#i FINALLY made the post!

[eldritchships]

ShockLine and Innermost Energon

(A post I keep meaning to and then forget to make)

Basic context: Innermost Energon is a percentage of a Transformer's fuel that resides very close to their "spark" (the equivalent of both a human heart and soul). It is seen as a significant act of devotion to bottle part of your IE and give it to another person/Transformer.

I don't think it took Flatline long to offer his IE to Shockwave, really. He knows who he wants to spend the rest of his existence with, he knows who he's been head-over-rotors for since he first laid eyes on the big purple lug. Even though Shockwave likely tries to (as politely as he's capable of being) decline, Flatline stashes it somewhere on Shockwave's workstation, so that it's there and he kind of has to accept it.

This also would be far far before the cortical psychic patch ever comes up in conversation (another brief explanation: the patch is basically a machine that lets a Transformer read/enter the memories of another, usually stated to be invented by Shockwave, and seen as a rather invasive process). Flatline is extremely, almost weirdly adverse to the psychic patch, he's not usually a guy who seems uncomfortable but this is one of those things that he always walks on eggshells around. The reason for this is because he has a lot of unpleasant memories and experiences that he doesn't wish to revisit, and especially not let someone else root around in his head and see for themselves. By being willing to offer his IE so much earlier, it reveals something about Flatline: he would rather carve out pieces of his own body than be emotionally vulnerable with another being.

Shockwave on the other hand took far longer to consider reciprocating with his own IE. Flatline really had to work for that relationship (and their biggest fight did cause Flatline to semi-deliberately almost kill him, so that was a bit of a speed bump). Shockwave seemingly does understand social conventions, even if he doesn't personally partake, so I doubt he'd be confused about them. He might even prefer the IE thing, since it's a gesture that requires little talking and/or explaining the meaning behind it, because pretty much every Cybertronian knows what it means. And Flatline would be delighted to receive such a gesture, which is what's most important to Shockwave anyway as far as acts of attachment go.