Shockwave for weird headcanon *slams hands on desk*
Depends on the time. Shockwave generally prefers smelling clean- to the point of being sterile. A crisp hint of cleaning agents and acids used to scrub himself. He’s the equivalent of a very hands-on biochemist so cleaning is a big deal for him. At times, though, he smells sharply of ammonia and ozone and energon, which usually means he’s just been elbow-deep in some poor mechanism.
How they sleep (sleeping position, schedule, etc):
Shockwave generally doesn’t lay down to recharge, instead preferring to crouch or curl up depending upon what body he’s using at the time. Cybertronians don’t really need berths to sleep, they’re just convenient and comfortable, and Shockwave cares little for either. His recharge schedule cycles between manic periods where he will get the bare minimum of rest and recharge in “naps” for a period of time, followed by periods of minimal activity, often times remaining in recharge for days, only rising to get energon.
Classical Cybertronian Opera. Especially overblown, overdramatic operas that he listens to time and time again.
How much time they spend getting ready every morning:
Shockwave generally spends several minutes going over his own personal hygene routine after waking, but it’s not long. It largely consists of a sterilizing solvent shower, a quick check for any rust or infections, and a mandatory ration to fuel him. He’s absolutely a “morning person” however, and wakes ready to begin operations instantly, wheras most cybertronians do have a brief period of disorientation or “startup” when they wake.
Their favorite thing to collect:
Relics of Cybertron, when it was a living planet with a thriving population.
Failing that, experiments. Successful experiments.
Depends on the body he’s currently inhabiting. Most of his forms are ambidexterous, but some favor the left side.
None. Formerly an Atechnogenesist.
To watch? Gladiatoral combat. To participate in? Strategy games. The Cybertronian equivalent of Settlers of Cataan is probably his best.
Favorite touristy thing to do when traveling (museums, local food, sightseeing, etc):
Studying local culture and it’s history. It’s biology too, if he goes off-planet.
Favorite kind of weather:
A clear night with no moons. Maximum visibility of the stars.
A weird/obscure fear they have:
Shockwave fears that he will start to become what he was- he’s afraid that he’s going to heal. He knows he has changed drastically, that the shadowplay and trauma turned him into something even he cannot entirely console with what he was, and he believes it is for the better, at this point. That the Shockwave-who-was would not have been cold enough, strong enough, willing to do what he did for his beliefs and in order to survive. Logically, he knows that he is still the same mechanism, with the same capabilities, but he has a vastly different approach to what he does now and a very different capacity to tolerate unpleasantness (like the apocalypse, whoops) and he does not want to becomes Senator Shockwave again.
Senator Shockwave was an annoyance, and did great things, yes, but he also sat on his servos and didn’t speak up at times in order to maintain his position, he allocated resources cautiously instead of fully, and he had the privilege to pick and choose his battles. He could not stand to become him again.
The carnival/arcade game they always win without fail:
Senator Shockwave: Skee Ball champion all year every year.
