she looks between him and the mirrors, a clear concern in her eyes. it doesn't take much to see that something is wrong, and that the soundwave in the memory and the soundwave she knows are different. ]
You look like you're in pain.
[ she has no idea if it's appropriate or not, but she wants to know more about what happened. ]
What happened to you? [ and besides that- ] Are those animals your friends?
[He'll leave it at that. More importantly, his past memory. While a slight discomfort, he feels that he should tell Penny about that. Whether if it's appropriate or not doesn't matter, she already saw it. No point in putting it off.
Sighing, Soundwave goes quiet for a moment. He hasn't talked to anyone about his past life before, and Penny doesn't know about his sensitive hearing. She deserves to learn about that now.]
... I haven't told you about my hearings before. They're powerful... to the point that I could hear everyone's thoughts and sense their emotions. As you just saw, I had no control over it at the time and was overwhelmed by the voices in my head. [Needless to say, having multiple voices in his head was a painful experience.] It's... due to that that my sensors were constantly overloaded, and destroyed my memories.
[ she trusts soundwave to tell her more if he wants to, so she doesn't pry. it's only right to show him the same respect that he showed her, especially with such a fragile memory. ]
Hearings? [ she stays silent as he explains. ] That's amazing... But I can't imagine how it would feel.
Terrible. On top of being capable of hearing other's thoughts and emotion, I could sense light, taste, smell. It's... fortunate that my friend taught me how to control my hearings. [He doesn't expect Penny able to imagine how that would truly feel, though, he could hardly blame her. It's a unique situation.
There's a definite pause after she asked him that question.]
... I can't remember anything prior to that.
[Essentially, he doesn't know how he came to be, where he originally came from, or his actual name-- if he even has one before 'Soundwave'. However, he doesn't seem to be bothered not knowing his own mysterious past.]
[He nods solemnly. His friend was amazing, and it's thanks to him that he's able to function normally.]
It's fine. That was in the past... That was ages ago.
[He says it in a way that he's almost dismissive about it... and yet he's sort of bothered by it at the same time. He changes the subject, although it's still not a pleasant one.]
... How about you. Knowing what will happen to you once you returned to your homeworld, what will you do now here? [A pause, then almost hesitantly he asks another question:] Do you think you could... change your future?
I don't think I could change my future. When I return... I won't have much time left.
[ her last memory before waking up in verens was the sound of professor oobleck signalling the beginning of the match. she knows that if (when?) she returns, she'll be living the last moments of her life. ]
That's why I want to stay here for as long as I can. All of my friends are here, and I'm happy.
[ she's terrified of returning home, but doesn't say as much. ]
[Penny doesn't need to say it, he can sense that fear from within her. That question was only brought up because he had a conversation with someone about that a few weeks ago-- changing an individual's fate.
Almost instinctively, he reaches out and grabs Penny's hand, gently squeezing as comfort for the young android. Word of comfort isn't his strongest suit, but at least he can try in other ways.]
Understandable. [A pause.] If you don't mind, I... want to make your time here worthwhile.
[If being here is really all the time she has, then he feels that's the best course of action. Even if the memories made here couldn't be brought back home with her.]
[ she doesn't expect for soundwave to reach out and take her hand, but almost instinctively holds it back when she processes it. even if it doesn't look like much, it means a lot to have that sort of gesture from a friend. ]
Of course I don't mind. I would like that very much, actually. [ she manages a smile - it's small, but genuine. ] Thank you, Soundwave. I'm very glad that we're friends.
[ it's still amazing that she's been able to befriend people from outside of her world that are so similar to her. ]
[Even if his entire face is covered, it does seem like he's genuinely smiling under the mask. He can't help himself, after seeing Penny's smile like that. Still, he feels something is missing here. A hug, perhaps? Oh well, she deserves one, and he does want to repay her for that hug months ago.
So without further ado, he lifts Penny off her feet and pulls her into an extra-special big robot hug.]
You're a good person, Penny. I'm glad that we're friends, too.
[She's the closest person he would truly call a good friend here.]
[ robot hugs are among some of the best hugs she's gotten in Empatheias, so she gladly returns it. even if she's lifted into the air, she knows that she's safe - enough so that the chilled air around them warms into something comfortable.
somehow, she feels better than when they had entered the room. hopefully those emotions will last. ]
Let's keep going. I'd like to see the rest of the festival!
Of course. There's no point for us both to linger in this room.
[That sensation is a welcoming feeling- it's a complete opposite as to how they entered the room at first. And adding his own emotions, the effect becomes stronger. With Penny still carried under his arm, he heads towards the exit, or she could jump down and walk side-by-side with him if she wants to.
