[G1 AU] Sparkpulse (part 1)
Dec. 16th, 2007 12:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nkfloofiepoof posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
deceptikittyTitle: Sparkpulse (co-written with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
okami_hu)
Arc: Sparklight
Rating: PG
Characters: Optimus Prime, Starscream
Summary: How might things have gone had it been Optimus who took Starscream under his wing before the war instead of Megatron?
The Academy was like a jewel on a crown. On all Cybertron, the Iacon school was the most famous, the most popular. Only the best could attend it, and they were taught by the best. The whole complex was more like a miniature city inside the city, buzzing with life.
The main building was the most majestic of all, tall and strong but slender at the same time, the prime example of Cybertronian architecture. It was never quiet; scientists and soldiers walked on the corridors, occupying labs and training rooms, or just discussing, debating, arguing in rec rooms. One could feel the energy of the young mechs here in an endless flow, fueling the planet's prosperous life and the glorious future.
Optimus Prime loved it here. He had many fond memories tied to this place; after all, he had once been a student here as well; a young, foolish mech striving to be the best, to have a place in history - and by Primus' will, he eventually ended up as Prime, ruler of the planet. But after so many vorns, as he crossed the same corridors again, passing a dark corner where he and Elita shared a tender moment, or a huge bay window where he and Megatron used to sit back-to-back, gazing out to the city and dreaming about the future, Optimus felt young again.
Those who passed him all saluted or bowed lightly, giving him the proper respect. Some even flashed a genuine smile, or stopped for a handshake or a quick question, inquiring about general things. It was a nice feeling that the mechs were satisfied with his work and liked him.
Optimus replied to the greetings and answered the questions - he wasn't in any particular hurry, just wanting to have a few words with his friend-mentor, weapons master Ironhide.
He waved to professor Beachcomber then turned round the corner - just to stop in his tracks and observe the sight. In a bay window, a young Seeker was sitting, or more likely, slumped against the wall, his smooth features frozen in a distant expression of sadness. The mechs who passed him seemed to avoid him, some radiating compassion, throwing a glance over their shoulders; others simply in fear, quickly tip-toeing away.
Prime began to wonder - who was this young mech, feared and respected both, and why was he regarding the beautiful view so sadly...? He looked slender and elegant with an eye-catching red, white, and blue paintjob and a dark face. He still radiated pride even in his current state. Optimus' spark clenched, and before he could catch himself, he walked to the Seeker, stopping next to him quietly.
The Seeker paid him no mind just as he paid no mind to anyone else who passed him by, lost in his own thoughts and miseries. He felt empty and lost and was debating why he was even at the academy for the day in the first place. He only went here because his partner was determined they would graduate together at the top of their class, but now he was gone, so what was the point?
Starscream turned his red gaze to the sky outside the window. He knew Skyfire would chide him for being so miserable, but he could not help himself. They had known each other almost since they were sparklings. They had plans to graduate together and become renowned scientists - even their thesis was a collaboration from their studies exploring. However, Skyfire was dead, and Starscream's life screeched to a halt, and he knew not if he had the courage to try to start it up again.
Optimus cleared his vocalizer softly and settled down on the other end of the windowsill. "The city is beautiful. One would hardly think it is possible to look at it and harbor dark feelings any further, facing with so much light, so much life."
The thrusters in Starscream's feet rumbled angrily in response to the cheerful quip though his gaze never left the sky. What was so wonderful about the city when his best and oldest friend was no longer there to explore it with him? Whoever had violated the Seeker's sanctity of misery had clearly never lost anyone before. "Life, ha," he scoffed in response, hoping, if nothing else, that his shrill voice would get rid of the intruder. Only Skyfire never seemed to cringe at the sound of the Seeker's voice. "Life is too temporary and fleeting - one moment, you're going along your merry way without a care in the world, and before you know it, it's all over." Starscream held back the miserable sigh he desperately wanted to let out, knowing this was the point where his friend normally would have taken his head in his enormous hand and shook him until he lightened up.
