#the thirteen are Known in a way that Primus can never be | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lets-try-some-writing · 2 months

Note

Ever since I read your Innocent Abominations story I've been thinking about the Matrix going in the exact opposite direction. This ancient, sentient, vaguely eldritch relic of a demigod takes one look at the Terrans and goes "BABIES!!!". Optimus barely even glances at them during their first meeting to check it they're ok and is promptly sucker-punched by divine parental instincts. As far as the two are concerned the Terrans are their niephlings and by Primus are they going to do all they can to help these younglings with the inevitable nonsense that will come with being the children of one of the Thirteen. They are prepared to live, die and kill for these children.

We love a good ol protective Op in this house.

Original concept here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━

Optimus never hated sparklings or even younglings for that matter. He didn't exactly have plans to be a parent, but he'd been a mentor more than enough times to not be against the concept of potentially having progeny of his own. Of course all potential plans would come to fruition once the war was over and extinction didn't loom over his helm. At least that was what he thought.

When Bumblebee informed him of the Terrans existence, Optimus was pleased, but that was all. New Cybertronian life was always something to be cherished in a time when no newsparks had emerged since the war was at its peak. He didn't interact with the Terrans, largely for their own safety.

Then the time came, and he finally met the little ones.

The Matrix was never particularly talkative. It did not approve of war, and thus often kept quiet unless it was offering necessary wisdom and encouragement. But one glance at the Terrans proved to be enough to bring an end to its millennia long vow of silence. For the first time, Optimus heard the Matrix speak with words rather than in images or knowledge.

"Our younglings."

That was all it said, but Optimus felt it in every single fiber of his being. The Matrix had spoken, and as its vessel, Optimus obeyed. His very code shifted, command trees that he had never even known existed sprung to life, and before he knew it, he was already on a knee reaching out to shake the servos of the little ones. His finials perked up in a friendly manner, his field flared out in bursts, and his plating sat at an amicable mid flare, just enough to show trust. All this was done unconsciously as, without his knowledge, his very voice adjusted to be softer.

By the time all was said and done, the battle over, and the children safely escorted home, Optimus had never felt so alive. Megatron gave him the most disturbed look Optimus had ever witnessed, but at that moment, he didn't care. Within him the Matrix was already speaking again, offering thinly veiled orders and continuing to adjust him so that he would be better suited to the new task ahead of him.

All that kept him from hightailing it over to the Maltos every single day was Elita physically dragging him back toward wherever he was meant to be. Everyone was on edge watching Optimus fall further and further into his strangely happy daydreams. To them, it looked like what the humans called "baby fever" but on steroids. Optimus didn't even wait a week before he was obsessing over how to properly interact with the Terrans. He started making things for them and then promptly put them away since in his optics it simply wasn't good enough.

The Matrix had him on the move all the time, constantly reminding him of the little ones that were well within his reach. It had already begun all of its internal adjustments, and so all it had left to do was to make Optimus more appealing. The Matrix began the long process of hiding the outright malicious looking equipment on the Prime's frame, even softening his features somewhat so that he would come off as more peaceful. Optimus for his part didn't notice his frame bulking up in order to make him a better guardian. He most certainly wasn't aware of the way his very frame was edging into something firmer and yet less intimidating. A quiet guardian, that was what the Matrix wanted.

When all was said and done, Megatron was slightly terrified of this new and strangely cheery Optimus and Elita was no better. Both united over their shared concerns and opted to quietly watch Optimus when he finally found a decent excuse to visit the Terrans. Megatron was incredibly on edge when Optimus all but bolted toward the Maltos residence and then skidded to a perfect stop so that he could walk forward calmly as if nothing had happened. He was so focused on performing well that the battle hardened warrior all but vanished.

In his place was the dock worker from long before the war. An excitable young mech eager to help and offer what wisdom he had. The Terrans were pleasantly surprised to find that the supposedly ancient Optimus Prime was, from what they were seeing, a gentle giant. The Matrix had never been more pleased when Optimus settled down and offered to engage with the Terrans in whatever manner they found best. He spent the whole day with them, reading, telling stories, letting them beat him in mock battles, and teaching them what he could of Cybertron.

There was no violence to be seen in him as he played. Megatron was slightly terrified, but he said nothing and allowed the moment. It was only when Optimus hummed an old folk tune and wrapped the Terrans in his field that Megatron finally understood what was going on.

"You can't adopt them. They have a family here."

"We are well aware. Don't worry. We have no intention of taking them away."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"They are the offspring of our brother. They are young and must be guided by kin."

"You don't have any siblings Optimus."

"I do not, but together, WE do."

"Oh not the Prime slag again. That relic hasn't done anything during the war, so why would it act now?"

"The Matrix had no reason to act. It detests war. New life has given us something to unite over."

"So you are going to teach them?"

"Yes. We will guide and watch over them. We will not be their parents, that is not our station. But we will always be here for them... for that is the duty of a Prime."

Every moment he could spare, Optimus did everything in his power to make time for the Terrans. The Matrix sang when he visited, and despite how much it weirded out Bumblebee, the human Maltos, and Megatron, Optimus kept coming back.

Younglings born of Quintus. He never thought it would come to pass. And yet here they were, bright and full of life.

Despite his new and more docile appearance, Optimus Prime was more than ready to act when the Terrans were targeted. The Matrix abhorred war. But it was not necessarily against violence in small doses.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers earthspark #earthspark megatron #earthspark optimus #tf earthspark #the matrix of leadership #alternate universe #kinda #not really #but whatever

131 notes · View notes

zombieheroine · 3 years

Text

His Intended

Pairing: MegOp Rating: G Word count: 1932

MegOp week day 2: Mirror * Nothing in the universe had ever shined as pure and bright, so Orion Pax knew immediately what he was gazing at the moment he lay optics on it, even when all he expected was the sickening radiation of dark energon spillage. It was the centre of the planet, right there in the heart of the catacombs Orion and his squad had wandered for cycles, and in the centre shone the light of Primus.

“Woah, won’t you look at that,” Jazz sighed by his side, coming to a halt. “Trust me, I am,” Orion replied. He was feeling uneasy on his pedes, and it wasn’t just because of the catacombs anymore. Prowl, Elita and Ironhide stopped too now that the lead of the squad wasn’t moving anymore, but didn’t dare to come closer. “Yep, you stay back there, folks,” Jazz called over his shoulder, “there’s no going forward anymore, so you can finally stop asking. We’re there now.” They were all standing at the edge of the catacomb. The dark tunnels and the endless descent had led them here, and now there was nowhere further to go anymore. There was only the core. The rock floor ended sharply as if it had been cut with a blade, and beyond it was a perfectly round chamber. Suddenly the walls were shining pure metal, the surface of it so bright it was like polished silver, all of it reflecting itself so that the chamber looked not only perfect but infinite. But Orion was not admiring the unknown materials or the natural perfection of the shape. He was staring at the being in the middle of it, a perfect orb in a shining shell with that impossibly pure light shining through its seams and openings. It was alive and humming with power that made the atmosphere feel like a warm thunderstorm, all potent power in process of infinite build-up, and hot and relaxed like the essence of a long chain of perfect, leisure-filled summer days. It was calling to Orion. Not in words but like a magnet, and there was a frightening desire growing inside his chassis, a desire to take one more step and let himself fall into the chamber. “Is that… Is that Primus?” Elita’s voice asked hesitantly. She sounded in awe but also like she didn’t want to take another step forward. “That’s what I think we’d call that,” Prowl replied to her, his tone still defiant even when it was just as quiet as Elita’s, and slightly trembling. “Are we… Are we in time?” Ironhide asked. “I feel weird, but not dark-energon-weird, if you catch my drift?” “We are right where we need to be,” Orion heard himself answering. His intake was moving and his vocalizer producing sound, but he didn’t know where the words were coming from. It should have been foreign and frightening, but he was quickly leaving all fear behind. There was nothing to worry about, he just knew it. “O… Okay,” Ironhide said. “What do we do now?” No one replied. They had had a plan, but now that they were finally here, it was all forgotten. Whatever they had planned felt silly now. It was silly to even think they could have done something, but even when Orion realized that, the despair that should have followed the thought didn’t come. He knew what he had to do. “I need to go,” he announced. Everyone was quiet for a moment. On the edge of his vision, Orion saw Jazz turning to look at him, openly worried. “What do you mean?” Jazz asked. He seemed to know exactly what Orion meant, but couldn’t muster up anything more than weak bewilderment. “It’s calling to me. I need to go,” Orion answered, and before anyone could turn their startled stammering into words, he took that one more step. There was nothing but air beneath his pedes, but still he didn’t fall. Once he stepped inside the chamber, the warm storm seemed to swallow his frame whole and suddenly he was a part of it. Orion had never flown, but he had been to space, and while being inside the core chamber of Cybertron he was sure the sensation was unlike either. He wasn’t thrown around or lifted by an air current but he wasn’t weightless either. Something that was all around him was supporting him as surely as liquid, but what that something was he didn’t feel or see. Slowly Orion treaded his pedes, coming to contact with nothing but still moving forward. He wasn’t sure if he was walking or if he was being pulled, but he moved closer to the glimmering, living orb in the middle. He could no longer hear his squad back in the tunnel, barely even remembered they were there, he simply moved through the open space towards the

