themainframe | [3rd Transformation // Anon Text // Optional Action with Bumblebee]

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[3rd Transformation // Anon Text // Optional Action with Bumblebee]

[When Bumblebee first emerges from the damaged apartment of 010 in his robot form, 16 feet of towering metal and living machine, Vanguard is filled with immeasurable awe an wonder.

In an hour, when he finds himself sitting in the car form of his partner, playing session after session of video game inside his cabin, that wonder becomes joy. In three hours, when Vanguard goes to tell off some insolent digimon on Bee's behalf but Bumblebee speaks up on his own first, gently resolving the situation with his own voicebox. All he feels is confusion. Six hours later, when Vanguard has to step outside and get his feet on steady ground after one of Bumblebee's races, it's irritation. The final straw happens when Vanguard finds himself held in the giant, protective metal hand of his robot partner, narrowly injured from a reckless Chosen. Saved. Protected. Lovingly guarded.

Then... it's just anger and resentment.

He leaves Bumblebee to talk with companions just beyond the hole in their apartment (hastily covered by the staff with a sheet of plastic). Bee doesn't need Vanguard to help translate his feelings to the friends he encounters outside. He laughs, and dances and transforms just fine on his own.

So the digimon retreats to their room just a few paces away. It takes ten minutes for it all to boil over. In the back of his mind, he knows he's going to calm down and regret this later but... he's not thinking about that at the time. He angrily jabs an anonymous message into the D-terminal.]

+ [Anonymous Text] +

All you Chosen. You think you're so impressive.

You could hardly take care of yourselves when you got here. You couldn't figure out how to eat, sleep or walk. Some of you couldn't even speak. We chased off digimon three times our size to keep you alive. We kept you safe on the journey down to HospiTown.

We did everything we were supposed to. We're your digimon. We were made to meet you and fix this world together.

So much for partners.

You can take your real forms and just

Just go home. We didn't need you either.

[The moment he presses send, he experiences a moment of hesitation. Of something beyond anger. Regret? He crosses his arms and tries not to think about it.]

[ooc: Vanguard (Coronamon) will respond to text anonymously while Bumblebee will react to action outside the hospital.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

People have been telling me that all morning.

[Bumblebee approaches the other, closing the distance between them easily.]

You get that gas issue taken care of all right?

Have they? Do they say why?

[He eases out from behind the corner, then, his wings flicking. He looks more or less reassured, but the nervous motion is mostly involuntary.]

For now.

But if I stay myself for long... I'll need to refuel again.

Mostly because they've only ever talked to me through text.

[A curious tilt of Bee's head.]

If you 'stay yourself'?

Ah... yes. That would make sense.

[He nods.]

I mean, if this change is permanent. If I stay in my rightful frame.

You mean how we're robots again?

Of course it's permanent.

[Bumblebee raises an eyebrow. It has to be permanent. Right? There's a slight pause.]

Why wouldn't it be?

[He shrugs, and folds his arms over his chest, a little tightly, posture going more rigid.]

Other things have happened here. Things that have no explanation... and they haven't been permanent, either.

[Oh, that's news that Bumblebee does not want to hear. He'd only just gotten his form, and he'd been soaring above the clouds with how excited he is about it. Now all he's got is this sinking feeling...

Is Kagerou jerking around his chain? Because he didn't seem like the kind of robot to do that.]

You're ... kidding, right?

Edited 2014-02-05 23:53 (UTC)

[He seems to withdraw even more, hunching in on himself, attempting to look smaller, instead of standing taller.]

[Like the confidence is draining out of him. No, he's not kidding... why would he joke about this?]

No. I'm not...

They can't take away our bodies. They just gave them to us.

There wouldn't be a point to make us the way we used to be, and then to take them away again.

[He doesn't seem to notice the way Kagerou seems to shrink away. He talks to the other robot as if convincing him will get him answers. Even if Kagerou probably doesn't have any for him.]

I'm sorry.

[He says it before he really thinks about it, shaking his head again. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up.]

[And he hopes he's wrong. He really does. But that doesn't stop him from edging backward again.]

I don't... how to answer that. I don't even know who "they" are.

[He remains upset for another few moments before he realizes how much Kagerou's backed away from him. His anger settles, at least a little, and drains from him as he exhales.]

Kagerou, I'm the one who needs to apologize.

[He blinks, some of the tension easing from him. He doesn't step forward yet, though.]

Why do you need to apologize?

Because none of this is your fault.

I shouldn't be taking out my anger on you.

I... no. I guess that's true.

It's just that being this way- being back in my own body - is important to me.

I can't go back to the way I was before.

I understand.

I... I missed my frame, too. A lot. I'm sorry I told you.

It's a little more complicated than just missing my frame for me.

But at this point... I'd rather know the truth than to be surprised later.

[He shakes his head, motioning for Kagerou to get back here already. He's shrunken away just beyond what's comfortable to be speaking to him from.]

Don't be sorry.

If I asked what it was... would you tell me?

[It's mostly out of curiosity, but there's concern there, as well.]

Maybe I should have been more... delicate, then?

[But he does take a hesitant step forward, regardless.]

[More delicate? Maybe he would have reacted the same, maybe he would've reacted different. Either way the message is the same, and Kagerou needn't worry.

Bumblebee steps past Kagerou as he thinks his words through. Then he turns to him again.]

This is me. My robot form, my alt-form- they're two halves of a whole. I'm not just one or the other. I'm both. Right now, I'm everything I'm supposed to be.

And my voice...

When I'm human again, who knows if my voice is gone with it.

[He watches him, listening. It starts to make sense, and he finds himself nodding along, his arms still folded around himself.]

[It makes a lot of sense. But how does he say it without... well. Doing it wrong.]

I... understand. It's you. It's what you've always been. And it's wrong to have it taken from you. You can't... move as you should. Or change into other forms. It's just wrong.

Right?

[His head tilts.]

Can't it be fixed?

[He unconsciously brings up a hand to his upper chest.]

I don't know...

[He thinks over it for some time. And then, a change in his attitude.]

You know what, Kagerou? Maybe we're just worrying for nothing.

[He looks at him for a long moment, then away, like he's watching something ominously in the distance.]

I hope you can. It's nice. Your voice.

[Then he looks back.]

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

[He smiles a little at the comment. He misses the sound of it.

He nods to himself, solidifying his decision.] No use in missing something we haven't lost.

Come on, Kagerou. What're we doing standing around here. We should be celebrating our real selves.

Right. That's right.

[He blinks a few times, his wings flicking.]

Celebrating? How?

Whatever we want.

We can start with... [Some brainstorming.]

What's good about being back in your own boy, Kagerou?