As it had been said and reiterated ad nauseam by anyone attempting to grasp at real depth: the mind was a funny thing. No one truly lacked that inherit predisposition of wanting to be fooled, even if it was a mere trick of the light. It manifests in slow and subtle ways that the most grounded individual falls victim to it: Day after day on a bench hopelessly waiting for a preferred past to reestablish itself. In place of an emotional crutch applying to word 'logic' to extreme behavior as an insulator.

Knowing that this was all the optics tricking the brain module into believing physical touch was possible. All an illusion until you've convinced yourself otherwise when the reality becomes too painful.

"I never left."

Shockwave had told Emma when she was in his mind: The hard truth at the heart of it all was that Shadowplay, the empurata, all of it - it never had really broken him. It just cut out anything worth breaking. A sad reminder that this had always been him in there. The smitten young senator flirting with agitators or the frigid scientist reducing lives to a cold calculus. When one resurfaces the other never really goes away.

"Just once." Shockwave says thickly as he leans forward; a hairsbreadth knowing that any closer and the hard light projection would be unable to create a convincing enough lie. The crown of his forehead rests gingerly against Optimus's and once more, just above a whisper. "Just this once."