koilungfish (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
koilungfish) wrote2007-01-28 09:23 pm
koilungfish) wrote2007-01-28 09:23 pm
Entry tags:
Two-for-one weekend sale
24/1/07 - 720 words on "Majestic Skies"
25/1/07 - 972 words on The Other God of Charr
26/1/07-27/1/07 - Another Look
"How's Elita-1?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"The same. She's on a job-hunting tour outside the Iacon municipal zone," Optimus replied, staring up at the sky. They were sitting on the wide, open balcony of Ultra Magnus' apartment, miles above the heart of Iacon. Below, the city was a mesh of lights half-seen through the dark bronze clouds. Above, the sky was black as hot tyres, sparkling with the stars and the rings of orbital stations Optimus had rarely seen before. Seven of Cybertron's moons hung over them, three bright as headlights, the others waxing or waning and sparkling with their city lights.
"Any luck so far?"
"Nothing. There're only so many jobs for warbuilds in Iacon, and most of them go to..."
"The home-made arsenal?" Ultra Magnus said, half-smiling, half-cynical. "Optimus, I gave you this job because you came factory-made for the position."
"Not because I'm a blueprint brother?" Optimus asked dubiously, swirling his drink. It was a mineral oil, a deep blue-purple substance that glittered when it moved. We're above the cloud level, he kept thinking, and there are tens of towers all around us, some of them reaching up into space. I don't remember any towers from South Tagon that even reached the clouds, let alone this high.
"If I gave people jobs on the basis of their blueprints, the job would've been filled long before you applied," Ultra Magnus said, pouring himself more of the oil. He offered the jug to Optimus, who quietly accepted a refill.
"This stuff must be worth more than my quarterly credit," Optimus said, swirling it and watching the little flakes sparkle.
"It's worth more than my vornly credit," Ultra Magnus said, smiling at Optimus' startled look. "One of the south-hemisphere Emirates gave it to the boss. He doesn't like it, so he gave it to me." Ultra Magnus took a long drink, regarding the oil with appreciation. "It is very good stuff. When do I get to meet Elita-1?"
"Umm," said Optimus, looking into his glass.
"She doesn't want to meet me?" Ultra Magnus looked a little sad, a little surprised.
Optimus put his glass down. "She doesn't see the point of meeting you."
"Well, I can hardly tell if there's a job for her if I haven't met her."
Optimus startled, looking to Ultra Magnus with surprise and a melting feeling in his tanks. "You'd give her a job?"
"If there's one fit for her." He raised a hand, waving Optimus down softly. "I'm not making promises, but if there's a job for her and she fits the job, why not bring the two together? Besides, I don't like to see good people like you two in straits."
"Thank you, Magnus," Optimus said quietly, bowing his head a little in respect. A word from the Emirate's Chief of Security would almost guarantee Elita-1 a job ... and then things would be easier. Elita would be happier. We could afford an apartment where I don't scrape the wall-panels off with my shoulders, too.
"How about the games? In ten days."
Memories of Chromus flared around his thoughts. Optimus shuddered a little, remembering hacked bodies, charred buildings, limbs crushed under the feet of Guardian robots. "I've never liked to watch the fights much."
"Who said anything about watching?" Ultra Magnus gave him a light shove to the shoulder. "We'll be working, but I know at least three of our co-workers who'll be boosting their partners free tickets, and I was planning to join them for the laser show at the memorial amprodome afterwards. Why don't you two come along?"
"I'll suggest it to her tomorrow," Optimus said, wrapping an arm around one of his knees. Magnus is a good mechanism ... but the games? And a laser show? And six new people besides him? Elita may not like the idea ... but it would do her good. "What about you? Bringing someone?"
Ultra Magnus chuckled, glanced away south. "No, not me. My core processor belongs elsewhere."
"Oh?" Optimus asked curiously, wondering if he was being tactless.
Ultra Magnus looked at him, that very focused look that always made Optimus wonder if he had a smear on his face. "Have you ever been to Kalis?"
