#dropmix trials

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

The Rage of a Brother left among the Corpses.

@quibble-auk

Inspired by this post

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

Imagine being here.

(The oc above is not mine- Only the doodle. She belongs to the tagged below!)

Well.

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Hello there, welcome to my page! I'm just an artist who gets carried away, I dabble in writing as well!

Currently playing in @quibble-auk 's sandbox of Transformers ocs and Lore, check her out it's all outstanding and referenced in a huge chunk of my work.

I also have an original species that is being worked on :D (Look under "Pretender" if you're curious~)

Slowly-

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(starts of series maybe?? Plus my main Frog)

Cometeater- A transformers Oc that has taken over my blog, his beginning, though huge pieces of him are scattered all over.

Dropmix Trials- Dropmix and Comet meet. The beginning of a series continued on Quibbles blog!

Deep within. - Comet is sent out on a routine recon mission, and it does not go well.

An Eye for an Eye- Comet and Dropmix come to terms, and in a way that is lacking violence this time. (Dropmix is not mine ofc)

Canyons- Takes place in the Custody au, Cometeater finds a canyon and hopes to God he can find his way home.

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(To be warned this blog has SO many aus, its crazy. I regret nothing. But here's maybe a more...Comprehensible list of them? Maybe not?)

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Horns and Razors au- A swap au where the war never occurs, and Comet becomes a single teen parent in the pits of Kaon. Continued over on Quibbles blog as well!

Perfect World au- An au where Sunrazor finds and adopts an alien and his protective adoptive brothers. Of course continued on Quibbles blog, Sunrazor is hers!

Heart in Hand Au- An au where Cometeater gets adopted by a very different mech as a small child, then left with the beloved Dropmix >:) (Tw this does have child abuse.)

Custody Au- An Au where Comet's brothers get killed and the poor boy is left in the care of his only friend, and said friend's mentor who isn't known for his affection for the Pretender. (The au I made with Quibble to make Dropmix love Comet the only way we could, and it hurts so bad) (Tw mentions of Suicide are prominent)

Dragged Up Au- Based in the 1980s where our aliens get to be human!

*So this is most definitely not all of these, but if you find a silly au tag and want to know more I will be happy to ramble.

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The tags below should help find any aus or important things/ocs!

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[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

@quibble-auk

(Tw. Panic attacks, violence, angst, gore.)

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Comet was laying with his back to Dropmix.

Comet couldn't breathe.

The large mech  had gestured and not so kindly asked him to lay down on the extra berth in the room. Now revealed by the bright sterile lights. Comet remembers it as not so kindly because he knew what the mech was unintentionally signaling with his clenched jaw. 

It revealed a hardly grasped anger.

 Dark blue optics sharp and lips in a tight line, the very moment Jeopardy had slipped from the room like a clueless child. Cometeater wasn’t supposed to have seen that though. Wasn't supposed to smell the flash of fear. Nor witnessed the way Dropmix had smoothly hid it. The fear and concern was the first to plunge. The ripples of his cold facade drowned any emotions he allowed on his face.  With that, and a sharp gesture, Comet was ordered onto a table.

That glimpse of Dropmix’s anger did nothing to soothe the Pretender. 

His throat still throbbed from their earlier squabble, his back plating burning from the impact on the wall. Comet did not want this medic near him, medic now right? When he allowed his eyes to cut up at the imposing “medic,” all he saw was the same mech who had fought in the arena. Mercilessly ripped the heads off of mechs who had tried to run. Tried to escape. To hide. Comet felt his heartbeat pick up as the old battered memories peeked over the wall in his mind. Their wet bloodshot eyes winking in dried blood. 

“I said, you need to lie down.”

Comet jolted at the firm growl, Dropmix watching him carefully from the opposite side of the berth. Comet felt his muscles stiffen at the very idea of doing so. Sitting next to him was bad enough. “Don’t make this difficult Cometeater, the sooner we get this done the sooner I go.” The large mech kept his face perfectly neutral, but a raise of an eyebrow showed the smallest twitch of tension. Comet knew if that tension broke he wouldn't survive it a second time.