It was not hard to put two and two together. "You're... mourning." Optimus bowed his head respectfully in an apology, regardless if the other had seen it or not. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. It was honestly not my intention to tear into your wounds. I'm sorry. Whoever it was, he surely meant a lot to you."
He himself had lost a few friends to accidents, one to old age... Prime knew grief, and his spark curled up from sadness and compassion beneath the protective layers of his armor.
Crimson optics flared in anger before dimming again, their owner having not the energy to remain angry when he was so distracted by sadness. "Don't humor me," he muttered, no longer caring to keep his voice at a proper volume for conversation. Starscream was tired of others humoring him or disregarding his grief as not genuine. He knew he was not well-liked - many often questioned Skyfire behind Starscream's back about why he continued to associate himself with the most incorrigible scientist in the academy. Most doubted he was truly mourning the loss of Skyfire as a friend and instead mourning the loss of him as simply his partner since his loss would mean he would have to finish all of their work by himself. That, of course, was the least of Starscream's concerns, not that anyone else would believe it.
The Seeker suddenly pushed away from the windowsill. If he was going to be disturbed, he wanted to be disturbed by someone who was just as depressed as himself. After all, misery loves company. He finally turned to see who had dared intruded, his mouth open to growl something cutting, but his mouth snapped back shut when he finally noticed just who it was, optics flickering slightly. He had just verbally bitten off the head of the bearer of the Matrix. Only Starscream would be stupid enough to do something like that.
Optimus was hard to offend, though, especially when he could clearly see the other was upset, in a jumbled-up emotional state. He rose from his seat and stepped closer, gently laying a hand on the red-white shoulder. "Please, do not doubt my intentions," he said calmly, almost pleading. "I know how it feels to lose somebody close to your spark, and it pains me to see such a young, strong mech wrecked by grief. I don't know what happened, I don't even know your name, but I offer my compassion freely and without any afterthought. I'd like you to know that if you're willing to share a drink for the memory of the deceased, or you'd like to talk to somebody, you can always come to me."
There was something deep inside that sleek frame, in those red optics, a vibrant potential. The Seeker's defiance and pride piqued Prime's curiosity. Who was this young mech with the sort of high-pitched voice and the vast amount of arrogance - enough for an upper-class diplomat?
Starscream flinched slightly at the touch on his shoulder but knew better than to jerk away from someone so much more prestigious than himself. Not that he usually held much respect for authority - anyone who only knew of his reputation could tell of how he had no qualms against contradicting and even putting down his own instructors. Still, even he knew it was probably a bad idea to continue to mouth off to Optimus Prime. Instead, once he found his voice again, he countered, "Much as I appreciate your concern, you're wasting it on me." He was quite sure Prime had much more important things to focus on than a lowly, broken mech like himself.
"My concern is never wasted. You're one of those I intend to serve with all I have; it would be thoughtless of me to ignore your pain. Others would think that next time, I would ignore theirs, and they'd come to the conclusion that I'll eventually ignore my duties." Optimus sighed. "But I see it is still fresh and you'd like to be alone with your grief. Take your time with it. And never let the good memories fade away."
Starscream flinched again and looked away, back out the window. If only he knew just how fresh it was - it was only just the orn before that he was finally permitted out of the medical facilities after returning to Cybertron nearly deactivated from lack of energy, energy which he had burned almost entirely searching for Skyfire on the planet they were exploring. Some who especially hated him accused him of abandoning Skyfire, and Starscream refused to defend himself, refused to tell them that he nearly killed himself searching, then again on the horrible, lonely trek back. They would never have believed him anyway.
Prime was feeling worse by the astrosecond. The grief practically rolled off the Seeker, he looked so... engagingly regal, both strong and weak. "At least, before you go, can I have your name?"
Starscream frowned and forced his attention back to the other mech, pulling himself from his misery. Why would someone as important as Optimus Prime wish to know his name? He hesitantly answered though, his voice less shrill as he lowered it nervously, "Starscream."
"Starscream," Prime echoed. The name sounded familiar... He was sure he encountered it somewhere. He decided to do a little research, and possibly find out which beloved one of the Seeker had met its demise.
