video

[knaval]

[riptide is pale. very pale. his optics are wide and the usual deep yellow glow of them is so intense it's almost white.

his grin is uneasy and forced.]

Hi! Just a quick note - who deals with the Ingress junk mail? Can I ask you not to leave body-- [he stops, inhales.] --just be more careful where you leave stuff, yeah? And, uh. Personal request. If anything comes through for me, space it. I don-- I don't want it. Ever.

[he looks about ready to shut off the video but stops.]

...Rodimus, don't look in the blue crate in the cargo bay. Just leave it.

Comments

[knaval]

Yeah. There's not much.

[he sighs.]

Good job First Aid isn't here, I guess...

[asafepairofhands]

...yeah.

[A heaviness in Ratchet's voice indicates that he thinks about that, kind of a lot.]

Do you want to come over here, or should I meet you? Up to you.

[knaval]

...I don't really want to lug him through the ship. Can you come here?

[also if he moves he might throw up. a lot.]

[asafepairofhands]

Be right there.

[knaval]

[riptide will be sitting next to the box, head resting on one hand.

he looks... appropriately disturbed.]

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet picks up the box and draws it away from Riptide, towards himself so Riptide won't have to see when he opens it. He opens it.

[He stares down at the contents for a moment, his face a perfect smooth mask before he boxes it up again and looks over at Riptide.]

I can take this. It shouldn't be floating around on the ship anyway. I'll store it properly.

[knaval]

Shouldn't we do something? I don't want to have him just boxed away and labelled up.

[he groans, rubbing his face.]

It's like that fraggin' Ingress did this on purpose. After that alt one. It's probably mad we tried to escape.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet reaches out, closing a hand on Riptide's shoulder and squeezing gently.]

I'll take care of it, Riptide. ...I'm sorry. I don't know why this came to you, or why this place would do something like this.

[knaval]

Before you got here we landed on a planet with it's own Ingress. I went through, just to see what would happen and ended up back on the Lost Light! You know, like you'd expect. Only Trailcutter and Pipes were there and I tried to get them back but it didn't work...

[riptide dumps exposition when he is anxious apparently. only because he can't think of any memes. pepe, help him.]

Second time was the duplicate Lost Light. I'm glad you weren't here for it. Or... that I didn't get Pipes too.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet's expression calcifies, but his optics are furious.]

I see. And you think this is a punishment meted out by this place for trying to rescue two of your friends.

[Someone might go have a talk with a Captain sooner rather than later because what the fuck.]

[knaval]

I... guess? I feel like the Ingress on the ship is kinda low-key sentient? Or something. I dunno.

[he shrugs half heartedly.]

I mean, the timing...

[asafepairofhands]

I wasn't implying the suggestion was unreasonable. I was just making sure.

[He looks down at the box, his expression still frozen.]

...I'll see if I can look into it.

[knaval]

I wouldn't bother. [he says, tone and expression entirely defeated.] You'll probably just get part of someone you care about in the mail.