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 Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 9:22 pm
 A cave in the middle of the wilderness, surrounded by tall, black, forbidding trees, their branches high up as if they shunned the presence of the dragons in the cave. It had snowed the night before, a good foot or so deep, and the sun did not yet deign to show itself. But at least Soundwave was with the pack again.
The pack. Their old Commander, Megatron? Dead. Base Commander Shockwave? Presumed dead. Astrotrain, their best-trained Brander? Missing. Their Wind Commander was now Commander, like he'd always dreamed, but early in the morning like this, Soundwave nursed his doubts. Ravage had disappeared, as had Megatron's raven. His position as Communicator was useless now. Not that it mattered; the pack was scattered, lost--all that remained now was this small group: the Commander, a worthless Communicator, a half-mad Seeker, and a Sludge.
One would assume that things could go up from here, but I doubt it, he said to himself.
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:33 pm
 At last, he was finally leader of the Decepticons. Albeit that now consisted several individuals, one of whom wasn't even a Primus Pure, but he was Commander none the less! Starscream turned from his spot at the mouth of the cave to look over his command with a grin....which quickly dropped into a grimace. This isn't a pack. It's pathetic is what it is. Just three miserable leftovers and a psycho who got dragged into the misery. I finally make it as Commander and this is what I get... He couldn't help but wonder if they were the only ones left. They'd never return to their former glory without more Soldiers, Seekers, Hunter, without more everything. Especially Branders. He gave a heavy sigh, cataloging each of the dragons in the cave with him. Soundwave was always a loyal Decepticon, but he was loyal to Megatron. Would he really be accepting of this new command? Starscream snorted. Like he has a choice... This Zeezeezoolawhatever wasn't Primus Pure and clearly wasn't stable. He put little faith in her until she had proven herself a worthy member. Then there was...
 Screamer...Curled up as far back into the cave as he could get. It would seem this cave he had chosen was a bit too cold for the only dragon in the "pack" without a thick coat. He wasn't one to be trusted so easily either. He was hardly even remembered by the other two Primus Pures and what they had seen of him wasn't reassuring. His mental state was just as questionable as the Femme's, but at least she was openly insane. Screamer was the type of insanity that left you wondering if it was really insanity or just a foul attitude until it crept up on you out of nowhere and possibly shoved a nicely sharpened claw into your back...
At least he was an efficient Hunter and Seeker. That much they could rely on. Sleep had done little to ease the aching of his wounds. If anything he was more stiff now than he had been yesterday. Which was why he remained motionless on the floor rather than rising even though he was quite awake now.
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:02 pm
 Zzzyxwe had never had a pack. She remembered dimly, vaguely, a purple dragon with red lightning bolts on her back, but other than that, all she could remember was the sweet perfume of blood and the feeling of snow crunching under her feet. Packs, families, friends--these had been weak things. Things that were fun to squish, like bugs, things to attack and rend--or to avoid. There was always a feeling of exclusion in them. A sense of "we are we, and you are you, so leave, for you are worthless and you will never be one of us." But here...here with the...the Thingamacons, Zeezee almost already felt at home. These were fighters--they were blood, they were a moving, rending, tearing force. That was all Zzzyxwe wanted.
For now, though, she could have done with something to make her feel better. Her battle with Screamer the day before had given her a nasty bite on her paw, and she wasn't sure it would take weight. Instead she snuggled closer to "Purpley," hoping that the Red Guy wouldn't ask that she stand up any time soon.
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:32 am
Normally, such proximity would not be allowed, but the cave was cold and Zeezee was warm. So Screamer kept his silence for the sake of not becoming ill and simply acted as if he wasn't aware of her presence. With any luck Starscream would see it fit to remain in the cave for the day and he could feign sleep with Zeezee warmly next to him while they recovered. He had a feeling that wasn't how it would work though. They would need food and surely Starscream was eager to find others to join the pack. Since Screamer was the only Hunter and the only other Seeker was Starscream himself, it was only logical to assume the Commander would be commanding him to find food and other to recruit soon.
However, some times Starscream failed to see logic and in this case that was probably for the best. Screamer and Zzzyxwe were too injured to go scouting and if Screamer couldn't keep himself warm inside the cave he would fare much worse outside. He let out a huff and turned to Soundwave, "You're coming with me to scout out the area and get food. We'll leave those two here and if they've ditched us by the time we return well then...at least we're out two crazies." He turned back to the mouth of the cave and started out, not waiting for Soundwave to accept or reject his command.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:39 pm
 Zephyr was lost. He didn't know where he was, which frightened him, and he didn't know where he'd been, which frightened him more. Did this tree look familiar? He didn't know. It was a tree, it didn't talk. Unless. He frowned, staring at the tree. The tree was green. He was green. Was he a tree? No, that couldn't be right. But he was definitely green, and so was the tree, so maybe the tree was a dragon.