"You have a name which carries fate in it. I will not keep you any longer then, Starscream. I hope your troubles will ease and you'll be able to think back on the fallen with a smile."
His gloomy mood broke for a brief moment then as he favored Prime with a half-amused glare. "I have a name which describes my horrid voice," he countered. He always hated his voice - he assumed he was named Starscream because his terrible screech made even the stars shudder. The Seeker shook his head and turned away again, lifting his gaze back to the sky. His wings ached to fly again, but he dared not, knowing he would be bombarded with memories of the flights he shared with Skyfire. "I appreciate your sympathy, but I'm sure you've wasted enough of your time on me." Starscream knew Prime had to be here for a reason, and that reason was not to console a stranger.
"I wasn't in a hurry," Optimus folded his hands behind his back, the smile evident in his voice. "And you don't have to have such a low opinion about your vocalizer's settings. I don't find it particularly irritating. Maybe it were your enemies who marked your tone as such."
He flinched once more, more visibly this time. Skyfire used to say that to him, used to assure him that his voice was not as terrible as he claimed. Starscream always countered by telling him he needed to have his audio receptors overhauled. In fact, they had bickered about that just the orn before Skyfire...
Starscream's wings started to quiver as he tried to hold back the painfully fresh memories, and he shook his head sharply. A distraction - that was what he needed. He needed to reacquaint himself with his laboratory and lose himself in an experiment or three. If he could do that, then the pain would dwindle enough for him to think properly again.
What- Primus, no, things were just getting worse. Optimus suppressed the urge to draw the young Seeker into an embrace and hold him until the pain eased. Where did that thought come from, anyway...?
"Are you alright?" He asked, worryingly. Sometimes emotional pain affected the body, the systems... It was not unheard of - a mech's processors collapsing under the tension. "Forgive me if I did upset you. Perhaps I can escort you back to your quarters, or... wherever you'd like to be?"
"I..." Starscream started then trailed off, not trusting his own voice just yet. He rebooted it to test its steadiness before trying again, "I need...something to do." He turned to start away, paused, then turned around to look down the other corridor, and a brief flash of panic filled his optics as he realized that he was so distraught he had momentarily completely forgotten exactly where in the building he was. He shut off his optics and clenched a hand into a fist, tightening it until he heard a cable pop in protest, and the sharp pain distracted him long enough for him to get his bearings straight again. His optics brightened again, thinking more clearly now. He turned his attention back to the other mech and muttered an apology for his behavior. "It...was just a few orns ago."
"No need to apologize, I understand what a state you are in," Optimus assured him. "When I lost a dear friend in a shuttle crash, even recharge escaped me for orns, I was perfectly out of it, as if steadily heading towards deactivation." He glanced out on the window, memories assaulting him from those days long past. Several students of the Academy had their sparks extinguished in that crash, and two respected mentors along with soldiers and civilians.
"If you need a few days off from your regular duties, I'll inform the board about it. Nobody expects you to get over with it so quickly. Our kind does not take termination easily."
"I'm still on leave," Starscream said quietly. "I was just released from the medical ward yesterday and given five orns off to recover." That was possibly why he was losing his grip on his emotions - he was never good with emotions and always tried to distract himself when they got in the way, and the best distractions were classes and experiments, both of which he had limited access to for the next several orns. He was normally just fine as long as he did not have to deal with such confusing feelings as emotions - Skyfire was the emotional one, and Starscream was the practical one. That was why they worked so well together.
Prime gave up. "You know what is best for you. Just don't let yourself drift away. I suppose I have kept you for long enough now, and you're fed up with my wise advices. May Primus watch your flight, Starscream." He bowed his head to the Seeker, and targeted the training grounds again.
Starscream winced. Him and his stupid vocalizer. He glanced over his shoulder at Prime's retreating form just long enough to call at his back, "I...I appreciate it. Thank you." He hesitated before turning to leave as well though he knew not where he was going. He just knew he needed to leave before his stupid vocalizer offended Prime any further.
