robothell | [Closed], [Open] after

WHO: [Closed] - Optimus and non-Lost Lighters
[Open] - Optimus and YOU!
[Closed] - Optimus and Sentinel
WHERE: Near the Crater
WHEN: After Bumblebee recovers from being hurt, a few weeks after everyone's arrival
WHAT: Information sharing and political stuff
WARNINGS: NONE

[CLOSED: NON-LOST LIGHTERS: NO TARN ALLOWED]

Optimus had asked word to be spread about a gathering. It'd taken some time (some of them had gotten injured along the way), but word had gotten out. With a new, yet destroyed Cybertron, Optimus had wanted to set the record straight with quite a few things. One, that they were not here to continue the war. The planet's landscape was proof enough that the environment had clearly seen its fill of that. Two, to fill in others who had not otherwise caught up with what was going on back home, as well as any people not from that universe. And three, how leadership should be distributed.

Topics covered
-Finding out just who is and isn't accounted for
-The Megatron situation
-Filling in on what's been going on for those not caught up
-Leadership and how it's going to be treated, who's going to follow who's lead.

The rest is just mingling, catching up on some old friends who may have died or worse. Feel free to use this as a moment to make new friends as well, or potential new not-so friends.

Who knows!

[LATER: OPEN TO ALL]

After the meeting had taken place, Optimus had decided to get a little 'fresh air'. Why yes, he knows he doesn't breathe. But with everything now as situated as possible, he needed to consider some of his personal thoughts. Things that couldn't be brought up there. Many things had come back from the dead (quite literally in some aspects) on his arrival here, and dealing with those wounds opening was not something he'd originally thought he'd face so soon. Bumblebee...Shockwave...Roller...

Was the universe teasing him on this? He'd miraculously gotten Ironhide back, it wasn't completely beyond all reason. But it'd reminded him just how fragile everything was in his hold. If he believed in it, he'd call himself cursed.

No...it'd been a series of circumstances. Series of many things that went wrong. Things not even he could have prevented if he wanted to. And sometimes...

He didn't know which one was worse.

[EVEN LATER: CLOSED: TO SENTINEL PRIME]

This had been long overdue. Optimus had met Sentinel Prime the day they'd all arrived, and while their conversation had been anything but pleasant, there was still unfinished business to attend to. Granted, before he could, Megatron had gotten ahold of the Prime before him, finishing what he'd somewhat started. Sentinel himself was...alive, at least. In extreme medical care, but fine. All Optimus could do was wait until he was conscious again.

Before he'd have a chat.

He walks in, giving his regards to whichever medic was on duty at the time before glancing around, looking for the ex-Prime. Thankfully, he wasn't too hard to spot. A large gold and red monstrosity was very hard to miss. The green thumb of Cybertronians, dripping with pretentiousness. There's a brisk walk over to his bed, eyes as hard as when they'd met for the first time.

"You're awake."

Nice observation, Optimus.

"I was beginning to think you'd become a real sleeping beauty."

The sarcasm, there's oh so much.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The sound of his name ringing through the air certainly catches his attention, although it's not a voice he recognizes right off the bat. It gets his head to turn, seeing the truck walk over to him. A possible Decepticon, but he was reserving judgement for the time being. After all, the war was over, and if Aftermath had no qualms about him, it'd be the same for himself.

"Of course."

There's one more glance out at the crater before turning his full attention to the other.

"I don't believe we've met."

"Aftermath. Journalist," he says, and flipping his ID and credentials out. In his experience, Autobots generally didn't appreciate shaking hands with him, so he just skips that.

The credentials themselves weren't Cybertronian in origin, There were three cards all together, all from different sectors of the universe and written in the most common dialects found therein.

"I was hoping we could schedule an interview at some point."

Well, that's certainly a new one. He'd been approached before about interviews and biographies, although this was the first one from...what looked like a Decepticon frame. Needless to say, he's a little taken by surprise.

"Ah...It's an honour."

The credentials, while obviously not Cybertronian, at least convince him enough that he honed his skill somewhere in the universe. And he wasn't about to judge a journalist.

"An interview." It's said almost...curiously. As if making sure he heard Aftermath right.

"An interview," Aftermath confirms, flicking the cards away back into his wrist compartment with a practiced motion.

