standing on stone you stand beside me

[thxforthememories]

WHO: Kagerou + Open
WHERE: A mountain in Alpha Trion's Sector
WHEN: Evening-Late night. Week of 6/3
WHAT: Keeping vigil for those who left. At least, that's what he says he's doing.
WARNINGS: Feelings.

He's listened to her last message more times than he can count. Of course, they'd said their goodbyes in person, but, she'd left it for him, all the same, knowing he would need it. Knowing he needed such a reassurance. It's good to hear her voice, but, as always, when the recording ends, he feels the empty ache take over again, and turns his attention to the horizon once more.

Power Joe's stupid golf clubs are in his room now. Along with the trinkets and pieces of life Kay left behind her. He's proud of them. Proud of her. And hopeful. They're not lost. They're doing what must be done -- making their own choices.

They promised they would be all right. He made sure they promised him that.

So he has to remain. He has to stay here, or else what will they have to come back to? He would be a poor friend, a poor parent, not to stand here, stand guard... and wait for them.

Maybe there's a better place to do it. But he can't think of one. He's standing alone, somewhere high and wild, where the wind blows lonely through the panes of his wings, over the rocky heights around him. It's the place he can best see. Where he'd seen her off... The place he'd held Kay in his hands for the last time. Wished her luck -- wished her to stay brave and strong -- wished for her to come back as soon as she could.

"It's okay, Kagerou..."

His thoughts are a mess. He wants to be strong. To be brave -- for their sakes. He wants to make them proud when they return. And he believes they will. He knows they will.

But the knowledge does nothing to fill the ache in his AI. The way his hands feel empty. How he knows tomorrow, when he goes to check in on the police headquarters, there won't be any bright, amused voice calling out to him, using that stupid nickname. How when he finally returns to his room... it's going to be too quiet. There won't be any quiet footsteps in the night.

He folds his arms over his chest, bowing his head.

"I'll come home. That's a promise."

He wants to be prouder than he is. He wants to be braver than he is. But all he can do is stand here, bowed against the wind, and cling to the memories he's always held so dear.

Comments

[badboybikerbot]

As promised when they'd been texting earlier, Gunmax tried not to keep Kagerou waiting too long.

--Is what Gunmax would have liked to have happened, but what actually happened was that Gunmax ended up driving around for an hour trying to find a convenient way to get himself and Gunbike up to wherever Kagerou had decided to perch his birdself, gave up, and ended up climbing the rest of the way. Like sure, he'd wanted to pop on out here to make sure Kagerou was okay, maybe try to cheer him up if he needed it, but that was going to have to wait until he was done bitching.

When he finally got to his destination, he plopped down on his ass and started picking little branches out of one of his knee joints. Hi Kagerou.

"Oh my God, Kagebird. Not all of us can fly. Some of us losers are stuck on the ground, y'know. I mean, look at this! I've got pebbles in places I didn't even know I had!"

[thxforthememories]

The crashing, cursing noises from the climb didn't really make for a quiet approach. He'd sort of forgotten he'd sent his coordinates to Gunmax. At least until he heard the other BP approach.

He took a slight step to one side, making sure there was enough space for the dramatic entrance.

"Your armor can fly," he said, quietly. But that was all. There was no other witty retort. Just four simple words while he watched the picking and cleaning. His head tilted.

And just like that, he was kneeling beside the biker bot, reaching for one of the offending branches.

[badboybikerbot]

Gunmax just gave Kagerou the most deadpan look ever.

Ever.

For like a solid thirty seconds.

"OH MY GOD. Of course it can! What the hell!? Why am I an idiot today!?"

Probably because he's been completely distracted ever since Power Joe decided to go off on his stupid mystical invisible fake girlfriend quest. Or what the fuck ever he'd run off to do. Gunmax didn't care why he was gone, just that he was. Anyway.

Gunmax ceased his ranting when he realized Kagerou was trying to help with the branches. Dammit and here he was being a loud asshole.

"Sorry, sorry."

[thxforthememories]

"Because today is difficult."

There was surprisingly little judgment in the words. Just quiet resignation. He got it. He really did. He was feeling the same. Though he wished he had something stupid like forgetting his flight mode to distract him.

He let him rant. Maybe it would help something. Instead of telling him to be quiet, he just started working the piece of branch, or grit, or whatever it was out of the knee joint.