"Help me," he whispered. He waited, but the tree didn't answer. There was a voice in his head, though... bad voice, badbad voice, mustn't listen, shut out the voice, don't don't listen don't do what it says bad bad bad.
Whimpering, he curled up under the tree and wrapped his paws around his head. Don't hurt don't hurt bad bad bad. Mustn't hurt them, mustn't listen, must be Zephyr must be the wind and run and run and run.
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:35 pm
Ever since he was a little sparkling, Soundwave had had remarkable self-control. In fact, his reflex to shut up and do as ordered was his best reflex of all. He nodded and stood up, shaking himself out. "Yes, Lord Me--Starscream," he murmured, and with one jealous look at the snuggling Zzzyxwe and Screamer, he stepped outside into the frosty morning. He was going to have to get used to the new Commander, that was for certain. One would assume that since he has spent so much time eager for leadership he knows much of how to run the pack. Of course, he's Starscream, so it's a little hard to be sure of anything. He stopped himself before he thought the fatal word--and now that he was Commander, it might, in fact, be fatal (though somehow he doubted it)--"git." That was not done. Listen to the Commander, and you'll turn out alright. It was how he'd gotten to where he was today.
One of the few surviving members of a--no, bad!! he scolded himself mentally. He paused at the entrance to the cave, watching Starscream for the signal to go ahead. He would show that rebel Screamer how a proper Decepticon acted--obeying his Commander's order! And if that was to go out on an empty stomach doing something he wasn't good at...well, it was folly, but he was a good Decepticon, practically made of loyalty!
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:11 pm
Starscream padded through the deep snow, eyes sweeping across the unfamiliar landscape for....what he wasn't really sure. He looked back at Soundwave and motioned for him to follow. The other may have been a Communicator and a Teacher, but he was a Seeker and it was his job to scout out the area for anything useful, or harmful, and he had no intention of doing such alone. There was no telling what was out in the wilderness beyond the cave.
He moved cautiously, constantly searching for a number of things. Possible threats, signs of a river, signs of other packs or rogue dragons. He was trained for this, he was the best at it, but something about suddenly becoming the Commander in a rather unfamiliar place made this task a bit unnerving. Which was why Soundwave was there. He may not be the most discrete dragon, but he was one you would be grateful to have backing you up in a fight.
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:04 pm
Everything was quiet. Zephyr shuddered, but the sound of the wind in the trees soothed him. It made him, it made him... well not happy, but not so sad or lost or confused.
His name was Zephyr. He knew that. And he was green, and there'd been... somebody else who was green? Somebody he liked, who was green. Green was a good color, a trustworthy color. The color of the trees. "Thank you," he whispered, and leaned his head against the tree. The tree said nothing, but he could hear the wind, and the wind was moving. Time to move, time to follow the wind. Maybe he'd find more green soon.
"Thank you tree," he said once more, and staggered off. He felt so weak, so tired. Kind of hungry, too. When was the last time he'd eaten? He wasn't sure. Bathed? Days, at the very least, for his fur was matted and clotted with dirt. But you could still tell it was green, so that was all right. He was just hidden, hidden under the earth. Like a tree, like a tree root. An entire world of trees under the world, waiting to be discovered.
Maybe he should dig a giant hole. Yes, that would be a good idea.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:00 pm
With a nod, Soundwave followed his commander into the snow. He almost instantly had to suppress the desire to whine. He did not whine. He would just have to suck it up and do a seeker's job. Speeding up a little to catch up to Starscream, he looked around, taking in the dim, early-morning light from the overcast sky and the tree trunks as black as charcoal. All was silent. He hated the silence. The crunching of snow as he kept moving was hardly an improvement. I miss the old days. Beating things up. Listening to them scream. Sometimes they made interesting noises.
The interesting noise he was hearing right now, he realized, was not screams of enemies underneath his claws (or that of his adorable loyal minions). It was the sound of another dragon, faintly, in the distance--digging? Was that the sound of a dragon digging in the snow? Softly, so that only Starscream could hear, he murmured, "Another dragon is nearby, Lord Starscream."
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:52 pm
"I know." As if he wouldn't know of the presence of another dragon before Soundwave, a Communicator. He wasn't the Wind Commander when Megatron was around for nothing. Starscream hunched down, using trees and the like as cover as he moved towards the source of this digging sound. Hopefully this would only be one dragon, which was what Starscream was assuming since there weren't any signs of other dragons, and they would be able to deal with it in an orderly manner. If it was a part of a pack they would play nice until their ranks were large enough to attack and if not they would recruit it...or kill if it refused.
