Scarlet eyes are watching

[screamsofstars]

As a tiny humanoid woman sits on the back of an easy chair with one blue-booted leg crossed elegantly over the other.

"So," she says thoughtfully in her high, shrill voice as she brushes imaginary lint off the red trim on her white sleeveless jumpsuit. "I know it's undoubtedly been asked before, but how important to you is being in charge?"

Comments

[rurounitriv]

As long as the leader is competent, I'm willing to follow. If they aren't and they aren't smart enough to listen to those who do know what needs to be done, well, then it's time to consider a change of leadership.

[screamsofstars]

"Hmmm, a sensible being," murmurs Starscream, looking her over and scanning for information on species and such. What she sees doesn't quite match with her knowledge of humans.... So she's intrigued and starts surfing the Multinet for a possible match as she offers the woman a thin smile.

[rurounitriv]

What can I say, I've never been one for stupid posturing when there's better things to do with my time.

*Starscream won't find an exact match (seems that most of Triv's alternates have gotten themselves dead over the last couple millennia) but she might just figure out that slightly-odd energy field could be an Immortal's Quickening. But only if her version of the Multinet has connections to the Highlander universes.*

[screamsofstars]

The information on Immortals is there. But what she's seeing in Triv could also possibly match with several other races or conditions. A curious gleam comes into her eyes as she tries to narrow it down, at the same time instructing several drones back in her home reality to do various tasks.

On stupid posturing she hasn't much to say, knowing very well that she was once badly guilty of the habit.

Instead she only smiles and says (while scanning for calluses on the woman's hands and hints from her skeletal structure), "True. So what is it that you do?"

[rurounitriv]

I travel, mostly. I like learning about new worlds, new people. I teach, when people need to know what I've learned.

*There are old scars and calluses on her hands, consistent with working with her hands a lot, and with extensive martial arts practice from a young age. Plenty of those scars and calluses can be identified to a knowledgeable eye as coming from swords or other bladed weapons. Her skeletal structure shows similar signs, and there are places where it's obvious that her bones had once been broken, but they've long since healed. If she were an ordinary mortal, she probably would have developed joint problems as she'd grown older. As it is, the damages done in her mortal life have been preserved, but no new ones have been added... which is fortunate, or she'd have been a mass of scar tissue rather than merely a bit banged up by a youth spent as a soldier during a dangerous time of Earth's history.*

[screamsofstars]

Scars still being present cancels out several conditions. The fact that none of these seem new cancels out several more. The sword calluses... yes, Starscream's fairly certain that she has a match.

"Travel the Multiverse? Or only in your own reality. Oh...." She gives a little laugh. "Forgive me. I'm Starscream, head scientist for the Alder-Kaianon sector of my reality."

She knows the woman won't know anything about the sector, and might not give a slaarg's aft about the title, but she wants to make it clear- should the other have heard the name Starscream- that she is no lacky of Megatron.

[rurounitriv]

*Oh, she's heard the name, it's obvious - but she's not going to stop a pleasant conversation just on the basis of what assholes someone's alternates are.*

The Multiverse. I've been doing it for quite some time, and it's amazing how many different ways the universe could have turned out. It's particularly interesting the way those differences affect the development of the people who live in them, and the civilizations they build.

And I am Triv Athenasia, priestess of M'Lady Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare. And, as I said, something of a professional explorer.

[screamsofstars]

The little femme nods to the introduction, then smiles and says, "Oh isn't it? I've been too busy building up a powerbase and maintaining it to travel myself, but I've studied my alternates via the Multinet and the differences are very surprising."

[rurounitriv]

I'd certainly say so - the other Starscreams that I've met have been, quite frankly, something less than intellectual giants, and their manners leave a lot to be desired. I also find it quite interesting that you've channeled your ambitions into a less-bellicose field than warfare.

[screamsofstars]

"The other Starscreams you've met are probably still in their insecure stage." She shakes her head. "We always have plenty of processor capacity. Others just haven't learned to use it yet. And many of us started out as scientists. For various reasons I just found it more advantageous to return to it."

[rurounitriv]

*She chuckles at the insecurity comment.* My, that's a familiar story. What is it about trying to prove how much smart you are than others that always makes you look stupider? It's one of those things that transcends species and universe.

[screamsofstars]

Starscream shrugs and answers frankly for once. "When you're trying to impress someone and convinced that you have no hope of doing so.... I can't say that was the reasoning behind my alternates, but it was part of my problem, back then."

[rurounitriv]

I get the impression, then, that you're much older than they are? At least emotionally?

[screamsofstars]

"Not that much older. Only around six thousand years."

[rurounitriv]

*She quirks a smile at that.* Well, judging by the way that the Starscreams I've met act, you've done a lot more growing up in the last six thousand years than they did in the past million plus years, if I remember the usual timeline for the Cybertronian wars correctly. They would never have been mature enough to admit their behavior was due to insecurity.

[screamsofstars]

"From what I've seen in my research most are around eight to nine million years upon arrival to Earth... though I don't remember my creation date anymore," she says, then shrugs and notes, "I've also had those six thousand years to learn how to influence those I speak with in my favor."

No spoiling the rep. She may be smarter, but she's still sneaky, manipulative, and bad.

Yeah, right.