"Kalis? No. I've never been south of Tagon." I've never been east or west of Tagon, either. Optimus' geography south of the equator was sketchy; there was Kaon, the Legascion states, and a few other places.
"It used to be a Legascion state, until it surrendered to the Autobots in the Second War."
Second War? Optimus wondered. Every other conversation with Ultra Magnus reminded him how narrow his education in Tagon had been.
"I went there for a holiday a few decivorns ago. I've never seen so many beautiful cities - but the capital! Kalis City is astonishing, truly astonishing."
"Why?" Optimus asked. "Is this one of those Classics things?"
"You don't need a Classical education to let Kalis k-prompt your primary processors," Ultra Magnus said, smiling with a distant fondness. "Kalis is made of pale metal, with an ancient curtain-wall around it. Its river flows over the wall, falling like a curtain of moving glass into the river-streets. The Amnarum rises up in a spiral, with three fountains striking off the side, so that when you look at it, you see through three liquid walls. Seeing the sun set through it ... it was as if the water was changing colour, and every colour was new shade of light. The whole city is pale and green and glittering, suffused with this air of light descending into the water so that everything glows from inside. It gave me a very profound sense of peace, and of belonging. Like I'd found a place where I belonged, not just in body but in spirit."
"Sounds very pleasing," Optimus said, taking a drink. "So who did you fall in love with there?"
Magnus laughed out loud, tipping his head back to laugh up at the stars and the orbital rings and the brilliant moons. "Oh, Optimus. I fell in love with the city."
28/1/07 - Rumour Mill
There were some things about temporary allegiances that Optimus Prime cherished, such as being able to talk to Megatron without a fight starting, being able to share the Decepticon commander's thoughts. It reassured him that there was a spark of goodness in Megatron, somewhere deep down under the kiloivorns of rage and war. Optimus Prime cherished the camaraderie, seeing Autobots and Decepticons working together, achieving so much together so quickly. He rejoiced in the friendships, however brief, and in the lasting respect built between once and future enemies.
He did not cherish Starscream.
"It's awfully quiet up there," he said.
"Aww, they're probably taking a nap," Trailbreaker replied.
"Together? In combined command?" Optimus Prime just quickened his pace. The combined command centre was dangerously silent for a place in which Megatron and Starscream were supposed to be putting together a deployment plan for the next phase of their combined assault on the Trigati.
"They've been working on that plan all night," Trailbreaker shrugged, making an effort to keep pace with Optimus Prime as he quickened his step.
"You don't suppose Starscream could've ... " Optimus Prime wondered aloud.
"What? Already?" Trailbreaker asked.
"When we allied against the Rusettorians, he sold them our positions in return for the plans of their crystal cannons. When we were all penned in by the Ul'Battur, he abandoned us to die. When we were fighting against the Gnarlocs, he diverted his fleets to loot dying worlds. When the Poloroco were willing to trade prisoners for a ceasefire, he ignored the truce and set the entire planet to the sword. When The Brutality went down on that ice-planet, he left Megatron and I and five thousand others to freeze to death."
"Yeah, and he was real noisy about it. It's quiet in there. Since when were Decepticons quiet?"
"When they're dead." Images of Megatron slain, facedown in his own energon, fleeted through Optimus Prime's mind. "It would be such a terrible loss. A tragedy. Megatron can be redeemed -"
"I want to know who pawned him in the first place."
"Very funny. He can learn to see that there is good in a life without constant war. Even Starscream may see it one day ... presuming he and Megatron don't kill one another first."
"Given what everyone says about those two, I doubt they've been fighting," Trailbreaker chuckled. "Though I hear they ain't very quiet when they're doing that either."
"I don't believe in rumours," Optimus said firmly. "Especially not ones like that."
"Besides," continued Trailbreaker, "why would Starscream want to kill Megatron now? Right when we have the big assault ready to go?"
"If I were Megatron, I'd say it's because Starscream is a venomous cut-throat who'll stop at nothing to get what he wants and picks the worst possible time to get it."
"Megatron said that?"
