The Flaw In Every Crystal

The Flaw In Every Crystal

Chapter 18 Part 2 ....of Part 2

Aka: The garden party

Aka: Guy needs a hobby

Okay, been a while so let’s just get right back into it. Jazz as a new paint job in all grays and now gets to visit the garden as part of his ... walk. They get just waved through the gates since Jazz now has THE WINGS OF CITIZENSHIP or close enough at least. When they come upon the singing crystals, Prowl asks Jazz to enter alone to experience them himself now that he should be able to hear them via his wings. Jazz thinks the song he now hears is a bit bittersweet which makes sense of him projecting just how far he has had to come and what he has been put through to hear them fully.

Of course now that Jazz has heard some music again, it revives that part of him leading him to want to create his own music again. We also see how Prowl can accept some core values that Jazz has but not others. Such as he is willing to allow Jazz to stay with the singing crystals for as long as Jazz wishes because he understands how much music makes up Jazz’s character. Yet Prowl fails to grasp that rebellion is another equal facet of Jazz and cannot just be removed or suppressed yet leave the rest of him as Jazz.

Jazz forces himself to leave the area early as not to make Prowl angry at being forced to wait. This makes sense as Prowl didn’t say that Jazz could take as long as he wanted. So though Prowl assumes that Jazz will stay in there until fetched, Jazz believes that Prowl will want to leave in order to see the rest of the garden and catch the next transport to deal with whatever is on the schedule next and would be angry if thrown off it. 

Kinda surprised that touching the crystals is allowed. But I guess that if it is only Praxian’s who are taught to know better or mechs with Praxians they assume that nothing too bad will happen to the exhibit. I wonder if they ever change the crystals out or rearrange them to change up the exhibit every once in a while or if it is a permanent fixture?

It is cute that there is a little hidden shop in the gardens for kids to discover and get a little take home kit. Unfortunately Jazz seems to find it cute too and combined with the rest of what has happened today is leaving him rather out of sorts over what to feel.

“... proper sensor wings aren’t installed until one’s adult frames.” Is this to say the kids aren’t born with wings from any couple and instead everyone gets wings when they become a citizen?

Jazz’s wings seem to be becoming a tell for him as he finds it hard to control them properly. So while he can hide his facial expressions, the wings give him away. 

Prowl seems interested and says that Jazz may have talent. I wonder if this is due to Jazz’s interest in music or is it that people who grow crystal are regarded and having an outsider mate who can grow crystals would be a better status symbol for Prowl? I can’t think that crystals grown by an outsider would be considered anything more than a parlor trick by most Praxian’s though. Also they don’t charge for the crystal growing kit?

When they get back home it seems that Jazz is uneasy with how he seems to be losing himself to the role Prowl expects him to be playing as the sub. Though Prowl is rather self-sufficient already so Jazz can very quickly get left with nothing to do. Though now he does have the crystals to occupy his time.

Praxian’s must not really have a music scene what so ever if Prowl is working so hard to get Jazz into the crystals rather than a quiet instrument to occupy his time.

Thus we end this chapter with both going into recharge after a busy day of gifts for Jazz.

Till next time!

I had been thinking about it a little bit and I don’t know if pity is the right word. More just sad probably that this person who was able to talk circles around her when they first met now can barely say a handful of words. And probably a lot of anger on his behalf too. It’s like seeing a shark or some other predator in a state of starvation and sickness, just wrong to see something that was so fierce and dangerous reduced.

I was also thinking how different it would be if her Starscream was alive or dead at this point as well. If Starscream is still alive but still in jail I can see Windblade seeing it more as a pet project to take on but not really devote herself entirely too. She would still try but would probably acknowledge how useless it could be and such.

But if it was after her Starscream died somehow, then you have guilt to deal with. Not to mention the whole “how do you grief the death of someone right in front of you”. I can see her dedicating herself to this Starscream a lot more then.  I wonder if she would even get angry or frustrated and lash out that this Starscream is neither the one she knew nor the one she wants. Like of course Windblade is a good person, but even she has her limits on such things.

Also Windblade is in an unique position compared to everyone else because she does know the basics of what Starscream and Megatron’s relationship is but probably not about the abuse or how bad it got. I don’t think Windblade has ever even personally see Megatron in canon. So I wonder if she would try to steer Starscream away from wanting to see Megatron? Maybe be like “I knew the real you, the ‘real’ you more than he ever did”. Starscream would probably thing she was full of shit most of the time since he can’t even think properly, how the hell would he have become leader of Cyberton. Especially since I can see Windblade trying to gloss over all the bad things he did which makes Starscream distrust her more since he would be able to tell when she was lying by omisson about something. 