perfect blue, every atom of his frame feeling it sing to him and responding. Suddenly he wasn’t in the chamber anymore. He was standing on solid ground again in a hall without walls but with pillars that seemed to hold up the black sky. It was a hall of infinite space full of light and darkness, but still with a floor to stand on and pillars to count and touch. He wasn’t alone there. The same presence he had felt calling for him in the chamber was there too, only more powerful, and there were thirteen figures in the shifting space around him, standing in a half circle and looking at him. You need a Prime It wasn’t a voice or a thought, Orion just suddenly knew it. It was like an electromagnetic wave had gone through him and his whole frame was a receiver. “No, it’s You who needs to be saved! You need to get out of here!” Orion answered out loud. “Hurry, we don’t have much time!” You need a Prime The knowledge lit up inside Orion again. It wasn’t impatient or an argument, it was simply a truth that he knew. “There are no Primes,” he groaned into the infinite hall and to the thirteen figures standing around but still too far away from him. I’m calling a Prime for my creations There was no chance to deny or resist, and Orion knew it once again. He didn’t actively realize or learn the meaning of what was happening to him, he simply knew it as surely as he knew who he was and where he had come from. The thirteen figures stepped closer as one. Their circle closed on him as they stepped by the pillars and crossed the infinity like it was no more than a few tiles on the perfect, timeless floor, and Orion felt himself being regarded. “You will not be like me, you will not rule,” said one and vanished back into the shadows. “You will not be like me, you will not invent,” said the other and followed the first. “You will not be like me, you will not create,” said the third, and just like that was gone. Orion trembled slightly. “You will be like me, you will defend and fight,” said one and stepped into the light and became visible. “You will be like me, you will rescue and sacrifice,” said the other and did the same. There was a sharp, cold pain in the middle of Orion’s chassis as if he had been pierced by an icicle. He trembled as the two ancient Primes circled him, friendly but evaluating and measuring him up. “You don’t want it,” Prima spoke, simply stating something they all knew as if as one mind. “That’s good. The ones who don’t want war make the best defenders. You will be one of the greatest warriors, true and selfless, honed by necessity and calling.” “But you are also afraid,” added Solus. “You know the price you will pay for becoming the defender. You will sacrifice, like I did.” Orion was trembling from helm to struds by now, his entire being humming with the impassive knowledge of what laid ahead of him. A Prime was not only being called, but appointed and forged to answer to the Decepticon threat and the destruction of the homeworld of their species, and now more than for stellar cycles Orion’s mind summoned the image of Megatron into his thoughts. He thought of him every day, but not like this, not as a singular mech who had once been near and dear to his spark, not as someone whose face Orion knew and whose frame he had touched. Solus’ eyes were bright and sharp, but her expression was softened by compassion. “Yes,” she solemnly agreed. “I can feel your pain. You are a kindred spark, like split from my own. I can feel the pain you carry, and that pain will only grow.” “Why me?” Orion chocked out. Solus tilted her helm and exvented deeply. “I could feel that pain when you were still in the catacombs, and how much you miss him. How everything reminds you of him, and how everything you ever gave and shared is now tainted by the cold mark of betrayal.” The look on her face hardened. “That is precisely why,” she said. “I can only hope you will eventually find comfort in the fact that he has chosen you just as surely and definitively as you have

chosen him.” Orion felt faint. The cold, sharp pain seemed to spread inside his chassis, like poison or fresh heartache, a feeling intimately familiar to him but by now somewhat healed. Now it felt like an old wound had been torn open again, and coolant welled up in his optics with both the pain and the unwelcome relief that Megatron still made him feel like this. Solus gazed upon him head-on with something like understanding in her optics, but also determination that Orion could only hope to adopt himself. “The way to success and victory is to stand up and be his match,” Solus said. “Look at him and reflect on what it is you need to become yourself in order to strike back against his attacks, and how to charge when he retreats. Learn his every move, every plan, every thought and desire, and arm yourself accordingly.” Steaming hot coolant streamed down Orion’s face, droplets falling down and splattering soundlessly on the floor. There was no argument against things that were simply known. Solus stepped closer to him and tapped her digits gently against Orion’s chin. “Don’t grieve yet,” she said gently. “In a way, you and him will be together for the rest of your lives. The future of our species depends on it.” He leaned onto her servo and sighed, even though he knew his burdens had barely begun. “You will be made anew,” she said, “but fear not, because wherever you will go, we will be with you. So stand up and go now, Optimus Prime.” Suddenly, Orion was back in the catacombs. He felt dizzy and confused, his entire frame trembling and steaming like he was a newly forged blade just taken out of the coolant. It took him a moment to realize that he was on his back and dragged by his friends, all of whom were gathered around him, and that Jazz was weakly shaking him and calling his name – his old name. “Thank Primus!” Jazz cried out when Optimus focused his optics on him. “Give him space, Jazz,” Elita told him from his other side. “How are you feeling?” Prowl asked. “It hurts,” Optimus gasped, his servo laying on his sore and heavy chassis, “It hurts!”

#megop #maccadam #megop week 2021 #tfp #transformers #kapteenin raapustus

47 notes · View notes

iacon-stargazer · 3 years

Text

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE: MUN & MUSE

fill out & repost ♥ this meme definitely favors canons more, but i hope oc’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. multimuses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

tagged by: stolen from @oneshallfall like.... months ago. im a slow gremlin hjksd. it's been in my drafts and i finally decided to finish the last few sections while working on clearing them out

tagging: steal it

MY MUSE IS. canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless

is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO.

is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? Well.../ NO / IDK. (i know optimus is but i don’t really... know about orion? i have seen a handful of fanartists who turn him into a very sexualized moe baby but i’m not sure about the fandom at large)

is your character considered strong in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK.

are they underrated? YES / NO. (lmao there’s like no fan content with him unless it’s with megatronus)

were they relevant to the main story? YES / NO.

were they relevant to the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. (not yet.... lol)

how’s their reputation? GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

HOW STRICTLY DO YOU FOLLOW CANON?

This... this is a trick question in this goddamn mess of a continuity. That said, I try my absolute best to make my portrayal coherent with the TFP show... even if said show contradicts itself at times. I take inspiration from the earlier parts (the thirteen primes section) of the Covenant of Primus for his origin backstory, but ignore the rest of the Covenant since it makes absolutely no sense with his characterization in... literally anything else. I’ve peeked at Exodus and it utterly sucks, but I’ve picked up bits and pieces of concepts that originated there just from spending time in the fandom. Aside from that... I spend a ton of time thinking about how to weave everything together in a way that both makes sense and makes for a character development arc.

SELL YOUR MUSE! (aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.)

Orion is genuinely kind, thoughtful, and introspective, very loving of the world around him.

He’s also a more complex character than is initially obvious - despite mostly being good sweet pure baby nerd he’s still flawed, with many of those flaws being his strengths put into the wrong situation. His strong morals can lead to dogmatism, and he’s only slightly less likely to deliver lectures than Optimus. His determination to be kind and help everyone can come off as unintentionally patronizing at times; he has a very “well-intentioned semi-privileged middle class” perspective that he’s not always self-aware of. However, he’s also willing to look at himself critically and learn/adapt.

Essentially, he has many of the same traits as Optimus... just more or less apparent and/or developed. He's less confident than he eventually becomes through his future experience with leadership, wanting to change the world for the better but sometimes struggling to ground his plans in reality—something that continues to apply, but with reduced intensity and frequency over time. Idealistic cinnamon roll will eventually develop some realism, though never really quite enough. His selflessness remains a strength for now, but we know that eventually it will dip into martyristic tendencies.

NOW THE OPPOSITE! (list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?)

He could be potentially ‘boring’ in some senses. he’s the polite, considerate ‘next door’ type, who has for most of his life has just lived as a very average middle caste nobody. He’s more laid-back than he eventually becomes as optimus, but where others might get into trouble and shenanigans he’s most likely to just express concern. And since I try to keep him at least mostly ic, even with non-serious posts, this can derail ‘fun’ stuff and I fear dissuade some interaction.

While I try my best to give him realistic flaws that work with his character, he could still be seen as a little too good. very kind, understanding, forgiving, patient, considerate... almost endlessly so. A lot of my “he’s so good and pure” interpretation comes from using his having been the thirteenth prime as backstory, where he was pretty much the epitome of that, but some might not like the “he was a literal deity in a past life” idea for its “super special chosen one protagonist” elements.

His responsiveness to his environment can also be a downside. He’s not the type to start things; he just reacts and responds, standing his ground and finding himself when things get crazy around him. without megatronus, he may have eventually attempted political campaigning, but it wouldn’t have gotten very far. He needs to have more intense characters or events around him for major plots to really go places. Without those nothing would ever happen besides slice of life fluff, because he’s content with that kind of life.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RP YOUR MUSE?