“How?” He didn't like how quiet he sounded, he was never supposed to put himself in a situation like this. Weak, vulnerable. Where had his bravado gone? It's probably stuck in the heavy joints of Dropmix’s fingers, where they had locked so tight on his throat Comet had lost any and all sense for far too long. 

Weak.

“On your left side, you said it was your right hip?” Dropmix gestured slowly at the slab of metal gleaming in the lights. Dropmix had wanted them on. 

Comet didn't want to.  It was too much like laying with his belly exposed. Begging to be gutted. His whole body screamed as he cautiously laid down on his side. Making sure he faced the ex gladiator. You need to be awake for Sideswipe, he reminded himself to maybe soothe the growing fear. 

Dropmix was staring at him. 

You need to agree to this to keep him safe. Comet clenched his fists to ignore the shaking. He was doing this for Sideswipe.

Dropmix moved out from in front of him and Comet felt his back scream in warning. In a chain of muscles his whole back tensed for an impact, instead Dropmix spoke again. His deep baritone shook Comet to his core, “I’m going to run a couple tests,” No choice. No room for argument. Those awful optics bore into his skin as the mech moved. His once faint scent now wafting and smothering everything else. Cold and cloying. Comet felt his breath pick up as his skin tightened. “Relax, I can’t do these properly if you're stiff as a board.” Comet forced, and it was an exhausting effort, himself to relax. His muscles twitched in disagreement, jumping under his skin. 

He could feel Dropmix.

In a warm heat behind him. Too close. His leg twitched with the need to run, to hide. Dropmix was too close. He needed to run, now. Comet felt his armor start to tremble with tension at danger being so close. Shame bloomed in all its ugliness, he needed to calm down. Comet was better than this. He had been examined before. Ratchet had done this before.  Comet slowly breathed in and out, lowering his head onto his folded arm. 

Ratchet had never ripped a mech’s face off.

Dropmix slowly grabbed his thigh, allowing enough of a warning for a normal bot. But it did nothing to ease the influx of panic. It whirled over Comet in deep gusts. His heart was beating so fast it hurt, pounding in his chest as Dropmix lifted his leg to test its limits.

The shot of agony sent a sudden sharp chirp from Comet’s mouth.

Comet shoved his face into his arm, as that awful shame and fear mixed. He didn't dare look up at Dropmix. What was wrong with him? He was better than this. Comet tried to shake out the fear and panic as Dropmix began to slowly move his leg again, after a long moment that had Comet’s face burning. 

He’s going to rip your leg off. 

The rogue thought sent a wave of terror down his spine. Thick and cold he felt like his lungs were about to collapse.

No he’s not. Why would he? Cometeater forced even breathes, closing his eyes against the now horrendously bright clinical lights. 

Because he has done it before.

The faint smell of the pits from the gladiator behind him made Comet’s mouth water like he was about to throw up, images of Dropmix doing that very thing echoed across his closed eyes.

A thick limb in the gladiator’s hands, energon cascading in a pink waterfall. 

Comet forced a breath, he needed to calm down. He needed to stop.

His red and black helm coated, teeth clamping on the mech’s face.

Comet’s heart hammered as he felt his chest cramp from the force of his scattered breathing.

The ripping of wiring, the horrible gurgles as energon erupted from Dropmixes mouth as the bit into another gladiator's belly.

Comet couldn’t smell Sideswipe anymore, only the Pit. Only Dropmix

The arena smelt hot and dry, it hurt. Why did everything have to hurt?

Dropmixe’s clean scent choked him. His breaths were too erratic. Why was Dropmix closer now?

Dropmix was in the arena. It stank of him. He glared from the back of it.

Dropmix had a firm hold on him. Pinning him. Touching him.

