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]

"I'd think that he- Wait, hold up."

He pauses for a moment, running her words through his head before he speaks up again, more slowly this time. "Did you say the ship disappeared?" He hoped it meant that the ship was stolen and not, like, the ship literally disappearing. After two years aboard he wouldn't be surprised with either.

[caseopened]

"Look, I believe you, Chromedome, but I have to believe what I saw too. Things aren't adding up in more ways than one. I'm going to side with Rodimus on this--Autobot until proven otherwise. But..."

His fingers drum the briefcase.

"That still leaves the mystery of the sigil on his faceplate."

Not that he expects anyone to believe him.

[quantumechanic]

"Yes. It was quantum interference dating back to the explosion when the ship launched the first time." Finally up-to-date, Nautica was able to fill him in. "Don't worry, we fixed it. Or so I'm told--I haven't done it yet."

She shrugged and reached for Chromedome's glass to top it up. Time travel, what were you gonna do?

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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?"

[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?"

[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."

[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."

[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.

[towardspeace]

"I'm not surprised," he says. He pauses, noting that reaction, and says, "Would you prefer Ultra Magnus? I wasn't sure."

[amicuscuriae]

"No, no. Ambus is fine." He replied hastily, one hand up to stop Megatron from continuing. Without the armor, without his job, after everything that had happened with Tyrest...

"'Ultra Magnus' is- it hardly seems appropriate. Circumstances as they are."

[towardspeace]

Megatron frowns, feeling like that isn't the whole answer, but he doesn't press it, just nods and moves on to the explanation he promised. He likes Ultra Magnus, as much as he likes anyone on the Lost Light, and he'd prefer not to get off on the wrong foot here – which is kind of a joke, really, because he's been getting off on the wrong foot with Ultra Magnus for four million years, or for however long Minimus Ambus has been Ultra Magnus, but all the same...

"In exchange for my agreement to publicly dissolve the Decepticons, Optimus agreed to let me join the quest for the Knights of Cybertron," he explains. "I was convinced I could do a better job of it than had been done so far... which was, perhaps, overoptimistic of me. As for how I defected... I saw the error of my ways; do you find that at all plausible?"

[amicuscuriae]

"To be perfectly honest, no I don't. It is incredibly difficult to believe that after four million years of warfare you suddenly had a change of heart, and after everything the Decepticons have done, all of the murder, chaos, and injustice committed in your name, that you would be allowed to go free. But if that is one more thing I need to accept to get through this equally improbable turn of events, so be it."

It may be one more thing he had to accept but he certainly didn't like it. That fact was evident in his tone, which managed to stay just shy of a vindictive accusation. Primus knows Minimus had his fair share of personal grievances with the former leader of the Decepticons.

"One day you and I will have to discuss your trial in more detail, I'm very curious about how this outcome was reached. Meanwhile, why would you want to find the Knights of Cybertron?"

[towardspeace]

He'll take that 'so be it', honestly, simply for the luxury of not having to repeat himself again. Much though he'd prefer Minimus a little more on his side than this, he's had ample practice tolerating people not liking him.

"If we could really find Cyberutopia, it would be... a better home for our race than the one we ruined. The one... I ruined," he corrects himself, a little tersely. "I have rather a lot to make up for, and that would be... a start."

[rodders]

"You look," come on Rodimus, you can handle this better than you did Pipes. "Good?"

Yeah, great job Rodimus. He sighs and drags a hand down his face in an attempt to pull himself together. He can do this, okay, he's got this.

He so completely doesn't have this. Throwing a look at Megatron, Drift, and Magnus, Rodimus throws an arm around Trailbreaker and tries to pull him to the side a little.

"Look, don't-- don't freak out or throw up one of your bubbles or anything. But where were you before ending up here?"

This is important, okay?

[gimmicky]

..."Thanks?"

If anything, that was making Trailcutter a little worried now. Mostly because Rodimus was giving him the time of day. And a look like he'd just kicked Trailcutter's puppy. Not that he had a puppy...

But he's pulled to the side, and a frown starts to show up on those lips.

"Ofsted XVII. We landed there after the Lost Light disappeared--or rather, after it came back."

There's shrug, now curious.

"Why?"

[needlefingers]

"The same group minus Skids, you mean."

Who seemed to have escaped whatever hell they were in right now. Lucky bastard.

[needlefingers]

"How do you even know there is a sigil? I doubt he would have removed it just for you."

He had the feeling that he really didn't want to know the answer to this one, but he was mildly curious. If he didn't like the answer, he was sure he could block it from his memory somehow (figuratively speaking).

[needlefingers]

"Right. Yeah. Okay."

Fine. Whatever. He can deal.

"So the usual thing for us."

[caseopened]

"Because I saw it, Chromedome! You know I don't accept things without proof--investigator and all that. Why would I randomly single out Brainstorm if I hadn't seen something?"

But he sighs.

"The second Lost Light we found, we all raided it after the crew disappeared. We found this briefcase--"[Cue: lifting the briefcase]--"and Brainstorm with his faceplate torn off. Guess what was on the other side."

[amicuscuriae]

"Yes." It was an agreement in two parts, both for the sentiment and the scale of Megatron's reparations. The old warlord's sincerity didn't go unnoticed either, which was an unexpected curiosity. It really made him wonder more about these world altering events he seems to have missed. Or not experienced yet. Either way, it did put things in a slightly different light.

"And how has your captaincy been thus far? Knowing this crew I would be surprised if such a drastic shift in command was well accepted." Knowing this crew he wouldn't be surprised if someone had tried to murder Megatron the moment he stepped on board.

[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.