[May 19th] Text/Video

[daintylegs]

[Locked FROM the Lost Light Crew]

[A lot happens in the short time he's been gone, and Tailgate's still wrapping his head around it. Several things are very clear, though, and the first thing Tailgate does when he gets back is angrily rip up that photo and toss it out the garbage chute. It doesn't make him feel good, but it's better than nothing.

In the end, he has so many questions. And he can't ask the people closest to him because he can't handle admitting how terribly, and completely, he had been manipulated. For something like this, it feels better to ask things from complete strangers.]

What do you do when you find out that the person you had spent months with turns out to be an absolute gearstick? No, that's not even the right or strongest word to use. What I should be asking is, what do you do when you found out that someone who told you that they cared about you, and offered to be your conjunx endura, turned out to be using you? What if he separated you from your friends and told you all sorts of terrible lies? What if he told you to prove your love to him by hurting someone else? What kind of person does that?

And how do you recover from it?

[Because he doesn't know. No one had ever paid attention to him the same way Getaway has, and every part of him feels crushed and kicked around. His shame over the matter is great enough that he carefully locks this conversation from his Lost Light crewmates. There's not much reason for it, truthfully, other than to hide the extent of how mind-blowingly stupid he is.]

[Locked TO The Lost Light Crew]

[But of course, there are some mind-blowingly stupid things he's done recently that he can't hide, and Tailgate chooses now to reveal them. This time he locks his post to his Lost Light crewmates, and puts on his bravest face.]

I have a confession to make.

[Instantly, his brave face crumbles.]

I'm... I'm...

I followed Tarn into his world. Yes, I know it was stupid, but while I was there... Um. Well...

Maybe it'll be better to show you.

[He turns his camera so that the purple badge on his chest can be seen. After a moment, he moves the camera back to his face.]

Please don't be angry. I... Tarn said I should, and I just... couldn't say no.

I'm sorry.

Comments

[heroicpose]

[ Rodimus flips out so hard he might as well have done a triple backflip. ]

What were you thinking?!

[daintylegs]

Tarn made a very convincing case.

And I was on his ship.

[He feverishly hopes that this is the extent of Rodimus' anger towards him.]

But it doesn't change anything, right? I mean, I'm still me, and we're still friends... right?

[heroicpose]

Why did you follow him?! Shouldn't it have been obvious by now that he's a psychopath, Tailgate?

text;

[niffin]

first things first: are you in a safe place? are you with anyone?

text;

[daintylegs]

this happened back home
not here
he's not here so I think I'm safe
good thing too because I would have gone out of my way to punch him into space

[niffin]

just don't punch him into this space because he sounds like a real dick

i can't imagine how it has to feel to be dealing with that kind of betrayal. do you have anyone here who also knew him, that you could talk about this with?

Text;

[devilofohara]

I don't know what a conjunx endura is.

[She isn't entirely certain about 'gearstick' either, but she can hazard a guess based on context.]

But... I think I get the picture. You trusted them and they betrayed you, right?

Text;

[daintylegs]

Yes.
and people I actually care about got hurt.

well, one person in particular.
all because of my stupid mistake.

Text;

[devilofohara]

The kind of person that does that is a cruel one.

You recover by learning from it. Don't make the mistake of trusting someone like that again.

[This is terrible advice, Tailgate, don't listen to her.]

[vengeance_driven]

I had this happen.

I called her a bitch and fucked off.

[daintylegs]

Well
he's in the Lost light brig now without his limbs and half his face
it doesn't make me feel that much better but he got what he deserved

I find it hard to believe that anyone could do that to you Niko.
You seem so worldly.

Voice

[realitywarped]

What kind of person? A liar, and a betrayer, and a manipulator.

[He doesn't trust his face on this one, but he's always been able to keep his voice under control. His strongest and first weapon... and he's been on the other side of things so very often. Perhaps time to start paying some of that back.]

The first thing you do is remember it very much isn't your fault. Waste no time in wondering if you could have done more, or fixed them in some way. Some people... you can't make change.

Voice

[daintylegs]

It was my fault.

[There's a quiver in his voice that he can't get a hold of.]

If I had been less of a patsy, then maybe he wouldn't have ever paid any attention to me. And then maybe all those things that happened wouldn't have happened. I just don't understand any of it.

video

[knaval]

Did Tarn hurt you? Or threaten to?

[because we all know what'll happen if tailgate decides he doesn't want to be a decepticon any more!!!]

video

[daintylegs]

The worst he's actually done to me is tell me that I'm going to be writing essays and doing a PDP. Which means "Personal development plan", by the way. He's like an eviler Ultra Magnus. I'm sure he's got some paperwork I need to fill out too.

[He's stuck in administration hell and it's literally the last thing he was expecting.]

I have to study with him for a few nights each week.

Video;

[tsunclonus]

Tailgate, are you safe? Are you injured?

[This is his fault, he should have kept a closer eye on him. He'd thought him safe visiting the Lost Light regularly...

He may need to have words with Tarn.]

Re: Video;

[daintylegs]

Cyclonus.

Can we... talk somewhere? Please? Alone?

text;

[seeingscarlet]

[Ironic that she's comforting a robot over something another robot did to her. But first things first:]

Is someone hurt right now?

Re: text;

[daintylegs]

No.

This happened back home.
Which is a relief because being trapped with him here would be awful.

text;

[redshitlord]

uh a really NOT OKAY person does that ??

dude are u ok

Re: text;

[daintylegs]

[Tailgate is SUPER startled to see Sideswipe, but then he realizes that he completely forgot about him while doing his locking. Still, it's not like Sideswipe knows who Getaway is, so it's okay.]

im better than i was before
he got what he deserved in the end

[aminerproblem]

[TAILGATE..]

Unless you plan on becoming a stalwart Decepticon, you've endangered yourself further than you seem to be aware.

[daintylegs]

I have no idea what I'm doing or what's going on.

[He activates his Puppy Eyes mode and gives Megatron the most helpless look he can manage.]

I swear I didn't mean for this to happen.

locked to the first filter.

[ventifact]

i don't know much about love
but i know you should never have to hurt someone else to "prove" you love someone

Re: locked to the first filter.

[daintylegs]

yeah well that makes sense now
at the time it felt like the only logical solution

I shouldn't have tried to brainwash one of our captains, i know that
its not a very nice thing to do