re_alignment_logs | And Ignite Your Bones

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And Ignite Your Bones

WHO: Barricade and OPEN!
WHERE: All over the Haven
WHEN About now-ish
WHAT: Barricade returns to the Haven after an absence
WARNINGS: n/a; will update when applicable

Barricade had shut his Link off shortly after he'd left the Haven, in the opposite direction from the Badlands. He'd seen it and there was nothing there for him; better to explore a little farther than he had before, while he gave himself time to think.

And to get as far away as possible so he could send transmissions out on old lines he rarely used anymore. No one was going to answer, but saying everything out loud, sending it all into space... had helped. Gave him a chance to breathe a little instead of keeping all of it in. None of it was anything he felt comfortable sharing with other mechs here; the last two he could have were... well.

That was why he'd gone in the first place.

Eventually he had to come back, though. Even if it was really rather nice out there. Seeing stars again... erupting volcanoes. Get past the whole rocky terrain thing and this Cybertron wasn't really too bad. But it was the bugs that brought him back. His headlights had attracted a cloud of the things and the trails of them leaven the Haven led him back. Like some stupid song.

So he'd come back.

(Option 1)
Barricade waves a few of the robo-bugs away from his headlights as he finally enters the Haven again, taking a look around before eventually heading in, intent on giving it the full once-over before heading to a certain spot that had gotten his attention when he'd turned the Link back on.

(Option 2)
He'd caught the mention of a graveyard out in Alpha Trion's quadrant when he'd turned the Link on again. He exvents as he approaches it, slowing to a stop. He'd disappeared for a while, but... time to pay his respects now. Stay a while with a little bit of quiet for once.

(Option 3)
Eventually he has to leave the graveyard behind. He can't stay there forever, after all. Once he decides to leave, he heads back to Solus Prime's temple. He could use a good cleaning... and finding someone that might be able to explain why that symbol on his shoulder has gotten larger. It's disconcerting and in this case, he definitely needs answers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Besides, being thrown in the jail is not on his list of things to do around here.]

No, there's really no reason. Designation's Barricade by the way.

[Barricade glances down when he hears the buzzing of the glow-bugs, gently trying to shoo them with one hand.]

The things are awfully fond of my headlights...

Barricade, huh? Never heard of you! I'm Sari!

[She perks up with a small laugh, since it means he's not some weird buggy version of some robot who's tried to kidnap her or take of the world back home.]

But your lights are good - so hold still!

[She flails out suddenly, using the lights to try - and fail - to catch one of the bugs, even with how large they are on her scale. She pouts and stomps a foot as they fly out of reach over her head.]

Awwww!

I'm not surprised you haven't.

[Most people don't have versions of him, apparently, and it's been rather a Godsend for him. Means he isn't fighting assumptions all the way.]

Hold still? Ah, I see.

[He watches her trying to catch the bugs flitting in the light, chuckling quietly.]

You might have more luck if you held still, too. Let them land and y'might catch one.

[Sari spins in place, watching them hover off out of reach unhappily.]

But they don't wanna land on me!

[Which couldn't possibly be because she keeps trying to grab them when they get within three feet of her or anything...]

Because you keep trying to grab them when they get anywhere near you. I wouldn't wanna land either, if some big scary thing kept flailing their appendages at me.

[Just gonna. Gently point that out.]

[There is a pause, and you can practically see the cogs spin, before she laughs out an awkward giggle, scratching at the back of her head.]

Oooooooh. Right...

[She tries to stand still, but she is practically wiggling in place, hands twitching at her sides as the bugs hover out of reach above her head.]

But that's hard! And I'm still too short!

[...five seconds. A new record.]

[Girl you were so close. Hrm. New tactic.]

All right. Lemme try.

[He brings one chrome-clawed hand into the light of his headlights, immediately stilling it.]

Now, can you wait until they settle on my hand to try to grab them?

Uh. Mmmmaybe?

[She bounces on the balls of her feet, eager to leap at them - but the involvement of a strange robot was apparently the motivation see needed to keep from grabbing at things.

Those claws are bigger than she is.]