Honestly I just wanted to write op/ratch fhsjkdjsdh. But I also wanted to be able to interact with a variety of muses and so I chose Orion over Optimus because he’s not so emotionally closed off, which I figured would give more flexibility beyond the handful of characters op would reasonably have close personal and/or plot-important relationships with. Also, I can relate to him on a thought-process level which lets me get into his head easily, which additionally made him an appealing choice for my first real rp muse.

WHAT KEEPS YOUR INSPIRATION GOING?

I just love him so much, especially with the layers of his character I've built up around him. I don't always have inspiration to write or rp, but I think about him a lot. When I do find motivation to write, it's generally out of wanting to continue to work on developing him and just having a chance to express his characterization.

SOME MORE PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MUN.

do you think you give your character justice? YES / NO.

do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO.

do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO. (i should do it more...)

do you think a lot about your muse during the day? YES / NO.

are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO. (at least most days fhsdhfskj)

are you confident in your writing? YES / NO. (it waxes and wanes. I know I'm a good writer but I could still be better...)

are you a sensitive person? YES / NO.

DO YOU ACCEPT CRITICISM WELL ABOUT YOUR PORTRAYAL?

I’ll be honest; I’ve never gotten criticism. I haven’t been here very long in comparison to some and I’ve never been that popular, so I figure I’m pretty easy to just ignore. I guess how I would feel about it would depend on what it was and how it was delivered, though I like to think I would be reasonable regardless

DO YOU LIKE QUESTIONS, WHICH HELP YOU EXPLORE YOUR CHARACTER?

yes? yes absolutely?

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES TO A HEADCANON OF YOURS, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?

I would be curious to hear their reasoning, but I think enough about how everything fits together that chances are I would agree to disagree

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOUR PORTRAYAL, HOW WOULD YOU TAKE IT?

Depends on if their disagreement makes sense. Maybe I’ll give back my own reasoning for why I characterize the way I do. Maybe I’ll just agree to disagree, if their view is just totally different from mine. If they have valid points I’ll probably overthink it and spiral into self doubt. In all cases I’ll spill my thoughts to friends on discord.

IF SOMEONE REALLY HATES YOUR CHARACTER, HOW DO YOU TAKE IT?

......Orion in general or? ... fhsjkdhf...... Well if it was mine specifically that might hurt lol. But at the same time.... I doubt i’d agree with their takes either so... fair enough.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PEOPLE POINTING OUT YOUR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS?

Sure. I’m good at grammar so if something glaring is there it’s probably a typo I missed and I’ll be grateful for the chance to edit it out before more people see it lol

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE EASY GOING AS A MUN?

Yeah. I’m pretty quiet most of the time because I just don’t have energy to talk to a lot of people, and I never want to get caught in drama. I honestly wouldn’t know what to do in a situation like that. I tend to avoid conflict, I’m quick to apologize, and polite with anyone I don’t know very well.

#;the art student behind the muse {ooc}#;as for myself... {tag game}

2 notes · View notes

grayseekerswritinglife · 4 years

Text

Arctic Rose

It always is the same on these cold, clear nights. The Angel of Sky spreads his luminous wings, painting the aethers with shimmering tapestries of color. The creatures below pause their activities. The angel glimpses their smiles of wonder, hears their hushed whispers and sees their fingers point skyward. This is good. It gladdens him to see them looking up, even if the artistry he creates was never for them.

Some of them might know him as Sahaquiel, but that is not his name. It is merely his title. In prior epochs there were other Sahaquiels, other Angels of Sky. He is merely the latest to hold this office, and he prefers another, far older name for himself.

A name now spoken only by one.

He flies north, following Polaris. Below, the human settlements become fewer and farther between. The roads narrow and finally disappear as the horizon opens before him, crystalline beneath the blazing corona of verdant flame which fills the sky. The angel has outdone himself, he thinks. His lover cannot fail to appear tonight.

But patience is required, and the angel wishes he had more of it. Celestial entities should have little care for the passage of time, he thinks, yet he cannot force himself to settle. He fidgets under the weight of lost aeons until at last, in the far, far distance, a figure appears.

The Angel of Sky would have recognized him even without the battered sword he grips in his bloodied hand. Would have recognized him even without the trail of spent gray feathers that drift from his wings like wind-blown ashes. Would have recognized him even if the pristine snow beneath his feet did not turn blood-red with every step he takes.

This angel is known to humankind as Simikiel. They speak of him in whispers, scrawling his name in Enochian script using their own blood for ink, hoping that their self-inflicted pain might serve to appease him. They summon him to their causes, petitioning him to right the wrongs they believe they’ve been dealt, and Simikiel obliges—for a price.

A terrible price, for Simikiel is the Angel of Vengeance, and his sword cuts both ways.

But the Angel of Sky does not call him Simikiel, nor does he summon him for any purpose other than himself. He hurries across the ice, no longer caring about the supposed virtues of patience, and meets his visitor halfway. He extends both hands, palms empty, and waits. His visitor pauses with a few steps between them.

"Nice work," he says, nodding toward the dancing curtains of light. "Looks like you've been busy."

His voice—which humans describe as 'resonant,' 'cutting' and 'bleak,' likening it to an Arctic wind or a surgeon's knife—carries a faint lift, as if the speaker truly is amused. He seems to be looking at the sky, but it is hard to know what he sees with the upper half of his face being an empty void. Rare is the mortal who can look upon that void without cowering in abject terror. But the Angel of Sky relaxes, certain now that he has been recognized.

“It seems you have been busy, too,” he murmurs with sorrow, noting that the blood-caked hands have yet to clasp his own.

“They've been keeping me occupied, yes.” The Angel of Vengeance runs an index-digit along his sword-edge as if testing it. A drop of scarlet falls to the snow, and a single barbed rose unfurls, blooming in the frozen air with unexpected sweetness. “Humankind finds no end of reasons to summon me.”

It is a rote greeting by now; a script they have followed on countless nights.

"If only they would change," the Angel of Sky muses. "If only we could inspire them to evolve beyond their petty cruelties..." He trails off as the Angel of Vengeance smiles.

It is a terrible sight, one that could freeze the blood of mortals and send them scurrying, but the Angel of Sky does not flinch. He knows the other far too well. Recognizes his gestures, his mannerisms—and yes, his beauty—even in his current form. The office to which he has been assigned as punishment for his rebellion might have twisted his outward appearance, but inside he remains himself, his grace and majesty unchanged.

"What if they did evolve?" the Angel of Vengeance queries. "Do you imagine anything would change for us?"

"Surely it would have to," the Angel of Sky responds. "Our work here would be done."

"Yours, maybe. But you are bound to this mud-ball by choice. Not as a punishment for..." the Angel of Vengeance pauses, thin lips curling in a bitter smirk, "bad behavior."

“It has been too long!” the Angel of Sky exclaims in sudden anger. “You have been punished long enough.”

"Careful," the Angel of Vengeance chides. "Daring to question the wisdom of Primus or his minions can get you in, shall we say, a world of trouble." He chuckles coldly. "But you could return. I'm sure he'd take you back."

True enough. The Thirteen who guarded the throne of Primus had made that more than clear. If the Angel of Sky were to return to their bosom, they would see it as a form of repentance. But he could not repent his love.

"I will not leave without you. You know that."

"All too well, my love." The Angel of Vengeance wraps his scarlet fingers around the hilt of his sword, leaning on it as a sage might upon a staff. A gust of wind lifts the snow, frosting the rose's thorns as the two of them fall silent.

It is always the same on these cold, clear nights, a stalemate they've reached many times. The Angel of Sky suspects they've had this debate so often that it has reshaped the crystalline structure of the snow itself, and that if its geometry could be translated to sound, the sound that would emerge would be that of two angels arguing. The Angel of Sky does not wish to argue tonight, and so he plucks the rose, allowing its bittersweet perfume to waft between them.

“This," he says. "This is the essence of your truth. Not what they say it is, and not this false image that the duties of your office have imprinted upon you."

“And you can still see that?”

“Of course. I will always see your truth.”

This earns him another smile. A softer smile, and one which the Angel of Sky is certain no one else has ever seen. It transforms the face of Simikiel into that which he remembers from time long past. “I will not bow," the Angel of Vengeance warns. "I will not go to Primus begging for mercy or forgiveness, nor will I play Unicron's games anymore. If that means I remain earthbound, so be it."

“Yes," the Angel of Sky replies, hearing in those words an echo of his own truth. "I know."

"I cannot change what I am, even for you," the Angel of Vengeance adds, his tone softening.

The Angel of Sky lowers his gaze. "And I would not want you to."

This is only part of the terrible price he must pay for his love, and yet. When bloodied fingers curl between his own, he knows it is worth it. Their hands mesh, locking tight. The rose is crushed between their joined palms, a blood oath made and remade without need for words, and the snow beneath them erupts in a riot of night-blooming flowers.

It is then that the feathers fall from both sets of wings, luminous and ashen swirling together in the dark. As they settle together in their fragrant, living berth, they are both transformed. Armored frames gleam in the starlight as they move together, relearning and remembering.