Those horrible hands clenched around him. “Don’t be so scared little one.”

Optics flashed. Cold and unforgiving.

She smiled, his blood painting her face.

Comet screamed.

The scent was everywhere. Dust was choking him.

Comet could only hear his own breaths. Haggard and loud.

Its too loud.

The hands tightened.

“STOP!”

He wrenched himself away, cold tears marking trails of liquid terror down his face.

Her breath fanned him, she smelt like Sunny’s energon.

“PLEASE!”

Comet hit the ground as the sobs overwhelmed him. 

He couldn't breathe.

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

Medical Exam.

@quibble-auk Hehehe your boy!!! Just a thought that came to mind, please ignore the crappy anatomy on Com. He hasn't outgrown the distressed chirp thing...

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

Close your eyes, I'm here.

(..... @quibble-auk we ugh I might have really really wanted some sad fluff, it was supposed to be a quick blurb. Not connected or even angsty?? Then Comet took over, ugh my newest contribution to the Dropmix Trials..Yayyy...)

Tw. Eh Self worth, Self harm, angst with comfort because I could not take it right now.

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Comet wanted to sleep, badly.

He sat in his customary chair beside his brother’s medical berths, with an air of exhaustion. It was noticeable from his dark eyes ringed with blue, the way his shoulders hung low but the muscles of his back still twitched with the need to be awake. It wasn't safe enough to sleep. Not here. Not when Comet knew so much and his brothers laid still in their own recharge. Sunstreaker recovering from his debacle with Dropmix.  A shiver racked Comet’s spine, his eyes burning at the memory of his cowardice, of his stupidity. If the young male could look any more tired, he did. Another wave of emotions hit when his mind turned those fifteen minutes over for the hundredth time. When the world had felt like it had caved in again.

  He had attacked Jeopardy. Like an animal he had tried to eat him, the young mech who had been nothing but kind. Comet had revealed himself to someone else, another pair of eyes. More adding onto his list of threats. What were the chances Jeopardy would turn in a report on him? Comet felt a horrible pit get deeper in his stomach, he had given no reason to not seem like a threat to the medic. He could be right now typing up a report, a slip of data that would get Comet taken away. Panic flared in his heart, tears burning his throat as he sputtered with horrible scenarios. All of which would be his fault. 

The muscle twitch of a yawn wracked through him, cutting off the worried train of thoughts. Comet did not release it, clenching his jaw against the organic signal. Even if he was alone now in a private room, among only his resting brothers.

Cometeater had not really slept since he had arrived in the torrential medbay, too frightened and nervous to close his eyes for more than a few minutes. 

It did not help that those few minutes of sleep were plagued by nightmares, that Dropmix himself and his smell had conjured back up. Those awful images on the computer had only worked up the terrors his mind tortured him with. Comet had  decided after the first night in Dropmix’s territory he wasn't going to sleep until Sideswipe woke up, until he was sure he was safe.

Then Dropmix hurt Sunstreaker. Then Comet tried to kill someone who might have been trying to be his friend. With that combined with every other stress, Cometeater finalized he just wasn't sleeping till they left this place.

What little he could snag was useless, it was a waste of his energy to try. Another yawn cramped his jaw, as Cometeater dug a claw into his arm to keep himself steady.

A warm hand grabbed onto his hand digging into his plating, “Hey..Don't do that..” 

Jolting, Comet looked to the side to find his red brother slightly awake, optics soft with the pain medication. Cometeater felt a new wave of loathing appear when he realized he was so deep into his own head he hadn't heard Sideswipe even stir. What if he had been in pain? Or needed a medic because of a complication? What if-

“Don’t do that either, Comet look at me.” Sideswipe’s rough voice was soft with concern, Comet hadn’t realized he had started to time his breaths with every rampaging worry on his mind. Which meant he was inches from hyperventilating.

Weak.

