ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴅᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ

Independent Transformers One D-16 RP blog Sideblog to @forgedcold

[tyrantrising]

headcanon / going on a tangent about D-16. I think it would be neat if D-16 was more angry than what he let on and followed the status quo less because he was complacent / 'it is what it is and Primes are cool', but more he was afraid of the consequence of breaking the rules. I like the idea that he might silently rage, or express his frustrations with the caste system through private journals whenever he can get his hands on a datapad. He doesn't share them, even with Orion, out of fear that he might be caught.

He's afraid to be as bold as Orion, and is afraid for Orion, and he thinks his only way to get out is through doing his job, following the rules, and earning promotions. I feel like this would present a neat contrast where Megatron looks back and hates how fearful he was.

The idea, too, that D-16 would struggle with what to believe. Whether it's Orion's we deserve better than this and sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands or to do his work because he has value, or so Sentinel says.

I could see him in the barracks sitting and quietly seething in his pod (idk what they're called) and just repeating to himself: do your work because your work is good for Cybertron.

He feels very much: I'm going to internalize my emotions and pretend I don't feel them because my emotions do nothing to help me. And all of that at a terrible cost.

[hengo-thepointman]

[tyrantrising]

ooc. someday i'll make a pinned post but i follow back from @forgedcold. same rules apply.

[tyrantrising]

💬 Elita-1?

Send 💬 + [character name] for my muse to talk about that character!

"Elita is...always in a good mood." That may be a bit sarcastic. "She's tough, dedicated. She wants to get a job done right — and safely. She's definitely no nonsense."

D-16 hesitates because he doesn't really know Elita outside of being his supervisor, and he knows she would be out for his energon if he framed her in a bad light. He vents, shoulders sagging a bit. D-16 doesn't say it, but he thinks of Jazz and worries if she values following protocol more than the lives of her workers.

It's expected. Their line of work is dangerous. Injury and death are common. The only one who has his back is Orion Pax.

He thinks, at least, Elita wants to care. But protocol comes first; there's plenty of bodies to fill the gap if the worst possible thing happens. If she became attached, it'd be impossible to succeed without a demotion, not if she had to constantly endure spark-wrenching loss.

She deserves better, he thinks.

[tyrantrising]

The betrayal is Orion went from being a skeptic to becoming a Prime — a figurehead of an era of corruption that forced blind allegiance. The irony is the masses went from realizing their oppression, damning Sentinel in some capacity, and then immediately putting their faith into someone who had been a Prime for about five minutes.

[tyrantrising]

💬 + Orion Pax

Send 💬 + [character name] for my muse to talk about that character!

"Orion? He's..." D-16 trails off, glancing around to make sure his friend isn't within auditory range. He hesitates. "You're not going to use this against him, are you?"

D-16 has very basic communication equipment, only what is necessary to perform his function as a miner. He isn't sure where these anonymous inquiries are coming from — he worries a higher up is trying to gather intel. And Orion, well, he's a known rulebreaker. He doesn't want his words to damn him into a demotion, or worse.

"He's one of the best workers down here. He won't leave a job unfinished and he's sure to exceed quota, not just meet it." D-16 bites his lower lip, unsure if it's safe to say Orion looks out for his fellow miners, even if it means risking his life. "He inspires me to work harder, challenges me to be better."

More than who I think I'm capable of being.

"He's great for morale."

Great for pushing me out of my comfort zone and showing me what I deserve. For believing in me when I didn't know I needed someone to believe in me. For helping me recognize I have a purpose. For giving me happiness. For making this dark, miserable, Primus-forsaken world brighter.

For caring about me when no one else ever has.

[tyrantrising]

ooc. i meant to be on here today but my tummy says no

[badassitron]

tyrantrising replied to your post:

"Only a little?"

"I mean, yeah! There's other stuff you could do to him that'd be way worse. Like burying him in a hole and making him sort garbage until his joints rust and his pretty golden patina wears off completely!"

"Death is one and done. Suffering is forever."

[tyrantrising]

"Putting him in a sublevel no one knows exists — a grave where he's buried alive by the waste of the ones he's oppressed — and left to die alone? I like the way you think, B."

[floofmemehub]

Send 💬 + [character name] for my muse to talk about that character!

[rammyroe]

you didnt understand, and i couldnt explain.

[tyrantrising]

Get hugged. Is this a wise idea? Maybe not, but damn. Hugs are amazing.

At the sudden embrace, D-16's optics go wide.

He blinks.

He looks down, seeing B-127 with his arms wrapped around him. "Uh...you okay B?" Carefully, he sinks down so he isn't looming over the smaller bot and gives him an awkward half-hug in return. "You can ramble about it if you want."

