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

[rodders]

"Not a problem. Nautica can double for him. It's only a matter of time before he shows up anyway."

At the rate they're going they're going to actually get the full crew here. Which he's pretty okay with.

[rodders]

Okay, that was something that Rodimus hadn't considered, if only because most of the people he'd run into happened to be from their own. There were the two infant humans and the Megatron-that-wasn't, so it wasn't impossible. "Drift says," as if Magnus hadn't gone long enough without hearing those two words preface anything good, "that we're here for a reason." What reason Rodimus hadn't figured out yet. If Drift was even right about that in the first place.

That look, however, is hard to miss. Rodimus frowned, hand tracing the marks before letting his hand fall to his side. "Hey, I already got yelled at by Ratchet and Megatron. You don't need to join them." Please don't lecture him. "Our personal comms still work for the most part, plus we've given everyone advance warning."

So, you know, they at least have something going for them. Because how long does anyone thing the crew of the Lost Light can stay teamed up for?

[towardspeace]

"Co-captaincy," Megatron corrects him, just a little sarcastically. "It hasn't been... smooth... but the, ah, adventures have been worse than the crew's distrust."

[rodders]

So right before he died. Something pulls at Rodimus' face, twisting his expression into a weird mix of sadness and conceal, don't feel. He doesn't know if this is going to work - if they're stuck here then it doesn't matter, does it? But if they're not and they go back and nothing's changed then maybe, maybe he can do this one thing.

His fingers curl in on Trailbreaker's plating and he leans in further, shielding their faces from Megatron just in case. Although hey, if Megatron wants to get on his case about this he'll kindly tell the ex warlord to shove it up his exhaust pipe.

Does Megatron even have an exhaust pipe?

"Look, do this one thing - don't leave that ship. And if you have, when you get back, go back in."

Don't do anything else. At all. Ever.

[amicuscuriae]

Of course Drift said that. Why wouldn't he. You could tell him Drift had somehow come up with a way to link all this to the Knights of Cybertron and he wouldn't be surprised.

If Ratchet already delivered a lecture he'll let it slide for now, but that certainly didn't mean he approved.

"Hopefully the personal comms will be enough, the last thing we need is to lose what few crewmembers we have before this is resolved." Especially those who actually have a shot at solving this problem.

"I know I don't have quite as much to offer without the Magnus Armor, but I'll do everything I can to help make sure everyone gets back safely."

[amicuscuriae]

Minimus look slightly taken aback at the correction, surely that's implied. Little did he know the lengths Rodimus would go to assert that fact.

"Yes, the ship disappearing due a malfunction with the quantum engines. Rodimus mentioned that."

[rodders]

He probably has - Rodimus hasn't asked and it hasn't really come up. It would definitely be a Drift thing to do. But he slumps lightly, more relaxed now the possibility of an immediate lecture has passed. Small mercies, right, and he throws Magnus a grin.

"We've survived Tyrest and most of us disappearing from reality. What's the worst Tarn can do?" He'd like to see Tarn accomplish something like that. Hah. But his smile falters, and the look that Rodimus turns on Magnus is one of confusion. "Why would the armor make a difference, Magnus? Sure, we've got to find you something to stand on if you want to loom but that's doable."

As far as Rodimus is concerned - past the lying and the trying to get him killed which, yeah, thanks for that - Minimus Ambus and Ultra Magnus are one and the same, and just as useful as the other.

[quantumechanic]

"Is it?" Her stint on the Lost Light hadn't involved anything weirder than the crew's personalities...right up until they found a dead Rodimus floating in space. That whole mess had been weird enough to be the universe making up for lost time.

[amicuscuriae]

"Rodimus, please," he interjected, with some resignation. He really doesn't appreciate the joke (not that he would under different circumstances either).

"I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, but I think we can both agree that my abilities are not exactly on par with Ultra Magnus at the moment."

[rodders]

The only person who understands him is going to be in a coma soon. It's a tragedy.

"Look, Magnus." He frowns, unsure of how to continue on. This is the part he's still not sure about, is still trying to deal with in a way that matters and shows the other bot that he's trying to fix all of his mistakes. Be better. All of that.

This would be a lot easier of Magnus actually remembered it happening. "So you can't punch your way through a wall of 'cons anymore. That's fine, there's only like five of them. It's still good to have you here."

[towardspeace]

"Yes... Did he mention it reappearing, full of corpses?" Megatron asks wearily.

[amicuscuriae]

"No. He said the ship reappeared and after everyone boarded Brainstorm knocked out the crew in order to time travel to the past."
Rodimus may not be the best at relaying information but that sounded pretty notable, not to mention concerning. There must have been a reason he skimmed over that.

"Whose corpses?"

[gimmicky]

He wanted to ask. Rodimus was often one who wore his heart (figurative) on his sleeve (also figurative), and seeing him attempting to conceal that...

What the bot says next only confirms it. He goes a bit rigid as Rodimus leans in further, more new to the SUDDEN TOUCH and ATTENTION that the Captain (co-captain) is giving him. Nothing about this gave him a good feeling in his stomach.

"Uh."

Okay, here it comes.

