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Post by Fadeshift on Nov 5, 2023 10:45:12 GMT
Fadeshift really never cared much for politics and functionism in Cybertron. She has always just done what she felt was right and was good at and didn’t worry about what others did. Noticing the subtly of Nightshroud’s body language, she had a good inkling as to what she may be doing.
Fadeshift didn’t want Nightshroud to feel pressured to do anything and subtly spoke up, “You know, if you’re unsure if I’ll be accepted at your base, I can wait. I’m not in a rush, Nightshroud, and I’d rather avoid having to deal with anyone being opposed to me.” She pauses, “I’m sorry— did you say Starscream and Soundwave are together? As in, together-together?” Fadeshift could only wait with bated breath on that topic, as the thought of that relationship and drama was news to her. She wasn’t necessarily one to judge on relationships at all, but this was kind of surprising if it was what she thought it was.
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Post by Nightshroud on Nov 11, 2023 2:29:32 GMT
Primus it felt like things were getting more complicated by the moment. As Fadeshift mentioned that she didn't need to go to the base if Nightshroud felt the other femme would be unwelcome, she looked at her with confusion. It was like she was having a hard time telling just what it was Fadeshift had wanted because the other seeker seemed to be more focused on what Nightshroud had wanted. The thing was that she herself didn't know. She wanted to try this friendship thing, but didn't know how to be a friend outside of what little she knew when she and Starscream had sorta been friends. She both wanted and didn't want the femme to come back to the base. It meant there'd be yet another bot to get used to, but Fadeshift had also been taking Nightshroud into consideration too.
And they didn't really even know each other either.
"Yeah, they're.. together together. I don't know much about how it started aside from the fact that they'd spent a lot of time jailed together thanks to the Autobots and G.H.O.S.T. I promised Starscream I'd try to get along with him, but it's hard when Soundwave keeps doing stupid things that upset him. Like kidnapping some human kid or whatever, and then having the nerve to be angry when Starscream had every right to be upset about it. He could've given away our location." That had been months ago, and Nightshroud still couldn't get how hurt her adoptive sire sounded after that argument out of her processor. Sure she shouldn't have been listening in, but she got too curious when she realized Soundwave was in trouble.
"It's.. not that I don't want you to come, by the way. It's just that.. like I said I don't know how to be a friend. What.. do friends even do aside from just talk?"
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Post by Fadeshift on Nov 14, 2023 22:52:15 GMT
Fadeshift tried to conceal her utter shock that Starscream and Soundwave were an item. Mainly it was that they seemed so different: Soundwave seemed to only care for his minicons and Starscream himself… plus Nightshroud. “…kidnapping a human kid? That seems kind of low even for Soundwave. And a little desperate…. But I know nothing about the events so…” Fadeshift caught herself and decided to discuss a different subject. It was clear to her that Nightshroud was still upset about the matter.
Nightshroud’s question surprised her a little bit, realizing how truly alone this young femme must have been for a long time. Fadeshift couldn’t blame her after what she had said she’d been through, but she’d never have to explain ‘how to be a friend’ before,
“Oh… well friends hang out. Like say if you’re bored or lonely, you comm a friend and ask to go out flying or on patrol. Or Primus, even go out to smash stuff or pull a prank on someone. Good friends also are supposed to have your back, so if someone’s starting slag with you you’ve always got backup. …Honestly having friends isn’t too different from familial relationships. They can be the family you choose… in a way. Or just some idiots you enjoy hanging around.”
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Post by Nightshroud on Nov 19, 2023 2:26:18 GMT
Upset didn't even begin to describe how Nightshroud felt about the situation with Soundwave. She could have cared less about the human, though she admitted what he did was stupid. It was the fact that he had hurt Starscream afterwards with his refusal to understand why her sire was angry about what the Spymaster had done before proceeding to ask Starscream what his malfunction was. The femme couldn't get his pained response out of her processor, and she swore she'd never forgive Soundwave even if Starscream himself did. Any level of progress he'd made getting her to trust him was shattered in an instant, and the Spymaster was going to start all over again.
Nightshroud was glad that Fadeshift didn't continue the discussion of the Soundwave dispute, but found herself curious about this whole friendship thing. She remained unsure, but something about the way Fadeshift talked about what friends do got her thinking. Was it really as simple as doing things together? There wasn't some weird thing that friends did that she wasn't aware of? Clematis was the one who had an easier time making friends, and as much as she didn't like to admit it the crimson seeker honestly didn't know the first thing about it. She was always awkward around others, shying away from them in favor of spending time by herself while Clematis had fun. Even when her twin managed to drag her away from the science lab for awhile, Nightshroud just kept to herself and tried to make not draw any level of attention toward herself.
