but even if the stars and moon collide [afterparty]

[allatonce]

[Well, that sucked!

After about an hour, invitations written in colorful ink appear under everyone's doors.]

Understandable if you're not up to it, but we're having a memorial and "don't wanna be alone" hang-out in the restaurant again.

[The restaurant has very much been decorated with the most rainbow fabric she could find in the department store. Jonathan got roped in, mainly so she could make sure he was doing okay, but also because she assumed that he knew how to put a tablecloth on a table. He seemed like the type, anyway.

After consulting with Undertaker, most of the food that's been set out is more traditional Chinese funeral food than Victorian—you can get a whole roast duck in the restaurant—but she tried for a mix of things. There is fruit, the aforementioned roast duck, and several vegetarian dishes along with potatoes for some reason and... cookies? Okay then.

Joy's trying, because that was way less terrible for her than it was for basically anyone else.

Happy Pride Wrath, New Rapture!]

Comments

[bootyhunter]

[Dandy shoots Misfire a quiet glare. After a few seconds of uncomfortable eye contact, he utters:]

Can't you see that I'm not in the mood?

Beat it. I don't have the energy to get into it with you again.

[dullshooter]

[Misfire rolls his eyes.]

Come off it, mate. What makes you think I want to get ‘into it’ either?

[bootyhunter]

'Cause you're always spoutin' stupid shit!

[Ooh, prickly! Now slightly less prickly.]

But I know you don't mean it.

[dullshooter]

That’s just my playfully glib personality.

[As if he can’t help it!]

And that just now was what we call an ‘icebreaker’. But if you want the more boring route I can go back to a plain hello.

cw dead body stuff

[bootyhunter]

I just fished my dead friend's body out of the water today, chum.

[Dandy's sarcasm is um... Not Fun when pointedly directed like that?! Even I felt it, rip...]

And now I can't get that cold, clammy feelin' outta my head.

Can you find it in ya to cut me some slack, for once?

[dullshooter]

[…He’s not going to say anything about the ‘chum’ thing. He has to restrain himself, almost physically. He doesn’t know the concept of ‘time and place’ but he does know that pointing out the unintentional pun will have Dandy back to yelling at him.]

…Okay I see how that sounds bad. Tasteless, even.

[And he’s…he’s got no defense here. That’s it.]

In my defense, he was my friend too.

[And so was Hodaka. Adaman too, to a degree.]

[bootyhunter]

He was pretty sweet.

[There is some sympathy offered there! Unfortunately, it's only a smidgeon.]

You're a big, cool robot! Which means a lotta people'll wanna lick your big metal buttcrack, metaphorically speakin'!

You tell plenty of jokes, which is somethin' we need a helluva lot more of, since this dump's givin' The Great Depression a run for its money!

[He sighs.

There's a "but" upcoming, and it's not Dandy's favorite kind.]

So you're fine, right?

You got people to talk to? They don't gotta be me, baby, I just wanna know that you're alright.

[dullshooter]

[He shrugs.]

Not the first time I’ve watched everyone I know die.

[So like, what’s the concern?]

[bootyhunter]

[this is yelled at that anime volume where birds fly out of the trees:]

OH COME ON, YA OVERSIZED JUKEBOX?!?!

YOU CAN'T JUST HIT ME WITH THAT!!!!!!

[dullshooter]

[…]

Did I forget to mention the war thing? I could’ve sworn I mentioned the war thing.

[He did not, in fact, mention the war thing.]

[bootyhunter]

[Dandy is so highly irritated by this revelation that he kicks Misfire in the side! It will do nothing to such a Stronk robot, but he is very frustrated.]

YEAH?! Well, you didn't, man!

Explain.

[dullshooter]

[It can still hurt his feelings! Jk this is normal for him. He was socked by Spinister shortly before coming here.]

Don’t blame me that it never came up!

[He gives Dandy a light shove back, but nothing significant.]

So there were these two sides, the Autobots, and the Decepticons. I was on the latter. We spent several million years trying to kill each other. We succeeded a bunch, they succeeded a bunch. Plenty of atrocities and horrors all round. Then - at some point - it all ended. Not really sure how, ‘cause I’d pretty much clocked out after the trial. But it did. And now here we are. …Any questions?

jeff, im so sorry you had to wait like 4 days for this bullshit

[bootyhunter]

Uuuuuuuuh.

[Please know he will be sad, just give him a second-]

I can't pronounce any of those names!

Can I just call 'em the "Boobie-bots" and the "Booty-bots?"

[A beat passes.]

Which one are you?

[dullshooter]

[HUGE SIGH.]

If you have to.

[They're a toy line for children, Dandy. Are you about to be bested by a 12 year old.]

Purple. Booticon. The losing side.

nsfw

[bootyhunter]

[He nods. Ah yes, Booty-con, his favorite annual convention. Dandy tries his best to attend at least every few years.]

Man.

War's are such bullshit. A crapton of people on both sides die, either way!

No wonder your head's so full of [don't say cum] crum.

[dullshooter]

Here’s to that. The longer it’s been over for, the more I realise we spent four million years achieving nothing but bigger body counts.

[They had a cause, and he believed in it - still does. But it all evolved around them into something far different.]

Glad my tragic backstory could clear up things for you.

[Said jokingly; he doesn’t think it’s that tragic.]

[bootyhunter]

[Dandy sighs.]

Okay, don't...

Don't joke about that.

[just say sorry, asshole]

Well, actually.

Maybe it's not my place to say.

[dullshooter]

[He has a witty retort to come back with but...he doesn't.]

Depends.

[He folds his arms.]

What place are you coming from?

[bootyhunter]

The one where I'm tryin' to understand!

Oooor... Somethin'.

[dullshooter]

Then...yeah, maybe it is.

[He points a finger at Dandy.]

As long as you're not about to give me a frikkin' lecture about it.

[bootyhunter]

Okay, well.

[Dandy allows himself to return to "center," whatever the hell that means.]

'M sorry. Talkin' and yuckin' my own damn yum is pretty much all I've got in this place. To offer, y'know?

[Here, he pouts.]

'Specially since I don't really feel the urge to flirt with your chrome caboose. Sorry man, the heart wants what it wants! And doesn't, baby.

But that doesn't mean I don't like ya none.

I like you just fine.

[dullshooter]

[Misfire makes a dismissive gesture.]

It’s not like I’ve got anything better to offer either. Aside from my winning personality.

[Fingergun!]

I’m sure I’ll recover from that unsolicited rejection enough to accept being ‘just friends’. ‘Cus, strangely enough, despite everything that comes out of your mouth, I actually kinda like you.