Let's get down to business

[positiveenergy]

Who: Rodimus and Drift
Where: Somewhere near the city. And wherever the GPS tells them to go.
When: Way back in March (The 27 Lost Days)
What: Rodimus and Drift can’t figure out their vehicle modes so they do dumb shit to make it even worse.
Warnings: Idk Robot emotions.

Actually going outside and getting hit in the face with some triple-digit degree desert air was even worse than he’d anticipated. Of course they had to do this on a cloudless day where it was almost sickeningly hot out. Or maybe it wasn’t even all that bad, but he sure couldn’t tell the difference.

Drift drives at a fast pace; eager to get out of the direct sunlight and under some cover from buildings. Until, of course, he reaches some of the busier roads and remembers there’s such a thing as speed limits. Those are two words that should not be used together on a regular basis. Why even build their vehicles to go fast if they’re going to enforce limits? Most of the humans didn’t even seem to stick to them very strictly, so he always ends up following their lead.

Either way, by the time he reaches the meeting spot, Drift makes straight for a patch of shade. They’d picked an old factory (or something) that was just on the outskirts of the city. A quick scan of the area doesn’t show any sign of Rodimus. Drift hasn’t seen the new alt. mode since they’d picked them out together a few days ago, so his memory’s a little hazy, but he knows it’d be hard to miss.

While he waits, he sends his avatar out to look around – just to try and give himself a distraction from the heat. Unfortunately, there's not much to see.

Comments

[worstprime]

Rodimus isn't that far from their designated meeting spot when he and Drift have their conversation. It's a location they've used more than once before as a rendezvous point. Close proximity or not though, it still takes Rodimus awhile to get there. His still-unrepaired shoulder is placing some serious limitations on his alt-mode...a fact that has been seriously grating on Rodimus' nerves. It was one thing to have these great new alt-modes; another thing entirely that he couldn't even enjoy it fully. And that was on top of all the other problems they'd been having with them.

Rodimus arrives at the building lot at a reasonable, law-abiding speed, pulling to a stop with a frankly disappointing kick of dust under his tires. He's glad Drift didn't catch that lackluster entrance. Taking a moment to take in the surroundings, Rodimus finally spots someone; a human. Revving his engine he drives a bit closer...it looks like Drift's holomatter avatar. Maybe? He still hasn't quite gotten the hang of telling humans apart. If they at least came in more colours maybe it wouldn't be so fragging hard.

Engaging his own holomatter driver just to be safe, Rodimus pulls up beside the human, windows rolled down.

"....Drift? That you?"

[positiveenergy]

“Oh, there you are! I was starting to think I’d missed you somehow.”

Drift’s avatar grins – folding his arms and circling around towards the front of the vehicle. Back when Rodimus had suggested they go shopping around for new alt. modes, he’d been skeptical that they’d find anything worthwhile. But aside from the weird complications, it had paid off in the end.

“I’ve gotta say though. Voice or no voice, the new alt. mode’s looking good. Better than I remembered.”

[worstprime]

"Hhm, flattery." Although Rodimus agrees. "Where are you...er, where's your alt-mode, rather?"

He's not necessarily in a rush, but the sooner they get this show on the road, the sooner they can get these problems sorted out...finally. And Rodimus would be lying if he said he wasn't a least a little interested in where this voice was going to take them. It was probably the most exciting thing to happen to them on Earth since...since the incident with Orion, actually.

[positiveenergy]

“What, I can’t give a guy a compliment?”

Not that he’s opposed to getting things moving either. The heating unit had been going nonstop for the past day or so…and every time he’s tried messing with it, it’s only gotten worse. So a cooling unit sounds like a welcome relief…and he has to admit, he’s curious about the voice too. With a quick shrug, he turns to motion towards the side of the building.

“Just over there. It’s a bit more tolerable in the shade, if you don’t mind going to me…”

[worstprime]

"Right, right, let's go then," Rodimus responds, spinning his tires in the sand impatiently.

They loop back around, pulling over to Drift's nearby alt-mode, sure enough, parked in one of the few patches of shade in the area. Rodimus has to admit, even without an internal heating unit malfunction, it's uncharacteristically hot even for what they've come to expect of the area, heat waves reflecting off the sand and pavement in waves. He wonders casually if it's possible for the pavement here to get hot enough to melt rubber...

Rodimus sends his holomatter in his stead; the area looks fairly abandoned but he's still leery of transforming in such an exposed area, especially if he doesn't strictly speaking, have to.

"How you doin' there, Drift?" he asks, half smiling, more at the absurdity of the situation as a whole than at Drift's specific circumstance.

[positiveenergy]

There’s a brief flash from his alt. mode’s headlights as Rodimus’ avatar approaches. “Oh. You know, just…broiling in the heat. No big deal.”

This had seemed like such an obvious solution when they’d talked earlier. But now that Rodimus is actually here, he’s starting to have second thoughts.

Ok. No. It’s not that. The idea itself isn’t completely unreasonable. It’s just that the more he thinks about it, the more it really sinks in how awkward the request must be. But he’d already asked and Rodimus had already agreed, so…what was left to lose?

“You uhh…you ready to do this? Might as well just…get it over with, right?” He tries to hide the embarrassment in his voice, but doesn’t do a very good job of it.