Despondency [Open]

[Deleted]

((April 27th. Night. Open thread. Have a mopey Starscream.))


Starscream had been making less of a spectacle of himself lately. He, quite frankly, wasn’t feeling up to it. Over the past few months, the seeker jet had gone from seeing this new world as infuriating, to annoying, to a new opportunity and, now, wasn’t sure what to think of it. Starscream had planned on betraying everyone and enslaving every living thing around, as is the want of the Decepticon. At last, he could be the ruling king.

But that zeal had faded. Dulled. He felt like he didn’t have a direction. Or rather, Starscream was weary about the direction he thought he was going. A while ago, he’d carried some of the members of this pathetic “army” away from a battle rather than let them rot. Oh sure, he could claim it was because he just wanted to pretend like he could be trusted. But there was no real gain in it for him. Who cares about any of them?

Right?

“I can’t believe what’s happening to me,” he hissed.

He threw a stone into the big pond he was sat down next to. Starscream hung back in the forest because he knew it would be easier for him to hide in. He stared at the reflections in the water. He moved his legs up to his chest plate and wrapped his arms around them: a most un-killer-robot-like pose. The red glow of his eyes flickered as he lowered his lids. He let out a wheezing sigh, uttering a Cybertronian swear.

[Cinema Snob]

Cinema snob had been more than MIA for these past two months. Ever since his capture, he had been more and more isolated. He just didn't feel like himself anymore. And he didn't know how to fix it. He just plain didn't. So he took a late walk, desperate to find himself again. To wake up and be more part of the team. He wished to be more focused. So he decided some fresh night air might help. He eventually was led to a big pond, where the big robot himself sat. He heard Starscream comment about the similar feeling he himself had. Snob walked over and chuckled harshly "Tell me about it. This situation is fucked up" He then looked up, well as up as he could and replied "Sorry, mind if I hang here?"

[Deleted]

Red eyes opened wider, although Starscream wasn’t startled. A mechanical whirring was briefly audible as he turned his head. By this point, he was used to having to look down. It didn’t take more than a second for him to see the Snob below.

“Whatever.  It’s all the same to me,” rasped the robot.

Starscream looked back at the pond. He didn’t bother to get himself into a more dignified pose. He’d been humiliated already in front of these humans multiple times, so why stop now? Slowly, he started to smirk.

“Ha! Excuse me if the aggression has been taken out of my passive-aggressiveness,” he cackled offhand.

The smirk didn’t last and quickly vanished. His eyes flickered as he blinked, turning his head again.

“What are you doing out here? It’s not like you have to hide,” Starscream asked, for once wording his question more like an actual question and less like an accusation.

[Cinema Snob]

The cinema snob shrugged at Starscream's comment, more glad to sit with the robot than judge. Snob felt like a shell of his former self, so he didn't feel the need to be so critcal or nasty anymore. The war took a toll on him and he didn't feel concerned about his appearance either. He then turned to hear Starscream's question, hearing genuine curiosity. Snob shrugged again "I felt closed in at the house. Needed to get out. Feeling the world kind of closing in on me to be honest"

Snob turned, a very curious look on his face "What are you doing out here?" He did his best to not sound accustory either. He was just as curious as Starscream seemed to be.

[Deleted]

Starscream sneered briefly.

“Oh yes. Them. Whenever I have something to say, they’re all so disrespectful of me.”

To be fair, Starscream was abrasive and self-important the majority of the time.

“It’s almost like they don’t want to trust me or something. I -- I hate it.”

He paused, wondering if maybe the reason he hated it was because he actually wanted to be seen as trustworthy. Hmm. Nah.

Once more, he looked down at the snob.

“It’s not like I can walk the streets! I don’t get along with the Critic’s little friends and I most certainly don’t get along with our enemies!! So, I spend a lot of time here! ...Alone!! Looking at this planet’s wretched biological scenery. Tch. It is nice in a way, I suppose.”

[Cinema Snob]

"Well to be fair to us, we only know you from the show. But yeah, they could be nicer" Snob was also one who was arrogant and self-absorbed himself. He had to learn through these past couple years to be more of a friend and less bossy. But being a cinema snob came with being quite the snob for a long time. It was only after The Suburban Knights journey was when the growth of the snob started to happen. This war gave him the right push. So although he wanted to defend his friends, he did understand where Starscream was coming from.

"If you want I can talk to them about how you're feeling. I may not be in second command anymore but I still am in a position to help" Snob replied. He did feel a bit bad for the robot. It was hard for anyone, let alone a huge ass robot to fit in with the crowd. And when you were a villain, you tended to have a bad reputation, especially with heroes around you. He then looked softly as Starscream confessed due to being disrespected by the heroes and hated by the enemy, he isolated himself.

