingddghj

Optimus: so how did you get him to top

Starscream: ?

Optimus: how did you convince megatron to dick you down

Starscream: do I look like a bottom to you

Optimus: do you even have to ask

Starscream is sitting here absolutely zooming his way through the possibilities because he's got ideas now, and dude's practically having a meltdown because he has Realized Something Big™️

Jazz is both right and wrong to be suspicious, Starscream is acting suspiciously but not for the reasons he's thinking

Starscream:

Starscream: I need him carnally

Of course he ends up calling Rung, they always come back to Rung

They're going to have so many different sessions of therapy and group therapy and they'll work things out

Eventually

[mychlapci]

Your fans requested more and Synth-En Anon is here to answer.

Clearly they need bait to lure Ratchet in and who better than the newly amnesiac and reacquired Orion. Clearly the Council enforcers kidnapped Orion to lure their poor sire into their clutches and now Orion has to help them get him back. Orion who may have had a few fantasies about Ratchet and Megatron is more than willing to believe he would have gotten knocked up willingly. And Megatron being with him is only making it better. 

Ratchet doesn't even hesitate when he gets lured into the Nemesis which is cleared of all soldiers by Soundwave luring him to Megatron’s trap (pussy trap to be specific).

If only Starscream hadn't chosen the absolute worst day to steal Energon and get in the way. Ratchet just full on bodies him and Starscream assumes the begging position which Ratchet running hot and not thinking clearly takes as submission so he just takes him once much too quickly and enough to stun him before dragging him with him to the room where all his carriers are gathered. 

Megatron has smugly had them all arranged there.

Vehicon and Orion have been bonding as a distraction while Orion fusses over him and a distinctly more awkward Dreadwing. Orion has expectations about how a nest is run and is happily and gently bullying them into it while helping Soundwave with projects when he's bored. Pregnancy brain has made him a lot less suspicious and when Ratchet comes rushing in he sees all his carriers cuddling together and rubbing each others bellies sprawled out and Orion smiling at him pleases he's “home” and just throws Starscream in the pile–he scream as he lands on Dreadwing who quickly secures him while Ratchet fucks and cuddles Orion, dragging Vehicon the biggest and most neglected into it immediately. Starscream wants desperately to sneak away but Dreadwing has a grip on him and at this point Ratchet's pseudo-rut is affecting him.

He doesn't get long to wait anyway before Orion, smiling at the newest member and recognizing him from the news, happily welcomes him and drags him into a threesome. Dreadwing is the last huffing slightly but also immediately needy once he's got the chance instincts relaxing. Megatron comes in prepared to be smug but not prepared for the combination of languid post-sex Optimus plus all his other fellow carriers and Ratchet. His speech is almost immediately out of his mind as he's shoves down and into while Orion scolds Ratchet to be gentler while Ratchet says he can take it and Orion huffs moving down to hold Megatron’s hands and lay his head in his laugh to coo over him like he's been doing with everyone.

The room is not vacated for several days when Ratchet guarding the thoroughly exhausted pile in His Room from Soundwave points out they need to negotiate some kind of peace offering because with carrier protocols fully active Megatron and half of his high command isn't leaving and they need him more than he cares about them.

Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus gets called in early dragging in Wheeljack to plot a rescue.

-Ratchet Synth-En Anon

OHOho so Optimus still loses his memory, huh. With Ratchet’s siring coding pushing against his rational brain, that has to be a hellish situation. He just wants his carrier back. He wants all his carriers herded together in one nest where he will take care of them and his next generation. 

He disappears from the base one day and everyone knows the siring coding won. It’s tricky like that. 

Optimus - Orion is so clueless, he has no idea why everyone is squirming and nervous. Perhaps they’ve just gone too long without seeing Ratchet, the lack of a sire taking a great toll on their health. Once Ratchet is back, everyone is too fucked out and full of transfluid to worry about what Megatron’s plan is. Well, he has robbed the autobots of two soldiers, that’s good. That’s gotta be enough. That, and the new decepticon heirs on the way. He might have not really thought this out. Perhaps carrier coding is to blame.

mhmmm getting Magnus involved early for a rescue mission… Megatron probably keeps Ratchet out of it, so he doesn’t immediately recognize Magnus nor does he differentiate between autobots or decepticons, he’s just a plain intruder in his nest. They can’t drag Optimus off the ship and recover his memories because Ratchet won’t allow it and oh no… now Magnus has been dragged into the nest as well. 

[brandwhorestarscream]

Imperial harem au

so how does the first meeting between starscream and his harem go?

Simple: it doesn't 🤭

Starscream is very against the idea and is definitely dragging his feet. Usually he thrives on attention, and you'd think he'd be all over the idea of schmoozing with a bunch of wealthy and well-bred beauties desperately clamoring for his attention and trying to seduce him.