“No, no hey.”  Sideswipe was sitting up, he was not supposed to be sitting up.

Comet jerked eyes widening with concern, “Sides no, your-” The red mech said not a word, violet optics brightening with every moment as he looked around. Before landing on Comet, who had scrambled to be as close as possible in case the older mech had trouble. Cometeater stiffened under the knowing gaze, his hands dropping from their protective hovering as Sideswipe settled.

Many would underestimate the red mech as ditzy, maybe even stupid because of his smiles and charm. But those optics caught everything, it was annoying at times how well he knew Comet’s tells.

“You’re supposed to be resting..” It was a concerned murmur as another tired cramp went through Comet’s mouth, Sideswipe raised an eyebrow.

“Well yeah, same to you.” There was a protective lilt to Sideswipe’s curt snap, optics picking apart Comet’s tired form. The pretender had nothing in response.

“Yeah thought so, what's wrong?” Comet winced at the sentence, how many times had Sideswipe had to ask him that? Had to go out of his way to make sure Comet was alright. When all Comet did was let Dropmix-

A soft touch. Sideswipe’s rough hand moved to run along Comet’s face, a gentle grounding gesture that had the green mech trembling. He didn’t deserve it. “Don’t get too far in that head of yours Com, nothings wrong.”

But it was wrong, everything was wrong. This whole thing was his fault, if he had heard those seekers none of this would have happened, if he had attacked Dropmix he could have ended the fight before Sunny got hurt. “Cometeater I said stop it.” It was a snarl, that for what felt like the hundredth time, snapped him out of the deep water.

Sideswipe had a severe expression, his mouth downturned and brows knitted. “Talk to me. Don’t pull the you should be sleeping slag because you obviously haven't slept in weeks.” Comet closed his mouth at the pointed remark. Sideswipe had the gall to smirk, “I win. Now c'mon, what's swirling around in there?” Sideswipe tapped Comets' helm ever so softly to emphasize his point.

Comet took a shaky breath, “...I just can’t sleep, too..” Cometeater struggled to get out the right words. Sideswipe watched him patiently, thumb gently running down Comet’s face. That warm touch is what probably let the dam loose.

“Too much has happened, everything is so weird. A- and its my fault!” The thumb stopped.

“I-If I had heard those stupid seekers, if I hadn’t been sleeping, if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing!” Comet was trembling from the force of letting the thoughts finally fall from his mouth, “If I had not been so stupid,” His voice cracked, “ if I could have stopped Dropmix and not froze like some kind of coward-”,  Sideswipe opened his mouth, optics flaring with a sharp emotion. Comet didn’t let him speak, desperate to get the poison out of his brain.

“What kind of brother am I?! I dont deserve it I dont deserve you, Im not good enough-” Sideswipe cut him off by jerking their foreheads together, a gesture of pure tenderness that only made Comet sob.

Sideswipe hugged them tight together, his vents deep with what could either be rage or sadness, Comet felt guilt rear its ugly head once more.

Pressed against one another, they could feel the thrums of their hearts thudding. Comet’s slowed in response to the deep comforting hum of his brother’s. Sideswipe had his arms wrapped tight around the other, forcing slow breaths to ease the heartache coursing through him.

“I need you to listen to me, you hear me? No bullshit, no giggles, listen to me.” Sideswipe’s voice was raw with hurt, but firm as he turned his blazing gaze to meet Comet’s wet gold and black eyes.

“Never, ever say that again. None of its true. Not one word- Don't interrupt me.  First off Cometeater your ours, you will be till you die and you're gonna fragging deal with it. You're not a coward, Dropmix could have turned you into paste, you did nothing wrong. We talked about this. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

With every word the mech grew more solemn, hugging Comet like the world was ending.