We are not truly angels. Our kind only seems as such in the eyes of mortals, but we are a people like any other, a people with loves and sorrows and follies, only on a grander scale than humankind could possibly imagine.

In the long contentment that follows, the Angel of Vengeance whispers his lover’s name—his true name. Skyfire.

And the Angel of Sky whispers back. Starscream.

"There is another way," Skyfire adds, perhaps an eternity later. "A third way."

"Conquest?" Starscream rolls lazily to stretch across Skyfire's chest, his sharp chin pillowed on Skyfire's canopy. "It's been tried. I can report firsthand that it's the kind of rebellion that can get you kicked out of both hell and heaven.”

“I am aware.”

“So what are you suggesting?"

Skyfire studies the sky above, observing its shifting veils of color. The yellow and green indicate oxygen; atomic nitrogen makes blue, while purple is created by molecular nitrogen. He knows all of this, somehow, as if remembering it from some distant world long past, and something shifts. Solidifies, as if time itself has been reshaped.

"Humanity," he says, sensing the opening of a gate. It is as if their loving has altered the fabric of reality itself. "Their dreams and imagination." Skyfire pauses to absorb this sudden understanding. "That is a world to which we could escape, and neither the above nor the below would be able to reach us. We would remain earthbound, yes. But we would also be free."

Scarlet optics study him narrowly. "Nice thought, but—" A curl of wind-driven snow materializes into a scroll, which a bloodied hand snatches from midair. "Saved by a summons," Simikiel says, reading it over with a smirk. "Humans are marvelously imaginative where it comes to dreaming up ways to do each other in. Would you like to hear what this one says?"

Skyfire shakes his head. "I know they're not perfect, but—"

"They're little monsters." Simikiel rises. “But this was fun. Let's do it again soon.”

The gate is closing, and Skyfire… Sahaquiel… can feel it. He scrambles up, recapturing Simikiel's hand. "I have seen another side of them. When I paint the skies and they look up to glimpse something beyond their earthly concerns, I see light in them, and wonder. We could find the ones who are like that. We could…"

"Could what, Skyfire?" Simikiel's tone is challenging, yet he gazes at Skyfire as if seeing him for the first time. As if he really wants to hear his answer.

"Rather than merely entertaining them, as I do," Skyfire says carefully, "or helping them to destroy each other, as you do, wouldn't it be better for us to teach them?"

Simikiel shrugs. "Someone else will do our jobs if we don't. There will always be an Angel of Vengeance."

"Of course there will, but it doesn't have to be you. And it doesn't mean they can't learn." Skyfire is certain that his love would see them differently if he could meet the ones who are not simply trying to use him. "Please." His hand tightens. "Trust me."

Scarlet optics meet his. There is the faintest hint of a nod, a returning pressure of fingers squeezing his own, and then they are gone. They vanish in a swirl of brilliance and darkness in the cold air. All that remains is a scarlet trail across the snow which ends, very suddenly, in a bed of impossible roses.

* * *

A young woman sits up in bed, hands gripping her comforter. The dream had been so resonant. She still feels it in every sinew, every cell of her body. Its lingering sweetness hums in her veins, and although she is aware that it was only a dream, she also knows it was so much more. That something has changed, and she is not quite the person she was the night before when she fell asleep.

Her dream-diary is beside her bed, along with a pen. She opens the book to a fresh page and writes the date: July 28, 1987. Below, she begins: I dreamed about my dear friend Starscream last night…

She fills page after page, knowing there are few people she will ever be able to tell. When every last detail has been recorded, she gets up and goes to her desk. The typewriter is an ancient, cast-iron behemoth, the kind that shakes the table when you type. She finds a sheet of paper and loads it into the machine.

Then sits, fingers poised trembling above the keys.

She speaks his name in a whisper, half afraid to commit it to paper. It feels like an evocation, except she is the one who has been summoned. The task before her, if she chooses to accept it, is to put right the wrongs she believes he's been dealt. And so, at last, she writes his name, answering the call. The story begins.

Written for SkyStarWeek 2020. This story is for Day Five: AU of Choice. I chose angels. Many thanks to my editor, Biting Moopie, for emergency beta services, and to @overlordraax for organizing this wonderful (and much needed) celebration of my OTP!

#skystarweek #Skyfire/Starscream #SkyScream #Skyfire #Starscream #alternate universe #angels #fallen angel #muses #inspired by dreams #spirit guides #transformers #fiction meets reality

21 notes · View notes

newsunbow · 4 years

Text

Transformers

So I’m going to be working on my own ideas for a ‘Hasbro Heroes’ shared universe. First up is Transformers. Since it’s pretty long, the whole thing is located up the cut -- let me know what you think!

Millenia ago, the primordial beings Primus and Unicron battled for the fate of the universe. Primus was able to seal both himself and Unicron within giant, metallic planets, and Primus thus became the planet Cybertron.

Cybertron would eventually go on to create the first of the Cybertronians, the thirteen Primes, to help him should Unicron ever free himself from his prison. Unicron would indeed rise again to launch an attack Cybertron, but he was driven away by the combined might of the Primes.

As more Cybertronians were created, the Primes acted as their leaders and passed on to them the knowledge that Primus had taught to them. However, tragedy struck when one Prime, Liege Maximo, schemed against his brethren and manipulated fellow Prime Megatronus into turning against the others. In a fit of rage, Megatronus tried to strike what would a fatal blow against Solus Prime, but Thirteenth Prime, whose name has been lost to history, sacrificed his own life to protect Solus. The fallout sparked the War of the Primes, during which Liege Maximo was slain for his treachery. Megatronus, filled with shame for his rash actions, shed his name and title, taking the moniker of ‘The Fallen’, and went into exile.

The Primes did not have time to grieve for long, however, for Cybertron found themselves up against another attack from Unicron. This time, Unicron was not alone, having managed to lure Cybertronians away from the path of Primus over to his side with promises of power and glory. Lead by the ambitious Galvatron, the Heralds of Unicron fought a mighty battle against the remaining Primes and the Cybertronians who had remained loyal. Once again, Unicron was driven away. But the victory was bittersweet, for the relationship of the remaining Thirteen was now irreparably fractured. They renounced their leadership of Cybertron, and would elect a new leader, Nova Prime, to lead in their stead, giving her the Matrix of Leadership, thus creating the Lineage of Primes. The remaining Thirteen would then go their separate ways, some leaving Cybertron altogether to distant corners of the universe or other dimensions, with only Alpha Trion remaining on Cybertron.

Nova Prime would lead a period of peace and exploration for Cybertron, with colonies and settlements being established on various suitable planets, and contact being established with various new life-forms. Sadly, while on the planet of Antilla, the Cybertronian colonists would discover and unleash the deadly Cosmic Rust, which began to aggressively spread amongst other colonies via spacebridges. Nova Prime would sacrifice herself to prevent the further spread of the Rust, and she was succeeded by Guardian Prime. Guardian himself would later successfully negotiate a peace treaty with the inhabitants of the planet Gobius.

Cybertron would soon once again find itself under attack, not from Unicron this time, but from an alien race known as the Quintessons. They succeed in slaying Guardian Prime, taking control of Cybertron and enslaving its inhabitants. The Quintessons would enforce a rigid caste system upon the Cybertronians, called Functionism, which forced Cybertronians into roles based exclusively on their alt mode. Cybertron would eventually fight back and succeeded in driving out the Quintessons. However, the Qunitessons’ influence would remain – Cybertron’s new Prime, Nominus, kept Fuctionism and continued to enforce it as strictly as the Qunitessons had. His successor, Zeta, later attempted to dismantle the system, but she died under mysterious circumstances and her successor Sentinel Prime would reverse all her reforms.

Millenia later, the flaws of Funtionism would begin to show. While the system is bad enough for Cybertronians with a vehicle alt mode, for Cybertronians with a bestial alt mode, aka beast-formers, it borders on a living hell, derided for their perceived uselessness. From this crisis rose two factions, the Asenticons, led by heavy load conveyer-turned data clerk Orion Pax, who fights for the end of Functionism, and the Maximals, led by the intelligent but hot-headed Grimlock, who fights for the rights of beast-formers. The two factions would eventually join forces as the Autobots, fighting for the rights of all oppressed Cybertronians.

But not all Asenticons are pleased with the merger, unable to let go of their prejudices towards the beast-formers. The ambitious miner-turned gladiator, Megatron, seizes the opportunity to convince the dissenting Ascenticons to split from the Autobots, forming a new group, the Decepticons, dedicated to the rights of vehicle alt mode Cybertronians, and to keeping beast-formers ‘in their place’. The Autobots find themselves now not only opposed to the Functionist Council, but now facing constant harassment and provocation from their former allies.

Understandably, some former Maximals see the Decepticon defection as proof that vehicle alt modes can never be trusted. They too split from the Autobots, forming their own group, the Predacons, led by the cunning and bitter Airarachnia. The Predacons and Decepticons frequently get into violent clashes, and the Predacons are soon labelled a terrorist group by the Functionist Council. The Predacons for their part do not seem interested in countering this accusation.

