[G1] 10 Prompts - Cleaning
Apr. 21st, 2008 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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deceptikittyTitle: Cleaning
Arc: N/A
Rating: G
Characters: Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Soundwave
Summary: Response to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
10_prompts - "Cleaning" [full table]
There were few luxuries remaining which could be enjoyed by all no matter how highly or lowly they ranked. The war destroyed most of them. Music was a forgotten art remembered only by those who either indulged or performed, there were no indigenous wildlife left to hunt for sport, and energon was primarily a source of sustenance rather than one for leisure, so most energon manufactured anymore was of low quality only suited for barely substantial nutrition. However, cleanliness was a luxury afforded by all. It was imperative all soldiers maintain themselves properly, for a clean warrior was a functional warrior, and it was the one remaining luxury which Soundwave did not deny his creations.
Laserbeak emerged from the cleaning solution and shook her head to rid herself of the excess, the silvery chemical dripping from her beak and trickling down her neck. With it flowed the soot and dried fluids which had caked onto her frame since her last cleaning, and they were slowly dissolved by the cleaner. There was barely enough room in the basin for herself and all of her siblings, but it was better than sharing facilities with the larger mechs, so none of them complained, least of all Rumble who was intensely distrustful of the other Decepticons.
Laserbeak spread her wings to give her more surface area on which to float in the dense solution, the tip of one wing touching her youngest brother who chirped tiredly where he floated next to her and hovered in and out of recharge. The cleaning fluid held warmth very well, so Soundwave did not have to waste too much of the Decepticons' precious little energy to warm the basin, and even with five Cassetticons to bathe, they did not require an excessive amount of the solution, so Soundwave was able to keep the basin filled and stored in his private quarters to use when necessary.
Ravage drifted by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw as she too succumbed to the warmth, only her back, the top of her head, and her dull optics visible above the opaque silver fluid. Frenzy was tucked against the edge, fully online but remaining quiet so as not to disturb his tired siblings. A wave in the solution signified Soundwave dipping one hand back into the cleaner to scoop out a handful and carefully pour it into Rumble's open torso, carefully cleaning his damaged internal systems. Rumble was mostly offline, his mind numbed by Soundwave's telepathy so he would not be affected by the pain which always came with cleaning his broken frame.
Laserbeak buzzed out a snort and dipped her head back below the cleaner briefly before she threw her head back once more, splashing some of the solution onto her back. The waves her action caused in the fluid made Buzzsaw give out an annoyed chirp, and it was not long before the older of the two avian cassettes let out a sharp whirr when the point of Buzzsaw's beak was jabbed on top of her head. Not one to be bested like that, Laserbeak was quick to retaliate with a peck of her own, and Buzzsaw let out a piteous croon and sagged where he floated, pouting.
The younger of the two femmes huffed her annoyance through her vents and turned her attention back to cleaning herself, splashing the silver solution onto her back once more. Cleaning was her favorite way to relax and, as far as she was concerned, the method which proved to be the least harmful in the long run. Laserbeak's optics dimmed slightly when she narrowed her scope of vision to scrutinize all of her brethren. She did not at all agree with her siblings' pastimes.
Ravage was still fascinated with the stars despite how dangerous it was to venture outside, and no small number of times, Laserbeak found her sister tucked against the wall just inside the main entrance to Polyhex's central tower, her optics locked on the dark sky. Once Ravage began to survey the heavens, there was little Laserbeak could do to coax the eldest cassette away. It worried her how lost Ravage could become watching such a frighteningly empty void that was the sky of Cybertron, but there was no reasoning with her sister. Despite how hard she tried and how much she pleaded, Laserbeak could not tear Ravage away from her vigil.
Frenzy was another matter and one whose habits worried Laserbeak even more than Ravage's. Ever since they were rescued from Kaon by that sniveling flying mech, her brother's already precious little free time was steadily being spent more and more with Starscream, and recently, it had escalated from simple visits and conversations to something far more...personal.
