[Video]

[weapabilities]

[ Oh look! It's Drift, your neighborhood giant robot. He looks pretty banged up, plating scraped and paint chipped in spots. More over, he doesn't look like his usual aggressively serene self. He glowers at the screen, downright dour, optics glowing coldly from under his helm. ]

I'm back.

Sorry to anyone I've been tutoring on swordplay.

Lessons are cancelled until further notice.

I'll be working on my house if anyone needs me.

[ His mouth draw into a tight line before he switches the video off. ]

Comments

[whatsupcroc]

Drift!

( He looks grumpy, as a polite way of saying he looks... well. Grumpy. )

Can we bring house warming gifts yet, or is that a strictly once you're satisfied with your own work kind of thing?

( She's glad to see him, and wondering what exactly's been happening. )

[weapabilities]

Hello, Collette.

No... no gifts. Please. That's nice of you but-

No.

[ He's feeling nothing short of snappish, but it's Collette. He can't snap at her. She just drains the anger from him, for which he is incredibly thankful right now. ]

whelp, so much for my hiatus!

[maiinframe]

User Drift ith back.

[In a rare sign of affection, the Helmsman is using video today, and while his expression really never changes very much, he looks... less tortured than usual. Probably because he's talking to Drift.]

System noticed and recorded absenthe.

[Translation: he missed you.]

hjdfhjds,

[weapabilities]

[ He really doesn't deserve friends like you, Helmsman. ]

Sorry if I worried you, Helmsman.

[maiinframe]

[Helmsman doesn't deserve friends like Drift.]

Query: did user Drift return to user'th home world?

[whatsupcroc]

Eh, housewarming gifts are overrated. What if you ended up with ten varieties of fruit cake? You'd need a thousand of those to build anything useful, like a lounge chair, at your size!

( She smiles, aware that he's definitely not in a good place. But... )

Does company follow the same rule as the not-gifts?

[weapabilities]

Yes. I did.

[weapabilities]

[ That statement alone is enough to surprise him out of his attitude problem for just long enough to comment. ]

You build with cakes?

[ There's a soft chuff through his vents. ]

No, but I don't think you want to be around me.

[maiinframe]

[The Helmsman is quiet for a moment before responding. He's getting better at reading emotions now, and he can tell that something is wrong.]

Did user Drift not have a pleasant time?

[weapabilities]

Not-

No. Not really.

[ He's too exhausted to tell any more lies. ]

[maiinframe]

System ith sorry.

[He is, really! Regret is one emotion the Helmsman understands all too well.]

System... system ith... glad... [yes, glad, that's the right word, he's pretty sure] user Drift ith back.

[whatsupcroc]

We build with gingerbread sometimes, why not fruitcakes? People will only think you're a little fruity!

( grin. )

Yeah, well, I've met some real grumps in my time, I think I can handle a bit of not so pleasant Drift. Even if it's just to say hello for reals, I'd like that.

[knightoflight]

[Wing's been spending time in the wilderness outside the city, trying hard not to notice the obvious absence. But that voice on the network gets his attention. And the timbre of it gets even more.]

...do you want any help?

[weapabilities]

I really don't think you sh-

[ No. The last thing he needs to do is hurt another person. ]

Mmm. Thank you. I'm glad to see you too. I missed you.

[weapabilities]

A little... fruity. What does that mean? I'm not made for human consumption.

[ There's some honest curiosity there. ]

I don't know if I qualify in the 'grump' category, right now. But if you're sure, you're welcome to come.

[maiinframe]

[More awkward silence.]

Would user Drift like assistance on home repairth?

[Locked]

[weapabilities]

Yes.

But I don't know if anyone can help me now.

[ He must tell the truth. But what will Wing think of him now? ]

[weapabilities]

No. But you're always welcome here, if you can tolerate me right now.

[Locked]

[knightoflight]

Drift.

[He spreads his hands, feeling helpless. In Crystal City, he'd known--or thought he knew--exactly what to do. Here...though?]

Do you want to talk?

....or we could just work on your house for a while.

[Getting something done was its own balm, sometimes.]

[Locked]

[weapabilities]

I guess. I guess we could work. On our house.

I don't know. Talking would be-

Hm.

I've made a very bad mistake, Wing.

[Locked]

[knightoflight]

Our house, yes.

[He sounds contrite: he's been a bad companion for Drift here. ]

[A pat phrase comes to mind, a neat aphorism about not being wrong if one follows one's spark, but for some reason he can't say the words. Not with the way Drift sounds.]

Can I come to you? You can tell me what you want to tell me, if you want, then.

[Locked]

[weapabilities]

Yes. Alright.

I will. I promise.

[Locked/action]

[knightoflight]

[The brusqueness is even more concerning, even as it reminds Wing of Drift as he'd seen him in Crystal City.]

Thank you, Drift. I'll be there...soon.

[Soon being a handful of kliks later, his engines whining at max before he drops out of the sky to land near the building.]

[action]

[weapabilities]

[ When he arrives, he'll find Drift rather aggressively tearing away some rotted out beams in the ceiling.

Calm down, Drift. The beams are dead already. ]

[action]

[knightoflight]

Drift?

[He steps closer, ducking at a splinter of wood flying past him. There's a symbolism here, he thinks, tearing away the bad. Only...Drift wasn't bad.]

[He moves next to Drift, reaching for another beam, with less violence.]

I should have taken care of this, Drift. I'm sorry.