"You don't need to apologize."

[badboybikerbot]

"Well I did anyway. No take backs."

He was quiet for a moment, just watching Kagerou work on his knee. Damn right today was difficult. Tomorrow probably would be too.

"Thanks. I probably woulda busted something trying to yank that crud out."

[thxforthememories]

"As you say."

Again, no argument. No... nothing, really. Except quiet acceptance. He can blame it on the fact he's struggling to pull the branch out. That's totally the reason, and not because he wants to do everything in his power to not give Gunmax an excuse to stomp off.

Even though part of him doubts he will.

"I would have taken you to Ratchet, if you had. Don't worry."

[knight_light]

Wing was still exploring the city. The place was large, and there were so many sights to see. Tonight he found himself here, in the mountains in one of the sectors...Alpha Trion's he was pretty sure.

He's not trying to be quiet, but he is naturally light on his feet. He'll come around into view, and pause at the sight of the lonely mech, looking as though he's deep in thought. He starts to turn away, but stops, just...reading something melancholy about the other. His spark goes out to the bot, and Wing, always one to want to help, debates a moment how best to approach.

[thxforthememories]

It's hard to sneak up on a ninja, though. Someone programmed for stealth. He stiffens, the feeling of being watched prickling through his AI. His posture straightens, and he debates activating the stealth systems to hide him from all but physical sight.

He turns, slowly, instead, wary. Honestly, he doesn't expect to see what he sees, and there's a flicker of confusion on his face before he schools his expression back into safe neutrality.

"Yes?"

[knight_light]

It's the voice. Wing's optics flicker in mild surprise when he realizes he recognizes that voice. He puts on a small smile. "Do you mind if I join you, Kagerou?"

[thxforthememories]

His shoulders draw up, and his wings flare, despite his attempts at flattening them. At keeping his reaction from view. Does he mind...?

He doesn't even know the answer to that right now.

"Do as you like."

[knight_light]

Wing approaches slowly, not wanting to make Kagerou up and take off on him. He'll look out over that view, seemingly at ease.

"This is a beautiful view. Do you come here often?"

[thxforthememories]

"No."

He sideswipes a little. If asked, he'd have said his reasoning was to give another bot more space. To not crowd him. Even though before, he wouldn't have thought twice about moving away.

But everything is different now. Isn't it?

"I haven't been here before."

[loborobo]

It wasn't long before something landed beside him. Well. Someone to be exact. But he did try his best to be quiet upon approach. Kagerou needed a moment, and he didn't wish to come crashing down on it. But Shadowmaru stood beside him, staring out in front of them silently.

He doesn't say anything. The weight of the situation was already heavy in the air. He could feel it in his AI. Most of all, he worried about Kagerou. With Kay and Power Joe gone, so suddenly like that... Shadowmaru was slightly afraid of how Kagerou felt. So many people had left him before. And now? Shadowmaru pursed his lips.

He shuffled a little closer and gently rested his head against his shoulder.

[thxforthememories]

Anyone else would have been met with a literal cold shoulder. Or silence. Instead, the moment the other's presence registers, he seems to relax. It shows in the way his wings stop flicking around, in the way his optic grows dim.

And... how he all but curls into the other ninja, almost instantly.

He draws in closer, pressed into his side, refraining from clinging onto him by the barest of margins. Shadowmaru is here. He's here -- he's real. For a while... he'd had the family Kay had always said they were.

A real one.

He gives in, then, his hands reaching to hold onto Shadowmaru's chestplate. He doesn't say anything yet. He just wants this contact. This reassurance.

[loborobo]

Shadowmaru felt his AI ache for his counterpart even more so as he felt him curl into him. He felt helpless. Unsure of what to say. Kagerou had experienced this before, many times with many others but. Power Joe.

Kay.

It was different.

He reached his arms up to pull tge other BP Unit closer to himself, cradling the back of his helm with one hand, the other around his middle. He tilted Kagerou's head carefully so he rested his chin atop his helm, optics dimming as he pressed his lips idly to that green helm. His wings drooped, his hand rubbing at his back reassuringly.

Silent.

[thxforthememories]

This was all he wanted right now. To be held like this. To have such reassurance from the source it mattered most to have it from. It helped more than he knew how to say. Even though... even though his AI still ached to have the girl here again. To have her at his side.

