ximilialog | CLOSED | after the Murder on the Disoriented Express

[ The hunt for Minimus Ambus had been as straightforward as the mech he was looking for. Drift had thought of the least organized place on the station and went from there. The common area had never been a wreck, but after missions tidying up was the furthest thing from anyone's when they blew through to clear their heads.

Sure enough, when Drift had made his way into the common area, he saw that every off-kilter piece of the furniture had been put to rights and everything put back in its place. Not only that, the bookshelves were organized alphabetically by author and genre.

Oh, Mims. ]

I was hoping to run into you. [ Drift announced himself as Minimus was setting a Tolkien next to a Tolstoy, putting up his hands in friendly surrender if the other would be startled by his sudden appearnce. ]

[The first mission hadn't been as harrowing as Minimus had anticipated, save for stealing an artifact from a grieving family. The mysteries and sudden appearance of a monster reminds him of their old adventures on the Lost Light, though the nostalgia has been lost after the realization that one of their teammates was not himself and had betrayed two friends. Minimus hadn't really known Newt that well, but seeing that the precursors were being handled, he directed his post-fight energy elsewhere.

Megatron was busy in the medbay, so that option was not available.

Clearly, it was time to clean up after the others. He's rather proud of what he's done. Now it's only a matter of time before his work is undone, but sorting the books is calming.]

Was there something about which you want to talk? [He traces his fingers over the shelf and removes "War And Peace" to set it at the end of the Tolstoy line.]

[ All of them had returned unscathed — even if one had returned with a murderously troublesome stowaway. Not bad for Minimus's first mission. Drift hadn't been able to speak at length with the Lost Light's former second-in-command then. Things had still been tense with a Megatron-sized rift between them.

The reason Drift had gone looking for Ambus in the first place. ]

Yes, actually. If I'm not interrupting... [ He nodded to the shelves ] Important station maintenance.

Edited 2022-05-30 01:40 (UTC)

I can talk and work at the same time.

[This stuff is easy. It's like his hands can automatically detect improperly sorted books just by holding them.]

[ Drift stares at the back of Minimus's head, as if hoping a fixed look would either expediate the task or get the fastidious mech to prioritize. ]

I was hoping you could help me mend bridges with Megatron. [ Drift said, switching to another tactic: being blunt. ]

[His hand stalls. After punching him, Minimus wasn't certain if Drift was willing to trust him with such a delicate matter, but people continue to surprise him.]

I take it that you are no longer upset with me?

I was never upset with you— [ Drift said quickly, but reined himself in enough to avoid sounding defensive. ]

—You didn't know. About Ratchet [ Saying that name still made his spark twist and clench enough to make him want to double over in pain. ] Any of it. Taking it out on you was a terrible mistake on my part.

I accept your apology.

[It's good to have confirmation, but when he turns around, his arms are close and folded against his chest.]

...But I must offer my condolences. I imagine it has not been easy for you in the past several months.

That's not why I'm here. [ This time, Drift couldn't curb the defensiveness creeping into his voice. In all likelihood, Megatron had filled in the gaps, and he was hardly an impartial source of information.

Which was part of the problem. Drift's shoulders sagged, ]

...but thank you.

Edited 2022-05-30 02:49 (UTC)

[As much as Minimus wishes to connect with an old friend, as much as he wants to understand what's going on, he knows he cannot do anything that will help Drift feel better. That's not one of his strengths.

Yet here he is, the one person who can help Drift and Megatron reconcile. He supposes it shouldn't be too different than resolving legal disputes.]

You mentioned that you were on poor terms with Megatron. Was there any reason in particular?

Yes, [ Drift answered, flatly like his mind was elsewhere. It wasn't, he had just become numb to this song and dance even without Megatron here. ] He thinks I'm losing my mind, and I pretty much told him he was just using his time here to whimper in a corner waiting to die.

[ Drift sighs so deeply it shook his frame ]

That's just it - it's why we never spoke aboard the Lost Light, and when we did I wasn't even fully conscious. Even if we don't want to, when you know someone as long as we've known each other every word levelled at the other are the kind that leave scars.

[Minimus does not allow any outward reaction to that slight against Megatron. They both know they can't give him a happier life, but accepting his fate isn't whimpering. The Megatron he loves isn't a coward like that.

But this is not about his own feelings. This is about a former warlord and the assassin that served under him.]

It seems as if you disagree on your reasonings for being on this ship. However, if you wish to resolve your differences, we should bring Megatron here with me acting as a mediator. [He can't imagine how difficult the past several months have been for these two, constantly arguing and picking at each other's metaphorical scars.] If your past relationship was painful, then it makes sense that you would continue to have poor experiences together.