“Bad things happen, slag happens Commy. All because you have intuition better than Sunny and I combined doesn't make you all seeing. You're not a Primus damned prophet. No one could have known except the superiors, who we both know can’t tell their helm from their aft half the time.” He snarled, rubbing circles into Comet’s armor desperately trying to comfort the smaller mech, who had only watched with wet wide optics. But every sentence had taken some of the hurt away, left Comet feeling less heavy. He had missed Sideswipe so much.

“Dammit Com, why..” Sideswipe seemed to run out of steam looking at his brother trying to grasp the right words to clean the wound the younger had seemed to let fester.

Comet opened his mouth, heart throbbing at causing so much pain. Sideswipe caught it with a growl, “No. Don’t start, this isn’t something for you to apologize for..Comet I love you so much. We love you so fragging much..Your our brother, nothing will ever change that. Primus, you are the only thing we have that isn’t just us.  You’re ours, I wouldn’t have survived after the attack without you. Sunny might never have found us if not for you..Sweetspark you did everything you could have done.” The older mech's voice held a crack in it, Comet pressed himself forward to cling to the mech best he could with the berth in the way, trying to offer comfort in return. Allowing himself to just finally melt, almost weak from relief and the force of his outburst.

 Sideswipe let out a growl when Comet couldn’t seem to get close enough, and without warning pulled Comet up into his lap. The pretender let out a squawk, remembering Jeopardy’s warnings past his tears.

“Frag that, come here.” With that Comet was tight in the hold of his brother, Sideswipe soothing them both with the contact. For a moment neither said a word, Comet allowing his brother’s comforts to wash over him. His scent the hard thump of his spark, fear dripping away with every breath. As the two held one another, Comet could feel sleep gently tugging at his eyelids.

When Sideswipe spoke again, a while after, his voice was soft. “I'm so proud of you, ok? You did everything you were supposed to, and I'm so proud of you.” With that Sideswipe gutted his fears, stole them away and smoothed the edges. They both knew this wasn’t the last time they would sit down and talk about this, too much had happened. But both were tired, Sideswipe had begun to feel the ache of his old injuries, and Comet needed sleep.

“Go to sleep Com, I'm here. We're both here, we're all here.”

The smaller mech shook his head tiredly, “I tried..I can’t.” Sideswipe pressed his thickly armored helm against the smaller mech’s. “..Nightmares?”

Comet nodded into his brother's neck, fighting sleep with every breath. Sideswipe would have found the battle amusing, if the reason behind it wasn't so spark breaking. Sunstreaker was tiredly awake now, gazing at his siblings, concern in his optics. Sideswipe cuddled his smaller sibling closer, sending a quick tip over the bond that he would explain later. It was steeped in a request for the golden twin to hold his temper.

Sunstreaker moved so his shoulder was brushing Sideswipe’s, a tender gesture of understanding. “Nothings gonna get you Com, I swear it.” Sideswipe tried to ignore the pang of guilt that came along with the promise, how many times had he broken it?  

Sunstreaker sat up fully, tugging his brother down onto the berth and curling against him. Much like they did when they were sparklings, two pieces that fit perfectly.

Sunny laid his helm on his brother’s shoulder, optics a tired glow. Over the bond the gladiator sent soft pulses of warmth, trying to soothe the guilt.

“We're here little brother, nothing's gonna touch you.”

-

Jeopardy would later enter the private room in the morning, finding Sunstreaker awake sitting on the edge of the berth.  Sideswipe positioned so he was mostly behind the other gladiator, cradling a sleeping Comet. The green mech was firmly hidden behind the gladiators, they without budging asked the medic to leave. Saying they wanted some privacy for a few hours. Jeopardy had nodded ever so slowly, his fresh weld shiny in the low light. Leaving the energon on a nearby table, saying he would be back in three hours to check on their vitals. Neither mech said a word, violet optics firm and tired.  