The whole incident with the destruction of Uraya hadn't exactly helped things.
"I like flying." Nightshroud relaxed a little, though her words were spoken awkwardly. "I.. think I want to try, but like I said.. I really know if I'll be a good friend and not because I'm actively trying to be a bad one. It's something.. I've never done before. I like my safe spots and I don't like venturing out of them if I don't have to. Starscream wants me to try and reach out to others, but I'm not exactly good at that.. especially when I don't exactly know how to trust others." Shifting her weight a bit, her optics flitted over to Fadeshift for just a brief moment before quickly focusing elsewhere. "Is.. that okay with you? That I'm not good at this?"
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Post by Fadeshift on Nov 19, 2023 12:22:41 GMT
As confident as Fadeshift postured herself to be, the femme hadn’t had someone she would call a friend in quite some time. She feared that showing too much emotion or complaint might mitigate her standing within the Decepticons, and that confiding in others, primarily mechs, could make her appear weak. In Fadeshift’s words to Nightshroud, she was repeating terms she recalled from a bygone age for herself, before she felt the sting of betrayal. But in her spark and memories, Fadeshift refused to forget what made her happy and the joy she had felt prior to war. Although she couldn’t know the depths and details, she recognized the turmoil Nightshroud was going through.
After being by herself for such a time, Fadeshift did wonder what it could be like to gain a new friend herself. Maybe even a true friend perhaps. “…Nightshroud, just take things at your own pace. I’m not going to judge you nor am I going to expect anything from you. Technically we are new friends so… we are still getting to know each other, so now pressure. No need to share deep secrets. That is all up to each of us when we wish. Usually, this is when we just… decide if we like to hang out with each other, no complications.”
Fadeshift watches the young seeker’s body language and smiles softly at her, finally replying to her final question, “Honestly, I’m no good at making friends either as of decades… If you’d like to make an attempt to be friends and trust each other, I’m willing to. Even if it’s awkward, I don’t mind much… I’m not the best at making friends myself.” She extends a servo towards Nightshroud, her expression both genuine but nervous simultaneously
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Post by Nightshroud on Nov 20, 2023 1:11:48 GMT
Fadeshift's reassurances were strange to Nightshroud. Had circumstances been different she would have brushed off the other femme in a spark beat and immediately left, but that had not been the case. Fadeshift was part of the reason she was still online, and despite the crimson seeker's earlier attempts to make herself look menacing it was like Fadeshift saw through that act in an instant. She was patient and understanding, and Nightshroud just didn't know what to do with that. She was used to bots just being judgmental, so to not only have Starscream on her side but now Fadeshift trying to befriend her was not only strange..
..But sorta nice.
Confused optics glanced down to the other femme's servo as it was held out, Nightshroud moving her servo slightly closer before pausing with hesitation. This was a sort of act of trust, and her processor was screaming at her that this was a boundary that was being crossed, but in her spark she wanted to try. She'd already come this far.
With a soft grunt, Nightshroud snapped her optics shut before taking the plunge and grabbing hold of Fadeshift's servo. She gave it a moment or two before letting her optics open once she realized everything was okay. This was a massive step for her, and she was crossing into unknown territory that did unease her, but knowing that the other seeker was just as unsure about how to be a good friend made her feel a little better about the whole thing. "I.. thank you. Just.. thank you."
The crimson seeker vented, letting some more of the tension bleed out before a soft chuckle escaped in the process while her wings relaxed. "I don't know if you're crazy or just that desperate but.. I'll try. I'd ask if you want to join me on the rest of my patrol, but I should probably go back to the compound soon. Starscream's probably worried out of his mind about me being out, but I've been sending him comms regularly to let him know I'm safe. Do.. you want to go back with me?"
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Post by Fadeshift on Nov 20, 2023 7:18:31 GMT
There shouldn’t have been reason for Fadeshift to be nervous about Nightshroud taking her servo. Yet, she couldn’t help but grow anxious and question if the young femme would reject her. As she watched the femme’s cautious movements, she held her breath as she watched her close her optics, expecting her to pull away. Instead, Nightshroud took her servo and Fadeshift watched as the tension left her frame.
