semi open

[knaval]

Who: riptide and misc people. ya'll know who you are
When: 26th onwards a few days
Where: cryo, riptide's room and cargo bay, mostly
What: like most people, riptide is not too happy about being waking up after being tortured to death
Warnings: possible mentions of torture and death. will update with more if needed



a. elsa

[riptide wakes up with a start, and immediately starts panicking. he pushes himself out of the cyro tube and collapses, venting heavily and rapidly while looking around in confusion. someone was right over him, where-- did he keep his promise? a whimper escapes him as he can't help but remember the quantum lost light and the mutilated corpses of it's crew.]

Luke! [it's not exactly what riptide meant to yell, but it was the first thought that came to mind. luke had been kicked and-- killed him? his rapid venting slows down as the clear memory of his spark chamber being ripped out pushes itself to the forefront of his mind. riptide hunches in on himself for a moment, then stops. hissing in irritation and pain - his arm, his arm is still broken. shakily holding it up, riptide watches as the energon and oil from his snapped fingers rolls lazily down his forearm.

he doesn't really know what to do. he hates himself for baiting that decepticon into attacking him and is too currently too scared to even stand up and go to see what's going on. even worse, luke and god knows how many other people could be dead because he couldn't stop himself from running his mouth. luke just wanted to help.

pressing his non-broken hand to his face, riptide lets out a garbled sob. this month has been the worst.]

b. megatron

[he'd wanted a good while longer to figure out what to say to megatron. there was no way riptide was just going to ignore his existence and let him off the hook for that guy.

unfortunately for riptide, his shitty luck continues. he's not half way down the corridor before he recognises the iconic shape of the buckethead and his optics widen, not really knowing what to say. can he just... scooch past the guy? probably not.

a wave of emotion hits him in the chest before he can even process it and he immediately yells:] WHERE WERE YOU?!

[he doesn't actually blame megatron for not answering, despite everything.]

c. open-ish? kinda? u know who u are

[he's only been back online for about three hours but riptide is already exhausted. it feels like less than ten minutes ago he was being ripped to pieces and combined with the amount of emotions and what he woke up expecting to see, riptide is almost entirely spent already.

clomping to his room and ignoring absolutely everyone who might try and interact with him on the way in, he gets up onto the berth and lays down, staring at the wall. he knows he won't be able to fall into recharge just yet, but laying here and not moving seems like the next best thing.]

Comments

c oops i wrote too much

[redshitlord]

[He's only back on board because he has to be. Because Megatron hauled him out of a nice safe home world and he hasn't forgiven him. Hasn't forgiven the Decepticon for a lot of things -- and probably won't either, given how some of it is probably justified.]

[Sans mentioned something about the stasis chamber and lost people, so he'd drifted around there for a while, before pulling the ultimate teenager move and hiding in the cargo bay for a while. No one could see how upset you were if you were hiding. Sound logic.]

[He doesn't want to be here. Just wants to go back home where no one is dead and, guess what? No one is dead.]

[Riptide probably isn't in a sound enough mental place to see the look on his face when he ducks into the room. And that's fine with him. He wouldn't have wanted him to see the range of expressions he makes when he realizes just who is sprawled out inside.]

[Sideswipe ends up standing there, practically gaping, and fighting the urge just to bolt. In some direction, be it forward, or out, he doesn't know.]

...

Riptide?

[Please excuse how quiet that comes out. He's half afraid this is a hallucination.]

I LOVE IT

[knaval]

[riptide doesn't even look at sideswipe. not that he doesn't want to see him, just that he has so little energy he doesn't feel like he physically can.

one arm, one that was dangling off the berth raises up and... half heartedly gun fingers at him.]

Pchoo.

[redshitlord]

[Riptide could have coughed, and he'd probably have gotten the same reaction. Which is a strangled sort of sound and pounding feet forward. Until he can latch onto that arm.]

[Holding onto it like a lifeline. Trying not to choke up too hard. Because it's real, and solid and...]

[He should probably say something. Bu no. He can't bring himself too. He'd give away the fact he's actually starting to cry here.]