Either way, they both go out the room together as close friends. It's sort of a weird feeling, but he feels as if their bond of friendship has deepened greatly tonight.]
[ she hesitates for a moment, the pause hanging heavily in the air. she thinks back to jaune's words; his belief that the two of them might be able to overcome what currently defines their relationship. ]
[ That catches her off guard. Of all the questions Penny could have posed to her, the one that drops into the conversation is one of the least expected.
If Penny is willing to forgive her, then... ]
I'd like to be friends. ... If that's what you want, Penny... I'd be happy to be your friend.
[ though it isn't "bright" in the purest sense of the word, her smile is undeniably genuine and relieved. ]
It is. I know that you're a very good person, Pyrrha.
[ to punctuate, she reaches out to take pyrrha's hands into hers. they're colder than a human's would be, but her hope is making them feel warm enough to almost be "natural". ]
It would mean a lot to me if we could hang out together.
[ Penny will find the hands she's holding grow a bit limp. Especially with the somber scenery, it's difficult not to harken back to the arena, to Penny's dimming eyes, the hushed crowd and the feeling of the floor hard against Pyrrha's buckled knees.
With renewed effort, she pushes those thoughts away and does her best to open her body language. That was a mistake, a cruel ploy. This is a second chance for both of them. There's no need for it to be dragged down by the sins of the past.
Her answering smile might be watery, a bit too emotional, but it's entirely genuine. ]
Of course. We can hang out together whenever you want.
[ though she appreciates elphelt's effort, she knows that their non-human status is an objective truth. it isn't something that she's "ashamed of" per se, but it is a bit of a sensitive subject.
she listens quietly to her words, sympathizing in that ruby was the first of her friends to treat her like a person. unfortunately that emotion is fleeting as she watches her change, her eyebrows furrowing. ]
But the way you were in this memory and how you are now is different... So does that means that you were able to change?
[Elphelt pauses to watch the black, winged thing that is her go on to have a philosophical debate with Sol. She frowns. She can remember how she was at that point clear as day: utterly devoid of emotion and with nothing but an intent to murder on her mind.]
Yes...and no. We Valentines aren't meant to disobey Mother's orders, but...something about me is defective. Before this, I had been set up to marry someone as part of Mother's ploy for me to masquerade as a human. At some point during the ceremony, something in me snapped and I...I realized I wanted the emotions Mother programmed me to imitate to be real.
[The dark Elphelt eventually gets enraged at the man's attempts to convince her to 'bring back the other Elphelt'.
Your words poison my mind. Mother's orders prevent me from destroying you, but I must ask you to be quiet for a while.
She summons a swathe of massive guns and rains fire across the entire battlefield.]
I think it was that defect that let me fight it...with help. But I haven't changed. Like Sol said, there's only a blurry line between me and the other me. There's always a possibility that part of my programming will get the better of me.
[Sol defeats her and she floats to the ground, incapacitated. But it isn't over. (9:28-12:28) As Elphelt comes to her senses but is stuck in her Mother's trap, she resorts to the only solution she can think of: to kill herself.]
I don't want Penny to see this of all things.
[Except she is interrupted. (12:28-13:29) and the memory ends.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
→ selenium 2018
soundwave.
[ wait.
she looks between him and the mirrors, a clear concern in her eyes. it doesn't take much to see that something is wrong, and that the soundwave in the memory and the soundwave she knows are different. ]
You look like you're in pain.
[ she has no idea if it's appropriate or not, but she wants to know more about what happened. ]
What happened to you? [ and besides that- ] Are those animals your friends?
no subject
[He'll leave it at that. More importantly, his past memory. While a slight discomfort, he feels that he should tell Penny about that. Whether if it's appropriate or not doesn't matter, she already saw it. No point in putting it off.
Sighing, Soundwave goes quiet for a moment. He hasn't talked to anyone about his past life before, and Penny doesn't know about his sensitive hearing. She deserves to learn about that now.]
... I haven't told you about my hearings before. They're powerful... to the point that I could hear everyone's thoughts and sense their emotions. As you just saw, I had no control over it at the time and was overwhelmed by the voices in my head. [Needless to say, having multiple voices in his head was a painful experience.] It's... due to that that my sensors were constantly overloaded, and destroyed my memories.
no subject
Hearings? [ she stays silent as he explains. ] That's amazing... But I can't imagine how it would feel.
[ she's quiet for a moment. ]
Is this the only thing that you remember?
no subject
There's a definite pause after she asked him that question.]
... I can't remember anything prior to that.