Megatron also knows even less about Windblade than Windblade knows about him. So I wonder if he would think she was just another bleeding spark like Clicker or something else. Maybe he would like Windblade just wants to restore Starscream to gloat over her victory? Or take revenge by proxy for all he did to her? Or maybe he would think she wants to use Starscream as a dangerous weapon that would then be loyal to just her in a way Megatron could never even dream of? Megatron knows Clicker just wants to help but to him Windblade is pretty much a complete unknown.

Sorry, I haven’t been able to get my proper Windblade fix since TAAO ended and really love the scenario your story creates.. I just love how Windblade in the comics is always a person who does and wants to do good first and a good person second, if that makes any sense.

Hey, Question about Futile Effort, since I don't see it occurring in the story proper: How do you think Windblade would react to this version of Starscream after knowing the "real" him?

Hm. So I’ve been thinking about this question for about an hour, and honestly? I really don’t know. I want to say she would take pity on him, especially considering she’s seen his “real” self. She has two versions of him in her head, and this third person is not shaped by experience, nor is he shaped by his own attributes and personality. He’s been molded from the outside in. I think she would take up the same position as Clicker. There is a Starscream in there that’s not this one. And like Clicker she would put her best efforts into getting him out. She doesn’t seem like the type to give up entirely on a person, even if that person seems beyond help. Though, on the same note, I almost think she might try to shape him to be better than he is. The Starscream trapped in Starscream’s mind is a biting, bitter fighter. He’s still a little mean, but not shaped by the same experiences as the Starscream she knows personally.  If they ever unlocked Starscream’s mind and helped him heal he would be unrecognizable to her. He would be Neither her Starscream, or the one she tried to forge from his Spark. But someone entirely different. And I think she’d acknowledge that. How do you think she’d react? 

Maybe he actually got sent to the secret prison?

This guy looks like a cross between Bumblebee and a teddy bear. 

…I dub thee Bumblebear. 

The Flaw in Every Crystal

Chapter 13: ‘Retraining Arc Part 5′

Aka might as well converse with a brink wall

Aka All on board the logic merry-go-round

We start with Prowl visiting Jazz again as Jazz comments to himself that Prowl is getting predictable. I can see how this probably is the case as Prowl seems to be making it up as he goes based on a simple outline. Prowl also isn’t the type to change something unless he feels he is forced to.

We also get another sample of how internal Praxus is since even a questioning tilt of the head instead of the winds is known as an “outsider” style of questioning. Prowl, feeling forced to do something to move forward with the training, says how now Jazz will be punished if he fails to respond to any questions of Prowl’s. Prowl is surprised that Jazz goes along with it.

Unfortunately, this probably reinforces in Prowl’s mind that violence does work on Jazz. Since Jazz is now agreeing to respond politely to Prowl after the threat of violence. This can be contrasted when before the promise of reward, energon, was literally spat in Prowl’s face. Kinda sets a bad precedent. 

Prowl, now seemingly now at this point just expecting Jazz to be contradictory to the point of self-harm wonders how long Jazz will go before “abusing” his “gift” of speech again. Jazz brings up how Prowl, lately especially, seems to bait Jazz into mouthing off so Prowl can punish him. Could it be Prowl’s own subconscious anger at Jazz for hurting him, insulting his culture, and taking so long to heel to Prowl’s commands that Prowl is manipulating Jazz into anger like this? Or it could be that Prowl is trying to get Jazz used to insults now so that when he brings Jazz out in public, Jazz won’t rile up the first time some stranger insults him?

Jazz tries to bring up again that the reason Prowl is locking him up is because Prowl is desperate for a mate. Not true, but Prowl has never given him another reason in so many words, Jazz has no other choice but to believe it. Prowl tries to disregard this reasoning, saying how there have been offers but Jazz was the first to grab his attention. I wonder if the other offers were all from subs or people asking Prowl to be the sub? Or both? Could someone ask another to take them as a sub, or is that seen as really improper?

Jazz brings up the problem of rapid immersion being that now that Prowl has introduced this new culture/side of himself, Jazz may not/does not like what he sees. Especially if he feels that Prowl was not being honest at all before now so any trust and prior relationship is flushed down the toilet. Prowl brings up how Jazz decided to bolt before Prowl could explain things, though I would bring up once again that the relationship was already set in stone by that time. So even if Jazz had stuck around, things still would have gone very down hill very quickly. 

"I warned you that trying to leave as you were at the time wasn't going to work out. It's not my fault that you overreacted. You could have waited and listened instead of trying to run away."

