SEMI OPEN

[rodders]

WHO: THE CREW OF THE LOST LIGHT
WHERE: MACCADAM’S OLD OIL HOUSE
WHEN: BEFORE DRIFT AND RATCHET GET MAULED BY TARN, AFTER THE RODIMUS/TARN INCIDENT
WHAT: INFORMATION SHARING AND PEOPLE DRINKING TOGETHER
WARNINGS: NONE MAN, NONE

Informality is the name of the game here, people. Rodimus and Megatron, through some handwaved miracle have managed to talk to each other without yelling long enough to get the word out that hey - if you’re a part of the crew you’d better show up for some Important Information and Crew Bonding. But probably not phrased like that unless you talked to Rodimus. Drinks, however, were totally promised (again by Rodimus). You just have to make them yourself, although that was not clarified.

There is a sign on the front door that says NO TARNS ALLOWED. The plural is important since there’s like. Four goddamn Megatrons.

Topics covered:

Tarn is here btw and that sucks for everyone so. Don’t.

For the time being they’re going to include Brainstorm as an Autobot - he starts acting like a Decepticon and any crew member has the right to punch him until he stops.

Drift is acting third-in-command. Non-negotiable.

AND FOR GOD’S SAKE DO NOT ANTAGONIZE DECEPTICONS WHO ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU, RODIMUS.

Ideas of why/how they got here - this includes getting the crew caught up (who hasn’t been already) on the quantum ships as well as what they know of the Brainstorm situation.

People who are capable of doing things to make life less sucky should do that. Team Rodimus! This is your moment!

AND MORE, POSSIBLY.

The rest of this post is to mingle, talk to your crew members. If you have questions that need to be addressed to either captain, specify which one you want if you have one in mind or otherwise one or the other/both will get to it!

If there is anything your character would bring up to the group as a whole, feel free to make a thread for that too - this is really kind of a free-for-all group post to have people mingle and gossip and hammer out something to do!

Comments

[needlefingers]

"Okay, first off." Says Chromedome, who showed up sort of casually a few minutes in, "Why are we still 'Team Rodimus'? You'd think after being kidnapped and all we could drop the name. I mean, Rodimus is our Captain, so aren't we all technically 'Team Rodimus'? It's sort of redundant."

Yes, there's a lot of other, probably more important, things that need to be discussed, like that bit about Brainstorm, but Chromedome closely follows the Lost Light creed of never directly confronting issues until it's too late. Let's talk about the unimportant things first.

[rodders]

"You guys have been team Rodimus for the last six months. Why would you want to change a good thing?" Says Rodimus from where he's sitting backwards in a chair, arms crossed over the back of it. Don't fight him on this now, Chromedome. "And technically, yes. But you guys are special."

He has absolutely no problem talking about this instead of anything else mentioned.

[needlefingers]

"Not that I mind being on Team Rodimus, I mean god forbid, but I'm just saying." He shrugs and plunks his lanky self down on a nearby chair. It's good to be home. "It makes sense to be Team Rodimus on the ship, but here? It just feels kinda..." Silly. But that's not a word he'll say to the Captain. Sorry, Co-Captain. "...Weird."

[rodders]

He frowns slightly, rubbing at his chin in thought before he brightens up.

"Nope, not seeing it. Still the same group of bots, still the same name."

Sorry Chromdome.

[caseopened]

"Co-Captain, the rules changed, remember?"

Or did you forget ALL the important shit, Chromedome. Brainstorm's situation aside, Nightbeat was trying to keep his upbeat attitude going, and unimportant things? They often turn into the most important. Better slip his opinion in.

"Unless you want to be part of Team Megatron. I'm just saying."

[needlefingers]

Chromedome is of the mind that "Co-Captain" is the dumbest title anyone's ever come up with. "Sooo... if you're not on Team Rodimus, then that automatically makes you Team Megatron? Better tell half the ship then, they'll want to know."

Now, usually Chromedome would know better than to start an argument with Nightbeat, but what the hell. He's bored and there's only so much moping even he could do. Generally speaking, it's a lot easier to brood in the safety of his room. Which is back on the ship and not here.

[caseopened]

"Which half are you talking about? I'm just saying there's two Captains, and one team." He holds up two fingers. "Now if Rodimus is our boss, then it makes sense to be Team Rodimus. But since there's two captains, the entire ship is run by both of them equally, therefore no teams."

A smile cracks on those lips as he scoots closer.