[quibble-auk]

@thebrokenmechanicalpencil

Yeah I shouldn’t be awake right now. But… I had to. The worms would not let me rest. I’m officially throwing the ball back at you. Idk where to go from here. Maybe in the morning I will… who knows

Dropmix trials lets goooo

Previous

Next

What are you supposed to do when an alien teenager breaks down in front of you but the entire reason they are having a panic attack is because you’re just existing with them?

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Warnings!!! Panic attacks. Surprise shawdy—Dropmix hates himself (no one is surprised)

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Dropmix barely had time to register the scream before Comet wrenched away from him, twisting violently off the berth and onto the floor. Cometeater fell to the ground with a sickening Thud!

The large gladiator froze.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was Comet’s ragged, gasping breaths—too fast, too shallow. His entire frame trembled with the force of it, strangled sobs between the desperate gasps. Dropmix’s music stalled for a moment, his mind focusing on what he was supposed to do. It resumed quickly, clearing his mind again. He was never good at this part.

Movement at the door caught his attention. His head snapped up, he had barely registered the knock before the door had slowly begun to move. Dropmix looked down at Cometeater, who was still gagging on the floor, liquid streaming down his face as he meekly pushed himself away from the other. Pathetic.

No, desperate and scared.

Jeopardy could not see Cometeater like this, not with the unnatural liquid falling from his eyes. Dropmix did the only thing he could think of, he lunged for the door. The heavy armor he wore collided harshly with the door, momentarily knocking the breath from his chest with the force. He was getting too old for this. The impact of the door closing rang around the room, some of the surfaces rattling.

Cometeater let out another sob.

There was a startled yelp from the other side of the door. It didn’t sound hurt, just surprised. For a moment here was silence.

“What the hell, Dropmix?” Jeopardy’s muffled voice snapped from the other side of the door. A beat of silence. Then the sound of him shifting, pressing harder against the door. “What’s going on?”

Dropmix didn’t answer immediately. His vents cycled hard. Plating shifted as he braced his forearm against the door, steadying himself. The ache in his chest flared—he ignored it. He pulled up his communicator through his HUD, sending a quick message to Jeopardy.

::Not now. I’ll explain later. Lock the medical bay doors::

The gladiator didn’t want to take any chances. He didn’t think Comet would try to run, let alone get very far, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Dropmix had admittedly made that mistake with a few other patients and had been left hunting them down across the base.

::and leave you alone with a gladiator and a hostile patient?::

Jeopardy pressed against the door, trying to get it open. Dropmix pressed back, this was less than ideal, now was not the time for Jeopardy to be stubborn. He needed to calm Comet down before he hurt himself. He looked at the small quaking form on the ground.

::I can handle myself::

Dropmix really could handle it himself. He was a gladiator. Fighting and dominating was his entire purpose. He was made to heal and help. Jeopardy didn’t know that and it needed to stay that way.

::go make sure the other patients are alright::

Jeopardy didn’t respond immediately. Dropmix could practically feel the younger mech debating whether or not to listen, his hesitation dragging out in tense silence.

Dropmix clenched his jaw. He didn’t have time for this.

Another ragged gasp pulled his focus back to Cometeater. The smaller mech was still on the ground, curled in on himself, his whole frame trembling with the force of his panic. Even if Jeopardy wasn’t currently trying to push his way in, Dropmix didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what triggered the response, he had been–

Oh.

Slag.

Dropmix was the problem. That was the only possible possibility. The only thing that could have triggered this other than touch. But he knew, touch couldn’t have been the only thing. Not with the way Cometeater was looking at him. He knew what Cometeater saw when he looked at him.

Not a medic. Not a healer.

A gladiator.

A monster.

What made it worse, he wasn’t wrong. Cometeater had every right to think of him as a monster. Dropmix was a monster, an unforgiving and cruel one. One that tried to hide itself under layers of suffocating code and a claustrophobic amount of armor that didn't belong to him. He was nothing but a filthy liar, a badge proclaiming safety and healing strapped to his chest as a mask. He did not deserve to be trusted. He had earned that fear.

