too busy working out to

[thxforthememories]

WHO: Kagerou & OPEN
WHERE: ALL AROUND HAVEN || Police Station || Trion's Temple
WHEN: From TFP!Ratchet's attack -- to now!
WHAT: After his outburst on the Network, Kagerou is rather desperate to prove himself as a capable police officer, hunting nonstop for a fugitive he probably has no hope of locating. It goes about as well as you can expect.
WARNINGS: None now.
Note: If you could put the date and location in the subject, that would be awesome!

[He's probably become a familiar sight around the Haven skies of late. A shadow ghosting across the stars, or lurking in the darker places behind buildings. Scans are running constantly. No part of the ground goes unseen. Guilt is driving him, mostly. He wants to make things right. Wants to make amends.]

[Make it up to the bot he thinks he's failed.]

[But there are some areas he won't visit. Some places etched in his mind as too terrible to return to. He won't be seen near Liege's temple. Nor Megatronus'. Everywhere else, he is a near-constant presence. Look up. You might see him!]

~

[Even so, he can't be everywhere. Every so often, he'll return to the police station. Make reports, they said. Check in, they said. And so, in between sweeps of the Haven, he'll stop at the station. Even if no one is inside, or present, he'll offer up his report via datapad, leaving it on a desk.]

[Nothing, it usually says. Nothing unusual reported.]

[And he treats every report of that nature, like a failure. His shoulders slump a little more, and he leaves the station looking more dejected, though his expression remains as closed and neutral as possible. If someone is present in the station, he'll stop to speak with them, of course. But otherwise, he's in and out in a matter of minutes.]

~

[Rarer still, he returns to Trion's temple. To the room he and Kay and now... now another... are sharing. It's usually late when he does drag himself back. He's always low on fuel, low on rest. He'll all but stumble through the temple, nodding to passersby, or whoever happens to be on his way.]

[He will return to the room for only as long as it takes for him to refuel. To make certain Kay is all right. To make certain nothing terrible has happened.]

[And then he's gone again. Weary, frustrated, and wracked with too much guilt. But pushing onward all the same.]

Comments

[thxforthememories]

A little. Are you proud?

[He kind of awkwardly tries to flip his hand, too. In a weird little shadowing of Gunmax's gesture.]

[It's safe to copy friends, okay. It's a defense mechanism thing.]

I'm trying to believe that. It's... a work in progress. [He's better than he was, some days.] Nothing wrong with being selfish?

[badboybikerbot]

Extremely.

[psh nice going. Gunmax just grins at that goofy hand flip.]

Ah, you'll figure it out. I believe in you, baby! [THUMBS UP] And nah, I don't think so. As long as you don't go overboard with it, anyway.

[thxforthememories]

Hm. It shows.

[He shakes his head a little.]

That's the part that worries me. The "overboard" part.

[badboybikerbot]

I don't think that you could. I can't even get you to take a break for your own benefit.

[thxforthememories]

I'm not that bad.

McCrane is worse.

[badboybikerbot]

...You know what, I believe it.

God, sounds like I have to drag you both out and find something fun to do.

[thxforthememories]

Maybe. Maybe when this mess is taken care of.

[badboybikerbot]

Yeah I was thinking of something a little sooner than that.

[thxforthememories]

I don't think you'll tear him away from work right now any more than me.

[badboybikerbot]

That sounds like a challenge.

[thxforthememories]

I wasn't trying to make it one.

[badboybikerbot]

I think I'll make it one anyway.

Four days. I'm gonna get McCrane and you out doing something fun within four days.

[thxforthememories]

Four... days.

Then I'll have to find the criminal in four days.

[badboybikerbot]

Oh, I'm dragging you out whether you find him or not. Let someone else hunt him down for a while.

[thxforthememories]

But...

This is what you're talking about. Isn't it? That... not-selfish... time for yourself... thing.

[badboybikerbot]

Bingo. Look at it this way. If you take some time for yourself to unwind a bit and recharge, then you'll be in way better shape to jump back into work. That's really all there is to it.

[thxforthememories]

I... guess that would be true.

Logically.

[badboybikerbot]

Oh yeah. I'm all about logic, baby.

[well no but]

[thxforthememories]

Hm. Are you now?

[... is that a tiny flicker of a smile?]

[badboybikerbot]

[WOW IS HE SHOWING AN EMOTION OTHER THAN LINKIN PARK? This counts as a victory for Gunmax]

Well. Maybe about seventy percent of the time.

[thxforthememories]

[A little. Well. As much as he ever does.]

You're being generous with yourself.

[badboybikerbot]

Callin' my bluff, huh?

Okay, fifty-fifty. Better?

[thxforthememories]

Yes. That's much better.

[badboybikerbot]

Tch, you know me so well.

Y'know, I'm still trying to get used to that, to be honest.

[thxforthememories]

[He tilts his head, staring at him for a long moment.]

Should I... stop? Somehow?