To the Autobots’ dismay, the Decepticon philosophy proves to be popular and starts gaining more support, become the most popular of the three factions and gaining power in the wake of the toppling of the Functionist Council, and the disappearance and possible assassination of the Sentinel Prime. Soon, Megatron is not only promising the end of Functionism coupled with the continued oppression of beast-formers, but starts outlining his plans for inter-galactic conquest, expanding Cybertron into full-blown empire. The Autobots are naturally appalled by this and make no secret of it. From here, a full-blown civil war breaks out for control of Cybertron between the Decepticons and the Autobots.

The war rages on with neither side gaining the upper hand, and Cybertron began to suffer as a result. It was then Megatron formulated a plan to corrupt the AllSpark, the source of all Cybertronian life, to mass-produce loyal Decepticon soldiers, robbed of their natural free will and thought. Upon hearing news of Megatron’s plans, Alpha Trion panicked and launched the AllSpark into the depths of space in a desperate attempt to keep it out of the hands of the Decepticons. Alpha Trion would later regret his decision as, without the AllSpark, Cybertron slowly began to die. However, the Autobots were able to retrieve the missing Matrix of Leadership, and Alpha Trion entrusted the artifact to Orion Pax, nominating as Cybertron’s new Prime, Optimus. Not long after these events, Alpha Trion would be slain by the Decepticons.

The Autobots were finally able to locate the AllSpark in a distant galaxy, many lightyears from Cybertron, and organise an expedition party to retrieve it, led by Optimus Prime. However, the Deceptions learn of this and Megatron leads a team in hot pursuit. The quest for the AllSpark leads the two factions to modern-day Earth, and a new conflict begins…

#transformers #hasbro #hasbro universe #new sunbow #hasbro heroes #hasbroverse #sunbow

9 notes · View notes

antagonistchanremade · 5 years

Text

Actually, I feel like talking a lot about that fanmade Transformers continuity I was cooking up. It was sick.

So, in the beginning, there were six forces. They had no agenda, for they had no sentience. They were just forces. Those forces were Chaos, Order, Unity, Complexity, Simplicity, and Invention. Over time, the forces’ power leaked, and formed the Gods, one for each force:

Hytherion, the God of Unity

Gaea, the God of Invention

Atlas, the God of Simplicity

Devil-Z, the God of Complexity

Primus, the God of Order

and Unicron, the God of Chaos

I didn’t make up any of these names, by the way; they’re all taken from Transformers canon. I mean, yeah, Gaea and Atlas come even earlier from actual mythologies, but you know what I mean. Though, I definitely made up a lot of their details.

Anyways, the Gods were sentient, and did have agendas. And Primus and Unicron came into direct conflict. In order to break their infinite stalemate, Primus created the Transformers- thirteen lifeforms that could help him beat Unicron. After they did, Unicron created the Terrorcon Virus (which basically turned Transformers into zombies) and infected one of the Thirteen, Deceptus, turning him into the Fallen, so the rest of the Thirteen went into hiding in various ways. One of them basically pulled a Diavolo, where he controlled a major criminal organization from behind the scenes where nobody ever saw the Boss so they had no reason to suspect he was this ancient mythological figure, though they were actually pirates rather than the mafia. One of the Thirteen was actually a Pretender, so the human sidekick of the Autobots would eventually pull a Sari Sumdac and be revealed to be that one, having erased her own memory. Et cetera.

Anyways, that’s all backstory. The story actually starts on Cybertron in the present day. The Autobots and Decepticons exist, but are not actually at war; rather, they’re nationalities. “Autobot” is the term for Transformers from the Iacon region of Cybertron, while “Decepticon” is the term for Transformers from the Kaon region of Cybertron.

The Autobot government is led by the Prime, an elected title. When an Autobot is elected Prime, their name is altered so that it ends with “-us Prime”. When they lose their Prime status, the “Prime” is lost, but not the “-us”. For instance, the current Prime is Rodimus Prime, formerly known as Hot Rod, and if he lost his title, it would become Hot Rodimus.

The Decepticon government is also weird. There aren’t as many name shenanigans there, though the government itself is slightly more complex, having two leading bodies. There’s the Council, which is elected democratically, as well as the Emperor, a title that is passed on via combat- you defeat the Emperor, you become the Emperor. The current Emperor is the fairly benevolent Cryotek.

Immigration/defection is a thing. Autobots who decide to become Decepticons are called Iaconian Decepticons, and the reverse are called Kaonian Autobots.

The two leaders also both have Minicon partners. Rodimus’s partner is a Powermaster known as Orion Pax. Powermasters are Armada-style Minicons who turn into tiny vehicles and give bigger robots power-ups. Meanwhile, Cryotek’s partner is a Targetmaster known as Megatronus. Targetmasters are Minicons who turn into weapons for larger robots. The two partners seem to get along just fine...

...but in secret, Megatronus is working to overthrow Cryotek. His scientist friend, Shockwave, has basically invented a new kind of Minicon that has never existed before- Brainmasters, which transform into internal computers and faces for larger mindless Transtectors. He is converted into one of these Brainmasters (as well as a few of his followers) and changes his name to Megatron, then overthrows Cryotek... and instantly starts turning Kaon into a fascist state, which includes murdering the entire Council (as far as he knows, anyway; one survives the attack and goes into hiding).

Cryotek begs the Autobots for help, and they’re initially willing to do so, but Rodimus Prime refuses, revealing he actually supports Megatron’s ambitions. In horror, Rodimus is basically immediately impeached, and he defects to the Decepticons. In his place, the Autobots decide to elect... Orion Pax, turning him into Optimus Prime. He’s converted from a Powermaster to a Headmaster (since Powermasters can only ever be sidekicks, really) and put in command. It’s also worth noting that Orion Pax was primarily elected and put in the position of Rodimus’s partner because his mother, Alphus Trion was the Prime before Rodimus (so, she used to be Alpha Trion, then Alphus Prime, then finally Alphus Trion).

Then, the fight ends up being taken to Earth.

The initial Decepticon team is made up of Megatron, Rodimus, and Shockwave, of course, but also Cryotek’s former second in command, Starscream, who’s secretly still on Cryotek’s side, as well as Cyclonus, Hook, and a few others. The main group tends to be Megatron, Rodimus, Starscream, Cyclonus, and once he arrives, Tidal Wave.

The initial Autobot team is made up of Optimus Prime, Cryotek, Jazz (who’s actually the human sidekick, they discover she’s actually a Pretender early on (it’s just that the Solus plot twist is later; and Jazz is her nickname, her real name is Rika Amami), and also a Headmaster, so they give her a Transtector they have lying around), Ratchet, Bumblebee, and a few others.

Over time, more Autobots and Decepticons come to Earth. Also, two more factions come into play- for one, the Terrorcons, and also, the Vehicons.

See, the Vehicons are Human-made Transformers. They’re generally non-sentient and just military weapons. The most important Vehicon ends up being one that transforms into a B-17, Omega Supreme.

The humans also experiment on the Terrorcon virus and make a variant on it- the Transmetal virus. The Transmetal virus won’t turn you into a servant of Unicron, but it will turn Transformers into partially-organic monsters against their will. It gets used on two Transformers in particular- the Decepticon Terrorsaur... and Jazz. After getting infected with it, Jazz renames herself Elita-One.

And also, the “leader” of the Terrorcons eventually appears, as a dark mirror of Optimus- Scourge. Of course, he’s a Terrorcon, so he’s not really the leader, but he makes a good figurehead.

Eventually, Optimus gets into a fight with both Scourge and Omega Supreme, and ends up partially opening the Matrix of Leadership. This converts both of them into Autobots, by curing Scourge of his Terrorcon infection and granting sentience to Omega. Scourge, now cured, becomes Ultra Magnus. However, pretty much immediately, Optimus ends up getting infected, becoming Nemesis Prime, the new figurehead leader of the Terrorcons.

Elita-One ends up getting elected to Prime, becoming Elitus-Prime. This lasts briefly, but then Elitus ends up fully opening the Matrix herself. This causes a whole ton of changes.

At this point, the conflict turns into a predominantly anti-Unicron one, as the Autobots and Decepticons start a ceasefire to fight Unicron’s forces.

Some changes:

Optimus is cured of his infection, becoming Prime again and forcing the Fallen to get off his ass and become the new Terrorcon figurehead

A shit ton of Transformers are reformatted into more powerful forms, such as Elitus-One becoming Prowl (who’s still technically infected with the Transmetal Virus, but now she’s kinda built around it, so it’s less of a curse and more of a blessing), Bumblebee becoming Goldbug (who is built out of five smaller hiveminded robots), Hook becoming Scrapper and getting five sidekicks with whom he can combine into Devastator; etc. Another really important one, though? Megatron becomes Galvatron.

In the end, Galvatron and a few others would sacrifice themselves to defeat Unicron.