[compaculaaa]

Change

Based on this lol

[tiris]

"  what ?!     me,  not have a reason for keeping  you  around?  "     orion brings one servo around to clutch at the gaping hole in the center of his chassis,  feigning shock.     "  as  if !     c'mon,  d,  we're like ... attached at the hip joint !     there's  no  me  without  you,  right?  "

the ambient light of the miner's quarters hopefully does something to mask the faint twinge of blue that rises into orion's cheeks at the stupidity of what he's just said,  especially when combined with the gift that he's about to give to his friend.     is this a step  too  far?     oh primus,  he's starting to second guess himself—— & that won't do.

"  well ... only one way to find out !     c'mon !  "     orion's free servo snaps out to encircle d—16's forearm,  tugging him along behind him in a mad dash through the crowded halls of the mining complex & down towards the shaft they'd left earlier in the day.     he barks a mixture of apologies & greetings & goodbyes to mechs as they pass,  earning them a variety of responses in return,  from curses to mumblings of 'typical orion pax'.

typical  orion  pax.

it doesn't bother him that no one knows him quite like d—16 does ;   if anything,  it only makes their bond  that  much  more  important  to him.     d—16   (  who is wonderful for doing it  )   is the only mech that has bothered to get to know him,  to talk to him like  an  equal  instead of an annoyance.     his optimism is often viewed as a pain in the aft,  a virus,  a sickness,  something that needs to be worked out of his system to everyone else ... but not to d—16.

the crowd thins the closer they get to the entrance to the mine.     keen optics flick to either side,  then over his shoulder to ensure that they aren't seen,  before orion is abruptly turning to the left & wrenching open the door to a storage closet for old or otherwise out of service mining equipment.     this spot will be  perfect,  at least if everything works as it should ...     so he drags d—16 into the room & shuts the door behind them,  the sudden & oppressive darkness lit only by the glow of their optics until orion briefly clicks on his headlamp & adjusts it to its lowest setting.

"  okay okay ...here.     look.  "     a stabilizing vent,  then orion takes a step closer to his best friend & unfurls his digits to offer up a small holochip.     he lets d—16's amber optics linger on it for a moment before resting it on the pad on his own forearm to engage its program ;   instantly it explodes in a veritable kaleidoscope of color & light,  painting the walls & tools around them in the patterns & sparkling beauty of what is supposed to be  outer  space.

orion has to bite his glossa to suppress a whoop of pride.     it  works !     it works & it's beautiful & oh he hopes d—16 likes it ...

after a moment spent taking it all in & trying to slow the unstable turn of his spark   (  the splash of pinks & blues & greens over d—16's broad chassis,  the bright points of stars that glow the same warm gold of his optics,  the way the twinkle of the hologram dances along the steely silver of his plating  ),  he offers his friend a sheepish little grin.     "  it's ... allegedly,  it's supposed to be the sky on the surface.     i know it's ... kind of silly,  but ... since we'll never get to go to the surface to help sentinel look for the matrix,  well,  i thought ... maybe i'd  bring  a  part  of  the  surface  to  you.     make you feel like you're  part  of  it  all.  "

[tyrantrising]

No me without you. D-16 feels Orion's words twisting through his gears, straight down to his spark. His smirk melts into a boyish grin and he wants to find the words to somehow explain that it's more than being joined at the hip — that Orion is a part of him, like the t-cog he is missing, transforming him into someone better. But Primus, how lame would that sound?

He doesn't get a chance to consider it further when Orion suddenly grabs him by the arm and rushes him haphazardly out of the mining quarters. "Hey — wait, where are we going?" D-16 stumbles along beside him, doing his best to weave around other workers and equipment and ushering apologies for who and what he doesn't avoid. He nearly falls over when Orion suddenly jerks him into a storage closet.

Amber optics attempt to adjust to the sudden enveloping darkness as Orion shuts the door behind them. "Please don't tell me I spoke too soon about you getting away because this? This feels less like a gift and more like hiding. Hey!" D-16 shields his optics when the light of Orion's headlamp suddenly bursts through the darkness before quickly being adjusted. "Warn a bot before you do that!"

D-16, however, looks down when he's prompted, and he feels the heat of Orion's frame as he shifts closer. His optics find the small holochip, the mechanisms behind his lenses shifting and his optics burning brighter. For a moment, he wonders if his friend has found more information on the Matrix and is choosing to share the information with him, away from prying optics. A swell of warmth seems to rise from his spark — there would be no greater gift than seeing Orion's happiness.

