knowhere | [ 001 - Hologram] What's big, pink and smells like....strawberries?

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[ 001 - Hologram] What's big, pink and smells like....strawberries?

[There's apparently a lot of giant robots around here. This one's looking a little out-of-sorts though, and it's pretty clear why, when he holds up--or attempts to--a very large wiggly semi-transparent pink cube. Give him a break okay: it's quite slippery, given its gelatinous state.]

Uh. Does anyone...want this? I bought it in the marketplace. I thought it was, ya know, something I could eat. Apparently it's for organics though. [Don't ask how Drift knows this. A medical diagnostic might be on his to-do list though.] And apparently non-returnable now.

[He has no idea what organics would do with such a large quantity of 'strawberry jello' or why it has any right masquerading in the form of an energon cube, but oh well, lesson learned. Drift sets it down before it nearly slips from his hot little fingers, (nevermind the squelching noise please) and pulls out an energon ration pouch, the pink liquid inside sloshing around as he holds it up.]

I am looking for more of this though. It's our fuel, and trust me when I say it's not good for organics. If you see any though, let me know. I can pay you for it, if need be.

[Just...not a lot. What a time to be without his gold currency card. But seriously people, Drift really, really likes not staving! He's done that before and would rather not again. But you better believe he's just the type of idiot to give out what rations he brought with him to the others of his kind. Because even if he's not fond of starving, hey, positive side: he knows how to tolerate it probably better than anyone.]

So Wing, Rodimus, Megatron, anyone else... let me know what supplies you have? I have some rations, if you're in need.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( As soon as Rodimus could stop worrying about things like that, he did. Sorry Drift. )

I just got back from the Dead Universe before I got here. It wasn't really high on our priority list.

( Right. That was a thing that happened that he hasn't told Drift about yet. )

[Just means he has to save your scrawny aft again. Just with rations instead of swords this time.]

....Dead Universe?

[SKREEEE]

Would this be part of the whole recent almost world ending event Megatron told me about?

( He appreciates it. )

Yeah, but the part that doesn't involve Shockwave trying to destroy the universe but Nova Prime being the crazy mecharacist conqueror he was.

[He better. Drift would ask for a raise or something...if that mattered.]

Nova Prime being the crazy mecharacist conqueror...are you saying that didn't stay ancient history?

[WTF]

He certainly tried to bring it back is what I'm saying. It's-- ( His face falls slightly. ) You've missed a lot, Drift.

I'm getting that notion.

[And it's really, really starting to worry him.]

I'd say we should rendezvous for a briefing...but I sort of doubt it'll be brief?

I gave Optimus a summary in twelve words. Yours might have to be a bit longer. Thirty?

Edited 2014-07-13 05:47 (UTC)

Oooh I get a full thirty? I'm honored. [No really he kind of is.]

The sooner you fill me in the better. It's been rough, going without news.

Uh... [He has to ask...] Did Magnus...?

Well yeah, he was there for the whole Dead Universe and Shockwave thing. ( That's where the extra words come in. ) I've got time. Not like there's anything really pressing.

Magnus--? ( What are you talking about, Drift. But then he smiles because hey, good news. ) He's fine, except that he's really, you know-- ( A vague hand gesture to try and convey the fact that he's short, green, and mustached. But fine! But there's something else: ) Trying to use similes and 'figurative language' now, which is great.

( Meaning Rodimus has had way too much fun watching Ultra Magnus use 'whooptie doo' in casual conversation. )

Edited 2014-07-14 23:17 (UTC)

I'm....

...not upset I missed that.

[There's a positive twist: sitting around alone in empty space or questionable space ports is definitely better than anything to do with the Dead Universe.]

Give me a time and a place and I'll be there. I'm just...exploring the station and looking for food. [Naw, not pressing at all. -_-;;]

[Yeah Magnus, ya know, the big guy Overlord tried to kill with Drift's own sword? There's no guilt there at all!] Ahh, I'm glad he made it through then! And hey, better than ever, it sounds like.

[He may need recorded proof to properly appreciate these new language improvements!]

What's not to like about getting to see Prime punch Nova through the chest? ( If he was Rewind he could even put together a highlight reel just for you, Drift. ) Soon. ( Rodimus - not known for planning things. He'll probably run into Drift literally and decide that right then is the time to have a chat. ) Right, yeah. Guess whoever brought us here didn't think we'd need anything different.

( He thinks Magnus doesn't hold the whole sword fiasco against Drift. Probably. Well, at least not anymore than his normal levels of disdain for Drift that comes from the other being a former Decepticon. But hey! )

As good as new. Retired though, he passed on the title of Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord onto Fort Max.