He couldn't see the leader stopping and looking back over his shoulder, gazing after his winged frame.
okami_hu)Arc: Sparklight
Rating: PG
Characters: Optimus Prime, Starscream
Summary: How might things have gone had it been Optimus who took Starscream under his wing before the war instead of Megatron?
The Academy was like a jewel on a crown. On all Cybertron, the Iacon school was the most famous, the most popular. Only the best could attend it, and they were taught by the best. The whole complex was more like a miniature city inside the city, buzzing with life.
The main building was the most majestic of all, tall and strong but slender at the same time, the prime example of Cybertronian architecture. It was never quiet; scientists and soldiers walked on the corridors, occupying labs and training rooms, or just discussing, debating, arguing in rec rooms. One could feel the energy of the young mechs here in an endless flow, fueling the planet's prosperous life and the glorious future.
Optimus Prime loved it here. He had many fond memories tied to this place; after all, he had once been a student here as well; a young, foolish mech striving to be the best, to have a place in history - and by Primus' will, he eventually ended up as Prime, ruler of the planet. But after so many vorns, as he crossed the same corridors again, passing a dark corner where he and Elita shared a tender moment, or a huge bay window where he and Megatron used to sit back-to-back, gazing out to the city and dreaming about the future, Optimus felt young again.
Those who passed him all saluted or bowed lightly, giving him the proper respect. Some even flashed a genuine smile, or stopped for a handshake or a quick question, inquiring about general things. It was a nice feeling that the mechs were satisfied with his work and liked him.
Optimus replied to the greetings and answered the questions - he wasn't in any particular hurry, just wanting to have a few words with his friend-mentor, weapons master Ironhide.
He waved to professor Beachcomber then turned round the corner - just to stop in his tracks and observe the sight. In a bay window, a young Seeker was sitting, or more likely, slumped against the wall, his smooth features frozen in a distant expression of sadness. The mechs who passed him seemed to avoid him, some radiating compassion, throwing a glance over their shoulders; others simply in fear, quickly tip-toeing away.
Prime began to wonder - who was this young mech, feared and respected both, and why was he regarding the beautiful view so sadly...? He looked slender and elegant with an eye-catching red, white, and blue paintjob and a dark face. He still radiated pride even in his current state. Optimus' spark clenched, and before he could catch himself, he walked to the Seeker, stopping next to him quietly.
The Seeker paid him no mind just as he paid no mind to anyone else who passed him by, lost in his own thoughts and miseries. He felt empty and lost and was debating why he was even at the academy for the day in the first place. He only went here because his partner was determined they would graduate together at the top of their class, but now he was gone, so what was the point?
Starscream turned his red gaze to the sky outside the window. He knew Skyfire would chide him for being so miserable, but he could not help himself. They had known each other almost since they were sparklings. They had plans to graduate together and become renowned scientists - even their thesis was a collaboration from their studies exploring. However, Skyfire was dead, and Starscream's life screeched to a halt, and he knew not if he had the courage to try to start it up again.
Optimus cleared his vocalizer softly and settled down on the other end of the windowsill. "The city is beautiful. One would hardly think it is possible to look at it and harbor dark feelings any further, facing with so much light, so much life."
The thrusters in Starscream's feet rumbled angrily in response to the cheerful quip though his gaze never left the sky. What was so wonderful about the city when his best and oldest friend was no longer there to explore it with him? Whoever had violated the Seeker's sanctity of misery had clearly never lost anyone before. "Life, ha," he scoffed in response, hoping, if nothing else, that his shrill voice would get rid of the intruder. Only Skyfire never seemed to cringe at the sound of the Seeker's voice. "Life is too temporary and fleeting - one moment, you're going along your merry way without a care in the world, and before you know it, it's all over." Starscream held back the miserable sigh he desperately wanted to let out, knowing this was the point where his friend normally would have taken his head in his enormous hand and shook him until he lightened up.
It was not hard to put two and two together. "You're... mourning." Optimus bowed his head respectfully in an apology, regardless if the other had seen it or not. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. It was honestly not my intention to tear into your wounds. I'm sorry. Whoever it was, he surely meant a lot to you."