"Why? I mean...First Aid was off searching for something, and Bluestreak and I were just chatting up Megatron's writing. Nothing really dangerous there."

[towardspeace]

"Everybody's corpses," he replies, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The Lost Light that reappeared was... an alternate version that had been generated by the improbability of the quantum jump made at its launch, I believe... and," he goes on, his tone of voice taking an abrupt shift from 'tired of this quantum nonsense' to 'weary regret', "everyone on board had been massacred by the Decepticon Justice Division."

[rodders]

"You were reading Megatron's stuff?" How dare you, Trailbreaker? He thought they were friends. "Just trust me on this one, okay, don't wander around. Stay in your ship until we get there."

Just do that one thing for him, that's all he asks. If ending up here means he can do this one thing - save Trailbreaker from his death at the hands of the DJD - then it'll be worth it. He'll deal with it. Just... this one thing.

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?"

[gimmicky]

"It's actually really powerful stuff. You should look into it." What do you mean friends you literally short-change him as your hobby. "But...fine. Whatever, sure. It's not like I was doing anything important."

He didn't know what this was about, but...he'd take Rodimus's word for it. Despite everything he felt about the captain sometimes, he knew the guy had the crew's best interests at heart. Even if this pinged his awkward levels.

"I'll stay on the ship. Promise."

[rodders]

"Are you forgetting the part where he's a genocidal warlord, Trailbreaker?" Back to his old name, but at least he got it right once. "I'd rather read the Autobot Code under Magnus' supervision." He pauses there, and his optics flick over to where his currently green and shorter than normal SiC is standing. Did he overhear him? "Don't tell him I said that."

But then Trailbreaker says what he wants to hear and Rodimus instantly relaxes. Good, this is good. He can do this one thing.

"Promise?" He just said he did, Rodimus, but you know. He wants him to say the whole thing.

[gimmicky]

"No, but that doesn't mean his stuff doesn't send a message." And don't worry, Rodimus, he wouldn't rat that out to anyone, because no one deserves that. He huffs, though, looking down at the datapad containing it. "I didn't read much before. Too thirsty, too stuck in an endless loop of Engex and self-loathing."

It's a new start, okay?

"Right. Ofsted VII. Don't leave the ship for any reason. Promise."

He even holds up a hand like a boyscout.

[amicuscuriae]

"Minimus Ambus," he corrected, regarding Rodimus critically for a moment. It wasn't Rodimus' statement but the hesitation that caught his attention.

"Yes I suppose you're right." He'd never admit it, but it was actually very reassuring to hear it said outright. "I'm glad I can be here to help at all."

[amicuscuriae]

"What? That's-" Impossible? Ridiculous? but then here he was on an alternate version of Cybertron talking with an Autobot Megatron from the future. He didn't have much ground to stand on here. The look he gave Megatron was one of worried concern for the crew, even if there's was nothing that could be done at this point.

"Why would the D.J.D. attack the Lost Light? Was it because of what happened on Messatine?"

[rodders]

"Yeah: you too can be responsible for the death of millions if you try really hard." Sorry, Trailbreaker, you're not going to win this one in Rodimus' mind. The comment does make him wince slightly - he hadn't been sober for an entire day before he died. "Well now you've got plenty of time. Since we're all stuck here."

And not dead. Hooray.

But that satisfies Rodimus for the time being, hand curling in on his shoulder before he gives him a friendly pat. "You're a good person."

And he means it.

[rodders]

"You didn't mind Magnus before. Won't mind it, whatever." Just because he didn't say anything doesn't mean he doesn't mind it is a thought that had not occurred to Rodimus. He barely had time to come clean, let alone decide on a name to call Magnus that was agreed on by all parties.

"Good," was his response, a smile flickering across his face. "Now we just have to figure out how to get back. Brainstorm and Nautica are here, it won't take them very long."

They could use Percy though, all things considered.

[gimmicky]

And he knew how stubborn Rodimus was. All too well. His gaze shifts down as he eyes the bar, sad that he can't just wash that whole feeling like he was being mocked down with some Engex. No one else had to deal with their problems on this ship--why did he?

"Guess so, but the same ol' datapad's going to get old, fast."

...

But it's the compliment that surprises him. Not just the fact that it came out of Rodimus's mouth (for a moment, he thought Rodimus was talking to himself), but the sincerity in it. Were Trailbreaker the emotional sort, he'd have grabbed the Captain in a hug. Heck, he still wants to--pulling the other slightly in for a quick two-second hug.

"You too, Captain."

A smile. It's amazing what one compliment can do sometimes.

"You too."

[amicuscuriae]

"Well it would no doubt be more applicable if I had retrieved the Magnus Armor, continued to serve with a crew that knew me primarily by that moniker, and things had been resolved regarding Tyrest, but none of those things have happened, yet, have they. Besides," he hesitated a moment, suddenly very conscious about what he was about to say, "this is a good opportunity to distance myself from all of that. A fresh start perhaps."

He turned away quickly, looking over the crowd again before gesturing to the one purple and gold bot in the room.
"Speaking of new starts, this Nautica joined the Lost Light on it's second launch? What can you tell me about her?"