But no. Starscream may be a narcissistic and he does love attention, but this Starscream is incredibly young compared to the one we know in canon. He's fresh out of school, has just graduated with his first degree. The closest thing he's ever had to a real relationship is Skyfire, and that whole thing is messy, to say the least, due to Vosian politics. He's not in any rush to give himself to anyone, not only because he's young and inexperienced and wants to be strategic about it, but because it feels so completely objectifying. Dehumanizing, if you will. One of those concubines is going to be his future trine mate, whether he likes it or not, and he's dreading it. He doesn't know these people. He can't stand the idea of spending the rest of his life tied to a couple strangers that will only be using him for the position of royalty for the rest of his life. And he has to touch them to do it? No thank you. This Starscream is so wet behind the ears and has been so dedicated to his studies he's not even had his first time yet. He wants it to happen naturally, wants it to be with someone that'll make it feel good physically and emotionally.

So, he's not exactly jumping for joy when the day comes for the ceremony to be performed, to welcome the contenders into the palace. His parents go all out, naturally: though they may be of higher rank, they're still greeting and welcoming a bunch of very important young lords and ladies as their extended guests, and the last thing they want to do is insult their families and cause turmoil. The professions are grand, palace gates and courtyard decorated with finery and dazzling lights and jewels as each one arrives, all dolled up in the finest paint and polish with an entourage of attendants handpicked from their less fortunate relatives, being led by the head trine of their aerie coming to present them.

Starscream is naturally posted with the Winglord and his trine as the offerings arrive; each and every one is clearly well loved and doted on, soft and lovely faces, plenty of jewelry and ceremonial glyphs, grace incarnate as they approach. Upon each of their forehelms they're marked with the titles they have been awarded, traditionally indicating which house they hail from. The Peaceful, Vigorous, Wise, Protective, and Gilded Consorts. The final one is the only one he pays any attention to, presented from the noble house second only in power to his own. The beloved grandson of the House of Commerce's matriarch is covered helm to thrusters in metallic golden glyphs, draped in golden chains and golden bracelets. The other concubines have their glyphs done in traditional black or white. It's quite a statement, and is rife with cheek. He sparkles and shines so brilliantly it's hard to look at him, and it's a clear statement to everyone: he's the favorite to win.

Thundercracker himself has a deadpan look on his face, optics blank and laser focused straight ahead of him, expression cold and unwavering and perfect like a lovingly sculpted statue. He's the very picture of icy cold arrogance and class, and even without his parents' say-so Starscream knows he should probably be one of the two he chooses. His House has the economy in the palm of their hand, after all, and own over half the city's assets and housing. Grand Matriarch Permafrost deeply adores him, her favorite grandchild of all, and to snub them would not bode well.

Following the welcome ceremony where he says all of but six words, "I thank you for your presence.", the concubines are taken to the inner palace's courtyard to settle in and be assigned their pavillions. Traditionally at this point the prince would go survey the goods one on one, but Starscream couldn't care less. He doesn't want to go. The sooner he sets foot in there the sooner he'll have to start performing nightly duties, and he's quietly dreading it. Being with another person seems like such a big deal and he feels vaguely nauseous at having to be touched by someone he barely knows.

He avoids it as long as he can, squirreling himself away in inconspicuous library wings to study law or mathematics or anything, really, so long as no one can say he's wasting time. He is, mind you, but at least he's doing something productive. A unique brand of procrastination, to be sure 🤭 this goes on for exactly a decacycle (10 days), before the Winglord steps in. Sternly telling him that he has to actually go see his concubines, and while a vorn may sound like a long time, conceptions can be finicky. If he wants to get to know them better before bedding them, that's fine, but in that case he needs to actually make an effort to familiarize himself. A new private rule is implemented: he has to go see each of the concubines at least once a decacycle: that's 5 days out of every 10 that he has to go visit the inner palace, effectively immediately. He's less than thrilled.

He has no idea which one to visit first, so leaves it up to chance. Tosses all five names into a random generator and decides whichever one it spits out, that's who he's going to see

...

I have already decided who he's going to visit first and the drama that ensues 🤭 any guesses owo

[dynared]

My general observation of the Earthspark reactions is that somehow the show managed to be the worst of both worlds.

Season 1, for all its endless faults, did legitimately try to do new things with the settings and characters, based off of the divisive IDW comics, although hardly subservient to them. It didn't work as far as the toy sales went, like, at all, and the rumors from sources such as the Transformers Slag podcast persist that the only reason a Season 2 was greenlit was because the 40th anniversary was this year and Hasbro wanted something on TV for the sake of the optics. But even with all that, they were trying new things.

The problem is that it didn't work, Season 2 (which rumors indicate will be the last season) seems to have had its budget slashed, and a lot of its writing staff let go (most notably Mae Catt, Ms. "I am the Gay Agenda!" getting kicked to the curb) with the show clearly showing elements of a retool. The Decepticons are back to being the bastards everyone knows and loves and Starscream is his stereotypical self again.

The problem is that the retool didn't go nearly far enough. Most of the elements from Season 1 and the skeleton of the big themes of family and the small town are there, but they're now in direct conflict with the more conventional theming of Season 2.

Now you need to couple that with a lower budget, animation courtesy of the brain trust behind Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate, and in general, a show that doesn't really know what it wants to be anymore, with themes, characterizations, and conflicts all seemingly in conflict with a whole that is assuredly less than the sum of its parts while Hasbro executives are probably wondering if they would have been better off just dubbing Shinkalion episodes while waiting for Transformers One to hit theaters.