Fadeshift gently smiled at Nightshroud as she thanked her, “You’re welcome, Nightshroud. I suppose we are now new friends, huh?” She found herself feeling happy, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. “…I would be glad to accompany you back to your base. I’ll try not to make too much of an entrance as I have no clue how Starscream will react to me after all these years. But I’m sure it’ll end up going fine. I’ll have you there to keep me in one piece.”
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Post by Nightshroud on Nov 29, 2023 1:31:24 GMT
Friends..
Even after all this talk it still didn't feel like the right word to Nightshroud. Maybe over time as she learned to trust Fadeshift more then it might feel more natural. It'd taken time for her to open up to Starscream, and he'd managed to break down her walls within mere days. She could rebuild them all she wanted, but now that she remembered what feeling more than anger was like she couldn't build them like she had before. Even if she didn't realize it, it'd be easier for others to find their way into her spark if they put in the time and effort. Considering Soundwave had attempted and failed miserably as well as everyone else's failed attempts, Fadeshift had already made considerable progress with the crimson seeker.
"Yeah.. I guess we are?" Despite her unsteadiness about the whole thing, she did her best to blow it off like it was nothing; putting that tough front back up again though it'd be much easier to see through. "I'm sure Starscream will be fine with you. Whatever your history with him, the fact that I'm still standing because of you would be more than enough for him to even consider being nice to you." Or at least as nice as Starscream was capable of with others he wasn't as friendly with. It still baffled Nightshroud sometimes that he was so relaxed around her, but then again given circumstances it made sense.
Letting go of the other femme's servo, the younger seeker backed up a fair distance before firing up her heeled afterburners to rise up off the ground a few feet. "It's a little ways from here, but I know the most direct route. Should take us roughly forty minutes to get there provided we don't have interruptions. Are you ready to go?"
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Post by Fadeshift on Nov 30, 2023 9:02:01 GMT
Fadeshift could sense some apprehension in Nightshroud, but she shook it off as normal when trying to form a new friendship. In all honestly, Fadeshift didn’t blindly give her full trust to Nightshroud, a femme she hardly knew, but she gave a good portion of trust. Without trust no relationship could move forwards, and Fadeshift hoped she could become true friends with this young seeker as she liked her spunk.
At the mention of Starscream, she smirked, “Then I’m in good servos. Besides… I only ever pulled a few innocent pranks on Screamer. …And maybe have him a few playful nicknames in jest.” Fadeshift was vague but couldn’t help her expression as she remembered the hilarious chaos she had caused a while back.
As she felt Nightshroud’s servo leave her own, the Decepticon femme looked up after hearing the whir of afterburners firing up. Fadeshift keenly noticed the young seeker hovering in the air, prepared to transform into her alt mode for proper flight. With a sure smile Fadeshift in turn transformed fully into her alt mode and idled in the sky before Nightshroud. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” her tone was sure yet playful.
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Post by Nightshroud on Dec 23, 2023 14:49:18 GMT
Nightshroud didn't know how she felt about this whole thing about Fadeshift playing pranks and giving nicknames to Starscream. As long as he didn't mind it, Nightshroud wouldn't give it any mind. Then again she wasn't exactly a bot for nicknames herself. It was only when her sire first called her 'little dove' that she even liked being called something other than her own name. She found it sweet and.. nice. It wasn't mocking despite the fact that she was quite small compared to most seekers if not all of them, but it was endearing in a way. All she could hope for was that Fadeshift didn't attempt to just toss random nicknames her way to see what would stick or whatnot. As for the pranking.. she'd have to see about that. She'd never really pranked anyone before, so Nightshroud didn't know the first thing about actually doing the pranking.
Soon enough Fadeshift transformed and was ready to leave as well. With a nod the crimson seeker transformed as well, flying up higher into the sky as she began to lead the way back to the compound.
"It's been awhile since I've flown with someone." Nightshroud hadn't even realized how long it had really been. Sure she'd gone on flights with Starscream here and there, but this was one of the first times she'd gone flying with someone else and especially not the playful kind of flying either. "Do.. you listen to music when you fly, Fadeshift? Sometimes I pick up Earth music and some of it's okay."
