#they all a policule at aome point i just really like Megatron and those focus on his relations the most

[moominmanoneandonly]

Amazing what you can accomplish while having a bad time. My long overdue GladiatorMeg AU designs + lore. (Those are not 100% accurate since I am still working on the world building, and depending on that, it will change.)

Size ranked

Shockwave & Starscream lore

•Starscream "prince of Vos" is a figurehead that's used to make Vos look like something fancy and separate from the Senate and Primes council rule however the truth is they not much different and mostly just get bribed to do what it wants. Starscream altrought he acts in control can't decide about enything in his life, he can't be a scientist becouse it's for lower classes, he can't rule because they won't let him and he I supposed to be conjunxed of for money. He attends gladiator fights because it's a good way to flaunt his non-existent power (+he likes the violence). He sees Megatron as pathetic for thinking he can change anything. He wants to break him and buys him as a bodyguard to do so. That spirals into them actually getting along (somehow), bonding over disgust of Vos "monarchy," and he agrees to help under the condition he gets to be an actual ruler and can kill his conjunx. It's a very big conflict between the two since Megatron wants to obalish monarchy entirely, but oh well, they figure it out somehow, I'm sure. (He's also the oldest of the 4 and has complex because of this since other royals call him wasted goods and stuff. He tries his best to look as young as possible)

•Shockwave "the senator". Similarly to Starscream, he lacks any actual power. He gets into the senate due to his sire at a young age and becouse of that he's not taken serous. He's a mascot to them, something nice to look at and otherwise ignore. He does get to influence votes sometimes. However, it's rare and seen by others as a "childish whimsy." Him and Orion actually know each other and have similar personalities. However, Shockwave differs by being strongly resentful and easily discouraged. He doesn't believe a revolution makes sense. Since "Senat always gets its way." That's said he does respect Megatron enough to pretend he cares. They meet when Shockwave sire hired Megatron as a prost1tute to make sure he doesn't grow to resentful and have something to occupy his mind. Megatron used him to steal from the Senate, but with time, they kinda got along. Megatron also teached Shockwave how to fight and kill at some point, which turned out to be pretty messy because surprise, surprise home schooled rich boy actually likes to see people suffer and die by his hands.

Also, this part probably could get its own post, but for now: Shockwave despises his body. He was made by his sire to look eye-catching, but it ended up very tacky and overexagerated. He is constantly objectified and not taken seriously because of it. There's this rule where colorfull mechs are either very rich or just pleasure bots. Both him and Starscream suffer from that. He also hates his mindset as a whole since it's very emotionally driven, which is the reason people never took him seriously. While the story progresses, he gets to change his colours for the purple we all know while the empurata comes after as a punishment for being a traitor to the Senate. (Spoilers. He really loves it). He really doesn't get Megatron but wants to be at his side. He kinda objectifies him to get stuff out of his system, tho. Megatron fears him at some point but gets used to his creepy behaviours. (He feels guilty about the empurata thing) Shockwave likes to be dependent on.

I tried to present the 4 of them as different takes on lack of autonomy in different casts. I'm not sure if it worked out. I'm still working on it.

+fun fact, I trought about Starscream and Shockwave being in an eranged marriage for like keeping up appearances or something and I'm not sure if it would improve the plot but it for sure would be a fun dynamic. Starscream would be such a hater of Shockwave paintjob.