Well okay, sounds like there was one highlight. [Too bad there's no replay.] You know me. I'll be around. [Yeah like he's gonna grow space wings and jet outta here somehow. Actually no that would be cool. Maybe that'll be his power or something?] I don't think they could have predicted who these shards ended up with. But you're right, now at least, they should probably consider that?

[Not that Drift is going to leave it to them. He spent too long as one of the disenfranchised masses to rely entirely on the higher ups to see to his well being. ]

Retired? I never thought I'd see it. But he deserves it, don't you think? Same as Ratchet. They've worked so hard. [~~No thanks to him, whoops!~~] Fort Max though...

[MAYBE some side-eyeing there okay? Granted he wasn't that up on Fort Max's status but last he checked...not really enforcer material?]

Maybe once there's actually someone else around. For - whatever it is - it's pretty empty.

( Which is not helping them any on this whole 'ending up somewhere strange and being thrown into combat right off the bat' thing. He's run a systems diagnostic as best as he could and all his readouts are telling him that nothing's changed, power or not. )

After seeing him tender his resignation? Yeah, I do. ( He'd like to think that he and Magnus have an understanding after Luna 1. That maybe they'd set things a little right between them, if only to prevent something like that entire disaster from happening again. He'd promised, after all, to make up for the mistakes he's made. All that's left is for him to do it.

His left hand flexes again, thumb making a pass over the numbers in a motion that Rodimus doesn't even realize he's doing. ) Ratchet's not retiring anytime soon. Not with First Aid like he is--

( Urk. )

Red Alert's with him, and Rung cleared them both. They'll be fine.

( That, at least, is delivered with a flash of a smile. )

The station...thing? [Yeah there's nothing creepy about living in a giant dead head. He has theories there and not the Feel Good kind.] Not a great sign when everyone else has jumped ship.

I'm happy for him. [Though being happy over here is probably for the best. Sword episode aside, there's still the issue of his involvement with Overlord. Which, there's no way the former enforcer would approve. Drift sure does notice the curious movement of Rodimus' hand though, the numbers get a curious peer.]

First Aid? He's alright I hope? [If he has a favorite medic after Ratchet, it's First Aid. The nurse's quiet but authoritative care at Delphi helped keep him hanging on when it would have been easy to give up.]

Well I'm happy for Fort Max. And Red Alert, he's okay now too? [Well at least the good outweighs the bad, that's pretty stellar.]

Yeah, it goes from weird to unnerving in three seconds. But it's kinda cool - like someone's chopped off the head of Metroplex and let it go. ( Wait hang on. ) Do you think this is a metrotitan?

Did I mention that by 'tender his resignation' I mean that he shot Tyrest in the back? Because he did. ( Rodimus grins, arms crossing over his chest. ) And we saved pretty much everyone, too.

Well he's not talking to anyone currently, but Rung says we just need to give him time and space.

( So that's... that. )

Yeah. Yeah, I think he is.

( Better than under his command, at any rate, and he's glad he told Red Alert that before they split. )

You...really think that's cool? [Side-eyeing you so hard Rodimus, that sounds just this side of sacrilegious.] I...I don't know. Wing was speculating the same thing. It's...an astoundingly creepy coincidence.

Whhaaaat? [This is a crazy image in his head. But then so is that entire story so, that's about normal.] Well deserved from what you said but I can't even imagine it.... But wow. I'm glad you guys cleaned house. [without me. :<]

And at least some of the crew is bouncing back even if First Aid isn't. Life moves on I guess, huh? [Wow he feels so disconnected. The Lost Light is such a weird, dysfunctional bunch of people but thanks to his departure he hadn't realized how much he truly missed them until now. It's the closest thing to family he's ever had.]

Yeah? ( Well now he knows who wouldn't have agreed with his plan to lose the 'cons in a bunch of dead titans back on Luna 1. ) Well how many other things can have giant heads that you can live in, it's not like that's common or anything.

( HAH.

He's quiet for a second or two, because now they're at the awkward part of the conversation that they have been so nicely sidestepping around for ages. )

It's-- I'm glad you're okay, Drift. And not in a million pieces spread out across a planet thanks to the DJD.

[It's one thing when you're fleeing for your life, quite another when you're using it for interstellar space condos and shopping malls. ~~It's a good thing he hasn't figured out the mining thing yet.~~] Well no, but I was thinking the Knights traveled far and wide. Maybe this is not a metrotitan but inspired by them?