[Well, they are an important feature of his, after all. And she seems to he doing better enough that several of the robo-bugs land on his claws, wings flitting as they crawl about. He slowly lowers his hand down to her level, twisting it to keep the sharp tips away from her.]

Okay. Try now. Just be careful 'round my claws, I don't want you getting hurt.

[Sari nodded, tense as Barricade lowered his hands, afraid the glowbugs would flit off with the movement. Only a few did, but most remained.

Then she squirmed in glee, unable to restrain the high pitched 'eeeeee' squee of excitement that escaped as she slowly reached up past the deadly claws, caging her fingers around one of the glowing bugs at last.]

-I got it! I got it!

[She bounced from foot to foot, caution forgotten in triumph as the glowing bug buzzed between her fingers.]

[Barricade twitches his hand back sharply to keep it out of rang of the girl's hopping, the rest of the bugs flitting away in all directions. Still, he grins and chuckles at her.]

A little patience c'n go a long way to gettin' what you want, can't it?

[She finally stops her hopping, if only to peer within the cage of her fingers to stare more closely at the bug, which blinked brightly at her. She's lucky she didn't accidentally squeeze it too tight in her excitement and end up with tiny rotor-cuts in her palms, but it seems unharmed and content enough.]

I guess... This is so coooool! Thanks!

[He chuckles quietly, watching her. Well, at least she finally managed to catch one of the things... and didn't get hurt by it on accident. As long as the bug isn't panicking, it's all good.]

Figured I might as well help. I do have headlights, after all.

...Wish I had headlights.

[Grumble. But she couldn't help but grin, staring at the little blinking robo-bug. Slowly, she starts to loosen the cage of her fingers, just a bit at a time, until she ends up with a bug sitting calmly in her palms, spitting it's rotors slowly.

She couldn't help it. She totally squeed.]

You'd look a little odd with them, I think.

[... Wait, did you just squee? He laughs again, quiet to keep from scaring the (relatively) little insect.]

You really wanted one'a those things, didn't you?

Well yeah! I mean...we didn't get a lot of lightning bugs back home in Detroit, in the city? And these things are way cooler!

[She giggles again as the bug walks along her palm and arm, climbing up her sleeve.]

Fireflies do tend t'avoid cities, in my experience. Though I doubt they were anything like these fellas. So you're from Detroit, huh?

[He smiles, watching the bug lazily as it moves.]

Yep! No fireflies, but the most robots in the whole world - and that's before the Autobots and Decepticons showed up!

[A laugh. Then she slides a palm under the bug's path, coaxing it to crawl back onto fingers. From there she can continually slip alternating hands beneath it in it's unending climb upwards.]

...They don't look anything like you though.

Impressive. Robot capital of the world... Detroit really came up in your dimension, didn't it?

[He chuckles quietly and shakes his head.]

I figured not. Ones that look like me... are pretty rare, in places like this. There aren't many of us left.

Uh huh! All thanks to my dad-!

[Her expression falls. Right. Still mad at Dad.

The bug flits off at her pause, but lands in her hair instead of flying off completely. She manages a smile, glancing up at it, before looking back over at Barricade.]

...What's that supposed to mean?

I take it you're not gettin' along with your dad?

[Barricade pauses for a moment, chuckling at the bug. Apparently it's decided it wants to stay. The question gets a low rumble out of his engine.]

We're still in the middle of our war, and we've been extremely dangerous t'each other. There aren't many of us that've lived.

Uh. Y-yeah. You could say that.

[Understatement. Thankfully, Barricade's reply is pretty distracting.]

Wait, what? So you're all...like, almost extinct?

[Well, at least he distracted her from family problems?]

It's gettin' that way, in my dimension. And we've got no one but ourselves to blame for it, too.

[Yes, good job Barricade. Both that and the bug apparently making itself at home in her pigtails are an excellent distraction.]

...How'd you manage that? There are piles of you guys back home!

[That bug is way too cute. And hoo boy, this conversation is about to be awkward.]

In your dimension. Mine's a bit different. Even beyond me being awfully pointy.

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cuties c:!

so adorb :3

83

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