"He sounded approving," Optimus Prime said darkly. "If Starscream wants the plans for the Trigati shrapnel-cannons ... " Thoughts of Autobots ripped apart, bodies shredded like so much tinfoil, passed across his mind, blotting out any thoughts of what Starscream may have done.
" ... why'd he wait so long? Besides, we've captured a dozen of those blasted things intact so far," Trailbreaker reminded him. "They're probably just enjoying some ... privacy."
"In combined command? Sometimes I don't understand the Decepticons, but that would beggar belief."
"Aww, come on, chief! I'll bet you ten cubes of energon we'll open that door and the only reason they're quiet is because Megatron's got his glossa down Starscream's ingestion conduit."
"Thank you for that graphic suggestion," Optimus Prime said with a grimace.
The door opened before them, and kiloivorns of rumour were laid to rest.
"... will you be wanting that energon some time soon?" Optimus Prime asked quietly.
25/1/07 - 972 words on The Other God of Charr
26/1/07-27/1/07 - Another Look
"How's Elita-1?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"The same. She's on a job-hunting tour outside the Iacon municipal zone," Optimus replied, staring up at the sky. They were sitting on the wide, open balcony of Ultra Magnus' apartment, miles above the heart of Iacon. Below, the city was a mesh of lights half-seen through the dark bronze clouds. Above, the sky was black as hot tyres, sparkling with the stars and the rings of orbital stations Optimus had rarely seen before. Seven of Cybertron's moons hung over them, three bright as headlights, the others waxing or waning and sparkling with their city lights.
"Any luck so far?"
"Nothing. There're only so many jobs for warbuilds in Iacon, and most of them go to..."
"The home-made arsenal?" Ultra Magnus said, half-smiling, half-cynical. "Optimus, I gave you this job because you came factory-made for the position."
"Not because I'm a blueprint brother?" Optimus asked dubiously, swirling his drink. It was a mineral oil, a deep blue-purple substance that glittered when it moved. We're above the cloud level, he kept thinking, and there are tens of towers all around us, some of them reaching up into space. I don't remember any towers from South Tagon that even reached the clouds, let alone this high.
"If I gave people jobs on the basis of their blueprints, the job would've been filled long before you applied," Ultra Magnus said, pouring himself more of the oil. He offered the jug to Optimus, who quietly accepted a refill.
"This stuff must be worth more than my quarterly credit," Optimus said, swirling it and watching the little flakes sparkle.
"It's worth more than my vornly credit," Ultra Magnus said, smiling at Optimus' startled look. "One of the south-hemisphere Emirates gave it to the boss. He doesn't like it, so he gave it to me." Ultra Magnus took a long drink, regarding the oil with appreciation. "It is very good stuff. When do I get to meet Elita-1?"
"Umm," said Optimus, looking into his glass.
"She doesn't want to meet me?" Ultra Magnus looked a little sad, a little surprised.
Optimus put his glass down. "She doesn't see the point of meeting you."
"Well, I can hardly tell if there's a job for her if I haven't met her."
Optimus startled, looking to Ultra Magnus with surprise and a melting feeling in his tanks. "You'd give her a job?"
"If there's one fit for her." He raised a hand, waving Optimus down softly. "I'm not making promises, but if there's a job for her and she fits the job, why not bring the two together? Besides, I don't like to see good people like you two in straits."
"Thank you, Magnus," Optimus said quietly, bowing his head a little in respect. A word from the Emirate's Chief of Security would almost guarantee Elita-1 a job ... and then things would be easier. Elita would be happier. We could afford an apartment where I don't scrape the wall-panels off with my shoulders, too.
"How about the games? In ten days."
Memories of Chromus flared around his thoughts. Optimus shuddered a little, remembering hacked bodies, charred buildings, limbs crushed under the feet of Guardian robots. "I've never liked to watch the fights much."
"Who said anything about watching?" Ultra Magnus gave him a light shove to the shoulder. "We'll be working, but I know at least three of our co-workers who'll be boosting their partners free tickets, and I was planning to join them for the laser show at the memorial amprodome afterwards. Why don't you two come along?"