Eventually, there’d be a sequel story. In it, Unicron would turn out to still be alive, and he’d use his power to resurrect the shells of the Transformers who sacrificed themselves, but not their personalities- they’d just be shells. Galvatron’s shell would just call itself Megatron; eventually, Galvatron’s personality would be rescued and he’d join the Autobots and still call himself Galvatron. Anyways, Megatron would take command of the Decepticons again, for reasons. And the story would start with a group of Autobots dying, but getting resurrected in more powerful forms by Primus. Optimus Prime wouldn’t change his name, but the rest would; most notably, Goldbug would become Hot Shot, and Prowl would become Red Alert. Also, Optimus would save the life of a Decepticon named Brawl, and so Brawl’d also die and get resurrected (and not change his name), and he’d join the Autobots and be a huge Optimus fanboy.

And speaking of Megatron, he’d be a six-changer. His five altmodes? Truck, jet, dragon, tank, and... I don’t actually remember the fifth one. He’d use the Truck one as his primary altmode and use the others for specific situations.

Also eventually, Red Alert would get seriously damaged and go through a process that would repair her, but also minorly overhaul her. Not as extensive an overhaul as her previous ones, she’d still fundamentally have the same body, but it’d be... different. As Red Alert (and Prowl, for that matter), she transformed into an emergency vehicle, but now, she transformed into... basically the same car as she did as Red Alert, but tooled to be a racecar instead, and in different colors. So she renamed herself Override.

So, she has now gone by nine names: Solus, Rika Amami, Jazz, Elita-One, Elitus Prime, Elitus-One, Prowl, Red Alert, and Override. SO MANY NAMES.

12 notes · View notes

balarouge · 4 years

Text

Danforth Music Hall turns 100 - NOW Magazine

WOLF PARADE at Danforth Popular Music Venue (147 Danforth), Friday (August 16), doors 7 pm.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS at Danforth Songs Hall (147 Danforth), Sunday (August 17) doors 7 pm. $18.88-$43.50. ticketmaster.com.

Walk due to the Danforth Songs Hall's lit-up signboard and nameplate indicator near the corner of Broadview and Danforth and you instantly get a sense of its previous life as a traditional movie theater. Yet responsible for that acquainted exterior lies a century of record-- one full of twists and also transforms along the method to its own current duty as the leading mid-sized songs venue in the city.

Initially designed as a motion picture theater as well as opened on August 18, 1919, the structure was actually then understood as Allen's Danforth Theatre (portion of the broader Allen chain of cinemas). It was eventually renamed the Music Venue when it began featuring live acts in the 1970s.

Designated a building of historical interest under the Ontario Culture Act in 1985, the structure still preserves a number of its original features, featuring designed brick as well as stylized "AT" signs on the frontal wall surfaces exemplifying the original label.

After several versions as a movie theater that occasionally held online efficiencies, the theatre closed in 2004 after years of forget as well as degeneration, yet was actually revitalized by brand-new owners in 2006 who embarked on extensive renovations to recover the once-grand old hall as a gig site before it was actually once again closed down in 2010 as a result of to non-payment of rental payment.

Currently managed through promoters Embrace Shows (that have actually been actually operating the site given that 2011) as well as Reside Nation (who obtained Embrace this year), the Songs Venue has ended up being a go-to location for crucial local area as well as touring acts as well, hosting features over the years from all categories, consisting of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Declaration, Dad John Misty and also career-highlight multi-night fly neighborhood acts like Daniel Caesar, Alvvays and Jessie Reyez. It even created international updates late in 2013 after a quarrel burst out onstage during the course of a Pusha T show.

"We viewed that there was actually a space in the marketplace for a mid-sized location and were confident this would load that space," points out Embrace president Adam Gill, whose enthusiasm in the area was 1st triggered by a set of legendary Arcade Fire reveals there in June 2010. "The place is a gorgeous, historic spot with remarkable audio. The proprietors, Mike Andrikopoulos and also Spiro Dotsikas, had owned the place considering that the 70s and it was extremely vital to them to have the venue carry on as an auditorium, so our experts were fortunately capable to reach out to a take care of them to lease the property."

After purchasing top-line sound as well as specialist remodelings, another adjustment Embrace created was actually to produce the chairs in the location removable to ensure the venue might book general admission programs, causing its current ability of 1,425. Over the previous many years, the city's live-music yard has viewed places of all dimensions shut their doors due to progression and gentrification. With a general lack of mid-sized spaces (particularly with Massey Venue's interim for restorations till following year), the Danforth Songs Hall has actually become a much-needed space-- just the right size for every little thing coming from surfacing artists on the edge of an advancement to celebrities preferring a much more close connection along with their followers.

The Danforth Dance hall are going to commemorate its 100th anniversary along with a set of series by beloved indie shows Wolf Parade and also The New Pornographers this weekend break. To indicate the event, our company talked to Canadian performers who've participated in the Dance hall to tell us about their most unforgettable programs at the fabled location-- and why they think it's thus necessary to the urban area's songs setting.

Brad Barr, The Barr Brothers

I always remember some of our shows there when my (then) four-year-old lad intended to hop on phase that evening. He was actually hanging around in the wings-- eventually he snuck previous his mama and started tromping my foot pedals!

Theatres like the Danforth, built with all the style and also elegance of early 20th-century style, are ending up being increasingly unusual, specifically for rock 'n' roll performances. And also the Danforth, for all its own ostentation, possesses a quite casual feel about it, uncomplex as well as truthful.

Think of if a place like the Danforth didn't exist-- it is actually occurring straight under our noses: aged theaters being actually knocked down following growth and gentrification. It is actually deeply saddening and also difficult to fix up. There are actually communities that have actually moved to conserve all of them-- the center of a city lies in exactly how its residents honor its own past times, in sculpting an area for it as they relocate in to the future.

Carl Newman, The New Pornographers

It is actually an elegant and timeless place that attaches you to afterward and makes you believe that what you are actually carrying onto show business possesses worth, which it is actually component of a lengthy custom. Places like the Danforth are excellent for bands that can't earn a living having fun in little nightclubs however have not moved to 5,000- or even 10,000-seat venues. Without locations like the Danforth, there is a wall structure that is challenging to damage through to come to the upcoming spot. I certainly never pictured I 'd reside in a band prominent sufficient to market out an area like that.

Ingram Barss

Joel Plaskett

The Danforth has a record that's intangible but incredibly real-feeling as a performer, not different to Massey Venue or even the Horseshoe, yet special in its own way. It's a great size for a show-- merely major enough to really feel intimate as well as view faces at the rear of the area. I've had capacities there certainly both as a status area along with the Emergency and also playing audio along with my father brown when the venue was settled. I've played several of my best programs there-- can't stand by to play it once more with Yeast Infection Anchorite in Oct.

Gathering together to stay songs is actually such an integral part of what creates neighborhood-- substantial venues may not be always my favorite, however 1,000-1,500 is actually definitely the best measurements for the target market to think hooked up to the performer, and the other way around. Here's to viewing the music angels assist stream out the 200 candlesticks in 2119.

Steve Sladowski, PUP

Our three-night legend in December 2016 was fairly crazy, and also even more recently, strolling unofficial to a full-venue "Let's go, Raptors!" song after completion of our established on June 7 as well as taking a seat backstage to locate the Raptors effectively on their method to succeeding Activity 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals was fairly remarkable.

Every series our experts've viewed there seems and looks fantastic. [Bandmate] Zack [Mykula] as well as I have found both settled and also status series at the Dance hall, featuring Run the Jewels, Primus, Courtney Barnett, Repossessing Sunday, St. Vincent and [RuPaul's Drag Race] Werq the World, only to name simply a couple of. As artists, the site staff and team are a number of the most effective we've run into anywhere in the world. They are actually friendly and also have their spunk all together-- two top qualities that are actually definitely necessary for exploring bands.

I participated in the Danforth in January 2014-- terrific energy in there certainly. I believe that is actually to some extent due to the fact that it's a site that individuals really like to head to. It is actually easy to reach, yet likewise believes that a place. Good-sized phase, but still seems like a genuine gathering in there certainly.

I caught one of the Daniel Caesar reveals there-- illest set concept ever in a location that dimension. Merely ridiculous. A Group Knowned As Red performed a married couple shows in there that experienced unique to me. I also saw José González certainly there this year and also that was actually one of the greatest shows I think I've ever found.

Amy Millan, Stars

Our team have actually been actually playing our yearly holiday season shows at the Dance hall every December for the previous thirteen years. Locations like the Danforth are what have allowed us to create our living. You can easily feel the background as soon as you stroll in-- areas possess souls, as well as the Danforth has the soul of a squeeze.

Absolutely the craziest set of programs was when I was actually nine months' pregnant. I was significant-- my guitar basically was suggesting the roof. I was rather tired due to the side of the show, so I would certainly place on my coat and also footwear through the side of the stage set while the musicians were actually doing the lengthy outro to Fairy tale Of The Big Apple and also then slip out the back door as well as basically be actually home by the opportunity the program ended. Among those evenings, I left the structure to discover it was snowing gently and also a handful of individuals were streaming out of the hall and discussing just how they liked the show as I snuck through all of them under a huge winter months hood-- it was actually a fairly magical emotion. Hearing that Gord Downie had actually brought his whole loved ones to that very same series and was actually shaking it in the patio nearly created me ruptured. (PS: The little one happened a few weeks eventually.)

