M-003 // Monochrome

@monochr0me003​

First ping. 

“Lieutenant.” Tormentor calls out absentmindedly.

Second ping..

Third ping…

Fourth ping!

F I F T H  P I N G!!

Lieutenant answers it finally (once he’s finished with what he was working on) sparing a glance over at his Commander quite literally fuming. That mech has little tolerance when things annoy him. He’s fairly certain that there are new claw marks on the console now just out of irritation.

And finally, finally, when he was almost sure that this time no reply will come, someone did respond to his call.

Victory! 

If the Praxian could smile, a large grin would have probably graced his faceplates. That was quite impossible though, so instead a single gold optics brightened in delight, doorwings rising high and almost fluttering. 

::The designation’s Monochrome!:: was an almost immediate answer, quite enthusiastic and just a little bit laced with static.

Examples:

Would Swingfire have believed him if he had tried to assert his trustworthiness? Likely not. Jazz just saved them both the time, that’s all.

Personally, he likes Iacon quite a bit. It’s true he’d never been here before the war, and by the time he arrived here the city’s population was the highest it had ever been, what with the massive flood of refugees from all across Cybertron. The crowding back then had been extreme, almost more than the city had resources to accomodate, but there’d been a sense of community, of hope. It’s not so busy anymore, a few million years later, but it’s become Jazz’s home.

But that’s neither here nor there. « I probably won’t ever venture over, » he lies cheerfully, « so I guess I’ll just haveta take your word for it. What’s Praxus like? »

In Jazz’s universe, nonexistent. It’s interesting how finding out something as simple as a bot’s home city can place them definitively in the category of “not from this universe”. No need to go spilling that info right away, though; for the moment, he’ll keep it tucked under his hubcap.

As for the size of Swingfire’s apartment, that’s exactly what design is for. The right colours and layout, an accent piece or two, and the space could be opened up and brightened–or made cozy rather than cramped, if that’s what a bot wanted.

« I’d appreciate the business! And if I’m ever in need of… remind me what you said you dealt in? »

The question about Praxus almost made Monochrome’s entire frame freeze for a second. It was easy to admit that he was from Praxus. But describing how the city was actually like?

Not that easy anymore.

Because Monochrome didn’t really know, didn’t remember. Every single information he’s ever managed to find indicated that it was truly his home and yet it didn’t feel like one. The city itself didn’t even exist anymore.

He saw the ruins once though and they terrified him. And it wasn’t even the fact that the city was destroyed - and that his own comrades did it - that scared him so much, but rather the uneasiness the city evoke in his spark. Praxus was almost completely alien to him and he’s never seen it before that and yet...and yet it spoke and whispered to his spark in an eerie way. Each collapsed building and every street was both new and strangely familiar. They were like weird ghosts of something he once knew, something he should remember; it felt as if he should know every building and every passage through the city, their names and purpose - and yet all those things swirled somewhere at the very edge of his memory, disappearing into a thick fog whenever he tried to reach them and remember. It made his processor hurt.

When he thought about it now though, even the ruins probably didn’t exist anymore. Cybertron was very different.

Oh well. With a soft vent, Monochrome pulled a battered datapad out of his subspace, single optic quickly going through the information as he debated which could be used now. What would someone living in Praxus say about the city?

::It’s actually pretty funny, you know. It’s a pretty big trading hub and we have merchants from all of Cybertron here, but most mechs and femmes know it mostly as a technological and cultural center. Praxus’ architecture is designed to reflect both our traditions and progress.:: He hummed softly, thinking about what else he could add. ::And, of course, our frames look pretty good! But I’m pretty sure you’ve already noticed that if you’ve ever met a Praxian. You should totally come here for a bit of sightseeing, maybe for some art festival? The Helix Gardens were pretty cool too.::

Were. He said were. Frag.

