growing up is hard [OPEN]

[engrishdetective]

WHO: Gunmax & YOU! [OPEN]
WHERE: Around, because it helps that he's driving a robot-sized motorcycle.
WHEN Sometime after New Year's Day.
WHAT: The best way to think and dwell is to go for a drive and have a few drinks. Or at least, that's true for Gunmax. Feel free to come across him.
WARNINGS: At worst, mentions of dead people.



Unlike the rest of the Brave Police, for the most part, Gunmax probably sports the more human qualities. He doesn't really transform, not really; he kind of turns into a big damn gun. Even then, though, when he had used to be part of the Highway Patrol, he spent a lot of time interacting with other cops, treated like one of their own, and even civillians that acted as informants. So it's probably easier for him to define certain factors and quirks, even some cultural aspects.

He's hardly perfect at it, of course, like his self-taught English, but he's gotten pretty far.

So when you get down to it, it's not hard for him to figure out how he feels. He knows how to hate, how to be angry, to sass, to grin sharp and be a jerk, to tease, to laugh. And he knows other, erm, softer emotions, much to his personal reluctance. It's so much easier to have flash and act like nothing bothers him. It's just been harder and harder the more he loses people. It started with Kirisaki, technically, and he's down to Toudou on that nasty little personal list of his. No one's fault, particularly, but it's a bad habit he's forming.

Losing partners and other loved ones is kind of getting annoying. So it makes this, uh. Thing with McCrane kind of awkward in a lot of ways.

Whoops.

Not that he's taking back his actions. He won't, but now he's concerned about what could happen and ugh Gunmax hates worrying about the future.

Especially since he knows he hasn't been completely honest about all the reasons why he left the police force.

"I think it's a good time to drive," he murmurs, sliding one leg over Gunbike. "Let's go."

Revving her comforting engine, Gunmax takes off throughout Haven.

Too much to think about.

Too much to dwell on.

Comments

[thxforthememories]

It's the sound of that engine that attracts his attention. That snaps him out of the spiral of... brooding. Over his options, over his existence. His purpose. What to do with Kay. It helps the girl is out doing her own thing for the moment.

He pauses though, peering over the edge of the police station roof. The motorcycle zooms past. If he didn't know who it was he was looking at, he might not have recognized him from the speed. For a moment, he watches the retreating figure, in silence.

And then he steps off the edge of the roof.

A heartbeat of freefall happens before his thrusters kick in. He catches himself a few feet from the ground, spreading his wings wide for better effect. For a while, he merely keeps behind the motorcycle, following for lack of anything better to do...

... his thrusters fire harder, pushing him forward faster. He draws even with the motorcycle, looking up at Gunmax briefly, then makes to pass him.

Race you.

[engrishdetective]

Those thrusters aren't as familiar as they probably ought to be. Either way, Gunmax is glancing up curiously when he hears the other robot take off his way, flying overhead, looking to make a pass.

Then he smirks, the expression just as sharp and overconfident as usual.

Challenge accepted.

This is a pleasant distraction from before; Gunmax is already revving up Gunbike and pressing on her acceleration, picking up the speed.

[thxforthememories]

Hah.

That actually draws a smile out of him. It's sharper than usual, but present and real. This is... familiar. It's like tag.

He slows his pace a fraction, allowing the motorcycle to overtake him. It would be easy to simply soar upward, avoid obstacles, and fly far beyond the ability of a vehicle. But that wouldn't be sporting, would it? So instead, he drops in altitude, flying only a few feet off the ground.

... granted, he buzzes Gunmax in the process. But all in fun, right?

[docbot]

Oh hey, he recognizes that rev. It's very distinctive, the purr of the Gunbike. Ratchet turns towards the sound of it and starts waving in Gunmax's direction.

"Hey! Gunmax!"

He hasn't seen the mech in a while. Maybe they could catch up a bit...?

[engrishdetective]

...Well, crap.

It's not that he's mad at Ratchet.

Okay. No. Scratch that. Gunmax can be very petty and angry about the fact that he's been left behind so may times. It's not like Kirisaki, but it's more like what happened with Knock Out and Breakdown. Only Ratchet remembers, which is great, but.

But he's still young. Still learning. Still growing.

Still going to be bitter.

Hesitantly, he slows down, putting Gunbike into park. He gives Ratchet a glance, and he can't hide a bit of a huff.

"You need something, Chief?"

Always with the chip on his shoulder.

[docbot]

He can sense that Gunmax has his hackles up, but isn't quite sure why, so Ratchet assumes that it's just a variation on his normal "go away dad" attitude.

"I don't need anything, but I thought it would be good to see how you're doing. Make sure you haven't managed to scrap yourself while I wasn't looking."

That was a joke. Haha. Not really

[engrishdetective]

The motorcyclist folds his arms and looks away, haughty and irritable. He likes Ratchet, a lot, but he's doing that lashing out thing. The entire BP line had their different mannerisms in handling how they're upset. Drill Boy runs off and kicks soccer balls, Kagerou gets stubborn and blinded by eagerness to know, and Gunmax gets huffy and stomps out.

"Well, I'm fine. Not a damn scratch on me. First Aid repaired me last and he did okay, I guess."

That is to say, it was perfectly fine, but he's, you know. Huffy.

[docbot]

"I'm glad he did well. He's a good doctor, that one."

Sometimes he forgets that the Brave Police are so very young because they look like Cybertronians (and he hasn't met any of his own kind who aren't at least a few centuries old at this point), but now and then something about them reminds him. This time, it's the way that Gunmax's mannerisms echo Miko's when she's unhappy about Bulkhead doing something with someone who is not her.

Ratchet pauses, then wonders if maybe the fact that it was First Aid doing the repairing that's got Gunmax unhappy.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to do it myself."

[engrishdetective]

First Aid is kind enough and sweet, but it wasn't Ratchet, Toudou, or Knock Out. In return, Gunmax grumbles and still generally looks upset where he is, glaring away from Ratchet.

It isn't until Ratchet apologizes that he just... kind of sighs, shoulders sinking slightly. He doesn't know if he should or if he even wants to say it, that he wished so badly that Ratchet had been there. Overlord had torn him in half and Gunmax was forced to watch McCrane and Kagerou be murdered before his eyes. First Aid put his body back together, but his mind's been frayed since.

He's improved, but he still wishes it'd been Ratchet.

"Me too," Gunmax mutters miserably.

[docbot]

Ratchet nods. So that's what was the problem.

"I'll do my best to stay this time."

He wishes he were able to say something more solid. Something like "I'll be here for you when you need me from now on." But he doesn't want to make promises that he can't keep.

But the future is the future, not now, and he tries to lift the mood a bit by giving Gunmax a bit of a smirk.

"Although if you get yourself hurt again, you're going to regret the fact that I'm back, I'm sure. I'm not half as nice as First Aid."