the heart changes

heavy.

In longing, you feel heavy. Your desire feels like a burden you've been carrying for too long. Your heart is a large weight in your chest, so heavy it brings down your shoulders and puts a bend in your back. You feel like if you were thrown into water, the weight of it would drag you straight to the bottom. It's as if no matter what you do, you just can't shake it or let it go. When you let yourself feel it, it's almost suffocating, you're drowning in desire, quietly. You unfocus your eyes and breathe out until the stream of air thins, a pang in your chest follows. The next breath is a sigh. You've been so patient, you feel you deserve *something*. Your yearning pulls and pulls at you but you've tried everything, nothing left to do but wait. Once you've accepted this, you push the thoughts away, but the weight is still there. Sometimes you convince yourself you don't even want what you desire anymore, you just want the weight lifted. But something says don't give up. You're too deep in love. Be strong my dear, stay determined.

saiiwala said: ✋ (touch the back of my muse’s hand)

     ✧ It is with a brief blink of surprise that the bot’s crimson gaze looks down at her hand, soon seeing the Cybertronian’s own metal digits lightly brushing against the back of her own. Their conversation, while perhaps a little more personal than the norm, had long since faded out into silence between the two... And yet despite this, the comfort between them has remained strong.

     Yet even so, KOS-MOS wonders... Perhaps he wishes to tell her something...?

     While she smiles, no words leave the android’s mouth. There are words there, within her mind, and yet... Somehow, nothing quite comes to fruition. Instead, the former weapon finds her smaller hand soon reaching for his own, her grip so gentle that it’s almost ghostly on his own digits.

chainconviction said: ​❝ it’s unlike anything i’ve smelled before. ❞

      ✧ ❝ It does have that certain quality about it, doesn't it? ❞ KOS-MOS replies back, intrigue apparent within her crimson optics. Though she isn’t equipped with the means to consume or even taste food, she remembered certain tastes and thus, can gather a guess as to what a food may taste like. Of course, she is merely functioning off memory but even so, it’s something she is grateful to have.

“Here?” That can’t be right. Rung’s spent so long missing his home, his crew, his people. There couldn’t possibly be another Cybertronian in the city who he simply… what? Hasn’t run into? No, no– Radiale isn’t that big.

…right?

“I– hate to turn the conversation away from getting to know you better, KOS-MOS– I’d still like to do that, if you’d be willing to share– but… did you, um, happen to catch the mech’s name?”

It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. Barring, perhaps, a member of the DJD, there is no Cybertronian in the universe who Rung would not be thrilled to see. He deeply values his relationships with the non-mecha he’s met here, but it’s been so long since he’s felt the gentle tingle of an EMF against his sensors, the life of another spark near his own.

“C-Could you take me to him, do you think?”

     ✧ The android can’t help but smile at the other’s enthusiasm, finding it to be endearing, in a way. Certainly if she knew of one of her friends being within this place she, too, would react with surprise and eagerness to see them once more... Though, KOS-MOS would also be greatly concerned, as she is sure Rung must be feeling right now, as well.

     ❝ His name is Optimus Prime, ❞

     ❝ And I do not mind showing you where he is, ❞ she continues to smile kindly at the larger automaton, pleased to see his warm reaction upon hearing a comrade of his resides within the city. 

📚“Uhm, well— If you have little experience with animals but wish to enhance on it, I suggest you visit a pet shop. The sellers there can provide you with information about them and maybe you can work there for a few days. They also sell very informative books. That said, I can give you a pamphlet about bees if you want. I’m handing them out in Prizzy Bees, because not many are aware of how important they are.” Providing some guidance and advertise the store he’s working at in the process? Orphen might be not so wrong to call Dortin actually the cunning one out of the Volcano brothers.

     ✧ ❝ Haha... I do know much about them, ❞ KOS-MOS starts, lightly laughing at the stranger’s enthusiasm to help her.

     ❝ However, I meant that my personal experience with them is very low, ❞

“I understand if it’s not something you’d like to discuss right now, but you don’t have to try to spare my feelings at the cost of your own. I’m actually professionally trained to handle a little ‘worry’ every now and then.”

He is rather proud, yes, although he wishes he had better explained to KOS-MOS that he can’t be permanently harmed even if his holo-avatar sustains injuries. …after all, he can only assume that she’s not touching him in a misguided attempt at avoiding accidentally hurting him with her significant physical strength.