[knaval]

[he's honestly still amazed no one is mad at him.

riptide rolls onto his side towards sideswipe (getting up would probably mean kneeing the poor guy in the face) and pulls him into a one armed hug.

not against the giant scar on his chest.]

...Sorry.

[redshitlord]

[How can he be mad? It's not Riptide's fault. Not to him. It's all the Decepticons' fault. And there is no way his opinion is going to change on that count.]

[He so wanted to stay calm and cool and collected and in control because that's better, that's what an adult would do, that's what anyone would do but -- ]

[But that hug is what breaks him a little.]

[So he just folds up into that hug, pretty much clinging to the bigger bot with all his noodle-like might. Totally crying. Hating it, but crying.]

a!

[isdronning]

[ As far as she can tell, it's just a normal day. Elsa is among the cryo pods, looking them over to make sure that they all seem okay. Functional. She's still trying to figure out what to look for and how to actually fix them because that's her job, but that's a work in progress.

Sudden noises somewhere behind her cause her to jump, startled, and fall forward. She manages to catch herself quickly on the cryo tube she'd been looking at, though the moment she touches it, a light layer of ice spreads across it. Not concerned about that just yet however, Elsa whips her head around to look farther down the row of tubes to see... One of the robots on the floor?

Clearly he must have just woken up, and she can understand confusion and outbursts from that, though they should subside quickly. This...keeps going. He seems to be in a great deal of distress. Elsa's already concerned, but the moment he starts crying, she's hurrying over to help him. ]

Luke? There isn't a "Luke" in here... [ Should she try to find him? No... No, it's probably best to stay here. ] It's okay, you're only in cryo. Everything's fine.

[ Actually, she doesn't know that. She has no idea what happened or why he's so upset, but trying to soothe him seems a better idea than directly asking what happened or if he's okay. It seems an even better idea once she realizes what kind of shape his arm is in. Staring at it as the fluid that must equate to blood for the robots runs down his arm, she's at a bit of a loss. This is not an experience she's ever anticipated. ]

Oh-- Your hand...

[knaval]

[oh, there's... someone in here. riptide sits on his hands and knees for a minute or two, armour clicking together as he shudders.

it's with great effort he actually looks at elsa. her attempts at calming are certainly helping, at least.]

He's not-- where did he go? Is he okay? [he asks, it's clear he's not really sure what's going on. he can't put it together, just yet, that she probably doesn't even know who luke is. looking down at his hand again, he winces.] The rest of me isn't... that'll be painful when the shock wears off.

[cool. great.]

[isdronning]

[ Honestly, she wants to reach out and give him a reassuring pat on his shoulder or something, but that hardly seems wise. Instead, Elsa stands where she is, wringing her hands and watching Riptide worriedly. He does seem to be calming some, at least, so that's a good sign. ]

I'm not certain. I don't know anyone by the name, but I don't believe that he's here in cryo.

[ Which means...he's probably okay? ]

You've been here for a few days, I've noticed you, so whatever it is that happened... It must have ended by now. [ A soft frown, her eyes drift back down to his hand as well. ] Perhaps we should get you to medical, or to someone who can repair that for you.

[ Do the robots use the med bay? Do they have their own ways of healing? She's not sure, she's had very few interactions with them thus far... ]

[knaval]

He's not here... [riptide, why are you here?] I-- good. I think.

[he shakes his head, non broken hand pressing to the scar over his chest, frowning. it feels like tarn's claws are still there.]

It's fine. I can... figure something out. Can I stick my arm in one of the pods to freeze the fluid?

candid camera: murder edition.

[t65]

[The first thing Luke does, then, is head straight for the mess hall. The trial equipment doesn't seem to be taken down yet, and Luke fiddles with the holo equipment to make sure it's all in working order. He is, in truth, a bit nervous. He barely remembers the trial itself. Can he face what he's done?]

[He has to. So he will. Luke steels himself and waits.]

did you think we were watching bill nye today

[knaval]

[riptide arrives shortly after, not looking too bad considering what happened. the only visible effect of what tarn did to him is his welded together arm and scar on his chest.

three million years of war means he's good at hiding bad feelings.]