[Essentially, he doesn't know how he came to be, where he originally came from, or his actual name-- if he even has one before 'Soundwave'. However, he doesn't seem to be bothered not knowing his own mysterious past.]
no subject
[ she had been built to have control of her powers, but it did take training from the atlesian military to perfect them. ]
All of that sounds terrible. I'm sorry that you had to go through it.
no subject
It's fine. That was in the past... That was ages ago.
[He says it in a way that he's almost dismissive about it... and yet he's sort of bothered by it at the same time. He changes the subject, although it's still not a pleasant one.]
... How about you. Knowing what will happen to you once you returned to your homeworld, what will you do now here? [A pause, then almost hesitantly he asks another question:] Do you think you could... change your future?
no subject
I don't think I could change my future. When I return... I won't have much time left.
[ her last memory before waking up in verens was the sound of professor oobleck signalling the beginning of the match. she knows that if (when?) she returns, she'll be living the last moments of her life. ]
That's why I want to stay here for as long as I can. All of my friends are here, and I'm happy.
[ she's terrified of returning home, but doesn't say as much. ]
no subject
Almost instinctively, he reaches out and grabs Penny's hand, gently squeezing as comfort for the young android. Word of comfort isn't his strongest suit, but at least he can try in other ways.]
Understandable. [A pause.] If you don't mind, I... want to make your time here worthwhile.
[If being here is really all the time she has, then he feels that's the best course of action. Even if the memories made here couldn't be brought back home with her.]
no subject
Of course I don't mind. I would like that very much, actually. [ she manages a smile - it's small, but genuine. ]
Thank you, Soundwave. I'm very glad that we're friends.
[ it's still amazing that she's been able to befriend people from outside of her world that are so similar to her. ]
no subject
So without further ado, he lifts Penny off her feet and pulls her into an extra-special big robot hug.]
You're a good person, Penny. I'm glad that we're friends, too.
[She's the closest person he would truly call a good friend here.]
no subject
somehow, she feels better than when they had entered the room. hopefully those emotions will last. ]
Let's keep going. I'd like to see the rest of the festival!
no subject
[That sensation is a welcoming feeling- it's a complete opposite as to how they entered the room at first. And adding his own emotions, the effect becomes stronger. With Penny still carried under his arm, he heads towards the exit, or she could jump down and walk side-by-side with him if she wants to.
Either way, they both go out the room together as close friends. It's sort of a weird feeling, but he feels as if their bond of friendship has deepened greatly tonight.]
pyrrha nikos.
[ she hesitates for a moment, the pause hanging heavily in the air. she thinks back to jaune's words; his belief that the two of them might be able to overcome what currently defines their relationship. ]
Do you think we can be friends?
no subject
If Penny is willing to forgive her, then... ]
I'd like to be friends. ... If that's what you want, Penny... I'd be happy to be your friend.
no subject
It is. I know that you're a very good person, Pyrrha.
[ to punctuate, she reaches out to take pyrrha's hands into hers. they're colder than a human's would be, but her hope is making them feel warm enough to almost be "natural". ]
It would mean a lot to me if we could hang out together.
no subject
With renewed effort, she pushes those thoughts away and does her best to open her body language. That was a mistake, a cruel ploy. This is a second chance for both of them. There's no need for it to be dragged down by the sins of the past.
Her answering smile might be watery, a bit too emotional, but it's entirely genuine. ]
Of course. We can hang out together whenever you want.
elphelt valentine.
she listens quietly to her words, sympathizing in that ruby was the first of her friends to treat her like a person. unfortunately that emotion is fleeting as she watches her change, her eyebrows furrowing. ]
But the way you were in this memory and how you are now is different... So does that means that you were able to change?
no subject
Yes...and no. We Valentines aren't meant to disobey Mother's orders, but...something about me is defective. Before this, I had been set up to marry someone as part of Mother's ploy for me to masquerade as a human. At some point during the ceremony, something in me snapped and I...I realized I wanted the emotions Mother programmed me to imitate to be real.
[The dark Elphelt eventually gets enraged at the man's attempts to convince her to 'bring back the other Elphelt'.
Your words poison my mind. Mother's orders prevent me from destroying you, but I must ask you to be quiet for a while.
She summons a swathe of massive guns and rains fire across the entire battlefield.]
I think it was that defect that let me fight it...with help. But I haven't changed. Like Sol said, there's only a blurry line between me and the other me. There's always a possibility that part of my programming will get the better of me.
[Sol defeats her and she floats to the ground, incapacitated. But it isn't over. (9:28-12:28) As Elphelt comes to her senses but is stuck in her Mother's trap, she resorts to the only solution she can think of: to kill herself.]
I don't want Penny to see this of all things.
[Except she is interrupted. (12:28-13:29) and the memory ends.]