Dropmix had torn mechs apart with his bare hands, with the weight of his frame, with the sharpened edges of his fingers, his teeth. He had left bodies in the sand of the arena, discarded like nothing. They were nothing. He had done things that no badge, no medic’s insignia, no carefully constructed lie could ever erase.

And Cometeater had seen it all. He knew.

::Fine, just tell me if you need something::

Jeopardy’s response made Dropmix tense, pulling him from his thoughts. Dropmix exhaled, slow and controlled, before sending a final response.

::I will.::

It was a lie. Dropmix wasn’t able to see if Jeopardy made that expression.

But he wouldn’t call Jeopardy. Wouldn’t ask for help. This was his problem to deal with. Cometeater was his problem. The young medic wasn’t allowed to see Comet for what he was, he couldn’t see Dropmix for what he was. No one could.

Dropmix looked at the sad excuse for a gladiator on the floor and he took another step back, just to be sure. Just to give Comet more space. His hands remained at his sides, loose, non-threatening. It wouldn’t matter—Cometeater wasn’t looking at him. Not really. His eyes were unfocused, staring past him, through him, seeing something else.

He chuffed. The large gladiator knew he couldn’t fix this, not completely. But he could try to keep it from getting worse. His voice was quieter this time, more even. “You’re not in the arena.”

Comet flinched, pulling into himself more, whining. He shook violently with the force of his sobs. He somehow managed to press himself further into the wall. For a brief moment, his breath hitched—then it resumed, uneven, uncoordinated. His glassy eyes remained wide.

The large mech looked down at the ground and lowered himself down. He was careful to not move too quickly or look like he was getting ready to strike. Dropmix ignored how his armor dug into his plating in a few places at the uncomfortable angle. His knees were pressed up against his chest in an effort to not invade the others' space and make himself not loom as much. He was too big to become small enough to be considered non-threatening, but he could try.

Dropmix didn’t look at the other, averting his gaze to the ground where his energon had dried from earlier when the music had paused. He exhaled through his vents, slow, steady. The sound was drowned beneath the rapid breaths of the other. He hummed slightly, attention shifting to the music playing in his own head—soft, distant, barely audible.

He used his HUD to reach out to the speakers of the personal room. There was no guarantee that it would work, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. The quiet lulling music filled the space around him. They never played music during a match, at least not audible for the gladiators, and definitely never anything like this. There were no words, only the ebbing of an orchestra. This had been the kind of music Theremin had first introduced to Dropmix, back when he was struggling with his own violent outbursts. The medic had hardly known him at the time.

For a long time, Dropmix hadn’t understood why Theremin had done it. Why music, of all things, had been his answer. It had never been enough to stop the outbursts, not really. But afterward? When the adrenaline had burned out, when the weight of his own hands had settled heavy on his frame? It had always been able to help the dust settle a little faster.

But it was enough now, music was enough to stop him, to keep the monster at bay. The headaches and migraines were a small price to pay for control. Theremin’s theory may still be beyond his understanding, but it had given him an idea. One he had taken further than the medic ever intended. He had tested it, tweaked it, pushed it past its original purpose. Messing around with the coding of a couple guardian mechs perfected the practice—

Cometeater had moved.

Dropmix’s eyes flicked over, tracking the shift. The creature was still pressed against the wall, still shaking—but not as violently as before. Dropmix stayed still, watching the minute shifts in Cometeater’s frame. He was still curled up, still cornered, but the trembling wasn’t as violent. His breaths were still too fast, but there were brief moments between them—tiny gaps where his body tried to regulate itself.

The gladiator let out a slow exhale through his vents. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t move. Just let the music fill the space between them—it was a gamble, but it was the only thing he had left to offer.

Cometeater’s fingers twitched against the floor, talons scraping against the metal like he was testing reality—testing if he was here instead of wherever his mind had dragged him.

That was something.

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

Im so sorry @quibble-auk

It made me laugh