IC INBOX || DEER TOWN

[heavyweaponsbot]

[There's a lot of beeping noises. Someone trying to push buttons and accidentally mashing down the entire keypad.]

[Several times.]

[Eventually there's a grunt--]

There. Now. Leave--

[BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.]

Comments

[heavyweaponsbot]

They are... less suited to tense situations. I have seen this.

[Ironhide's been living that war trauma life since before dirt was invented. Listen, that may be hyperbole but it's close enough. Since heck if we know any actual numbers here. Point is, the war has been life, and when your former commanding officer has started eating your peoples' souls...]

[Your tolerance or your ability to deal, get skewed.]

I was there. It was less than pleasant. But survivable. The humans refused to work as a unit, to their downfall.

[mrsnesbitt]

[after he asks, as ironhide answers, buzz turns to pull himself up on that nearby wall, using the little spaces between the bricks to climb up. that whole 2ft elevation makes... absolutely no difference. he flips up onto the top to turn back, frowning:] Stress like that can be just as likely to push people apart than bring them together.

[he hasn't experienced anything even one-sixteenth as stressful, comparatively, in his short life, but he does know something about division.]

People don't act like themselves in those times.

[heavyweaponsbot]

It should band them together. Are they not against this place? Are we all not meant to get out of here?

Why fight, when you all have the same goal?

[He waves a hand as he says it, grumbling to himself. It makes no logical sense to the big guy. They're not supposed to be waging war on each other. They're supposed to be doing it to get home again, aren't they?]

[It's foolish. Beyond foolish.]

[mrsnesbitt]

Don't you come from a huge war, or something? You never experienced in-fighting between two of your kind?

[this seems so obvious to him. why is he even explaining this?? buzz shakes his head as he moves along the wall, climbing up to the elevated coping. this time, it's not to see ironhide better. he's low-key surveying the garden ironhide backed him up against to see if it's worth cutting through to get home.

no offense, ironhide, but everything about you is intensely exhausting.]

You can want the same goal in different ways, or be willing to discard the safety of others while you pursue it. [hello, stinky pete. bastard.] Or maybe there is no reason. Humans are... [a little grunt while he pulls himself up.] weird sometimes.

[heavyweaponsbot]

My own kind... no. My kind and the enemy, yes.

[Maybe it's obvious to him. Autobots and Decepticons stopped being the same kind a long time ago. There are no grey areas in Ironhide's mind. It should be just as simple with human beings. Shouldn't it?]

[Yes, he knows, he's seen their news feeds, he's seen the histories. It's never quite so easy as it is for him. But on the other hand, here? It should be. Them against the town. Easy enough.]

[He'd elaborate, but watching Buzz scuttle around is kind of fascinating.]

... If you wanted up on the wall, all you had to do was speak up.

[mrsnesbitt]

I don't need help, [he says immediately, sounding almost offended. maybe he's still a little salty about that rodent incident.

he points awkwardly back through the garden.] I should go.

[...]

Good luck working out the, uh, moral question.

[heavyweaponsbot]

... You know where it is you are headed?

[Buzz you are very small. And this world is human-sized. Which you are not. Except Ironhide's not concerned. At all. Shush.]

I should be the one wishing you luck.

1/2

[mrsnesbitt]

[he like 65% knows where he is and 40% knows how to get back.]

[mrsnesbitt]

[while he's not opposed to the idea of asking anyone - ironhide included - for help, the idea of being carried back either in this robot form or in his truck form that he knows is actually a giant robot kind of makes him want to puke, which is impressive because buzz doesn't even have a stomach.

it's their first meeting. he's allowed to be a skittish little possum.]

I've been here before. [not actually a lie.] I'll work it out.