He couldn't keep the soft sound of hurt out of his throat. But it was Shadowmaru here with him. He didn't have to be so guarded, did he?

His arms slid around the other ninja. Clinging onto him, his face pressing into Shadowmarus' shoulder as his wings shivered. It felt, suddenly, as if he were holding onto the last sane, steady thing in the world. The last thing he had. And he held on as tightly as he could.

"She's okay," he said, very quietly, the words a little choked. "She promised."

[loborobo]

Shadowmaru moved to nuzzle the side of his helm as he tries to offer a small smile through his voice, his hold tightening around his shadow.

"Good. She better be, or else she'll have a pair of made parents coming after her." He said with a small chuckle, trying to be positive. But the realization that Kay was gone. It was heavy, and he could especially feel that weight on Kagerou. He continued to rub at his back, his optics dimming once again.

"We'll keep her things. You never know when she'll come back. She'll need a place to stay after all."

[raceme]

Blurr was looking for Kagerou. he imagined that the robot would be feeling down over Kay disappearance, as well as the Power Joe's. it had been along day and he spent most of it working with Sentinel to reorganize things at the Police Force.

He was tired and instead of driving he was flying. In car mode. So, if Kagerou noticed a blue sport cars floating in mid air and getting close, that was why.

[thxforthememories]

That was...

Well. That was something, to say the least. He wasn't entirely sure what it was he was looking at. But, if nothing else, the flying car was a decent enough distraction from brooding over how scattered his family had become.

[raceme]

[Talk about making great entrances. Blurr needed more practice flying in his car mode, his landing still isn't very good. That's why he changed in mid air rather than trying to land near Kagerou.]

Hello there, it took me a bit to find you.

[thxforthememories]

[Oh. It was Blurr. He hadn't entirely expected that. His head tilted, and he shrugged a bit.]

That... was the point, more or less.

[raceme]

[Taking people by surprise might do some good sometimes, it distract them from their worried, at least for a few seconds.]

Yes, I can imagine. Mind if I sit down? [He could just float next to Kagerou but giving how the ninja might not be up for people getting into his personal space without permission Blurr rather asks first.]

[the_other_green_seeker]

It was a quiet night. Peaceful. Like most nights around here. Jadewing wondered if he'd ever get used to that.

Right now, though, it was nice. Just flying, feeling the cool night air rushing over his wings as his jet form cut through the night. No duties, no particular destination, just doing what a Seeker was born to do.

Until, that is, he spotted the strange bot brooding on the mountaintop. And he could tell that it was brooding; he'd know that posture anywhere. The question was, what to do about it. Should he just leave the mech to himself, or land and see what was going on?

In the end, curiosity won out. Not like he had anything better to do, after all. He transformed midair, landing easily on the mountain top a little ways behind the other mech before walking over to stand next to him, though leaving enough room between them so as not to intrude on the other mech's personal space.

He didn't say anything at first, just looked out over Cybertron's surface in the same direction the mech had been staring. "Nice view," he commented after a moment, before turning to look at the other mech. "So... is this a private brooding spot, or can anybody join in?"

[thxforthememories]

He didn't recognize the signal. He didn't recognize the form flicking in the corner of his vision. And he didn't recognize the voice. It was more than enough to put him on edge. His frame tensed, wings mantling, and his hand inching toward his weapon storage.

He did not know this bot. He did not like a stranger appearing out of nowhere.

When it became clear this stranger was going to stand near him, he stepped deliberately to one side, weight shifting, posture turning from wary to actively defensive.

"Who are you?"

[the_other_green_seeker]

Well, there was a reaction he understood;familiar enough from back home that it was easy to respond to. Jadewing's wings twitched upward, anlge indicating readiness. Not defensiveness; that just invited an attack. But Showing that he was alert and aware of the situation. He did shift a bit further away from the other mech too, in hopes of demonstrating his lack of ill intent.

"Jadewing," he replied. "Was just flying by and saw you standing around up here brooding, so I was kinda wondering what was up." Pause. "I can go back to just flying by, though if you want."

He shrugged a bit, indicating that it was up to the other mech. If the other really wanted him gone, he'd leave; satisfying his curiosity wasn't worth getting into a fight over.