This content was originally published here.

0 notes

houstonlocalus-blog · 7 years

Text

Never Been Wrong: The Best of The Week

Waxahatchee, Photo: Jesse Riggins

A lot of tours are making their way to Houston this week, and we’ll get treated to the likes of Waxahatchee, Jimmy Eat World and Lionel Richie when they all swing through town. Of course, with locals like Clay Melton, El Lago, ImposterBoys and more rounding out the week, you will have plenty of entertaining options to choose from. Houston, here’s how to map out the following week.

On Wednesday you can get started at White Swan, which will have the pop punk of Maryland’s Braceface. When pop punk is good, it can be really, really good, and this band makes pretty solid pop punk. Refreshingly, their latest release, Chewie We’re Home, feels like it steers away from some of the bro-fueled pop punk that used to dominate the scene. The pop punk of Houston’s 54 Reasons will be on as direct support, while White House Party Crashers will go on beforehand. The emo of Houston’s Finger Guns will also be on the bill, and the acoustic punk of Bad Stand-Up will get the all-ages show started with doors at 7 pm and a $5 cover.

Kyle Hubbard, Photo: Jordan Asinas

Of course on Wednesday you might also find yourself at Warehouse Live in the ballroom for the hip hop of Phora. Here in support of his latest, With Love, this California native has been blowing up as of late. The Youtube sensation, Froggy Fresh, will be on hand as direct support. Are these guys for real or just a pretty elaborate joke? I actually don’t know, but their track “Dunked On” seems to have a sense of seriousness to it with all of its southern-twanged mic skills. Houston mainstay and mic spitting machine Kyle Hubbard will be on hand as well, while the heavy hitting sounds of Fullmetal will get things started. The all-ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets $20 and $50, the latter being a VIP meet-and-greet option.

Thursday you can begin at Mucky Duck for the EP release from Houston’s Nathan Quick. The bluesy sounds of this guy are totally worth making it out for, and his The Los Angeles EP is definitely worth lending an ear to. Ashlynn Ivy will get things started with a solo set for the 21 & up show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.

At Joke Joint Comedy Showcase, the skit comedy of Ray William Johnson will be on hand. Johnson is quickly selling out all of his dates around the country, and he’s become known for his skits online. This h-town show has sold out as well, with two of Houston’s better up-and-coming comics serving as host and feature act. The 18 & up show has doors at 7 pm.

On Friday, you could get all the good vibes at Toyota Center, when Lionel Richie swings by to perform all the hits. And before you go thinking he doesn’t have an impressive back catalog, remember that tracks like “All Night Long,” “Hello,” Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing On The Ceiling” are just from his solo career. That’s before we steer into his hits with the Commodores. I caught Richie some years back, and he can still bring it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mariah Carey will also be on this show — as long as she doesn’t have another mic failing meltdown like on New Year’s Eve. I’m not sure if she’s performing her hits or not, but they’ll have Tauren Wells open the all-ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $39.95 and $500.

Jimmy Eat World, Photo: CAA

At Cynthia Mitchell Woodlands Pavilion, Incubus will bring their mediocre sounds to all who attend the outdoor venue. I mean, they’re decent live, but just be prepared for their “jam” session I had to sit through when I saw them over a decade ago. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get amped to catch Jimmy Eat World, who’ll be on as direct support. Their last release, Integrity Blues, was their best in years, and they always bring it live. Nashville’s Judah & the Lion will get the all-ages show started with gates at 6 pm and tickets between $29.50 and $115.

Over at House of Blues, the always fun hip hop of 2 Chainz will bring down the house. This guy has never been a disappointment live, and his latest album, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, is a tour de force. Memphis’ Young Dolph will be on as opener and direct support for the all-ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $42 and $59.

Walter’s will host the alt prog metal of Oakland’s Free Salamander Exhibit. This five piece offers up weirdly prog-heavy sounds on their latest, Undestroyed, that sounds in some ways like Primus but with creepy vocals. The brutal prog rock noise of Houston’s Dead Time will be on as direct support, while Funeral Horse will get the all-ages show started with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.

Mockingbird Brother, Photo: Nikki Machacek

At Satellite Bar, the tripped-out psych fuzz pop of Chicago’s YAWN will be on full display. While this four-piece has become well known for their intriguing live shows, their last full-length album was three years ago with Love Chills. This year they dropped a new single called “Hum” that’s a total trip, and it should hopefully mean new tunes are on the way as well. The insane psych sounds of Houston’s Bernie Pink will be on as direct support, while the indie punk goodness of Mockingbird Brother will get the all-ages show started with doors at 8 pm for the free show. It is, however, $10 for the under 21 crowd.

Stereo Live will host a groove-heavy show when UK dubstep producer Cookie Monsta drops a set. This guy definitely knows how to drop the bass and get a room moving, and his latest drop, “Them,” from last year, is a definite thumper. Philadelphia’s Subtronics will drop a set as direct support, while California’s Uber gets things started on the 18 & up show with doors at 9 pm and tickets for $10.

Saturday you could get your tonk on when Sam Houston Race Park hosts the Beyond The Pines Music Festival. An all-day affair headlined by Texas’ Ryan Bingham, there’s plenty of other sounds available from acts like California’s Vintage Trouble, Oklahoma’s Jon Wolfe, and the soulful sounds of Alabama’s Anderson East. There’s plenty more acts on hand alongside food trucks, with more information available here. The all-ages event gets going with gates at 2 pm and tickets between $38 and $180.

Clay Melton, Photo: Daniel Jackson

Of course White Linen in the Heights will be taking place, and while you have a ton of options on who to see, you should definitely swing by Onion Creek to catch Clay Melton. Melton is on the verge of dropping a new album produced by Steve Christensen and Dan Workman, and his sound is full of bluesy tone and gritty guitar squeal. He’s pretty energetic in a live setting, and his latest single, “Secrets,” is pretty strong. The free show gets going around 5 pm and it’s for all ages.

Downstairs at White Oak Music Hall, you can get your metal fix when Helstar brings their heavy metal back to the city where they formed. These guys have been going since the early ’80s. They’ve kind of done a ton of big labels, and the latest of their thirteen releases, Vampiro, is their best so far. They’ll have the classic metal of Sanctus Bellum on as direct support, while Mastema will go on beforehand. Krullur will open up the all-ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $12 and $17.

Queen + Adam Lambert, Photo: CAA

Toyota Center will host the classic rock of Queen+Adam Lambert. Lambert taking the reigns as singer for the classic rock icons feels like a no brainer if you’re a fan. All of your favorites like “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” and “Another One Bites The Dust” will get performed. There’s no word of support or openers, but you probably don’t need either for this show. The all-ages evening has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $49.50 and $175.

Over in the studio at Warehouse Live, the celebrated downtempo jazz DJ jams of producer Mark Farina will be on hand to get your feet moving. Farina has gotten well known for his unique style, his crazy live sets, and his back catalog of jams. His last drop was 2013’s Urban Coyotes, but earlier records like Back to the House and To Do are pretty magical as well. LA’s Seven Davis will bring his jazz-infused jams on as direct support, while Houston’s Bobby Blyss will get the all-ages show with doors at 8 pm started, with tickets between $16 and $19.

El Lago, Photo: Daniel Jackson

Satellite Bar will have Houston’s El Lago over to headline a set, I think. They have two different orders, or three if you count the flyer, so I guess depending where you look, this will all change. If it’s El Lago headlining, then I’m sure you’ll be pleased, as the dreamy indie rock four-piece is on the verge of dropping their debut full length. It goes without saying that their live shows are always pretty stellar. The fuzz rock of Austin’s The Hermits will also be on hand, while the insanely great indie rock of Alexalone will open the all-ages show with doors at 8 pm. There’s a free cover for the adults, or a $5 cover for the kids.

The classic Mod rock of the Texas Mod Crushers will be over at Rudyard’s. These guys mix classic mod with punk sensibility that you should see sooner than later. The Genzales will be on as direct support, while Imposterboys will open the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm and an $8 cover.

Sunday you can swing by White Oak Music Hall upstairs for the indie rock sounds of Waxahatchee. The Alabama-born group, lead by Katie Crutchfield, will be here in support of this year’s Out In The Storm. While I say indie rock, there’s plenty of straight-forward rock on this stellar album that’ll sound amazing live. The lo-fi indie rock of Boston’s Palehound will be on as direct support, while Baltimore’s Outer Spaces will open the all-ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $19.

Over at Marquee Moon Lounge, Austin’s JT Habersaat will bring his Altercation Comedy to town. Here in support of his latest vinyl release, his funny antics will make you forget the humdrum of the week. Memphis’ Josh Mclane and Austin’s Avery Moore will both be on beforehand, while Houston’s English Matt and crowd favorite Gabe Bravo will kick things off. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.

Astragal, Photo: Disha Khakheria

On Monday you can swing by White Oak Music Hall upstairs for the indie rock of Denton’s Dome Dwellers. This three-piece is definitely due for a new album, but their 2015 release, Ivory Tower, is definitely catchy and intriguing and full of prog influences in its structuring. The punk-fueled indie rock of Houston three-piece Mockingbird Brother will be on hand as direct support, while the jangly indie rock energy of Astragal will open things up. The all-ages show has doors at 7 pm and it’s free for adults or $5 for the children.