"I'll suggest it to her tomorrow," Optimus said, wrapping an arm around one of his knees. Magnus is a good mechanism ... but the games? And a laser show? And six new people besides him? Elita may not like the idea ... but it would do her good. "What about you? Bringing someone?"
Ultra Magnus chuckled, glanced away south. "No, not me. My core processor belongs elsewhere."
"Oh?" Optimus asked curiously, wondering if he was being tactless.
Ultra Magnus looked at him, that very focused look that always made Optimus wonder if he had a smear on his face. "Have you ever been to Kalis?"
"Kalis? No. I've never been south of Tagon." I've never been east or west of Tagon, either. Optimus' geography south of the equator was sketchy; there was Kaon, the Legascion states, and a few other places.
"It used to be a Legascion state, until it surrendered to the Autobots in the Second War."
Second War? Optimus wondered. Every other conversation with Ultra Magnus reminded him how narrow his education in Tagon had been.
"I went there for a holiday a few decivorns ago. I've never seen so many beautiful cities - but the capital! Kalis City is astonishing, truly astonishing."
"Why?" Optimus asked. "Is this one of those Classics things?"
"You don't need a Classical education to let Kalis k-prompt your primary processors," Ultra Magnus said, smiling with a distant fondness. "Kalis is made of pale metal, with an ancient curtain-wall around it. Its river flows over the wall, falling like a curtain of moving glass into the river-streets. The Amnarum rises up in a spiral, with three fountains striking off the side, so that when you look at it, you see through three liquid walls. Seeing the sun set through it ... it was as if the water was changing colour, and every colour was new shade of light. The whole city is pale and green and glittering, suffused with this air of light descending into the water so that everything glows from inside. It gave me a very profound sense of peace, and of belonging. Like I'd found a place where I belonged, not just in body but in spirit."
"Sounds very pleasing," Optimus said, taking a drink. "So who did you fall in love with there?"
Magnus laughed out loud, tipping his head back to laugh up at the stars and the orbital rings and the brilliant moons. "Oh, Optimus. I fell in love with the city."
28/1/07 - Rumour Mill
There were some things about temporary allegiances that Optimus Prime cherished, such as being able to talk to Megatron without a fight starting, being able to share the Decepticon commander's thoughts. It reassured him that there was a spark of goodness in Megatron, somewhere deep down under the kiloivorns of rage and war. Optimus Prime cherished the camaraderie, seeing Autobots and Decepticons working together, achieving so much together so quickly. He rejoiced in the friendships, however brief, and in the lasting respect built between once and future enemies.
He did not cherish Starscream.
"It's awfully quiet up there," he said.
"Aww, they're probably taking a nap," Trailbreaker replied.
"Together? In combined command?" Optimus Prime just quickened his pace. The combined command centre was dangerously silent for a place in which Megatron and Starscream were supposed to be putting together a deployment plan for the next phase of their combined assault on the Trigati.
"They've been working on that plan all night," Trailbreaker shrugged, making an effort to keep pace with Optimus Prime as he quickened his step.
"You don't suppose Starscream could've ... " Optimus Prime wondered aloud.
"What? Already?" Trailbreaker asked.
"When we allied against the Rusettorians, he sold them our positions in return for the plans of their crystal cannons. When we were all penned in by the Ul'Battur, he abandoned us to die. When we were fighting against the Gnarlocs, he diverted his fleets to loot dying worlds. When the Poloroco were willing to trade prisoners for a ceasefire, he ignored the truce and set the entire planet to the sword. When The Brutality went down on that ice-planet, he left Megatron and I and five thousand others to freeze to death."
"Yeah, and he was real noisy about it. It's quiet in there. Since when were Decepticons quiet?"
"When they're dead." Images of Megatron slain, facedown in his own energon, fleeted through Optimus Prime's mind. "It would be such a terrible loss. A tragedy. Megatron can be redeemed -"
"I want to know who pawned him in the first place."
"Very funny. He can learn to see that there is good in a life without constant war. Even Starscream may see it one day ... presuming he and Megatron don't kill one another first."
