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“SURRENDER, YOU FIEND!”
Jetfire raised his open-palmed servo, opposing the acts of the ‘fiend’ in front of him. He narrowed his optics with a glare, staring down at a rather grumpy Seeker.
“Shut up, Jetfire.”
“Starscream, that line is not in the script!”
“To the Pit with the script!”
Jetfire stumbled forward in shock, gasping loudly as his audials were offended by Starscream’s harsh choice of words. How could his partner befoul the play’s script filled with heroism, honour, bravery and triumph?!
“Oh, quit overreacting, ‘Fire,” said the Seeker with a huff, arms folded with annoyance. Although it wasn’t his scene to act, Starscream offered to play the part to assist his sparkmate in rehearsal. The decision though made him grumpy. “It’s mediocre at best.”
“Surely you jest, my dear partner!” Jetfire raised the script from his spare servo, which had barely been glanced at since his rehearsal with Starscream. The larger Cybertronian could memorise dialogue with ease, helping him to focus further on the dramatics of his acting. “Grimlock did an excellent job with this script. He said he was inspired by an epic tale of adventure told by that Kup fellow.”
“Please, it’s a cliché hero versus villain tale. It’s made for sparklings! And do youuuu see any generation of sparklings around? No? That’s what I thought.”
“Starscream..."
Jetfire frowned at the Seeker’s disdain for the play’s script. He, along with his companions in theatre, were set to perform in Iacon's Convention Centre in a few orbital cycles, which Jetfire deemed plenty of time to rehearse. However, while the taller mech had full confidence in himself, he still wanted to practice with a beloved audience, with the current sole member feeling annoyed about his position. And Jetfire knew why.
“This is about Sky-Byte receiving the role you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Whaaaaaat?” Starscream scoffed, placing a servo above his spark chamber with over-dramatic offense. “Me? Upset that Sky-Byte got a lead role instead of me? Why, I never!”
“Your reaction is just confirming my suspicions.”
“It’s called sarcasm, Jetfire! Of course I am bitter about the casting decision!” Starscream gritted through his denta, trying to not blow a gasket in his partner’s face. “The fact that I get a second-rate role as some victim of Sky-Byte’s!? Ha! The mockery of it all. Our comrades should’ve just made a gigantic sign that says, ‘I HATE STARSCREAM’ instead!”
“Now you are the one who is overreacting, Starscream.”
“Well, that big-helmed poet should surrender his role to me. Only then, shall I stop complaining.”
“Sky-Byte is not one to give up so easily, my beloved. Much like you, really.”
“Don’t you dare compare that…that…finhead!” Starscream hissed through his vents. “A-And did you just rhyme there? Seriously? That sonneteer shark is influencing you! I’m furious now, you know! Furious!"
“Why Star, your vocabulary would work wonders for the poetic field.”
“Don’t. Start.”
The two mechs stared at each other, but silence was soon interrupted by Jetfire’s loud laughter. And his guffaw was enough of a reminder as to why Starscream fell in love with him in the first place. It annoyed him, but a subtle smile formed on his faceplate.
“Just know that Sky-Byte’s role was made for me, ‘Fire.” Starscream shook his helm, his spark now calming down from his brief moment of anger. “No one else on Cybertron is going to understand what he’s saying half the time."
Jetfire tilted his helm with confusion. “The script does not follow poetic prose though, Star.”
“By the Allspark..." Starscream was quick to facepalm, he hated having to explain the obvious. "This is Sky-Byte we’re talking about! He’ll transfer his word choices into the script, and EVERYONE will love it.”
“Perhaps…,” Jetfire tapped a digit onto his chin-plating in thought. “But if Sky-Byte were to make personal changes, why don’t we suggest one to Grimlock and the crew?”
Starscream's brow-plates raised, intrigued by the other's words. “…Go on.”
“You don’t have to surrender your role for this, Starscream." Jetfire's smile grew bigger, eager to make his beloved feel more comfortable in their play. "So, what if we make it so that while your character is still a 'mech-in-distress', but not until the second act?”
The Seeker reset his optics. “I don’t follow.”
“Let’s make it that you are by my side for majority of the story, until Sky-Byte takes you away, thus giving a higher emotional meaning to your rescue.”
“What, so like, a sidekick or something? Rescued by the daring, beloved hero?”
“Precisely!”
Jetfire grinned. Starscream narrowed his optics, hesitant on the idea.
“I am far too important to be anyone’s sidekick," he grumbled. "It implies I am the lesser Cybertronian.”
“I meant no offense,” Jetfire frowned, though remained positive with his plan. “I just wanted to pitch the idea of you being my partner throughout the play.”
“Hmm…,” Starscream directed his optics away from his sparkmate, though tinge of blue met his faceplate. “Partner, huh?”
“Affirmative, star of my spark~”
“Wh-Hey!” Starscream glared up at Jetfire now, cheeks now brighter blue. “You can’t flirt with me like that! I need a warning!”
“Since when?”
“Since I decided just now.”
“Well, can you decide if you’ll take my suggestion for this play? We can do some excellent convincing together towards our companions."
Starscream vented heavily as he looked up in thought. Jetfire meant well, he always did. It was no wonder he was meant to play the hero. He was such a sweetspark too, and a damn good one at that. The Seeker soon then placed his servos behind his back, as he began to circle around Jetfire with a look of self-importance.
“We may look like lovestruck fools to the audience.”
“I do not mind.”
“Everyone already knows we’re dating.”
“Again, I do not mind.”
"...Fine." Starscream smirked as he ceased his circling, instead getting right up in Jetfire's frame. He began to trace around his sparkmate's chestplating, humming with delight that his dorky, yet handsome sparkmate could be so brilliant.
"I’ll be your sidekick, partner, whatever. Just as long as I get as much spotlight as I deserve...”
Jetfire's spark felt warm from Starscream's behaviour, returning the affection with a tight hug.
“We’ll shall do our very best, love.”