[quantumechanic]

"It wasn't a very useful designation to begin with," Nautica added from behind the bar. "It's not like we wouldn't help anyone from the crew who needed it. And 'the Rod Squad' would have been a much better name, anyway."

[needlefingers]

"I wouldn't have any complaints if we were the Rod Squad." Well, okay he might have had some, but he was never in any position to object to it. "After the Rod Pod, you'd think there was a theme of some kind going on here." And Rodimus didn't follow the theme. Tsk tsk (Which is the sound he would make if he had lips.)

[quantumechanic]

The theme was Rodimus' ego.

"Regardless of the name, I do have a question that the ship started disappearing on us before I had had a chance to ask. Is Rodimus on the team or are we just named after him?" Hey, it was a legitimate question. If you were Nautica and easily distracted from the fact that this conversation was 100% unnecessary.

[gimmicky]

And guess who walked in late to the party. To be honest, Trailcutter didn't even want to come. What's the point of going to a bar if you can't drink--or worse, CAN and can't even feel the effects? It'd be mocking on that standing alone. But his loyalty to the Autobot cause won over, and he strides in, ushering past a few people.

"Heyyy, I'm here."

Hello awkward wave.

"What's this about Brainstorm being a possible Decepticon? Because...what if some of us got upgrades built by him. In our legs."

..

"Not that I have. Just...hypothetically."

[needlefingers]

"It's nothing. There's no way." Chromedome's visor narrows angrily and he crosses his arms. Angrily. "Brainstorm's been one of us for as long as I can remember. There's no way he's a Decepticon." Because that would suck for a thousand different reasons. He refuses to believe it. Not without proof anyway.

[gimmicky]

"Hey."

A hand reaches out to Chromedome's shoulder, as he plops down next to him. "War's over, isn't it? Who cares if he's a Decepticon, even if they're right? We've got a former Decepticon captain anyway."

A hand reaches out for Chromedome's glass out of habit, before shakily setting it down.

"I mean, most I'm worried about is if my legs are going to explode. To be fair, that's a legit concern even for regular Brainstorm."

[needlefingers]

"I think we'd all care if he was a Decepticon." He allowed the physical contact, however. For a short time. After a moment he gently shrugs Trailcutter's hand off him. Personal space and all that. "I'm not believing anyone until I'm shown some proof."

One side of his visor raised as he watched Trailcutter resist the urge to take his glass. What's that all about? "Are you feeling okay, Trailcutter? I mean, besides the possibility of exploding legs."

[rodders]

Things that Rodimus was not expecting: this. Sure, there was Pipes and Bumblebee but those were old deaths, the wound wasn't so raw and he could handle those. Mostly. But Trailcutter? Nope. He can't do it. Not the way he died, the fact that he didn't deserve to die, the fact that he died at all.

So he just sort of tails off in his conversation with someone and just sort of. Stares for a moment or two before finding his voice.

"Trailcutter?"

Oh no. Oh no.

[gimmicky]

Two things were really strange about this. The first being that Rodimus noticed him. In all his time on the Lost Light, Rodimus had mostly kept to his own crowd, and Trailcutter to his. Nothing wrong with that, in the slightest. He wasn't part of high command, that was all. But when noticed, this thoughts immediately turn to that Rodimus star tucked away in his plating, remembering the day he got it.

Maybe the Captain was just as afraid of bombs in his legs as he was. Who knew.

"Hey! You got my name right!"

That was the second strange thing, but one Trailcutter certainly wasn't going to argue. A smile cracks on his lips as he hears it, almost looking...humbled. "Chief of Security at your service."

[caseopened]

Nightbeat wanted to argue the Brainstorm situation, but with everything put in place to treat him as before, he kept his mouth shut (for once). There was no point in bringing up factionism here, as much as he hated to admit it. And while it bugged him to the very core to want to know the true answer...

He'd just have to investigate on his own. Nautica was a bust--she hadn't remembered the journey. So he was going to have to operate solo.

Well, Nautica may have given up her briefcase to Brainstorm, but Nightbeat was certainly going to keep that thing handcuffed to himself if he had any say in it. The Autobots deserved at least one. He sits there at a table, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around said briefcase as he leans his chin on the other.

"So, ideas on how we got here? It's definitely not something specific to our universe--if we're including all the variables of people from other dimensions."

[amicuscuriae]

FOR ANYONE

Minimus had been standing to one side, arms crossed as the main points where discussed. He still hadn't quite gotten his bearing with the time disparity, but he was doing an awfully good job of not showing it.