"Given what everyone says about those two, I doubt they've been fighting," Trailbreaker chuckled. "Though I hear they ain't very quiet when they're doing that either."
"I don't believe in rumours," Optimus said firmly. "Especially not ones like that."
"Besides," continued Trailbreaker, "why would Starscream want to kill Megatron now? Right when we have the big assault ready to go?"
"If I were Megatron, I'd say it's because Starscream is a venomous cut-throat who'll stop at nothing to get what he wants and picks the worst possible time to get it."
"Megatron said that?"
"He sounded approving," Optimus Prime said darkly. "If Starscream wants the plans for the Trigati shrapnel-cannons ... " Thoughts of Autobots ripped apart, bodies shredded like so much tinfoil, passed across his mind, blotting out any thoughts of what Starscream may have done.
" ... why'd he wait so long? Besides, we've captured a dozen of those blasted things intact so far," Trailbreaker reminded him. "They're probably just enjoying some ... privacy."
"In combined command? Sometimes I don't understand the Decepticons, but that would beggar belief."
"Aww, come on, chief! I'll bet you ten cubes of energon we'll open that door and the only reason they're quiet is because Megatron's got his glossa down Starscream's ingestion conduit."
"Thank you for that graphic suggestion," Optimus Prime said with a grimace.
The door opened before them, and kiloivorns of rumour were laid to rest.
"... will you be wanting that energon some time soon?" Optimus Prime asked quietly.
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I like the one with Optimus and Magnus, too.
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On the other hand, Orion Pax and them seemed to be naive, self-absorbed children. We didn't really see much of them, though, so it's hard to say.
Interesting idea about Magnus, though my main view on that is that Dreadmoon is going to be unhappy.
Ultra Magnus likes Optimus, doesn't he? Or does he normally share the really good stuff with new soldiers?
And what sort of job is Optimus doing exactly?
"You don't need a Classical education to let Kalis k-prompt your primary processors,"
I could work out from context what that meant, more or less, but not the precise connotations.
Second one: kiloivorns - That's a unit of time?
Also, Optimus seems to be rather... Jealous? He is Not Happy at the idea that Starscream may be doing Megatron, or that the white jet may have killed Megatron.
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Dreadmoon is going to be terribly unhappy, but he'll have to wait four million years to be built first.
Magnus does indeed like Optimus. I've written him as a bit more cheery and open because, well, you'd expect a five million year war to change someone, but he's warmed up to Optimus quite a bit here.
Optimus' job is being part of Emirate Xaaron's security team. He's a sort of presidential bodyguard, albeit new to the team and therefor not actually guarding the Emirate directly. At this point, he's probably just standing in front of doors and checking passes.
A k-prompt would be like a k-line for processes. That one was a bit occluded, yes.
Kiloivorns is a unit of time, yes. It's in the Koipedia; a kiloivorn is 1000 vorns [83,333 Earth-years]. I'm using it as the basic time-measuring unit on Cybertron, since it breaks these huge million-year chunks up into managable units.
Optimus isn't jealous. He knows Megatron well enough to believe he can "redeem" Megatron into being a nice-if-gruff Grimlock-type Autobot, but hasn't got a handle on Starscream's mind, so he's more concerned about Starscream killing Megatron before he [Optimus] can "redeem" him than with "redeeming" Starscream.
:: puff puff :: Damn run-on sentence ...
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*hugpat*
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"If I were Megatron, I'd say it's because Starscream is a venomous cut-throat who'll stop at nothing to get what he wants and picks the worst possible time to get it."
"Megatron said that?"
"He sounded approving," Optimus Prime said darkly.
This bit is wonderful because it's such a perfect little insight into the Decepticon worldview. But you know how much I like your Megatron and Starscream, so there you go.
*patscritch*
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I should think that was only a light selection of Starscream's actions ... and of course Megatron approves in the long term, even if they piss him off in the short term.