"I've accumulated a bit of a list of questions over the years. Things a lot of people have wanted to know, either in regards to the Autobot cause or what your stance on certain matters were personally." He flips out a datapad and a stylus and starts going through a calender application. "Mind you, we won't go over all of them, it's a very long list, but I've selected a few that are quite relevant to the current political climate."

Ominous? A little.

"So, when would be a good time and place for you?" Aftermath asks, looking expectantly up at the Prime, stylus hover over the screen.

Edited 2015-02-04 00:40 (UTC)

All information that Optimus would have deemed it the public's right to know. His personal feelings were the feelings of the Autobot cause, at least in his spark. But he knew that wasn't the case. That the things they did, the actions they had to take...

Oh yes, right. Interview.

"And what would this be used for? Surely not for your own amusement."

Yeah, he'll be a little suspicious.

"I did not risk putting myself under Prowl's spotlight for the sake of personal amusement, Optimus Prime." Aftermath lowers the datapad, expression unreadable. There's a reason he waited for Optimus instead of wading into the meeting. If Prowl knew about the interview Aftermath was planning to conduct... well.

The world was never a friendly place for journalists.

"I hope to put publish it once all the research is done. Put a few minds to ease- or at least to begin a proper discussion on what the future of our race will be in light of all that has come to pass," he answers quietly. "I think the people who have had to endure the war deserve that at least, don't you agree?"

Edited 2015-02-07 08:19 (UTC)

While Aftermath's face was hard to make out, he could certainly tell from the tone that the other bot had come here strictly for business. And he couldn't really blame him for avoiding the contact with Prowl. He wasn't exactly the friendliest Autobot (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR, OPTIMUS), and he can definitely see it going south should the topic come up.

"Mmm, you raise a good point. The people deserve to know our intentions, our hopes...everything we fought for." That some sacrifices had to be made, questionable ones, at that.

"If you truly believe it will clear the animosity, I will consent to it."

"I can make no promises about clearing animosity." That was a tall order, even for a journalist. "But. Cutting out the rust will make it easier to begin the mending as the old saying goes."

The question was just how much of the rust was Optimus himself.

He thinks on it for a moment. Weighing his options. While he didn't want to bring the topic of war into this place, especially with so many from differing universes, the people deserved to know his personal feelings on the matter.

"I will agree to it. On one condition." His eyes harden, turning to the bot. "If there is a question I am certainly not comfortable answering without my team present, I will refuse to answer."

Because he will not be the final say for the Autobots, not on certain things.

It was not Optimus' place to decide whether or not this was the right place to discuss their war, as far as the old mech was concerned. Optimus didn't fight it alone. Optimus didn't suffer it alone.

And if they could show the people from other worlds the consequences of such a conflict and how meaningless it all was in the end...

"I'm hardly in a position to strong-arm you into answering much of anything, even if I was interested in doing so." Aftermath inclines his helm back, peering quietly at the Prime. "This is only a request. The questions I will ask you will not be pleasant but answering them at all is your decision alone."

"Then...I will do it." Because it's the least he can do for all the soldiers. All the noncombatants who had to put themselves on the line. The lives placed into his hands.

It might not be the Cybertron they fought for, but it would do.

"Whenever you'd like to begin, I'll answer to the best of my ability."

"Whenever I'd like to-" Aftermath stops, squints at his datapad, takes a moment to process the words, then looks back to Optimus. "Right now?"

Well, he's not complaining since it meant he didn't have to hunt the Autobot leader down if he was going to wiggle out of the interview later. However, he'd been planning to give Prime some mercy and let him think about potential answers for a bit.

"Hesitation leads to less honest answers," that and Optimus wants to get it over with. The Autobot never lied, but waiting can skew the integrity of his answers.

"Whatever you have to ask, I'm willing to contemplate here and now." After all, it's not like they have pressing schedules here. If he took a few moments to answer he doubted Aftermath would mind.

"Although perhaps we should sit."

"I, ah. Well then. Alright."

Figures Optimus wouldn't be the sort to worry about miswording things. It also made things a bit easier for Aftermath: if Prowl never knew about the interview, then Prowl wasn't going to speak out against it. He wonders if any non-Autobot journalists ever got a chance to speak with Optimus Prime at all- and if so, how many survived...

... Perhaps he was being a little too paranoid.

"There's a decently comfortable pile of rubble over there. Not... exactly ideal. But it is available."

[Closed], [Open] after

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