Maybe we should leave quick comments on the AO3 version or on livejournal to counteract these guys' weird super revenge fantasies? I left a quick one on the latest AO3 chapter since opening the livejournal thread is truly hellish on mobile. If all peacewish hears is those guys leaning on them for the ending they want, we should give our own feedback to balance it out. @applechime and @KingStarscream your last two comments in particular are really good, and I wish peacewish could see them
i left a comment on LJ in which i very carefully did not mention how much i hate all the PUNISHMENT NOW type comments which took a GREAT DEAL OF RESTRAINT, but which hopefully communicates 'i am happy for the autobots but my heart will break if soundwave gets a Bad Ending'
i...... sent peacewish a private message asking if there was going to be some measure of happy ending for soundwave, because i would rather know now and stop reading than be blindsided by it. Spoiler: IM NERVOUS.... i hope i didnt come off as pushy or rude..... i just like. i cannot overstate how deeply it would upset me for TGWP to have a Bad Ending
Spoiler Also bothering me: commenter double fucking standards. Who's in there asking for Starscream to be punished? Who's asking for Megatron to suffer? How about fucking Shockwave??? Megatron has specifically kept one of his slaves around so he can beat him half to death on a regular basis, not to mention raping all the captured autobots and a good portion of his own team. And Shockwave and Chromia is subtler, but arguably even grosser, and such a vicious personal cruelty. Fuck!! I just! This upsets me. Also, Soundwave, from his own point of view, has not been doing wrong things. He's playing for the wrong team, but he's still one of the fairest players out there. He's one of like two masters going to any effort to do well by their slave, and even Hook is still a bit rough with First Aid. I'm totally baffled on how these people got to a point where they'd want to call for blood. Honestly, some of it feels like they're blaming him for brainweird, because Soundwave doesn't tick like a standard issue person does, and if you were thinking for a general modern human perspective, or from an autobot cultural perspective, then yes! There are obviously some Wrong Things as his building blocks. But you watch the way Soundwave thinks, and how on earth are you expecting him to uproot himself so drastically just because someone asked him to? And he was doing it, even. He was getting there. Megatron and Jazz and narrative structure just pushed things forward before it could be a smooth transition. I do not understand how people can read this character and want him to be in pain.
Spoiler: Update yelling NOO NOT LASERBEAK HE WAS ALMOST READY TO GIVE UP ON MEGATRON BUT HE'LL NEVER DO IT NOW YOU'RE TORTURING HIS SYMBIOTE Sorry about that. I guess it was nice to get an answer on Megatron's burnt hands and who set up the original Insecticon attack. Now if we could only find out how Hot Rod's aura of deja vu works that would be all the big mysteries sorted out.
Spoiler I suppose to get the ending I'd consider best, there needs to be some sort of major shake-up. Remember "Head Like a Hole" playing over the memory of Soundwave tracking and disciplining a recalcitrant Ravage? God Money's not looking for the cure God Money's not concerned about the sick among the pure God Money, let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised God Money's not one to choose ..... I'd rather die than give you control That's a problem. Not just the last line there, but the whole thing. Soundwave didn't put the evil in the evil empire, but from Jazz's point of view he is hella complicit. Which, I mean, maybe not unforgivable. It was a war, and Jazz isn't exactly campaigning for sainthood either. And I do like to think perceptions have changed since way back then. I really would like Soundwave to figure out a way to relate to Jazz besides absolute control. I don't think Jazz will ever be okay with that, and it never even really worked. I just want them both to be happy. Or at least have a fair shot at happiness. I love them so much. :(
i got a response from peacewish! some choice reassuring quotes: Spoiler so! that takes some of the sense of impending doom and helplessness off my shoulders edit: hahaha you probably all saw "applechime replied to the thread "Transformers: These Games We Play"" and thought it was an update. NOT THIS TIME
Oh thank god And ahh, it's a shame they've been feeling pressured by the anti-soundwave people too. I don't understand, he's playing for the wrong team and has some flaws, but how can you read all that and not want him to be happy? :(
And besides, even if it doesn't end perfect, I'm still going to firmly believe they get back together and Soundwave gets some less restrictive ideas about how power dynamics should work and Jazz has his freedom to roam, and they have a lovely domestic romance and smooch a lot and everything is happy forever. (and g1 and idw don't match up one-to-one, but the Optimus Prime issues have planted my brain even harder in 'autistic soundwave' land and I am double extra invested in seeing him with someone who can work with the way his brain ticks. and also very invested in people not judging him when just because they can't understand how he ticks and plays for the wrong team, that doesn't mean he's a bad person.) Also, sometime I need to come back and talk about Jazz and not expecting the slave collars and not expecting Soundwave's.... Soundwave. And all the extra emotional loads he keeps fielding in all this mess. Also also, with the thinking about Jazz and freedom and such, my mind keeps drifting to this song, which is one of my favorite favorites Spoiler: lyrics I promise you nothing, I take only that which is free I'd give you a life full of risk, and the whirlwind of joy that can be Don't try to bind me, just love me without any greed And I'll give you the world, and my heart, and the air that I breathe Slip the jesses, my love This hunter you own from the hood to the glove When the circling and striking are done, and I land Let me come back to your hand, let me come back to your hand I have no illusions to think that I know what will come I laugh at the concept of life as a simple result of the sum I just want to hold you, and share with you all of this life With the stars in the darkness, and love in the light, and its dizzying height Slip the jesses, my love This hunter you own from the hood to the glove When the circling and striking are done, and I land Let me come back to your hand, let me come back to your hand Slip the jesses, my love The hunter you own from the hood to the glove When the circling and striking are done, and I land Let me come back to your hand, let me come back to your hand Let me come back to your hand Still one of my absolute favorite sappy metaphors for trust and freedom within a relationship
That's a very touching song. Thank you for linking. (Metaphors involving falcons inevitably make me think of the poem The Second Coming, which is pretty much the opposite of appropriate to my thoughts and feelings here. Well, except for this: The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Decepticons, is this you? Spoiler Also I guess there was the brief appearance of the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. And I suppose the mystical Rodimus sighting. But those are again sort of the opposite of the mood of the poem. Though maybe if you're a Decepticon, the specter of an Autobot uprising might be a rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouching towards whatever city they're in, I forget, to be born. Uh, that train of thought got away from me so bad.) Anyway, I am incredibly reassured by that message. Thank you so much. I'm definitely going to have to leave Peacewish a supportive comment as soon as I have a computer in front of me and can load the thread in less than five billion years.
Hahaha, I just came back to report that I left a long, rambling comment where I made sure to mention MANY, MANY times how much I loved Soundwave and wanted him to be happy XD So if you're looking for something easier to use than livejournal, I left a comment on the ao3 page! The chapters aren't caught up, but it's got such a nice interface compared to livejournal or ff.net. I explained that I was caught up with the latest updates, but this comment section was easier to use :P And then I talked forever and also linked that video because look, see, if soundwave can understand this thing maybe him and jazz can both be happy together OuO
Æpple, you are a saint ;-; Thank you for this gift, which is almost better than an upd8 notification I do wonder if they read AO3 comments, though. I've left a couple, but comments on AO3 don't always get a response regardless of whether the author got a notification email. I just want to reassure them
she does!! she specifically mentioned the ao3 comment section as being more balanced re: soundwave opinions than the LJ comments
yes i wasn't sure before and sort of alternated between she and they!! but in her reply to me it is #confirmed:
Cool! Now I know! I don't have an ao3 and am unfamiliar with livejournal commenting but yes. I love Soundwave.