"Do we know that this is all of the crew who are this planet? I know my own arrival was quite a bit later than most, from what I've heard." He asked, gesturing to the room at large.

"And do we have any idea what is the cause of all this to begin with?"

FOR MEGATRON

Of course, being told Megatron was now captain of the ship and actually experiencing it were two very different things. Minimus was certainly watching Megatron suspiciously through the whole discussion, but didn't bring anything up since most of the crew did not seem to find any concern with the situation.

One all the main matters had been attended to Minimus chose to confront the new captain directly. He moved from his former position, walking over to stand at Megatron's elbow (if remaining a sensible distance away).

"I'm sure this is probably obvious to everyone from your point in time, but Rodimus only gave me a brief overview of events that have occurred after the point when I arrived here. Would you mind explaining the specifics of how you came to be co-captain of the Lost Light, wearing an Autobrand no less?" He asked, pointing to the symbol on Megatron's chest accusingly. His tone was civil enough, but there was an edge of evident distrust regardless.

[rodders]

"This is everyone we could find, and everyone that we could find could find. So for right now this is it." It's not a bad turn out as far as Rodimus is concerned. Except for Megatron, it's people he likes - Brainstorm is kind of up in the air, but for right now they'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

As for the last question he just kind of shrugs. "My best bet was on Brainstorm. He says it isn't him, but how many people do we know who can pull this off?" Brainstorm until proven otherwise has been standard operating procedure for Rodimus on the Lost Light for as long as he can remember. And probably everyone else, too.

[amicuscuriae]

Minimus can't help but shake his head at that. Not that he would be surprised if it was Brainstorm, but if it was not that just meant it could be anything. "I suppose that isn't really relevant. It might not even have happened in our universe, for all we know."

He looked back over the small crowd, frowning as he did so. You could see him mentally evaluating each and every person there, taking stock.

"Until we have viable access to a communication network, I think it would be best if we assigned squads as if it was a mission. We already know Tarn is out there, and who knows what else. We don't want someone wandering off on their own and getting killed." He said, with a pointed and disappointing glare at the weld marks on Rodimus' arm.

[towardspeace]

"Ah." Megatron looks down at him. An unfamiliar figure, but he's had this explained to him... "Minimus Ambus, isn't it? I'm sorry, we've never met outside of the... armour... But, no, of course – what have you already been told?"

[amicuscuriae]

Having people call him Minimus again still felt odd, but hearing if from Megatron was frankly unnerving. He's not sure if that was meant to be a joke, or a threat, or what, honestly.

"That after Shockwave's attempt to rewrite the universe you stood trial for your crimes against Cybertron and as a result were assigned co-captaincy of the Lost Light." He replied matter-of-factly, arms crossed over his chest.

"He was uncharacteristically reticent about the situation."

baps u with this super late tag

[planate]

A supposed member of the Lost Light that Pipes has never seen before? There's no way he'd pass Minimus over.

Suave as ever, Pipes saunters over to the other minibot (it's nice to not be the only other tiny one there, honestly) and settles next to him, "Drift and I thought it might have something to do with the other Cybertronians of this... timeline, I guess." A casual handwave. Pipes is still excited to be here, especially now he knows he's not alone. He's sure everything will be fine.

He looks around the room at everyone else briefly. "So, uh. You were on the Lost Light too, huh?"

[briefcase]

"Um, hello, I'm right here. Could we please stop talking about me like I'm not present in the room?"

This was getting so old. Everyone blame Brainstorm! It's not like he's a person or anything, with feelings. He thought that this meeting was to do something productive rather than play the blame game. He sits in the corner of the room, looking sour as he clutches two briefcases to his chest (thanks Nautica). Every once in a while he side-eyes Nightbeat, trying to judge if he's going to get up and tackle him again out of the blue.

He may also be trying to figure out how to get that briefcase from him.

"I for one didn't have anything to do with how we got here! And I'd appreciate it if people stopped pointing fingers at me so we can get on with actually getting out of here. Has everyone forgotten how I helped save the universe with you?"

[rodders]

Do you actually have feelings, though, Brainstorm? Do you really? Although Rodimus doesn't know what to make of him having two briefcases - that can't be good for anyone. Mostly everyone else rather than Brainstorm.

"Anyone can help save the universe." This is where he'd throw a pointed look at Megatron if he wasn't busy trying to make a point. "And you have to admit that you're the only person anyone knows who could do this." That's a backhanded compliment, honestly.