[banging fists on table] MORE ROBOT DRAMA MORE ROBOT DRAMA MORE ROBOT DR

[knaval]

Who: riptide and some other dudes
When: after magnus's post
Where: riptide's room
What: sad fish boy
Warnings: cw for possible discussion of war, violence, ptsd, generally the depressing shit you get with these metal tittybabies



a. magnus

[accepting his fate, riptide allowed magnus to drag him to his room, no longer fighting.

if he had more knowledge of the situation, he would respond differently. he doesn't, though, and all he knows is he takes part in something that results in all his friends being left for the djd. after everything he's experienced in regards to tarn aboard to moira, after everything everyone has done for him, he was still stupid and selfish enough to leave them all for dead.

what the fuck did getaway say to him?

these are things that riptide will wonder about until he's physically unable to stay awake anymore, but for now he just lets whatever's going to happen to him happen.]

b. megatron

[they didn't finish the wall.

riptide eventually gets sick of laying on his bed staring at it like a useless sack of shit and gets up, sliding off the berth to carefully press at the edges still sticking out awkwardly.

he still thinks the table looked fine where it was.

sighing, riptide gets to work. missing brainstorm and nautica intensely for a moment before telling himself he doesn't deserve to.]

c. anyone else

[you want this sad fish? come yell at him in his room. he's not leaving.]

Comments

[knaval]

[the door is open, it'll swing open slightly when bee knocks on it.

unfortunately, bee finds riptide in the same way sideswipe does. on his berth, laying on his side facing the wall.]

I screwed up is what happened. Talk to Magnus about it or something.

[heelys]

[Bumblebee lets himself in, closing the door behind him, frowning at the huge lump of bot laying on the berth. He stands there for a moment, unsure what to do.]

I don't wanna talk to Magnus, I wanna talk to you. Y'know. My big, stupid friend.
[he goes over, hauling himself up onto the berth and climbing over Riptide so he can see his face, jumping down off the kibble and standing in the small space between Riptide's face plate, and the wall. He frowns, looking over his friend to make sure he's ok.]

He already gave me a ticket for speeding anyway.

[knaval]

[riptide looks absolutely terrible. the exhaustion and pain of what he's done is clear on his face. his optics are dull, like he's not really with bee.]

Sounds like Magnus. [he sighs.] Alright, what did you want to talk about?

[heelys]

[Bumblebee looks shocked by how Riptide looks, hesitating as he talks to stare a little.]

You look awful... [He trails off, before slumping down so he's sitting in front of Riptide's face, cross legged and looking at him with concern.]

I think you know, dude. What was Magnus talking about?

[knaval]

There's a mutiny. I know about it now, I've known since I got here. It involves Megatron and Magnus and just about everyone who's here who isn't me. I don't know what happened because it hasn't happened for me yet but... they get left for the DJD.

[he shifts slightly to give bee more room.]

That's a line no-one would ever dare cross but... apparently we did.

[heelys]

[Bumblebee frowns again, getting more comfortable as Riptide gives him space.]

But if it's not happened for you... How do you even know you're from the same timeline? How does he know you even did anything?

[Theres a pause, unsure if he wants the answer to the next question.]

What's the DJD?

[knaval]

Because I know about it. Same people involve, same guy heading it.

[riptide doesn't want to tell bee but... he has a right to know what he's done.]

Decepticon Justice Division. Have you seen that giant purple guy around? That's Tarn. He's the leader, which is why everyone's terrified of him. They're known by everyone for being psychotic torturers. [he sighs.] So they're not just going to killed. They'll probably be mutilated too.

[heelys]

...Oh. [That's all he manages to say, before they go into silence. His tanks clench uncomfortably at the idea of Riptide doing that on purpose to people he called his friends. People who thought they could trust him.

There's a long pause before Bumblebee says anything else, obviously trying to think of what to say to that. He searches for answers in Riptide's face.]

--But. Why would you do that? ...Why would you abandon all your friends? I know you, Rip. This doesn't sound like something you'd ever do on purpose.

[knaval]

I don't know! If I knew then I could give them a satisfying answer!

[he shudders, armour clicking.]

But all they get is stupid Riptide made a stupid decision.

[heelys]

[Bumblebee reaches up to place a hand on the darker blue diamond on Riptide's forehead when he shudders, looking over him with concern.]

You don't even know if you did it? This is so unfair! Getting punished for something you haven't even done yet? What the frag?

[knaval]

But I'm going to. I know I am. I've already made the choice.

[he offlines his optics all the way and shakes his head. ]

I've never seen Magnus so upset. I didn't even think it was an emotion he could feel.