The next show that comes out (Which Dollars to Donuts will be a One spinoff the same way Tales of the TMNT is a spinoff of Mutant Mayhem) needs to accomplish a very simple goal Earthspark failed to, and that's just get the kids invested so they can buy the toys. It doesn't need to redefine the core tenets of the franchise only so it can backpedal on them later, nor does it need to use deep comic lore to get those same adults to watch. It just needs to be something that the kids can engage with and actually make them interested in getting some products, via fun visuals or an engaging story that they can get.

It's another reason why I really don't know what they're going to do if One bombs. At that point, it probably will be time for something more in the vein of what Beast Wars was to G1 (Or G Gundam was to the Universal Century Gundam entries), a radical shift from the status quo designed to shock the brand back into relevancy.

[gravelsong]

I call this the "what if I overanalyzed the HELL out of the Arcee and Carly interaction" post because this scene was really good

Before this, the ONLY time we've really seen them interact is when Arcee saved Carly from falling. They're still on unfamiliar terms, probably only knowing each other through name. Arcee's come over to see Carly, being curious about her, wondering what she's doing, or both. Carly clearly doesn't give a shit though, responding in a very short, and clipped answer.

Okay, so she doesn't seem to be that thrilled about Arcee being over there. That's okay, Arcee will simply ask what Carly's doing instead of beating around the bush, which Carly ALSO responds to with a short, sarcastic answer. Her answer doesn't really help Arcee work out what's going on all that much, so she asks for further elaboration, both wanting to know more and also learn something new about Earth.

Carly gives another vague answer ("gotta start somewhere") so Arcee offers to join her in her activity, maybe hoping that they can connect more and she can learn further about what's on Carly's mind. However, Arcee's blaster causes a solid amount of damage, but it seems to catch Carly's attention and even makes her smile, impressed with the sight.

With Carly seeming more open, Arcee talks a bit about her own skills, her own history with weaponry. She IS a very impressive shot, as vouched by Optimus, but with her time spent fighting in the war, she's mournful over this, as her skill with a blaster adds to the carnage and horror she's seen (the flames in the background serving as a reflection of her memories, what she's witnessed through her talent).

Carly, who just recently lost her father to Starscream, is baffled by this statement, saying that Arcee's skill would REALLY help with killing decepticons (as she seems to have missed the point with what Arcee was trying to say). Carly even specifies Starscream, which makes it clear that she's practicing specifically for revenge purposes against Starscream (great news Carly, Soundwave already took care of that problem). Arcee recognizes this desire for revenge, and states her thoughts clearer: that she can see how Carly's falling to her rage, that her hurt is driving her to future pain (with Arcee probably reflecting on her familiarity with her own hatred).

Unfortunately, Carly is no longer open to listening, switching back into being angry and annoyed. She knows that Arcee's analyzing her, thinking that she knows better than her (also Carly is a teenager, and hurt teenagers tend to shut themselves off to focus on what they think is best for them). The remains of Arcee's shot also look like a burning inferno behind Carly, used as symbolism for her own feelings, her own rage.

("I apologize. It's just... you remind me of myself, when my gears were beginning to turn. I had a teacher then.")

Arcee isn't using subtle dialogue or small talk anymore, she's outright telling Carly of her own history, of how she was the same way. Of how she had someone she loved and trusted so dearly, but he died (ALSO MAGNUS IS DEAD AUGHH) because she allowed her hatred to control her. She was so focused on revenge, she lost another loved one. Even now, Arcee's reflection on her journey of healing is that her hate costed her far more than helped her. It's a painful memory for her, and she doesn't want to see someone else go down the same path she did.

But she's too caught up in her desire for revenge to really hear what Arcee's telling her.

Hell, even in the scene afterward, Cliffjumper is berating himself for not killing Starscream, and that Carly isn't even speaking to him anymore because he couldn't kill Starscream. Jazz tells him that there's no shame in pulling the trigger, but if that was true, then why does he feel so awful (he feels awful because he feels like he hurt Carly right there and then. Also, Starscream immediately grabbed her, and would've killed her if he hadn't been crushed. Cliffjumper is feeling guilty over not taking the shot because it could've killed Carly, and even though she survived, a part of her was still killed in that moment.)

[cosmics-beings]

my biggest hope is that earthspark commits to a decent character arc for starscream and doesn't do what tfp and idw did. meaning they both clearly had the grounds for development and a complex narrative and they backed out of it and it was clear they couldn't commit to one thing. especially tfp. starscream doesn't have to be a perfect little saint, he doesn't have to be his shattered glass version. but just, give him a great character arc where he isn't some evil scumbag because it is possible. armada did it, i think earthspark can do it as well but please don't make him 100% like armada starscream i need him to be if idw/tfp starscream turned good.

like i know it is a common thing to say 'well, that's just how his character is', but writers have been shown to be more complex with him and i just hope that we get that here. i want him to be apart of the malto family and just be a character we revist that isn't trying to kill folks (well, if he tries to kill GHOST agents excluding Dot then that's fine with me).