[Nexus RP] Blaster at the Embassy!

[soundwave_ascendant]

https://nexus-crossings.dreamwidth.org/206970.html?thread=21204602#cmt21204602

Ravage drives them out of the Plaza and up to the gate, which is being guarded by Clobber and Garboil--a deep green warmech with a single optic, and a cobalt blue condorlight, the same frametype as Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. She transforms, grabbing one boombox with each hand, and sets them down on the ground.

"At ease, you two," Ravage says. "Blaster's come up for a visit. He's not the Blaster from our universe."

Clobber relaxes visibly.

Ravage turns to Blaster. "Welcome," she says. "You're now in sovereign Destron territory, but you're welcome to spend the afternoon with us here."

They might be calling it an Embassy, but it qualifies as a good-sized base. However, there are some public buildings just outside the gate--it looks like they're building an inn or an oilhouse or something like that, and there's also a public office and a small library. Inside the gate, there are several residences surrounding the central building. There are also civilians inside the gate, including some juveniles, and a juvenile humanoid organic with purple skin. There's a scratching noise inside Soundwave's chest and he laughs. "Viridian, eject," he says, and she does, leaping down to go and join some of the other younger residents.

Soundwave turns to Blaster. "Well," he says, "if we're trying to make friends then I'd hope you wouldn't harm my cassettes, but most of them have other alt-modes now. To be quite honest, I was thinking of retiring the deck, but Viridian likes to rest in there. And Rosanna's a pop star, a singer; you'll like her. But we'll talk inside."

There is a throne room in the main hall of the main building, but beyond it, their private residence is modest, although they don't have to fetch their own energon--a bot who looks like a sanitation model brings the cubes, and a plate full of elaborate gelled energon treats.

"Thanks, Suckerpunch." Ravage grins and dismisses the other bot. "You have to try these gel pastilles, Soundwave makes them himself. He's been spoiling me for the past four million years."

Comments

[dontpetmeibite]

"If they're young," Soundwave says with a frown, "you might actually need to find a way to keep them in line on the battlefield. Otherwise they may get themselves killed! Rumble and Frenzy can be impossible sometimes, but they're Megatron's creche-sibs, and when they take risks, they know they're doing it."

Ravage frowns. "There's an anti-violence field here," she says, "and it might do them good to know that Decepticons don't have to be their enemies. Right now you are fighting a war with our counterparts, but someday, I hope, there will be peace in your world, and everyone will need to get along."

[assaultingrocknroll]

"I do my best, trying to keep them from the worst of it. And I don't let them go alone. The four can keep up with those two at least. But Optimus mostly uses them as either security or messengers around base. Until he feels he can trust them with bigger assignments."

"I know there is, but could you see if they got confused and went up to my version of you, who doesn't speak mind you, or even Starscream trying to become friends with them? Until things settle a little there, I don't want to risk confusing them more."

[dontpetmeibite]

"Fair enough," Ravage says, "but do I not speak at all, or do I just not speak to people I have reason to believe are my enemies?"

"Viridian doesn't speak to anyone," Soundwave says, thinking, "but I'm a telepath, and she has ways of communicating; she sends text messages wirelessly, and she's inherited a measure of my talent. If you didn't speak, and all else remained mostly the same, I think we'd still have a relationship."

"Well," says Ravage, "you never thought I was stupid. If someone's enough of an idiot to think that I'm stupid because of the shape of my frame, I'm going to use that to my advantage. At least, that's what I used to do, before Megatron published my writings."

Then she frowns. "Viridian used to speak, and she might speak again. I accept that she doesn't speak now, but her physical injuries have all been repaired."

[assaultingrocknroll]

"I don't know. I mean it's not like anyone asks. We just know we do anything to you Megatron and Soundwave both go... ballistic. we have used that a few times as a distraction, to keep them from one of our operations. We also make sure to only contain, never harm. I insisted on that."

"You write? I wouldn't mind reading them some time, that is... if you wouldn't mind?"

"Trauma might be why she doesn't. I know Ramhorn didn't for the longest time. He's not quite a chatterbox, but when he wants to be heard he will make sure he's heard." He thought a moment. "Maybe, if I earn her trust I can try to help her? That is if you would like me to try." He was more than willing to earn the young bot's trust honestly, on her terms.

[dontpetmeibite]

"Trauma is why she doesn't," says Ravage. "But let me find out why she reacted badly to you before you attempt that. Your counterpart and I served on the Lost Light together, and I don't know him well, but he's got slag taste in friends. I don't think he had anything to do with the situation I found her in, because he was a good carrier. But if he did, I'm going to make sure that Rodimus and Megatron know about it."

"It sounds to me," Soundwave says, "like we probably are together in your universe. As frowned-upon as such relationships are in our own universe, because of the cassette-carrier relationship, we were together before she was a cassette and I was a carrier, and we weren't giving that up. And we are very close to Megatron. Ravage is his amica."

"My work's been published. You're welcome to read it," says Ravage. "It's mostly political essays and poetry. Some of it might make more sense if you read Megatron's writing along with it."

[assaultingrocknroll]

"I'm fully willing to let her come to me on her terms, just saying I'm willing to help out." He frowns at that though. "I thought I had great friends. Sounds like my counterpart may have a few crossed wires the more I hear about him."

"Might be, I just know my Soundwave is protective over Ravage and Laserbeak more than Rumble and Frenzy. Ravage more so. I thought it was just because Ravage is better at getting into places without being noticed."

"I will have to check it out while I am here."

[dontpetmeibite]

"Rumble and Frenzy cause a lot of their own problems," Soundwave says with some amusement. "Ravage lets me have it when I try to protect them from the natural consequences of their own bad behaviour. I'm protective of anyone under my command when they're taken captive, of course, but...I am more protective of Ravage than anyone else. She's very capable, and very dangerous, but she's not invulnerable. And she's my world. Someday, if you're very lucky, you'll feel that way about someone else."

Viridian comes into the room, padding cautiously over to her parents. She puts her paws on Soundwave's thigh and glances at the treats on the table; Soundwave grins, and feeds her one. She looks over at Blaster, cautiously, and sends a message to his comm.

You look like someone else. I met him once. He hates my mother and father. But he isn't one of the people who hurt me. I'll make sure that they know that. He told me some lies though. I hope he believed they were true.

She points to the Autobot mark on her shoulder. I was talked into this, but some of the things I was told weren't true. My parents say it doesn't matter, because I'm too young, but the MTOs were younger than me and they were constructed with badges on even before they came online. I don't know if I'm going to become a Decepticon like my parents. Right now, I suppose I'm not really a member of any faction.

[assaultingrocknroll]

"I don't know... I might still be too young." He smirks, "After all you have a few millennia on me, if not more." He does mean that in a good way, means they've had time to grow up.

Blaster's face showed surprise a moment as he gets the text. "I'm not like him, at least I hope that I am not like him, and I promise, even though your parents and I used to be enemies, it was only because we were slotted on different sides." He smiled at her faintly.

"No, you seem younger than my cassettes, they chose their allegiance, I would have taken them to a safe haven if they had wanted to stay away." He had tried honestly, but they had trusted him to keep them safe, so, he became their caretaker and guardian. "And if the war is over like your parents say, there should no longer be need of either faction." The words he spoke he sent to her in text as well, using the exact same wording. "I promise I will protect you like they do. I don't like the idea of young ones being harmed, of any race."