(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

[redshitlord]

[You know what? Screw 'grounding'. That's just stupid. Bee isn't here to enforce anything, and the yellow bot is about the only authority he's ever halfway recognized. Well. Bee and Jazz. But Jazz was in a whole other league and also wasn't here.]

[So there.]

[He literally has nothing to move in, since the stupid ship stole his music player. But hey, here he is, wandering in while also poking at games on the MID thing.]

[Give him a second...]

... whoa. You weren't kidding about blowing the place up.

[knaval]

Right? Megatron was so mad. It was pretty funny, if not a little terrifying.

[mostly terrifying. riptide sits up.]

Not a lot of privacy in here. Doesn't matter though, there's always space. There's a bed, that all that matters.

...Speaking of, the floor is alright, yeah?

[redshitlord]

Yeah, that sounds super hilarious. I'm dying inside a little.

[He looks between the Not-Really-A-Wall and Riptide for a second.]

You couldn't tack a tarp up or... something? I mean, the scrap yard has more privacy than this does.

[At the question, he just shrugs. Hey he's been living in said scrap yard for who knows how long, he'll deal.]

[knaval]

There was a tarp but it's gone now.

[riptide squints, taps his chin.]

I meant to replace that... [he looks around for a moment.] Hey, Stumpy? Does your programming let you go find stuff? Find a tarp, boy!

[riptide's chorebot makes a whirring noise from somewhere on the opposite side of the room, then goes quiet.]

...Damnit.

[redshitlord]

Where'd it go?

[Dude tarps don't just walk away. But, fortunately, he's distracted by the noises and the yelling at something he can't see.]

Whoa, what's that?

[BRB GOING TO FIND THE CHOREBOT AND BEFRIEND IT.]

[knaval]

I don't know! I guess someone stole it! Jeez, you ask way too many questions.

[riptide isn't good with INFANTS.]

My chorebot. I got it from the captains? He kind sucks. Got no hands.

[redshitlord]

Just curious, geez...

[Fine, he'll just play with the chorebot. Hello little stumpy dude.]

Aw, it's cute though! Lookit its stumpy little... uh. Everything.

Handy (set before the translator malfunctions, if that's okay!)

[a_shadow]

[ Tex had been the one who volunteered to help lift and stabilize the arm when Riptide had lost it—a situation that put them in quite close quarters at the time. She'd lost half a day's wages by volunteering for that little gig. She's not too fussed, though—she knows the situation with the money will work itself out in the distribution of the coins later.

It's the end of the day and Tex decides to return to the ship again, and wanders to the cargo bay, catching sight of the robot as he fiddles with his hand. She addresses him as she begins walking his way, still wearing her full armor. It's the form Riptide would recognize her in&mdadsh;she'd had the support of her power armor when she'd lifted his arm. ]

Good as new, or is there something off?

THAT'S COOL

[knaval]

[riptide doesn't respond immediately, instead twirling his wrist a few times.]

It's fine. Good as new, actually, considering.

[grinning at her, he flaps his hand a few times.]

I think I almost have more movability!

[a_shadow]

I'll be happy to take credit for that.

[ Not that she did the actual repairs, but she was the one who made sure the parts were aligned the way they needed to be. ]

You look bored as hell, though. Out of things to do?

[knaval]

Thank you, mildly terrifying, possible robot.

[he hasn't seen her without it. is she a robot? is this another ai? riptide understand so little.]

I mean, I'm double grounded. I'm not allowed out the ship onto the planet again unless I want an ex-warlord hunting me down to slap the hell out of me. How come you're here?

[a_shadow]

Well, you know. I feel a little responsible for you now. I don't want you ruining your arm right after I helped fix it.

[ All this is said with an undercurrent of humor to her tone. ]

But I'm not a robot, not in this form.

[ Does that mean she can take on the form of a robot? Yes, yes it does. Is she going to explain it? Not really. ]

[knaval]

Aw, don't worry. Megatron and Magnus are [the dads] the ones who have to worry about all the shenanigans we get up to. Thanks though.

[he gets it, really, though.]

Oooh, spooky two forms! Shape shifter, huh?

just keep trying

[imanapexpredator]

[He's not doing it to be creepy, sure, but Andrew-Super Defensive And Self Conscious About Everything-Detmer was starting to get a little antsy. He had just been floating along, checking out the view as he often did while contemplating his miserable existence due to the incident in the cargo bay when he noticed.

He's not sure what Riptide is doing but it's bothering his dumb teenage brain.]

Uh, hello? [At least he sounds only mildly annoyed.]

oh my god does he try

[knaval]

[riptide doesn't notice andrew. he's concentrating too intently on trying to get his holoform up.

he really wants to send it outside, alright.

you know what's creepy? a 32ft tall robot continuing to stare at you with his soulless yellow eyes, then leaning forward until he's practically on all fours like a cat.

that's probably not helping how andrew is feeling.]

tries so hard and got so far

[imanapexpredator]

[At first it was just a little frustrating, but now with the giant robot leaning forward Andrew gets jumpy. Like the countless people who have tried to intimidate him over the years.

Dude, he thought you were cool why are you being such a dickhead now? Of course, Andrew isn't particularly surprised that once again he's wrong about someone.]

Stop it!

[What if he just kind of lightly shoved him with his mind power, as a warning. Lightly. For now.]

but in the end

[knaval]

Wh-- huh? What? Oh!

[he stops immediately, looking around like he just realised where he is.]

Oh, jeez. I did't even see you there, buddy. Sorry.

IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTEEEEEEEEER

[imanapexpredator]

How did you not see me? You were looking right at me.

[Don't bullshit him, man. His paranoia and insecurity will not allow it.]

to meeeee

[knaval]

No, I wasn't. I was looking behind you.

[he points, where his holoform is just barely flickering into existence.]

See! I'm doing something!

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?