"Well, I like it here myself. It's quiet. And hey, maybe if you start doing nicer things maybe they'll be less angry. Don't get me wrong, you're not to blame for their behavior, but it takes effort to show yourself in a good light" Snob hoped he was being helpful. He was not very good with advice. Especially when it came to gaining trust.

[Deleted]

Starscream sank his head in-between his knees, looking like a moody teenager. He refused eye-contact for the time.

“No!” he barked in response to the offer for help, “Nobody has to know how I feel. It doesn’t matter! Besides, I don’t need any sympathy.”

Decepticons didn’t tend to be the most sentimental of robots. They most certainly could be driven by emotion, but usually these emotions were things like hatred, hubris or envy. There’s no mystery why the Decepticons are often labeled as “evil”. Starscream took pride in his race, and, because this race was ruled primarily by who was the strongest, things like vulnerability were frowned upon to say the least. Starscream didn’t want to look weak. Weakness was death.

“That’s going to be difficult. What nice things can I do?” Starscream was genuinely at a loss, “I mean, I add my input! My expert input!! That’s nice. I fight without mercy. That’s nice too!”

No Starscream.

[Cinema Snob]

"It actually does matter. But I'm not gonna force you, man. It's a free country" Snob shrugged, feeling disappointed but not surprised. Many of the former villains in their army rejected any help. Starscream was a mixed bag just like the rest of them. But unlike Grimhilde who genuinely wanted to change, it seemed Starscream wasn't so keen on changing his ways. Snob had no choice but to let it go.

He then resisted the urge to laugh as Starscream explained how 'nice' he really was. Although it helped him in the past, Snob wasn't so sure these actions would help his case. "No, the way you worked for Megatron before, it makes us suspicious. Like instead of being a no mercy type of guy, you try to be merciful instead. You speak your mind but respect others opinions. You try to show comfort to someone who's upset. Or just don't get so irritable when somebody asks you a question. That's being nice" He laughed a little "Listen, I get where you're coming from. I've been in your place before. But I had to learn that my way wasn't always the right way" It was true. Snob had to learn and learn hard.

[Deleted]

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you humans.”

Starscream furrowed his brows and shook his head. What Snob told him wasn’t as beyond his understanding as he made it seem.  The problem was, Starscream was extremely stubborn. The majority of the time the only person he looked out for was himself. He turned his head.

“What are you suggesting? That I try to make friends?”

He kept a half-quizzical, half-disgusted look on his face for a while. A long time ago, Starscream did have a friend: one of his colleagues, Skyfire. Maintaining a friendship is, or at least, was, within his abilities. The thing is, that friendship ended very badly; Skyfire defected to the Autobots and they haven’t spoken since.

“I appreciate the advice, but let us be logical -- who would really give me the time of day at this point? Even if I tried to be… eck, nice.”

[Cinema Snob]

"Hey we humans don't understand each other sometimes. Can't say I blame you" Snob chuckled, aware of the robot's lack of understanding. He couldn't help himself. It was funny in a way. Snob didn't mean to be cruel at all, it just was coming clear to him that starscream was going to have to learn things himself with certain things. It wasn't a bother though. Snob didn't mind. It was, as he said, a free country after all.

"Well, um, maybe. I mean, yes and no. Just be less confrontational when people talk to you and things might feel less tense. You're not around enemies ya know?" Snob replied as gently as possible. The last thing he wanted was to annoy his ally any further. Though it seemed like it was too late, seeing how disgusted Starscream appeared. He then raised his hand "I'd give you the time of day. I mean, you don't seem that bad"

[Deleted]

“I’m bad. Trust me.”

Starscream sunk again.

“I don’t want this. I want to go--” he hesitated, “I’m not sure.”

He leaned forward before standing upright, putting him at about eye-level with the tops of the trees. For the time, he was consumed with his thoughts about himself. It wasn’t long before he apparently came upon a conclusion.

“This place is doing terrible things to me,” he whined, before finally looking down at the Snob again, “But you’ve given me a goal at least. It’s better than sitting here being confused I suppose. Heh, I shall attempt this mission.”

[Cinema Snob]

"I do. But I still think everybody deserves a second chance" Snob shrugged, but turned to see Starscream rise to leave, only to pause. Snob waited, looking down at the lake, awaiting Starscream to leave despite feeling disappointed. Yet he didn't, only continued to talk to snob. He then smiled brightly "Oh awesome! Glad you're taking my advice! I hope it helped a little" He then sighed "It is unfair to be here, you should be home" He then sighed "If only Critic could hurry up with that solution"