Oh, he did not think anyone knew what they did behind the closed door to Starscream's quarters, but she did - she knew everything which happened in Polyhex. Few kept secrets from her - if there was any sort of opening be it a window or the slightest crack in the door, Laserbeak could see in. She spied on everyone she could - she had to. It was the only way she could know the truth of these horrible mechs they were forced to work alongside. Within only a few dozen orns of the war's beginning, she methodically honed her skills so she would know who to watch, who to avoid, and who to trust, and she had not found many she could trust - least of all Starscream. However, despite her frantic warnings, Frenzy continued to see the dark-faced mech. It was disappointing and worrisome, but there was little else she could do. There was no denying the fact that the blanket of depression which always shrouded Frenzy was lifted every time he emerged from Starscream's quarters. Soundwave shared Laserbeak's concerns, but Frenzy was quite obviously happy with the arrangement, so he did not have the spark to forbid his young creation from seeing Starscream.
Another wave in the silver fluid brought Laserbeak's attention back to the present in time to see Soundwave carefully lower Rumble into the cleaner and prop him against the side of the basin. Once Rumble was comfortable, he reached over and tugged Buzzsaw to him who crooned happily and allowed his creator to remove him from the solution and clean the crevices and wires he could not reach himself.
Rumble and Buzzsaw worried Laserbeak the most. Buzzsaw found the war absolutely fascinating and took great joy in practicing his aerial maneuvers and firing upon targets. He had nearly perfected his own style of aerial combat, combining lethal firepower and masterful accuracy with elegant, almost artistic acrobatics and maneuvers. He strove to be the best at his duties and had, thus far, succeeded which earned him the attention and approval of Megatron himself which only served to frighten Laserbeak further. She hated Megatron with a passion for forcing Soundwave into this service under the pretense of protecting them, but to Buzzsaw, Megatron was an idol surpassed only by Primus himself, and his every online moment was spent thinking of how better to serve his lord.
Rumble, however, did not frighten Laserbeak so much as he made her spark ache. His continued existence was nothing more than a reminder for her of how much the war had taken away from them all. She was there when Rumble and Frenzy were Sparked and witnessed their removal from Soundwave's spark chamber to be placed into their own, and she had witnessed Rumble's continual spiral downwards since the war's beginning. What was once an exuberant, masterful musician full of life and enthusiasm for the future had degraded to an angry shell in constant pain and continually tormented by the cold. His temper was volatile, and the walls of Polyhex's corridors were riddled with dents and holes knee-high to most mechs where Rumble's fists and piledrivers exacted his frustration and released his nearly never ending rage. He hated everyone around him and often picked fights with mechs many times larger than himself just to be able to use his piledrivers on something which protested more than the walls. Laserbeak knew he did not see the mechs he fought - he only saw the one mech who had taken away so much from him in Kaon, and the brawls were his way of gaining his revenge.
Lost in her thoughts of worry and fear, Laserbeak barely registered a tug on her wing before she was lifted from the cleaner. She only let her mind clear when she felt her creator's large blue fingers on her back, cleaning where she could not reach, and she let herself focus on it, her optics dimming slowly before shutting off completely. Soundwave's touch relaxed her and pulled her mind from the worries which kept her from recharging properly orn after orn. She softly crooned her approval and received the gentle pressure and stroking of his thumb against the top of her head for a brief klik before he returned to the task at hand.
While he cleaned her, Laserbeak moved her attention back to her brethren, able to see all of them at once where she was held just above the basin. Rumble had migrated in his half-online state to curl against his twin, his head resting on Frenzy's shoulder who sat very still with both arms wrapped protectively around his brother. Ravage still floated lazily near the middle of the basin, and Buzzsaw floated similarly in front of her, the two tiredly staring each other down.
Breems like these, where they could temporarily forget the chaos on the other side of the door, were rare, and Laserbeak indulged in them as best she could. Breems like these were the few times she ever saw her siblings and creator truly relaxed, and it seemed as if the outside world did not matter, and they served as a much needed reminder that, despite everything, they were still a family, and even the war could not take that away.
--
Every profile I've ever read on Laserbeak has said she (he) was basically a coward preferring to stay in the background or fire from a distance, so I figured she'd be kind of a worrywort. I hope I portrayed that well.
