re_alignment_logs | SUPER BACKDATED SRRY

Who: Skids and Shockwave
What: Shockwave attends a party and Skids is rightfully suspicious of his motives.
When: Super backdated to right after party SORRY GUYS
Where: Haven's Hub
Notes: None!

The formal event had gone without much incident. Although the Decepticon scientist's decision to visit the dance had been unusual, his behavior in it's duration was not. Expectedly, he had remained in a back wall. Quiet, unassuming, but always there.

He didn't attempt to socialize, he didn't consume any drink, he didn't even bother making conversation unless it was absolutely necessary. What he did do was watch. He observed the crowd, coldly and clinically, similar to how one might watch a bacterial culture react to stimulus in a petri dish. He was making mental notes. Whatever they were would remain a mystery, but it didn't appear to have any immediate adverse effects.

Shockwave left just as he came. Quiet and distant. He was putting some distance between himself and the fading activity of the event on foot.

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Skids hadn't forgotten that there was a Shockwave present.

He'd noticed two of them, in fact, and that alone had made the night a little less enjoyable than it otherwise would have been. Even having forgotten parts of his past--other parts could still come back to bite him.

If there hadn't been other friends there, he'd have brooded on it more. As it was, Knockout and Shepard and Vandal had done wonders for helping him forget, and the free high-grade had done the rest. It was supposed to be a party!

He couldn't stay sober for that.

However, as the night wound down and he found himself alone at the bar, he couldn't keep his thoughts from returning to Shockwave.

When he caught the dark purple shadow slipping out the door, he followed it.

Maybe it was the buzz from the high-grade, and maybe it was something else, but he was going to find out what Shockwave was up to.

Whatever he was concocting in his mind was probably a lot more interesting than what he was showing as Skids tailed him. Shockwave probably knew he was being followed as soon as he left. Still, he hardly felt threatened, and didn't act on it.

He waited until they were clear of the Hub, having made his way to the northernmost quarter of the collection of buildings back to Liege's quadrant.

It was then that the scientist's single red optic suddenly shifts to where he was certain his pursuer was.

Are you going to come out or what?

Skids was sure he could be good at following someone. It was a skill, wasn't it? And the idea was to not be seen, and stay in the shadows, and look nonchalant, and blend in with the junk.

All of this might have been possible if he wasn't in the complete wrong state of mind for it.

He looked up to find Shockwave staring straight at him while he was walking out into the open trying to find the next pile to meander behind. If he'd been more present, he'd have made some quip about taking the same road home.

Since he wasn't, he smiled awkwardly and dove straight in.

"Nice night for a stroll, isn't it."

"..."

He just gets an mildly intrigued flick of the antenna - yes, those move.

Shockwave recognized Skids from earlier as the rather particularly insistent Autobot at the door of the event. While the two hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start, he didn't really hold any malice for what amounted to a minor inconvenience in the end.

That was evident enough in the neutral body language. Sure, the silence was probably as awkward as ever, but he was still giving some attention.

Shockwave's antennae moved.

This was, currently, occupying the epicenter of Skids attention. Had those always been able to do that? What did it mean? Were there still emotions present?

It wasn't his Shockwave.

Right.

Not his Shockwave.

"Maybe we got off to a bad start. I'm Skids. Graduate of the Jhiaxus Academy of Advanced Technology. Which."

...

"Which you taught at, in my world. It was kind of a big thing."

Why was he saying all of this. This was a bad idea.

"To me."

He was here, now, though, and there didn't seem to be any filter on his thoughts.

"You were pretty brilliant. Er. I'm sure you still are. I guess I'm just curious. You know."

He was focusing back on those antennae.

"What other similarities there were."

Speaking to Shockwave was about as interactive as speaking to a brick wall. With an eye. He didn't move or react to most of it, even though he was surely listening.

There was one distinct break in the stillness, and that was Skids mentioning the Academy. Shockwave's helm seemed to rise with a little interest.

A graduate from an Academy would be something worth further attention - and if an alternate had taken interest him, he might have a reason to keep contact. This time, Skids gets an actual vocal reply in the form of a droning, single question:

"What did you study there?"

It was so different watching this Shockwave, from what he remembered of his. There were elements that were still the same, of course. The way he walked was still familiar, and the particular motion of his hip joints. He was about the same height, too, and, as always...

There was the same interest in science.

That hadn't changed.

Granted, Skids had no idea of this Shockwave had ever been a politician or an emotional person regardless, but it was possible.

It was possible there was something of the Shockwave he knew, here.

"I'm a theoretician. I had a minor in math and I did a research paper on the potential for particles to cross dimensions...which. Uh. Well, I'm going to consider that proven."

Since he was standing on an alternate Cybertron right now.

"Did you ever teach there?"

"It did not exist."

Shockwave does something now beyond the small gestures he had been expressing before. The unblinking stare is broken as he turns away and continues north, expecting Skids to follow with him.

It was a simple enough gesture, but it meant several things. One, that he was interested enough in Skids' company to want to continue listening on his way back rather than simply flying off. Two, that he didn't seem to mind showing where he lived.

"The Lambda must be an intriguing phenomenon for you."

Okay, now this was a conversation he wanted to be having!

It was a conversation that he would have preferred being able to think straight for, but he wasn't being picky at the moment. He had enough of a processor to figure out what Shockwave was wanting, and enough lacking in his processor to think it was a good idea to follow him.

He'd been taught to follow him.

It wasn't easy to stop now, even with this Shockwave admitting he'd not gone to JAAT.

"I've been thinking about it, yeah. Its sort of hard not to think about any time you're outside, but I don't have any equipment to do more than think. It's there, and I'm here."

And no one seemed capable of getting into orbit.

"Still, the amount of energy required to displace an entire individual sideways through a four-coordinate transwarp space has got to come from somewhere, right? And if you can figure out that, then..."

"Uh."

"Then..."

He'd lost his train of thought, but that was only partially because of the drinks he'd had earlier.

Okay, no, it was mostly because of the drinks he'd had earlier, and how it was easy to be distracted when watching Shockwave walk.

SUPER BACKDATED SRRY

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