:: purr::
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And, of course. *g*
*scritchiescritchie*
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:: purr!::
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I love the kind of quiet desperation about Optimus--not that I like desperation but he's so...young. When we see him (after 1985) he's so...well, I hesitate to use the word 'god-like' but he's the Big Bot and there's so much tied into that (it would figure, wouldn't it, since right now he's just 'Optimus' and not 'Optimus Prime'). In this conversation with 'Magnus he's just a young'in, trying to make his way in the world. Very open to learning, willing and eager, a little shy but very brave--Aww, I love it. ^_^ I also like how he's so protective of Elita--well maybe protective but puts her very high on his priority list--thinking of how she'd feel but being concerned about her withdrawing into herself. He's very good at bolstering, isn't he? He does it to the very end, and then some.
Your descriptions are outtasight; I love the glittery drinks and the thought of city lights on the moons (reminds me of Journey's song, "Lights" a little, hee). You paint a very detailed picture of Cybertronian society.
Makes me sad, though; 'Magnus' beautiful city will end up like Mirage's Towers and Omega's Crystal City...of course that's what war does...*sigh* And then to go to Earth and be Autobot City's commander, and then watch the Decepticons burn it to the ground...Okay, it's official. I will never call 'Magnus a dork again. You've given me a new respect for 'Magnus, and that's saying a lot.
And the second--ah, that's an Optimus I recognize, though he's not entirely there yet. ~_^ He sounds more like himself. And ahahahaha, Megs and Screamer...oh my, Optimus' virgin optics! XD Why the heck didn't Megatron lock the blasted door? Exhibitionists. :P And didn't Prime ever hear of knocking/hailing? ~_^
I'm surprised that Prime would work with Megatron and think so highly of him considering how Megatron tried to kill Orion and Ariel (unless the rebuild took away that memory). Of course that's Prime for you; always trying to see the good in everyone.
I would like very much to have regular doses of your lovely fic. Would you mind if I friended you? =)
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It would be awfully strange if millions of years of War and leadership hadn't changed Optimus. Static, unchanging characters are unreal. So it made sense he'd have to start from somewhere, and from the looks of things Alpha Trion let him go out into the world with nothing but a name and a gun. Everyone has to start somewhere ...
I keep trying to work out what Cybertron would've looked like and coming up with more and more odd things. Magnus must live a long way up, since I'm pretty sure Cybertron's smog is so thick you can't see the stars from below the cloud-level.
Kalis didn't end up too badly. Its fate was described in Wayward's The River Is Dry (http://www.insecticons.com/fic/fic-wr-riverisdry.html).
But if I've given you a new respect for Magnus in a 1000-word off-the-cuff story ... ^_^ Hot damn!
I insist that all they were doing was kissing. They've had a busy night.
I've always been interested in Autobot/Decepticon truces, and looking at the big truce in G2, Optimus really did respect and make an effort to work with Megatron.
As for friending, be my guest. I make no promises of daily fic, but hopefully there will be regular new stuff.
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...and I'm currently trying to lose weight.
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:: ... offers low-fat treats instead?::
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The first one actually left me quite bewildered for awhile, cartoon-continuity-only-follower that I am, I thought perhaps it was a conversation taking place many, many years after the war, not before it (which, BTW, made the line, "Nothing. There're only so many jobs for warbuilds in Iacon, and most of them go to..." seem all the more amusing and ironic to me), but the Country Mouse/City Mouse feel of their conversation (a comparison that I'm inclined to wonder if you had in mind while writing) and Optimus's timidity eventually clued me in. I'm assuming this is early comic book continuity? At that point, the Country Mouse/City Mouse aspect was the most interesting part to me, and the description of Kalis was very pretty, but beyond that, you're dealing primarily with characters that have never held much interest for me, and softening them didn't really help there (didn't hurt, either, and it was admittedly appropriate for the setting... it just didn't help).
The second was cute and amusing. Prime's undying optimism (Optimist Prime! Heee!) made me smile (perhaps a bit sadly), and the end made me snicker, but that's about it. That said, I did find it a more enjoyable read than the first, but I don't really have any deep thoughts on it or anything beyond, "Heehee!"
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Well, "heehee!" is good. A laugh is a good thing.