That's putting it mildly. [ Drift strains under the urge to grimace, he knows Minimus wouldn't allow himself even a second of lapsed self-possession, but a nerve had to have been hit. There was no clear-cut way for Drift to ask for the other mech's help given the situation, but Minimus was his best (and only) bet to seeing this resolved. ]

That's just it — that past is also recent. We've been the only two Cybertronians aboard this station for several months, and it's been...complicated. [ Drift shook his head and debated dropping into one of the lounge chairs until deciding instead, he wanted to appear like he at least had it together. ]

You being here might be our only chance of civility. He and I can't do this back and forth of cleaving to each other as our only source of familiarity one minute and going at each other's throats the next. [ Shrugging, Drift adds without thinking — ] It's not like we'll go back to sleeping with each other to scratch an itch, but we should at least be on speaking terms again.

[Minimus remains standing and watching Drift. As unfamiliar as he is with their shared history, what he knows now is enough to get a clear picture. Two allies-turned-enemies-turned allies have a complex system of memories to navigate, and without confidantes from their home universes, they have only managed to spiral.

He nods at Drift's statement, accepting that he knows he was in the wrong to lash out at Megatron while admitting that he is not in a good place-- wait, cleaving? As opposed going at each other's throats? "Cleaving" was meant to be taken positively? His head freezes while he processor tries to understand what just happened.]

Back to - you used to sleep together while you worked for him?! [That's...unprofessional!]

Recently [ Drift clarified without thinking, or really only thinking that Minimus was so detail-oriented it reasoned to be clear on all of said details. The last thing he wanted was for something to come up later and the bot to fly into a tizzy because he'd have to revise a report or something.

— Was Minimus going to write up a report on this? ]

The 'Cons were different. You've read his earlier works, right? [ Dig deep enough and some of Megatron's earlier (racier) and certainly obscure poems. ]

RECENTLY?! [He cannot stop his hand from gripping his head.] How recently?! I thought you two were on bad terms! Why would you- his earlier works have nothing to do with this! That's not the same thing as- as...!

[He spins on his heel and paces, ignoring how his feet kick up the edges of rugs. Were they rekindling something before Minimus appeared? Is he a rebound, Megatron's second choice after Drift?]

You did this on the regular, and no one spoke to me of it?! [Now he manages to pull his thoughts together and point an accusatory finger at Drift.] I should have known this before we went on that mission!

Ambus- [ Drift visibly winched and his hands instinctively went out and made open palmed, downward motions — the universal 'lower your voice' gesture. ] Please, there was hardly time and I thought he might have —

[ A heavy sigh. Of course, Megatron would have let that slip. Better to avoid it altogether while pretending to wait for the right moment. ]

It was a mistake made in grief, and it wasn't something we were keeping from you intentionally. [ Drift lowers his voice and holds Minimus in a level stare. ] He wouldn't have wanted to upset you, and it may have been months aboard this station, but Megatron has been alone for centuries. He never thought you would've wound up here in the first place.

[If he were in a better state of mind, Minimus would be appalled at raising his voice when discussing intimate affairs. Unfortunately for everyone, he's panicking like the out-of-practice lover he is.

At least he's toning it down to a harsh just-above-a-whisper volume.]But multiple occasions, Drift! None of this is sane! Why this? Why not- why not--?

[He can't even pinpoint why this is hurting him so much. Maybe it's because it involves two people that he trusts. Maybe it's because he can't understand how someone could choose to sleep with another with so little thought. Maybe he's simply terrified - what if he's being compared to Drift? What if something goes wrong (as it always does), and they continue behind his back?

And here Minimus thought that he had gained enough confidence to handle a relationship. It's not even been a month and he's already feeling the pangs of jealousy.

He places his fingers over his eyes and grimaces.] I had foolishly hoped that this would be simple without Cybertron watching us.

No, none of it was rational. None of it was because we wanted to be sensible. [ Because reasoning meant stepping back and accepting how genuinely alone he and Megatron were out here. And how tenuous this little peace was, or how much of it hinged on the slim hope these missions would amount to anything.

Drift finally sat down as though the weight of his culpability in Minimus's distress were firm hands pushing down on his shoulders. ]

I'm sorry [ He said after a silence ] that I did this to you. Everything really came home to roost all at once.

[They are all friends. They all survived a war. Everyone makes mistakes, even if they apparently betray him and hide evidence of an extended affair. But they thought they could get away with it, and that's what infuriates Minimus.

He removes his hands from his face after coming to the conclusion that there is nothing else Drift can do to make him feel better.] Go. I have work here to do.

[At least the books won't fool around with his boyfriend.]

CLOSED | after the Murder on the Disoriented Express

→ Minimus Ambus

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject