(open) robots are stupid, i agree

[knaval]

Who: riptide and the newest pokemon..... you????!?!?
When: after the dumb adventure where the robot teenagers tried to ride a whale
Where: Around The Moira™
What: riptide's feelings of aimlessness are starting to resurface and he's been grounded to the moira for being stupid
Warnings: riptide



handy
[losing a limb, for a cybertronian, is a mild inconvenience at best. it's good that he didn't lose his original (it would be just his luck to have stumbled and dropped it back onto the planet's surface) but it's back on and functional. that's all that matters, really.

riptide is technically grounded, but he can be found sitting cross legged in the cargo bay, screwing around with his arm. laying his forearm flat on his thigh and flexing his fingers, twirling his wrist.

he may have made some very questionable choices recently, but right now all he needs is a quiet moment to work out some stiffness.]

just keep trying
[riptide is far too low on energy to be able to form his holoform, but he's trying regardless. he's in the observation deck; the hardlight avatar flickers into existence around his general area before cutting out after a few seconds.

you might catch riptide staring intensely your way while he tries to concentrate on getting it to focus. he's not doing it to be creepy, really, he just doesn't fully realise that not everyone would make the connection, or that he's even doing it.]

WILDCARD
[HIT THE BRAKES, WILDCARD!! hit me up on jabbers if you want to discuss anything, otherwise go ahead!]

closed to sideswipe
[despite everything, riptide doesn't regret trying to ride the whale. sure, he lost his arm and they pissed off a bunch of people, but damned if it wasn't fun. sideswipe seemed to be a pretty cool dude on top of it all.

anyway, tailgate had kindly informed riptide before the event that sideswipe was his new room mate, and just about now was the only time they'd be in the room at the same time.

he's not exactly making an effort, or anything. he's just laying on the one single bed in the room on his back, playing games on his mid.]

Comments

Uh whoops, Just Keep trying!

[heart_breaking]

... What're you looking at?

[By the time his attention is called Chara has settled into a mulish frown. Normally this kind of attention was unusual, but otherwise nothing more than annoying. Of course, normally the culprit wasn't an enormous (human killing?) robot, the attention wasn't so clearly intent.]

TRYING SO HARD i love that icon also

[knaval]

[riptide continues staring chara's way for a second - they wouldn't see it, but his holoform is trying to solidify soundlessly a few feet behind them.

he gives up, sighs, then realises chara is even there. shakes his head. grins awkwardly.]

Um. Just-- trying a thing. Not looking at you, looking behind you. Awkward. Hi, I'm Riptide, we just got off to a really bad start.

it's such a great stinkeye, I'm delighted for chances to use it

[heart_breaking]

No kidding. [Chara glances over their shoulder, but of course there's nothing there to see. He doesn't sound like someone crafty enough to feign this honesty in embarrassment; will Chara believe their own intuition when the target happens to be made entirely of metal?]

... I'm Chara. What was behind me?

:3c

[knaval]

Uh. Nothing. At the moment.

[riptide tries to form the holoform again in front of them, though it just flickers out after a few seconds again.]

That was. I want to go outside. Gotta use that. It's not working out.

[heart_breaking]

Why can't you just go outside without it?

[And what, exactly, was 'it'? The holoform is gone, now, and Chara stares at the space it used to occupy. After a second or so more they step forward, circling it for a few steps.]

[knaval]

No, [he says plainly.] I tried to ride one of the whales with some friends and got grounded.

[a pause. he tries to form the holoform again but his heart isn't in it; it doesn't even appear this time.]

Not to mention my arm is still settling back on... last thing I wanna do is spark and set off the entire planet, you know?

[heart_breaking]

[They almost don't know which point to question first. Oh wait, nevermind: of course they do.]

Did you just say you tried to ride those whales?

[knaval]

Yeah! It went really well until we were bucked off and fell onto the planet. That part sucked.

[he raises a robo-eyebrow at chara.]

What were you doing?

[heart_breaking]

What was I doing 'here'?

[They look around.] It's the Observation Deck. I was observing the stars.

[knaval]

Oh. I didn't think of doing that when we're docked.

[he frowns, ducking to see out the windows.]

Do you get a nice view? Going back to the grounded thing, I gotta figure out how to entertain myself on this damn ship if I'm going to be forced to stay on it by two very big, very annoyed mechs.

[heart_breaking]

Uh. I've seen better, really. Maybe you should try... [They look him over again, this time more doubtful than defensive. What can anyone the size of a schoolbus do on a ship that revolved around humans?]

... Juggling?

[knaval]

[riptide looks at chara like they just grew a second head. then breaks into a big ol' grin.]

Skids was doing that with chainsaws! [RIPTIDE NO] Do you know how to juggle? I've never really tried it properly.

[heart_breaking]

[Chara is already red and readying a caustic tirade of justification when the other shoe drops, and all they can do is blink. Wide-eyed.]

No, um. [They look down for a second, and then collect themself, narrowing eyes at his armor.]

Hey! You're made of metal. Can chainsaws even hurt you? [Of course that makes it less impressive.]

[knaval]

They would if they were big enough. I'm speaking from very unfortunate experience, here.

[a lot of shit happens to a guy in three million years.]

I would probably be immediately arrested if Magnus even caught me looking at one, anyway. [he frowns.] This is why I was trying to form my holoform to send it outside. No fun allowed on this ship.

[heart_breaking]

Magnus? You bet there's no fun allowed when he's around.

Maybe he'll get left behind on Ceta when the Moira leaves, and we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. You could try the chainsaw thing as much as you wanted, then.

[knaval]

Ah. You know him?

[riptide recognises the effects of joy kill everywhere.]

As nice a thought as that is, I'm pretty sure he would cling to the outside of the ship and crawl back inside like a creepy... thing.

[heart_breaking]

Ugh, gross. [They're smiling.]

I've dealt with him. Just not in person. Does he look like a roach?

[knaval]

More like a tank. That walks on two legs. And frowns.


...And gives really long lectures. [he nods. he's done. no, wait--] And hates things that aren't at a perfect right angle!

[heart_breaking]

And doesn't have any idea what the real world is doing?

He delivered an idiotic joke someone gave him like he thought it was the real thing. He talks like he thinks he's some kind of walking teacher-cop advertisement, and he's got literally nothing better to do than to check every single stupid thing you send at him. He's probably got no life, and no friends. Who could stand him? Tch.

[knaval]

[riptide frowns a bit. deep down, he does respect ultra magnus.]

I don't know. I think he knows better than we give him credit for but... yeah. Messed up priorities.

[heart_breaking]

Way messed up. [There's nothing affectionate about Chara's scorn.]

And I wouldn't be so sure. You didn't see the picture he delivered.

[knaval]

Pi-- picture? There's a picture?

Oh, man, I gotta see that. Do you have it?

[heart_breaking]

[Chara's face splits in a grin, and they tap commands over their MID until their inbox is displayed.]

It's here.

Sans told him that if I drew it and sent it back he'd forgive me for killing him.

[knaval]

[riptide, despite himself, breaks into laughter.]

Oh my god! Really? That's real? Ohh... that's too much. Can you forward it to me? I need to fr-- wait, killing?

[heart_breaking]

Yes.

[Are they answering one question, or both? Who knows. They look down at their MID and (presumably) call up the 'Share Image' option.]

Where should I send it?