Arc: N/A
Rating: G
Characters: Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Soundwave
Summary: Response to
10_prompts - "Cleaning" [full table]There were few luxuries remaining which could be enjoyed by all no matter how highly or lowly they ranked. The war destroyed most of them. Music was a forgotten art remembered only by those who either indulged or performed, there were no indigenous wildlife left to hunt for sport, and energon was primarily a source of sustenance rather than one for leisure, so most energon manufactured anymore was of low quality only suited for barely substantial nutrition. However, cleanliness was a luxury afforded by all. It was imperative all soldiers maintain themselves properly, for a clean warrior was a functional warrior, and it was the one remaining luxury which Soundwave did not deny his creations.
Laserbeak emerged from the cleaning solution and shook her head to rid herself of the excess, the silvery chemical dripping from her beak and trickling down her neck. With it flowed the soot and dried fluids which had caked onto her frame since her last cleaning, and they were slowly dissolved by the cleaner. There was barely enough room in the basin for herself and all of her siblings, but it was better than sharing facilities with the larger mechs, so none of them complained, least of all Rumble who was intensely distrustful of the other Decepticons.
Laserbeak spread her wings to give her more surface area on which to float in the dense solution, the tip of one wing touching her youngest brother who chirped tiredly where he floated next to her and hovered in and out of recharge. The cleaning fluid held warmth very well, so Soundwave did not have to waste too much of the Decepticons' precious little energy to warm the basin, and even with five Cassetticons to bathe, they did not require an excessive amount of the solution, so Soundwave was able to keep the basin filled and stored in his private quarters to use when necessary.
Ravage drifted by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw as she too succumbed to the warmth, only her back, the top of her head, and her dull optics visible above the opaque silver fluid. Frenzy was tucked against the edge, fully online but remaining quiet so as not to disturb his tired siblings. A wave in the solution signified Soundwave dipping one hand back into the cleaner to scoop out a handful and carefully pour it into Rumble's open torso, carefully cleaning his damaged internal systems. Rumble was mostly offline, his mind numbed by Soundwave's telepathy so he would not be affected by the pain which always came with cleaning his broken frame.
Laserbeak buzzed out a snort and dipped her head back below the cleaner briefly before she threw her head back once more, splashing some of the solution onto her back. The waves her action caused in the fluid made Buzzsaw give out an annoyed chirp, and it was not long before the older of the two avian cassettes let out a sharp whirr when the point of Buzzsaw's beak was jabbed on top of her head. Not one to be bested like that, Laserbeak was quick to retaliate with a peck of her own, and Buzzsaw let out a piteous croon and sagged where he floated, pouting.
The younger of the two femmes huffed her annoyance through her vents and turned her attention back to cleaning herself, splashing the silver solution onto her back once more. Cleaning was her favorite way to relax and, as far as she was concerned, the method which proved to be the least harmful in the long run. Laserbeak's optics dimmed slightly when she narrowed her scope of vision to scrutinize all of her brethren. She did not at all agree with her siblings' pastimes.
Ravage was still fascinated with the stars despite how dangerous it was to venture outside, and no small number of times, Laserbeak found her sister tucked against the wall just inside the main entrance to Polyhex's central tower, her optics locked on the dark sky. Once Ravage began to survey the heavens, there was little Laserbeak could do to coax the eldest cassette away. It worried her how lost Ravage could become watching such a frighteningly empty void that was the sky of Cybertron, but there was no reasoning with her sister. Despite how hard she tried and how much she pleaded, Laserbeak could not tear Ravage away from her vigil.
Frenzy was another matter and one whose habits worried Laserbeak even more than Ravage's. Ever since they were rescued from Kaon by that sniveling flying mech, her brother's already precious little free time was steadily being spent more and more with Starscream, and recently, it had escalated from simple visits and conversations to something far more...personal.
Oh, he did not think anyone knew what they did behind the closed door to Starscream's quarters, but she did - she knew everything which happened in Polyhex. Few kept secrets from her - if there was any sort of opening be it a window or the slightest crack in the door, Laserbeak could see in. She spied on everyone she could - she had to. It was the only way she could know the truth of these horrible mechs they were forced to work alongside. Within only a few dozen orns of the war's beginning, she methodically honed her skills so she would know who to watch, who to avoid, and who to trust, and she had not found many she could trust - least of all Starscream. However, despite her frantic warnings, Frenzy continued to see the dark-faced mech. It was disappointing and worrisome, but there was little else she could do. There was no denying the fact that the blanket of depression which always shrouded Frenzy was lifted every time he emerged from Starscream's quarters. Soundwave shared Laserbeak's concerns, but Frenzy was quite obviously happy with the arrangement, so he did not have the spark to forbid his young creation from seeing Starscream.