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Post by Fadeshift on Jan 8, 2024 9:36:09 GMT
After hovering for a short while, Fadeshift followed after Nightshroud as she ascended higher into the sky. Fadeshift’s thrusters accelerated her higher into the air, unsure of what would come of her new friendship with the young seeker. As the two of them level out in the sky, Fadeshift responds via commlink to Nightshroud, “To be honest, it’s been a while for me too. Especially since the last time I flew with another I got shot at, which wasn’t pleasant to say the least.” She pauses as Nightshroud asks her the next question, as surprisingly enough, Fadeshift didn’t really know much about humans or their culture.
“…I haven’t actually done much research into humans. I’ve tried to avoid radio waves and this… internet information hub in case G.H.O.S.T was listening in. What is Earth music like?”
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Post by Nightshroud on Jan 11, 2024 1:32:27 GMT
Getting shot out of the air was never Nightshroud's idea of a good time, and she always made an effort to prevent that from happening as best she could. She was smaller compared to the natural seekers, and she was fast. It made her that much more difficult to shoot down, but the crimson seeker was stubborn all the same. She wouldn't go down easily, but sometimes her stubbornness was her weakness at the same time. That same stubbornness had been what landed her in this whole situation to begin with, though it had also lead to this unexpected friendship.
"A fair point, which is why if I actually like what I hear I download it straight away. It's not like I actively look for it." Nightshroud wasn't honestly sure when she'd even started listening to Earth music. It just happened out of boredom one day, but she'd never admit to being an avid listener outside of the occasional song here or there. "Earth music is.. different. There's many types, but I only like a select few.. the kind that reminds me of Cybertron. Humans also prefer to add lyrics to their songs, housing some sort of meaning within each one. I couldn't tell you what 'genre' the music is so to speak, but I like the sound and.. sometimes some of the songs speak to me. The words they sing are just like how I feel."
Those were the important ones. The ones that hit just a little too close to the spark.
"I don't listen to it often. I spend more time helping Starscream around the base, scouting or just going through my old files on my datapad."
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Post by Fadeshift on Jan 21, 2024 2:46:50 GMT
Fadeshift thought over Nightshroud’s words as more time passed in their journey. ‘Perhaps trying out human music couldn’t hurt’ she thought. Over the comms, Fadeshift spoke, “Nightshroud, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to at least give it a try. Perhaps you could play one such song you enjoy?”
If she ended up disliking it, she could always just mute her comms for a moment. After all, Fadeshift did need something to lighten the mood as they traveled to Starscream’s base.
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Post by Nightshroud on Feb 3, 2024 15:34:51 GMT
Nightshroud wasn't all that surprised that Fadeshift was curious about the Earth music, but it wouldn't have bothered the crimson seeker any if the other had said no. It was an acquired taste especially considering Earth music was just so varied. There was the soft music and the heavy music, and everything in between. Nightshroud didn't really know anything about genres so to speak, but there was a clear distinction between bubbly music that she was certain Clematis probably would have liked and the angrier music that just went a little heavy with the musical instrument accompaniment. Nightshroud fell into the latter, though there were songs that were a touch more gentler that she didn't think were all that bad. The question was what to start Fadeshift with? The younger seeker flew quietly for a moment, going through her systems to see what could possibly work. She went through that list multiple times, but ultimately decided on a single song preformed by a band that was apparently popular in the late 90s. "This was one of the first songs I'd heard. It.. kind of resonated with me a bit, especially back on Cybertron." As Nightshroud let the song play, she kept quiet to listen to it. Long ago it reminded her of how angry she was with Clematis; how much she'd suffered because of how her twin had supposedly abandoned her. Nightshroud didn't feel that so much anymore with everything that had happened in the last year, but instead now she pictured Megatron. How he had abandoned the Decepticons; betrayed them in fact to join the Autobots and G.H.O.S.T. It was funny. The Decepticons really had paid for Megatron's mistakes. How fitting of a lyric.
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Post by Fadeshift on Feb 8, 2024 7:29:51 GMT
Fadeshift was honestly expecting an audio receptor-full of garbage sounds, but was taken aback at both the soothing nature of this human's vocals paired with the melody and intensely aggressive instrumental portions. It was... complex, skillful, and most of all... she kind of related to it?
"Thieves and hypocrites" That particular lyric truly and sadly hit home for Fadeshift on many fronts. Her love and affection was stolen by her former lover, her previous loyalty to the Autobot cause exposed as hypocrisy, and even after defecting to the Decepticons still she was surrounded by nothing but liars and hypocrites. Whether it be Optimus or Megatron, it seemed that neither great leader was immune to going back on their word.
Fadeshift was quiet for some time, absorbing the song, its music, and its meaning.
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