He himself had lost a few friends to accidents, one to old age... Prime knew grief, and his spark curled up from sadness and compassion beneath the protective layers of his armor.
Crimson optics flared in anger before dimming again, their owner having not the energy to remain angry when he was so distracted by sadness. "Don't humor me," he muttered, no longer caring to keep his voice at a proper volume for conversation. Starscream was tired of others humoring him or disregarding his grief as not genuine. He knew he was not well-liked - many often questioned Skyfire behind Starscream's back about why he continued to associate himself with the most incorrigible scientist in the academy. Most doubted he was truly mourning the loss of Skyfire as a friend and instead mourning the loss of him as simply his partner since his loss would mean he would have to finish all of their work by himself. That, of course, was the least of Starscream's concerns, not that anyone else would believe it.
The Seeker suddenly pushed away from the windowsill. If he was going to be disturbed, he wanted to be disturbed by someone who was just as depressed as himself. After all, misery loves company. He finally turned to see who had dared intruded, his mouth open to growl something cutting, but his mouth snapped back shut when he finally noticed just who it was, optics flickering slightly. He had just verbally bitten off the head of the bearer of the Matrix. Only Starscream would be stupid enough to do something like that.
Optimus was hard to offend, though, especially when he could clearly see the other was upset, in a jumbled-up emotional state. He rose from his seat and stepped closer, gently laying a hand on the red-white shoulder. "Please, do not doubt my intentions," he said calmly, almost pleading. "I know how it feels to lose somebody close to your spark, and it pains me to see such a young, strong mech wrecked by grief. I don't know what happened, I don't even know your name, but I offer my compassion freely and without any afterthought. I'd like you to know that if you're willing to share a drink for the memory of the deceased, or you'd like to talk to somebody, you can always come to me."
There was something deep inside that sleek frame, in those red optics, a vibrant potential. The Seeker's defiance and pride piqued Prime's curiosity. Who was this young mech with the sort of high-pitched voice and the vast amount of arrogance - enough for an upper-class diplomat?
Starscream flinched slightly at the touch on his shoulder but knew better than to jerk away from someone so much more prestigious than himself. Not that he usually held much respect for authority - anyone who only knew of his reputation could tell of how he had no qualms against contradicting and even putting down his own instructors. Still, even he knew it was probably a bad idea to continue to mouth off to Optimus Prime. Instead, once he found his voice again, he countered, "Much as I appreciate your concern, you're wasting it on me." He was quite sure Prime had much more important things to focus on than a lowly, broken mech like himself.
"My concern is never wasted. You're one of those I intend to serve with all I have; it would be thoughtless of me to ignore your pain. Others would think that next time, I would ignore theirs, and they'd come to the conclusion that I'll eventually ignore my duties." Optimus sighed. "But I see it is still fresh and you'd like to be alone with your grief. Take your time with it. And never let the good memories fade away."
Starscream flinched again and looked away, back out the window. If only he knew just how fresh it was - it was only just the orn before that he was finally permitted out of the medical facilities after returning to Cybertron nearly deactivated from lack of energy, energy which he had burned almost entirely searching for Skyfire on the planet they were exploring. Some who especially hated him accused him of abandoning Skyfire, and Starscream refused to defend himself, refused to tell them that he nearly killed himself searching, then again on the horrible, lonely trek back. They would never have believed him anyway.
Prime was feeling worse by the astrosecond. The grief practically rolled off the Seeker, he looked so... engagingly regal, both strong and weak. "At least, before you go, can I have your name?"
Starscream frowned and forced his attention back to the other mech, pulling himself from his misery. Why would someone as important as Optimus Prime wish to know his name? He hesitantly answered though, his voice less shrill as he lowered it nervously, "Starscream."
"Starscream," Prime echoed. The name sounded familiar... He was sure he encountered it somewhere. He decided to do a little research, and possibly find out which beloved one of the Seeker had met its demise.