::They’re uh, closed for renovation now, I think,:: Monochrome quickly added, before smoothly moving to answer the next question. ::I used to sell Praxian crystal sculptures, mostly souvenirs. With current political situation it was getting harder and harder to sell them though, so I’m changing my specialisation and waiting to sign some new deals right now.:: Another pause as his voice became slightly laced with static and his doorwings twitched with irritation. ::Firearms are much easier to sell nowadays, but I honestly hope you won’t need them. You sound like a pretty sweet mech, so don’t fall in with a wrong crowd.::

::Soo…What’s your opinion on sparkeaters?::

Was that an appropriate question to ask to a stranger? 

Probably not. 

Did Monochrome care? 

Not at all. 

A simple ‘hello’ would have been boring, after all. 

She blinked a few times.

1. Do you have many regrets? If so, is there anything you’ve done that you’re confident was the right thing to do?

2. Do you believe everyone is entitled to redemption? Are there things you would do or goals that you have to better yourself? 

3. What do you want or need to accomplish in order to feel confident in who you wish to become? 

4. How were you created? Did your upbringing shape who you would become? If it did, how?

5. Have you ever been denied freedoms, and if so, who denied you, what were denied, and why?

6. The universe is a mystery. Our lives are mysteries. Death is a mystery. Understanding these mysteries gives us peace. What is your idea of faith? Is it religious or spiritual? Is it just trusting you know how to survive? How much peace and understanding does your faith give you?

7. Do you have any physical ailments and if so, how have they impacted you? Have they weakened you or strengthened you? Were you created with these ailments or were they forced upon you? 

8. Many have found themselves in terrible circumstances such as having to kill someone in order to save a larger group of people. What are some moral gray areas for you?

9. What do you value most and why? Does it cause you to deny others or deny yourself? 

10. Have you ever changed your frame? Why did you?

11. What sort of powers do you possess and how did you come to possess them? Were you created with them or did you take them from others and integrate them into yourself? What do you want to do with these abilities and why?

12. Where are some of the places you’ve been? Why did you go there? Did these places influence you in any way?

13. Do you hate anyone? How did you come to hate them? 

14. Do you have an amica endurae or conjunx endurae? Do you have a sparkmate? How did they come to mean so much to you?

15. What is your concept of family? Do you have a concept of family? Is your family still intact? What has become of it? 

Jazz has no comment on the state of the world and general truth-telling of those living in it; he’s certainly not going to assure the bot on the other end that he’s trustworthy. After all, he’s got good reason to believe they’re both lying through their exhausts right now. Come on, “Swingfire”, how do I know you’re telling the truth? Classic case of projection.

Besides which, merchant as a job option on Cybertron has been about as tenable as designer for nearly the same amount of time–which is to say, not at all, and several million years.

« Well, you know what they say: things hafta get worse before they get better. Gonna pick back up sooner or later! »

Of course the best lies are grounded in truth, so Jazz doesn’t have to work too hard to feign his discouragement tinged with optimism regarding his design business. Neither does he have to think long about the details of “Grandstand”‘s career.

« Interior design! Renovation projects, mostly. Haven’t rolled a tire through Iacon, either; never even thought about it. » (He says, from the relative comfort of his officer’s quarters in Iacon.) « Set up shop in Helex and never relocated. The rent’s too good! »

In a similar manner, Monochrome was very much aware that neither of them was telling the truth - and he noticed that “Grandstand” didn’t even bother trying to convince him that he was trustworthy - but he certainly wasn’t going to ruin all the fun by pointing that out.

::I hope so!::

Unfortunately, in Monochrome’s case, there was very little truth he could base his lies on. Things like this are a bit hard when you don’t remember the vast majority of your life, including your actual name, and most of your memories (at least those you want to remember) are closely tied to the war and being with the Decepticons.

:: I’ve never been to Helex, but I’ve been to Iacon few times on business trips, absolutely awful and terribly crowded city, so you didn’t lose much by not visiting it. I was so relieved to go back home to Praxus,::

Well, that might have been loosely inspired by something true. He was from Praxus, at least that’s what he’s been told – his frame matched the standard Praxian Enforcer model. Was he a Law Enforcer then, in the past? Monochrome had absolutely no idea, but such thought never failed to amuse him. He’d totally suck at being an Enforcer, he was pretty sure of that.