…that, or the concept of a handshake is a foreign one to her.

Rung smiles kindly and doesn’t correct her. Whatever she’s doing, it’s close enough.

“I–” his smile fades immediately at the mention of his homeworld, though, replaced by an expression of pure shock. For a brief moment he wonders whether KOS-MOS could be a Cybertronian’s hologram, too, but that doesn’t seem right. Why wouldn’t she have said anything earlier?

“Y-Yes, I am, but–” they’re close enough now that Rung can dismiss his holo, and his confusion alights anew on his own frame’s faceplates.

“How did you know? I mean– please excuse me. You’re only the second person I’ve met here who even knew that Cybertron existed before I told them. It’s– very nice to be recognized.” But he’s a little more wary, now. Cybertron’s reputation is worst among organics, of course, but even a mechanical like KOS-MOS may have heard rumors of the war and its widespread impact.

If so, Rung wouldn’t blame her for seeing him in a new and unflattering light.

     ✧ Ah, it seems that she has caught him off guard... Though frankly, this is something KOS-MOS had expected. Truthfully had it not been her previous encounters with other Cybertronians in the previous city, the bot wouldn’t have known about their existence, either. 

     ❝ It’s alright; I realize how surprising this news must be, ❞

     ❝ But I have encountered a few of your kind before, ❞ she continues to explain, her tone gentle as she does so. Truly, she’d hate to chase him off by giving him any reason to be cautious around her or the like... And while she is sure she hasn’t done so, that nervousness still echoes within her mind. Despite combining her two halves together, this is all... Well, a little new to the former weapon.

      ✧ ❝ Oh, no; I was merely looking, ❞

      ✧ ❝ Don’t worry; I am not used to it, either, ❞ comes the gentle comment of the bot, who now crouches on the ground next to the small boy. In her had does she hold a bag of bird seed, now lightly offering it to the youth as a small crowd of birds begin to populate their area.

“Oh, I’m–” sorry? Is that an appropriate response? Rung can’t think of many instances in which one would prefer to be semi-conscious, but who knows what kind of situation she’s come from?

“I’m not sure I understand,” he finally settles on, giving her the opportunity to elaborate if she so wishes without asking her to do so directly. “But I hope that being here is an improvement in some way.” Even if the idea of escaping this place only to be dragged back later sounds downright horrible.

“Yes, precisely! It was a joint effort. A colleague of mine back home did the actual programming– I just helped to better integrate the design with users’ personalities so the whole thing flows more smoothly.” But even with all the upgrades, the crew never managed to get holo hair just right.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, KOS-MOS,” Rung says with a bright smile, offering his hand for a shake. “I’m Rung. …like a ladder.” He likes KOS-MOS already; it might be nice, he thinks, if she remembers his name or anything else about him after this.

“May I ask you about yourself? Your interests, perhaps?” His tone is light and conversational as he leads the way around the wreckage of the crumpled vehicle. The little holo makes its way unhurriedly toward the park, and Rung’s frame comes into view fairly quickly; in addition to its size, its orange finish is pretty noticeable against the greenery and pink of drifting petals.

“Ah– that’s me, just up ahead. Almost there!”

     ✧ ❝ Unfortunately it is... A little complicated and I would rather not cause you any unnecessary worry about something that plays little part in this place, ❞ bluntly does she answer the stranger’s worries, offering a sympathetic look in attempts to try and ease their concerns. Perhaps some other time when the two of them are more familiar with each other... But for now, KOS-MOS would rather not potentially give a cause for a new ally to run off or to worry about her when it’s not necessary.

     ❝ You must be proud, then... And it is nice to meet you, too, Rung, ❞ and though she says this with a smile, KOS-MOS can’t help but eye his hand with a curious tilt of her head. He’s... Still a hologram, right? So, then, surely the bot couldn’t properly grip his hand to give it a shake...

     Oh well. He’s being kind enough to her so what harm will it do to ‘shake’ his hand? With that in mind, the android extends her hand, gently gripping the air around where his own would be, softly making a shaking motion before she continues on with following his lead.

     ❝ And I... Do not mind you inquiring about myself, but-- ❞ the weapon noticeably looks surprised as his original body comes into view, a brief look of familiarity contorting onto her features. This stranger... This bot, no doubt, is from the same place as the one she holds dearest to her ‘heart’.