One day I'll be able to get around the ship without catching my shoulders on door frames. [it's an attempt at humour, but his tone is humourless.] You got here quickly.

i had such high hopes for post-murder datenight

[t65]

I was in the area. I needed to grab some parts to finish fixing this. [He taps the prosthetic arm on his right.] You're looking well.

[Awkward smalltalk: initiate.]

womp womp

[knaval]

I see. [another thing he got broken, presumably.] Better than I was a few hours ago.

C

[sousveillance]

[ Rewind knocks on the door politely and when there's no immediate answer, knocks more insistently. ]

Riptide! Did you die again?

[ More polite pointed knocking to underscore his point. ]

Sulking isn't a good way to recover.

[knaval]

[it takes a moment, but he answers. this time he doesn't bother crouching down to rewind's level, instead just looking down at him.]

Again?

[sousveillance]

... it was a joke. [ Rewind mumbles. ]

[ He cranes his neck to look at Riptide. Why is this damn boat the size of a building. ]

How are you feeling, then? How was being refrigerated?

[knaval]

About as fun as being stabbed.

[booo riptide no fun allowed.]

...How've you been?

[aminerproblem]

[Megatron had been skeptical of the capability of the Captains' resurging technology to work on a Cybertronian spark, but he waited outside the cryo chamber anyway. Days had passed, and aside from leaving to tend to his duties at Tarn's trial, he found himself working in the hallway, and waiting.]

[He looks up as heavy footsteps (compared to the typical denizens stalking the halls), and sees none other than his crewmate. His spark swells with relief and the hard lines around his optics soften. Despite his own failure, the Autobot was given a second chance, with just a few scars to show for it. That was more than he could've ask for.]

Riptide, are you alright? How are you feeling?

[Megatron suspects he will need his space, but he chances a few paces closer.]

[knaval]

How the hell do you think I feel?!

[riptide's features go from mild confusion to outright hatred. he squares his shoulders, for all the good it'll do.]

You promised me! You gave me your word! And you did nothing!!

[aminerproblem]

[He's quiet as Riptide vents his anger. No long-winded excuse or explanation of the events would assuage him, because he was right. He failed to protect him as he'd promised. He'd failed to control Tarn.]

[Despite Riptide being alive and well for the time being, the guilt of yet more death at his hands (if indirectly) was a weight that was growing every day. He says nothing.]

[knaval]

[unfortunately, that only angers him more.]

What, you can't even say anything? After all the slag you've done, after every single person that's died because of you, because of Tarn, you can't say anything?

[he doesn't really have a plan for what to say, it's just kind of... spilling out. evident in how he's slowly getting louder and more hysterical.]

Everything you've said about protecting the crew and not being that person any more has been a total lie! All you want to do is pretend it'll go away on it's own. What, did you think Tarn would just have a sudden change of heart like you did? Like he'd just forget everything because you made a sad face at him?!

[he's reaching critical mass. he gestures angrily with his broken arm, ignoring the energon droplets that splatter on the wall.]

You're pathetic!

[daintylegs]

[Tailgate's not entirely sure how this is possible, but if there's one thing he's learned from all his time existing, it's that you should never deeply question things, no matter how strange they are.

Quietly, Tailgate follows Riptide to his room, and watches him climb onto his berth. After a moment, Tailgate climbs up too and drapes himself over Riptide's side.]

Hey.

It's nice to have you back.

[knaval]

[funnily enough, that's exactly what riptide's decided to do. he's alive, and that's all he knows. he doesn't care how or why, but he is. no point digging for now.

he doesn't turn over, but leans back to put a hand on tailgate.]

I really want to say it's nice to be back...

[but yeah, no. still on the ship and tarn isn't dead. it sucks.]

[daintylegs]

Well, what can you do?

[Tarn isn't a problem that's going to go away. Tailgate empathizes, but he also knows there's no point on dwelling on it.]

I'm here if you want to talk about it and stuff.

Otherwise I think we should watch the Muppets. I got a disk with some movies on it and I've been itching to get people to watch it with me.

[knaval]

[oh tailgate you know the way to his spark]

I think what I want to do about it is rope as many people as possible into watching that with you.