[heelys]

[He pulls his servo back, pulling his knees up to his chest and sitting there quietly.]

You've made the choice to abandon your friends with the DJD?

[knaval]

No. I didn't know about the DJD being involved. Or maybe I did. I don't know anymore.

What if Getaway said something that made me decide to do it anyway? Maybe I am the type of scum to leave them.

[heelys]

You don't know because it hasn't happened yet, Riptide!

[He's getting a little distraught here.] You're not-- you're not scum! You can't get punished for things that haven't happened, and things you didn't know about! This is so wrong!

[knaval]

Bee, one of my best friends and one of the mechs I respect the most told me about this. Even if... it hasn't happened the damage is done.

[his tone is extremely defeated.]

I've burned all my bridges and none of them are going to forgive me.

[heelys]

[Bumblebee falls silent again, trying to figure out what he could possibly do to make this better for him. He's learnt by now that sometimes you can't cheer someone up, sometimes they have to just let it out and actually be sad, but this? This is stupid. Riptide didn't deserve to feel like this, and he certainly didn't deserve to have everyone mad at him for something he hasn't done yet.

So he scoots over, carefully putting his arms around as much of Riptide's faceplate as he can, resting his own helm against that diamond. It's the best way he can hug him right now, with the awkward angle.]

You haven't burned this bridge, Rip. I'm not gonna judge you on something you haven't even done yet. Something that you might be able to change! [He lets out a shaky vent.] I don't think... I don't think you would do something like that on purpose. That's not you, and you know it. You wouldn't be this upset about it if you thought it was right, right?

[he tries to hug him closer.]

[knaval]

[riptide says nothing. he listens to bee, clearly takes it in. his optics brighten and go dull again in thought, but he says nothing.

bee is pouring his heart and soul into all of this, but riptide can't even bring himself to react.]

[heelys]

[Bumblebee presses his forehead against Riptide's, watching him quietly as silence takes over. After a long moment, he pulls back, slumping back onto the berth in front of Riptide, searching for something--anything--that'll help him figure out what to do.

is vocaliser is quavering when he talks again, unsure if he wants the answers to the questions he's asking. Or even if he's going to get them.]

Please tell me that's not you, Rip. You're the big funny guy who comes and rescues my sorry aft when I'm sulking, and makes me feel like I'm not all alone here. You're my friend...

[knaval]

I don't know, Bee.

[he feels sick and exhausted all at once. too much so to say anything more, feeling the crushing weight of disappointment on his spark.]

[heelys]

You don't know? What the frag is that supposed to mean?! [He's squeaking angrily now, mostly because he's geting upset too and he doesn't know what else to do to pull this massive idiot out of his own head.]

You're a good guy, Riptide! Deep down, in your spark, you know that you wouldn't do anything like this on purpose!

[he pauses, getting quieter again.]

You know that you're my friend, at least, right?

[knaval]

[sorry, bee, no-one ever taught him healthy coping mechanisms.

at the question, though, he nods his head up and down slowly.]

Yeah. Sorry, Bee, I just... I thought I did some messed up stuff during the war but this is just-- sick.

[can't stop won't stop doesn't know how to stop.]

[heelys]

[Bumblebee slams his hand against one of Riptide's cheeks out of frustration, hoping it'll snap him out of it.]

You didn't do it yet!! You can't let what might've happened fill your spark! You can't think about the maybes or what ifs--You'll go crazy!

[He makes a frustrated vent and leans forward again to lean against Riptide's forehead.]

C'mon, Rip. You're... You're freaking me out. You know that's not something you'd do.

[knaval]

I'm not taking this as a maybe or a what if. You learn not to bother with that after fighting for so long, but this is something I know must've happened.

[he shakes his head.]

I can't tell you what you want to hear. This is life, people turn out to be terrible sometimes.

[heelys]

[Bumblebee sits up again, optics paling and tanks clenching. He doesn't know what to do, how to make things better. And now Riptide is saying that he's a bad guy, that he's done terrible things and can never be forgiven. But wasn't that half the Cybertronian's on this ship? Starscream wasn't a complete asshole, Megatron was trying to atone for his sins and--hell--even Whirl was being nice to him. Sort of.]

You can't be serious! [he looks like he's about to cry.] You can't believe that! Or else--why are you so upset about it?! If you think it's a choice you purposely made, you wouldn't be like this!

[Hes grabbing at straws now.] Would you give me to Tarn? Huh?! Do I need to start watching my back?

[knaval]

Because Magnus said he saw me there, with Getaway. Somehow the fragger did something that convinced me to take part.

[he sighs, too exhausted to be offended.]

No, Bee. It's not like that.