"You have a name which carries fate in it. I will not keep you any longer then, Starscream. I hope your troubles will ease and you'll be able to think back on the fallen with a smile."
His gloomy mood broke for a brief moment then as he favored Prime with a half-amused glare. "I have a name which describes my horrid voice," he countered. He always hated his voice - he assumed he was named Starscream because his terrible screech made even the stars shudder. The Seeker shook his head and turned away again, lifting his gaze back to the sky. His wings ached to fly again, but he dared not, knowing he would be bombarded with memories of the flights he shared with Skyfire. "I appreciate your sympathy, but I'm sure you've wasted enough of your time on me." Starscream knew Prime had to be here for a reason, and that reason was not to console a stranger.
"I wasn't in a hurry," Optimus folded his hands behind his back, the smile evident in his voice. "And you don't have to have such a low opinion about your vocalizer's settings. I don't find it particularly irritating. Maybe it were your enemies who marked your tone as such."
He flinched once more, more visibly this time. Skyfire used to say that to him, used to assure him that his voice was not as terrible as he claimed. Starscream always countered by telling him he needed to have his audio receptors overhauled. In fact, they had bickered about that just the orn before Skyfire...
Starscream's wings started to quiver as he tried to hold back the painfully fresh memories, and he shook his head sharply. A distraction - that was what he needed. He needed to reacquaint himself with his laboratory and lose himself in an experiment or three. If he could do that, then the pain would dwindle enough for him to think properly again.
What- Primus, no, things were just getting worse. Optimus suppressed the urge to draw the young Seeker into an embrace and hold him until the pain eased. Where did that thought come from, anyway...?
"Are you alright?" He asked, worryingly. Sometimes emotional pain affected the body, the systems... It was not unheard of - a mech's processors collapsing under the tension. "Forgive me if I did upset you. Perhaps I can escort you back to your quarters, or... wherever you'd like to be?"
"I..." Starscream started then trailed off, not trusting his own voice just yet. He rebooted it to test its steadiness before trying again, "I need...something to do." He turned to start away, paused, then turned around to look down the other corridor, and a brief flash of panic filled his optics as he realized that he was so distraught he had momentarily completely forgotten exactly where in the building he was. He shut off his optics and clenched a hand into a fist, tightening it until he heard a cable pop in protest, and the sharp pain distracted him long enough for him to get his bearings straight again. His optics brightened again, thinking more clearly now. He turned his attention back to the other mech and muttered an apology for his behavior. "It...was just a few orns ago."
"No need to apologize, I understand what a state you are in," Optimus assured him. "When I lost a dear friend in a shuttle crash, even recharge escaped me for orns, I was perfectly out of it, as if steadily heading towards deactivation." He glanced out on the window, memories assaulting him from those days long past. Several students of the Academy had their sparks extinguished in that crash, and two respected mentors along with soldiers and civilians.
"If you need a few days off from your regular duties, I'll inform the board about it. Nobody expects you to get over with it so quickly. Our kind does not take termination easily."
"I'm still on leave," Starscream said quietly. "I was just released from the medical ward yesterday and given five orns off to recover." That was possibly why he was losing his grip on his emotions - he was never good with emotions and always tried to distract himself when they got in the way, and the best distractions were classes and experiments, both of which he had limited access to for the next several orns. He was normally just fine as long as he did not have to deal with such confusing feelings as emotions - Skyfire was the emotional one, and Starscream was the practical one. That was why they worked so well together.
Prime gave up. "You know what is best for you. Just don't let yourself drift away. I suppose I have kept you for long enough now, and you're fed up with my wise advices. May Primus watch your flight, Starscream." He bowed his head to the Seeker, and targeted the training grounds again.
Starscream winced. Him and his stupid vocalizer. He glanced over his shoulder at Prime's retreating form just long enough to call at his back, "I...I appreciate it. Thank you." He hesitated before turning to leave as well though he knew not where he was going. He just knew he needed to leave before his stupid vocalizer offended Prime any further.
He couldn't see the leader stopping and looking back over his shoulder, gazing after his winged frame.