The Commander stopped short of Zephyr, watching him curiously as he dug at the ground. He seemed to be alone, as he had assumed, but Starscream wasn't exactly sure what to think of the new dragon. He would let Soundwave handle the interaction, it was about the only thing he could think of that a Communicator would be mildly useful for at this point.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:14 pm
Dig dig dig, just keep on digging. A big hole, a nice hole, perfect for hiding in. Perfect perfect perfect. He concentrated on the earth beneath his paws, harder than the snow and near frozen, and his claws, sharp sharp claws, sharp claws tearing...
With a muffled scream, he backed out of the hole, shuddering at the image of blood seeping out of the scratches he'd made in the earth. It couldn't be real, it really couldn't, it couldn't it couldn't it couldn't.
"I didn't want to," he said, unsure why he was crying. What was it that he hadn't wanted? He didn't know. But digging a hole no longer sounded like such a good idea.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:31 pm
It occurred to Soundwave as he watched Starscream slink through the undergrowth that sneaking might, in fact, be the best idea. As best he could, he crouched, slipping through the snow somewhat less quietly or gracefully than his Commander. From the scent, it was a male shaggy-furred dragon and he was alone. And from the sound, he was...digging? Why was he digging? A mystery that would have to be determined. He glanced at Starscream and peered at the green stranger.
"Greetings," he murmured. Well..."murmured" was the wrong word. He'd always had a deep voice, but ever since the Second Scattering, his voice had gotten a raspy, guttural quality. A private voice of his that only dared speak when he was intoxicated or exhausted constantly worried what effect his deep, threatening growl would have on his duties as a teacher--or when he had to function as a negotiator. No one would believe that the dragon with the voice like a python being beaten with a pumice boulder was anything but trouble. "What did you not wish to do?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:18 am
Starscream silently loomed up behind Soundwave. Even if he had tried it would have been difficult for him not to appear at least a small bit overbearing and menacing. The fact he had almost silently crept up to Soundwave's side wasn't helping this appearance much either. The Communicator and himself seemed to be opposites; Soundwave with his deep, intimidating voice but rather friendly presence and Starscream with his own....less than appealing voice and much more authoritative air. Though the Commander had his reasons for disliking the other dragon back in the old days, he was glad to have Soundwave around now. Their differences complimented each other in a way that would undoubtedly benefit the pack.
His eyes locked on to Zephyr, taking note of every little detail that told him of the rogue dragon's life. Or at least the past few weeks. He was alone, whether that meant he was lost or just not part of a pack Starscream couldn't quite gauge, but he hadn't been in contact with other dragons recently. That much he could tell. For just a moment his eyes flickered to the hole Zephyr had been digging. Was he burying food? That was the only explanation he could conjure up for the other to be digging. Even after being stuck with Screamer for so long the thought of Zephyr simply being crazy didn't even cross his mind.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:18 pm
Zephyr turned to the other dragons, but he didn't really see them, not yet. "I think I killed her," he moaned. "Or killed... killed... no!" He shook his head violently and finally managed to focus on the other dragons. Red. Both dragons had red, the death color. He growled softly and dug his claws into the earth. No. He wouldn't do it. Not now. "No no no no no," he whispered, and shaking his head once more, he looked at the other dragons once more. A male and a female, but they only had red in parts. "Not all red," he said softly, "but.. but you're not green. Why didn't the trees tell me you were coming?"
He turned away from them for a moment, muttering indistinctly, and went back to digging his hole. If he dug far enough, he'd find the bones, and then he'd eat them and die and he'd be red in the heavens like a bad sky with an angry sun.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:56 pm
Even after years of dealing with the more difficult members of the pack, Soundwave was at a loss as to how to deal with the truly insane, and from the sound of it, this dragon was, if not mad, then very, very confused. And dangerous. He has killed; we could use a dragon such as this, even if he is insane. One more crazy will make no difference to us. But now how to deal with it? It was clearly his job to talk to this dragon and get him to calm down. "Perhaps the trees...did not...wish to disturb you over that which is not a threat," he said cautiously.
Even as he said it, his mind was racing with the analysis of the stranger's words. Not all red, but you're not green. The thought that first came to his mind at those words swiftly lead to another thought. Red is a common color among the Maximals; green was not uncommon among our own troops during the glory days. "Do you require assistance with your endeavor?" he added. With that, he took another step towards the stranger, trying to imagine what he might look like under the matted fur. He looked strong, that was certain--like an oak tree. He has determination as well. Soundwave looked up at Starscream, a meaningful look in his red eyes.
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