Walter’s will host the alt pop rock of Philadelphia’s Civil Youth. Supporting their latest album, this year’s Conversations, this three-piece is definitely full of hooks. The bluesy sounds of Houston’s Clay Melton will be on as direct support while the proggy alt rock of Vox Vocis will go on prior. The indie pop of Houston’s Vanilla Sugar will open the all-ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

On Tuesday, you could head to Warehouse Live in the ballroom for another edition of the massively popular running show, The Moth. The all-ages true stories, told live this time, will as always should make for a fun time. The doors are at 6:30 pm and tickets are $10 for the seated show.

That’s about all that’s happening this week. No matter what you decide to do, remember that drinking like an adult and staying hydrated are best for everyone around you.

Never Been Wrong: The Best of The Week this is a repost

0 notes

iacon-stargazer · 5 years

Text

The History of Optimus Prime

The Prime known to future generations only as Thirteen is Orion and Optimus in his truest form, the pure and unmarred essence of his spark. The final fragment of Primus's power, and the closest to the Creator’s own frequency—close enough to face Unicron in his place, to perform the potentially self-sacrificing act of sending them both to stasis via the proximity of their sparks.

There's no resentment over the very real possibility of himself never awakening, no regret. He hasn't yet learned such concepts. He's kind, honest, loving, and fair—to others and himself equally. He's the mediator, and with remarkable success keeps the peace between the range of personalities more extreme than his own.

The battle with Unicron changes things, however. They can no longer be truly said to have a single creator, for even as they succeeded, the touch of chaos left its mark upon them all. No more than a seed at first, it reacts uniquely as it takes root in each of them through the events that follow.

As Optimus watches the family he knew fall apart despite his best efforts to perform his treasured duty, his own seed of darkness germinates—a subtle self-blame flickering through his confusion, a sense that he's just not trying quite hard enough, that he could do better. It's small though, for his knowing that he is doing what he can and always has done.

In the end, it doesn't matter. Liege Maximo, the glib and cunning one of the group, spreads discord until, in a great crest of tragedy, Megatronus accidentally slays Solus in a moment of blind rage. The brothers are devastated, Megatronus not least of all, and he takes up a cloak of banishment, changing his name to "The Fallen". Chaos descends as remainder of them fight, and never before has Optimus felt more helpless.

His grief waters his seed of darkness, and it grows into a gripping pain—an emotional pain the likes of which his young and innocent spark has never before experienced. Lost, suffering, and helpless, when Onyx descends into the Well for the proximity to Primus to keep his spark alive when his fatally wounded frame cannot, and Micronus goes to accompany him, Optimus chooses to join them—not for the peace of that quiet and slow realm, but to step into the Allspark itself.

"To better understand the new generation, to better be able to help them." Such reasoning bears a heavy weight. Where he has failed his siblings he's determined not to fail again. The possibility for a second chance in a fresh life brings the relief of hope to lighten the guilt and grief he carries. To leave behind and forget his remaining siblings aches, but he can be of more use if he lets himself be reincarnated. He will try harder, do better, and succeed where he has failed before. Informed of this decision, Alpha Trion, the record keeper among them, redacts Optimus’s name from the Covenant of Primus, their great record of history—leaving the Optimus Prime of this age to be remembered simply as “Thirteen”.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And so Orion Pax emerges. A young mech with the same instinctual sense of goodness, an insatiable curiosity for the world in which he lives, and an unusual interest in its history. Alpha Trion watches over his reborn younger brother, offering him council as well as he can as a friend and mentor.

Orion seems to always have a persistent sense that he's missing something, forgotten something... that there's some purpose to his life that he's forgotten. It's a subtle sense of not-quite-satisfaction, something nagging for him to remember, but always just beyond his reach. He eventually forgets it—or perhaps simply grows so used to it, he ceases to notice.

Until, during his work archiving, he runs across a speech delivered by a rising gladiator in the Pits of Kaon. A gladiator who has named himself after The Fallen of the Thirteen.

As Orion's optics open to Cybertronian society's darker underbelly, so too does something deep inside of him seem to wake up. He takes action, contacts the gladiator, and begins to stand for him, beside him, aiding and reaching out to others in his own ways to bring equality to Cybertron. Despite all odds, they have hope. With this gladiator—named after Megatronus, but sharing as well all the cunning eloquence of Liege Maximo—he has a chance to succeed where his past self has failed.

If only it were that easy.

Megatronus, now with his self-chosen name clipped to Megatron—a far more self-empowered move than his namesake's change—is furious when the council (with perhaps some suggestion from Alpha Trion) offers the goal he's been seeking, a mantle of leadership in the form of Primehood, to Orion instead of himself. It doesn't matter that Orion refuses it. But Orion will make it matter, prove the truth of his intentions; he can do this...

Then in a sudden turning point, light is brought in to shine upon everything this karmic successor to Liege Maximo has kept hidden from him. It's a voluminous and black reality. The peaceful protestor has been a front, as deep beneath he has lead his truest followers to strike out in anger and violence, committing terrorist attacks that sometimes bring down not only the senators they so hate, but any number of innocent bystanders caught in the blazes.

This is the true test for Orion now. He must break through the devastation of his trust and step forward, rise above and bring them back together onto common ground.

He'll give Megatron another chance.

He tries.

It's not enough.

War is not likely. It's imminent. Feeling no other choice, Orion accepts the title he's been offered, and, fighting through the hurt of betrayal, tries to step into the role he seems to be needed in now, as a leader.

They call him “Optimus Prime.” Something about the name feels familiar, but other parts of him still resist it. He’s no Prime; he does not hold the Matrix. His decision to take the title nonetheless is one of pragmatic necessity; he needs the influence if he’s to make changes from within, and doing so is all the more urgent with Megatron as an enemy. Previously he’d hoped to support and council from the sidelines, as Megatron’s flame of passion was much more suited for leadership than his own quiet justice, but there’s not so much room for choice left for him now. Only he can do this, and so he must.

To lead in war is a great and terrible struggle, a nightmare come to life. He has to stay strong despite the weight of grief and responsibility for every warrior lost upon him. Megatron’s methods grow ever darker and more extreme as it drags on, grinding down Orion’s—no, Optimus’s, technically—hopes of changing his mind ever further, though still he does not give up. The mech he knew has to be in there somewhere still.

Even when Megatron poisons Cybertron’s very core.

Orion—Optimus—makes the journey down to save it himself. He must remove the taint of dark energon, protect the Allspark from its contamination and Megatron’s sinister goals....

There’s something more for him waiting down there. A destiny for him to take on, for only he can do this, and he is needed.

~~~~~

Optimus often clashes with the Matrix, especially at first. However, his will is strong and his ideals rarely compromised. He does recognize, however, that his personal desires are a hindrance. For all that he values individuality, freedom, and choice, he realizes that for others to have that, it’s necessary for him to sacrifice his own. And so as well as he can, he does.

Whereas Orion had once been a relatively emotionally well-adjusted individual, always acknowledging and looking for outlets for his own feelings even if he refrained from expressing them for the sake of others, Optimus begins to repress those of his that hinder him from his duty. At first it is only telling himself he doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on them just then, but gradually it shifts to the point where he is only subconsciously aware of them until they grow too strong for him to avoid.

He finds outlets, still, in solitary drives and meditations, when those times arrive. Far more rarely does he indulge in the sorts of music he turned to as Orion, and several subjects cease appearing in his journaling.

It builds up, over the vorns, the weight he bears upon him. So many small pains blend together, dulling and numbing in their acuity. His spark never hardens, though, only endures.

Guilt weighs the heaviest of all, and pushes his martyristic complex all the further. He recognizes the importance of the role he plays—too important for him to ever waver from it—but at the same time, he still refuses to hold his life above that of any other. To let any soldier perish for him would weigh too heavily on him, and so it’s easier for him to offer up his own life as the first alternative, even if that would leave everyone else stranded without him.

They would be strong enough to manage with him gone, he tells himself.

But his duty is essential and he cannot pause from it, because they need him.

Even his subconscious cannot allow him to recognize the contradictory logic, because he has stood for these ideals so long. The pillars of his identity are forged from these principles, of his duty to those he must protect. Iron-cast and fortified, they hold him up when everything inside is saturated with guilt, pain, and regret he cannot afford to delve into. He cannot question himself anymore, because those pillars, that idea that they need him both holds him up and holds him back.

By the end, his existence is little else.

When Cybertron is restored, and his quest points him to death, the actualization is a relief. It pains him to leave those he cares for behind, but he’s needed, for one last thing. That moment, as he dives into the Well and releases the Matrix and the Allspark with it, the need for him is fulfilled.

He’s done his part.

The pillars dissolve, and he’s free.

#;{backstory}#;{headcanon}#;{long post}#tw suicide mention #{{just to be safe}}#{{it's no more than canon stuff though}}

14 notes · View notes