Another wave in the silver fluid brought Laserbeak's attention back to the present in time to see Soundwave carefully lower Rumble into the cleaner and prop him against the side of the basin. Once Rumble was comfortable, he reached over and tugged Buzzsaw to him who crooned happily and allowed his creator to remove him from the solution and clean the crevices and wires he could not reach himself.
Rumble and Buzzsaw worried Laserbeak the most. Buzzsaw found the war absolutely fascinating and took great joy in practicing his aerial maneuvers and firing upon targets. He had nearly perfected his own style of aerial combat, combining lethal firepower and masterful accuracy with elegant, almost artistic acrobatics and maneuvers. He strove to be the best at his duties and had, thus far, succeeded which earned him the attention and approval of Megatron himself which only served to frighten Laserbeak further. She hated Megatron with a passion for forcing Soundwave into this service under the pretense of protecting them, but to Buzzsaw, Megatron was an idol surpassed only by Primus himself, and his every online moment was spent thinking of how better to serve his lord.
Rumble, however, did not frighten Laserbeak so much as he made her spark ache. His continued existence was nothing more than a reminder for her of how much the war had taken away from them all. She was there when Rumble and Frenzy were Sparked and witnessed their removal from Soundwave's spark chamber to be placed into their own, and she had witnessed Rumble's continual spiral downwards since the war's beginning. What was once an exuberant, masterful musician full of life and enthusiasm for the future had degraded to an angry shell in constant pain and continually tormented by the cold. His temper was volatile, and the walls of Polyhex's corridors were riddled with dents and holes knee-high to most mechs where Rumble's fists and piledrivers exacted his frustration and released his nearly never ending rage. He hated everyone around him and often picked fights with mechs many times larger than himself just to be able to use his piledrivers on something which protested more than the walls. Laserbeak knew he did not see the mechs he fought - he only saw the one mech who had taken away so much from him in Kaon, and the brawls were his way of gaining his revenge.
Lost in her thoughts of worry and fear, Laserbeak barely registered a tug on her wing before she was lifted from the cleaner. She only let her mind clear when she felt her creator's large blue fingers on her back, cleaning where she could not reach, and she let herself focus on it, her optics dimming slowly before shutting off completely. Soundwave's touch relaxed her and pulled her mind from the worries which kept her from recharging properly orn after orn. She softly crooned her approval and received the gentle pressure and stroking of his thumb against the top of her head for a brief klik before he returned to the task at hand.
While he cleaned her, Laserbeak moved her attention back to her brethren, able to see all of them at once where she was held just above the basin. Rumble had migrated in his half-online state to curl against his twin, his head resting on Frenzy's shoulder who sat very still with both arms wrapped protectively around his brother. Ravage still floated lazily near the middle of the basin, and Buzzsaw floated similarly in front of her, the two tiredly staring each other down.
Breems like these, where they could temporarily forget the chaos on the other side of the door, were rare, and Laserbeak indulged in them as best she could. Breems like these were the few times she ever saw her siblings and creator truly relaxed, and it seemed as if the outside world did not matter, and they served as a much needed reminder that, despite everything, they were still a family, and even the war could not take that away.
--
Every profile I've ever read on Laserbeak has said she (he) was basically a coward preferring to stay in the background or fire from a distance, so I figured she'd be kind of a worrywort. I hope I portrayed that well.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-22 12:23 am (UTC)they need a giant metal ducky. X3
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-22 12:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-22 12:42 am (UTC)buzzsaw ducky! D: careful kids, he's pointy. and mean.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-22 08:33 pm (UTC)And I feel so sorry for Rumble... I have since the start of these prompts, but this one really brings it home...
And Ravage and Buzzsaw staring each other down *snickers*