[It's his best theory Rodimus, hear him out. But when that silence drops like a stone with the name Awkward etched on it, Drift cycles his vents uncomfortably. He can guess...]

Ahhh-ha yeah. [He rubs the back of his helm.] I did my best to stay under the radar. Though...that made things. Kinda. _Lonely.

[You know you've had your fill of calming solitude when even the alien sneering that sometimes greets Cybertronians is a thing you long for.]

So someone just decided to make a head floating around space because of the Knights? Why not just make a full blown replica instead and skip the part where it's decapitated altogether?

( But it's just like Drift and his theories, which causes Rodimus to grin even through the awkwardness. They've got this, they're gonna get this. )

Not anymore, since you're here and I'm here. ( This is the point where he'd throw a friendly arm around Drift's shoulders if they were in the same place. ) Unless they decide to show up like the rest of us, but they'll probably take one look at Megatron and explode. ( Oh man. ) I'd love to see Tarn's face when he finds out that his leader decided to defect. I bet he'd explode.

( This is ignoring the fact that Tarn has a mask and therefore Rodimus wouldn't be able to see. )

Well no. I assume there was a body too at some point. [Seriously Rodimus. Give him some time to fully dispense the theory before debunking!] But if the Knights traveled through this part of space with a metrotitan as their transportation and he had to reveal his bipedal mode? Maybe that served as inspiration for this... [He gestures around him to the station in general.] whatever it is, was, exactly.

[Grinning through awkwardness is his best defense Rodimus, for just about everything. Yes they can both do this!]

And you have no idea how happy I am about that. [Maybe there can't be physical contact but he still leans in. Virtual hugs maybe?] And I shamelessly confess that I'd be giddy with excitement if that happened.

[Excitement and terror. Because if it came to a fight between Megatron and Tarn the collateral damage would be off the scale. And well, he'd worry for Megatron. Not that he'll tell anyone that, even the other Decepticon here thinks him crazy for having any shred of compassion for the ex-warlord.]

Yeah, maybe. ( He's heard both more likely and more unlikely from Drift, so he won't hold it against him. Much. ) Whatever it is, maybe that's why we've been brought here - to fight what can decapitate a Metrotitan.

That makes two of us. I did tell you that you should have called, right? Because seriously, Drift, you should have called. ( Virtual hugs are totally and absolutely something he's down for, leaning in further in response. It's close enough, right?? ) Well that's something we can look forward to the moment any of the DJD decide to show up.

( A shame it doesn't end up that well for any of them when they do actually show up on the Lost Light. But eh. Details. Also don't feel bad for Megatron, Drift, what are you - on some sort of drug? )

Urk--[Now there's a pleasant thought.]--that's one heck of task. Not beyond us though. [Maybe he's overconfident. Maybe he just wants to say 'us' in a meaningful way. Hard to tell!]

Yes, yes you did. [This is his best I'M SORRY face.] Maybe I was just waiting for one of those obnoxious messages you liked to send me with your favorite derogatory nickname? [Because if they can still joke about that it means everything's all right, yeah?]

I think I'll pass on wishing for that to happen though, as great as the entertainment would be. I don't want to think of any of that squad with one of these gem things, especially Tarn. [Nope, PASS. The less DJD in his vicinity, the better.]

No, no it isn't. We've faced worse - well, I've faced worse recently. You're still lucky you managed to get out of all of that.

Busy saving the universe, remember? Tyrest, Dead universe, Shockwave - kind fills a schedule up so full even Magnus couldn't pencil in anything more. But hey, if it makes you feel better I can start here.

( Send him obnoxious text messages. Yeah, he's got that. )

But at least we'd have ours, and more time to practice them. We could totally take 'em. Probably. ( No. )

Hmmmm. In all honestly I think I'd prefer an enemy I can fight to an unseen one. [There is no 'safe' with the DJD around especially with no sure way to hide his energy signature. Zombie metrotitans sound more appealing to be honest.]

Hey those are all important things, you had your hands full. [And Drift is only one person after all, unimportant in the grander scheme of things. Eheh, yeeeah.]

I'd hope the universe would grant me a reprieve, give me an edge, allow us to prepare before it happened. Trap them maybe, nice and clean. [Drift can dream, right?]

The Lost Light did most of the fighting and finding Metroplex. I just helped with the last minute rescue.

( You're important to him, damn it. )

Trap them, Drift? The DJD. ( That sounds ridiculous. ) There's no way they're not going down without a fight.

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