And Prowl does not so much as dance around the topic of using the bonding to Jazz to escape Praxus as he confusingly waltzes to a song only he can hear while Jazz looks on. So what is with Prowl not telling? What does he think will happen of Jazz finds out Prowl wants to leave Praxus too? That Jazz will turn him in???? He says how he doesn’t trust Jazz, can’t trust Jazz, and how Jazz can’t take care of himself....but honestly come on Prowl, why does your plan hinge on Jazz being in the dark about the end game???? Like sure, Jazz exploded....twice....but that proves Jazz wants to leave. 

Why try to get Jazz so used to Praxus? Unless he thinks if he tells Jazz now, Jazz will try to rush things? That’s the only reason I can really think of from Prowl’s point of view. And seems reasonable if he thinks Jazz will fly off the handle and explode again whenever there is a set back or delay in the plan needed. One can only afford to fix the house so many times. Or worse we get a Lady Macbeth reenactment.

And then we get the back and forth arguments again where Prowl and Jazz just keep stating what they believe but neither cares to accept any point the other makes so they may as well just be talking to a wall. Except the wall may be better since the wall can’t get pissed off at you. 

“ I would never demean you in such a way."  I wonder what that would mean in Praxus to demean a sub. Like literal pet play in public? More probably if the sub looks really beat up and wrecked it reflects badly on the dom. But still...

It is fun to hear the back and forth between Prowl and Jazz. It does actually remind me of some of Shakespeare's back and forth between Katherine and  Petruchio. If/When I ever get this review series done I may reread the play just to do a break down of all the differences and similarities between them.

"It's no wonder your job is to be shipped away to other cities constantly; no one there wants to be forced to interact with you for any extended period."

And yeah, that is a really low blow Prowl. When Jazz reacts to it, Prowl finally just snaps and starts beating on Jazz. Unfortunately I feel like Prowl was attracted to Jazz for being able to talk to Prowl and bring emotions out of Prowl.

And this is where we end the chapter.

Till next time!

The Flaw in Every Crystal

Chapter 16: Intermission 2

aka: Help me Blaster, you’re my only hope!

It’s interesting that Derby is said to have had delegations in Kaon, but then has to return to get out of combat mode. Most of the time Kaon is described as the most violent of the city-states in the unwritten canon of transformers fanfiction but I would think that the problem would be corrupt officials, not actual expected combat. Also I wonder how much experience then Derby has viewing other cultures or because she is part of the military is she mostly kept away from such things?

"Because normally the patient is the one bringing in the request [for medical grade energon." Could a sub pick up energon for a sick dom then? Or would they need special permission?

I wonder if Jazz did die due to the training how Triage would react to it. Would she see Prowl differently?

Anyway, on to Blaster!

Jazz’s employer gets to know first hand how “disappearing” someone is great in theory, but way harder in real life. It’s a good thing Jazz didn’t have creators or a mate around that could provide paperwork proof of Jazz’s employment that would be a lot harder to explain away. 

It is very telling and interesting that after getting a distressed call from Jazz and then being unable to contact him further, for what must be many orns now, Blaster is asking around Jazz’s previous place of business rather than the enforcers. I wounder to how well the tracks of Jazz were covered. I mean he was a writer before/ cultural investigator. One would think to prove that Jazz was employed somewhere, Blaster would just have to provide an article written by him. Unless this was new employment and Jazz was more freelance before, or wrote under a pen name, or if his previous writings were simply deleted/withdrawn. Or I guess altered to have someone else’s name attached if you really want to muddy the waters.

 Blaster then hides himself away from “prying optics” before releasing his cassette. I wonder if Blaster should actually worry that someone is still tailing him after asking so much about Jazz or if Blaster is just being overly cautious. My instincts say that whoever wanted Jazz gone has pretty much washed his/her hands of it now but you never know.

Blaster gives Eject simple yet huge orders “ "Get me what ya can ta help me find 'im or why 'e don' exist in their system, but don't risk yerself any more lookin'.” And I can hear that Chekhov's gun cocking from all the way out here. Though even double the chapters from now I’m still waiting to see whose face it will go off in. 

Anyway, Cassettes, mind some details on what they are in this story? Like will they always be younglings? Can we expect them to grow up? How related to Blaster are they? How odd of a sight are they? Would people notice them or chose to ignore them? Do they need to visit Blaster regularly? Is Rewind already married here?

But anyway, back to the main plot of Life in Praxus!

Till next time!

If you’re ever like “but what do fic writers even WANT.”

a book report

They want a book report.

They want you to get 9th grade English up in their shit. 

Remember having to write ad nauseam about the symbolism of that stupid conch in Lord of the Flies? They want you to do that about Steve Roger’s shield and Emma Swan’s jacket.