Before he can ask, the chip activates and the room bursts with shimmering lights and color. In the cramped space, a noise of awe falls from his intake, and D-16 gazes upwards as the colors seem to dance and shift along the walls. Slowly, he looks down, turning over his arms and shifting to watch as the lights pulse and shine against the dullness of his frame. Looking outwards, he feels lost in the hues that drip over Orion's frame, the light of what he believes are stars sparkling in the blueness of his optics.

"Orion, this is...this is amazing!" he bursts with awe-struck excitement as he surges forward and wraps an arm around Orion's shoulders. He pulls him close, hearing the familiar clang of their metal slotting together. Basking in the moment, he's silent as he looks around the room, listening to the gentle timbre of Orion's voice. Eventually, D-16 looks to him. "Even if we never get to see it — the sky, the surface — I'll always remember this."

Letting his arm fall from his shoulder, D-16 reaches down to give Orion's hand a careful squeeze, gently leaning against him. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

You don't know how much it means.

[tyrantrising]

ooc. i am complaining.

someone in the megatron tag was telling """stans""" to take a seat because D-16 was a bootlicker and orion represented the challenge against the status quo - which they're right. but i think it's also important to take into account that D-16 was written as a devout follower to make his sudden murderous anger make sense and to make him take sentinel's betrayal that much more personally than everyone else. he was a diehard in wanting to have hope in his government / the system, which was meant to contrast how others, well, apparently didn't as much. i guess.

either way, i think it was lazy writing and a poor representation of D-16 and megatron's origin. TF1 failed to explain the rules of the caste system and why some Cybertronians had transformation cogs and weren't miners. it failed to explain why some of them had names and others didn't. i think TF1 failed at diversifying their culture by making everyone (minus the Decepticons) miners. it stripped D-16 of unique, personal suffering (not to say he necessarily needs that to decide to be a tyrant but it seemed to be the avenue they were attempting to go for) and made it so his anger didn't make sense. it felt abrupt and forced - like damn we have to make this guy evil now.

fandom in the past has yelled about orion coming from a point of privilege but i don't think leveling the playing field between him and megatron is the fix either. at least, not how it was done in this movie. i think some people don't take into account that regardless of orion's position in the caste system, he has always at some point become against his government (usually because megatron has opened his eyes to systemic oppression). so him being a challenge isn't y'know, unique to this movie.

idk if this movie was trying to say that megatron's anger isn't supposed to make sense, and if so, kudos to the writers they accomplished that. but it doesn't feel like the sort of anger that could be sustained for millions of years - at least not between megatron and optimus. and maybe that's the point. all of this could've been avoided if megatron had just taken a big old deep breath. sheesh.

so. i guess no. full offense. i'm not going to take a seat to a poorly done megatron origin story, which is something any """stan'"" (i understand there's some weirdo apologists out there) would recognize.

i will, however, write D-16 as the genuinely good person that - again i think - writers have been trying to say megatron was and could have been before his government forced him through a series of horrible traumas to become the monster they made him out to be.

[tiris]

⚔️ || @tyrantrising. — ( from. )

"  oh  come  on,  d,  i'm capable of doing things without you to back me up !     i got away  completely  by   myself  this time !  "

orion is grinning like an absolute lunatic as he approaches his friend,  a spring in his step in spite of all the running he's just done.     it's only fair that d—16 would be  dubious  about this,  given his rather wretched track record of getting into trouble & dragging the other miner down with him ... so orion  supposes  that he can forgive him for that.     it doesn't change how his servos are folded neatly behind his back as if he's hiding something,  something  precious  that he wants to give to the only mech in his life that really matters his closest companion.

"  c'mon,  d :   guess !     it's for  you,  after all !  "

[tyrantrising]

"Okay, Pax. I'm impressed. But, don't get too good at it now." D-16 gives him a smirk. "I'd like you to have a reason to want to keep me around."

He means it, even if his tone is playful, jesting. He wouldn't have anyone if he didn't have Orion. Maybe it is selfish, but saving him time and time again is a way of saving himself from the lonely, isolating misery of the status quo — not that he'll ever tell Orion that.

Instead, D-16 stares down a red and blue shoulder, following the arm until it disappears behind his back. "It can't be better than this," he says, gesturing to the decal on his shoulder. There's eagerness in his voice. "Or can it?"

[tyrantrising]

“You don’t talk much. I mean, that’s cool! It’s definitely cool. But I like hearing you talk? You have a nice voice, and sometimes I can’t tell if I’m bugging you or you think I’m glitching out when I leave pauses in our talks. I’m not! I wanna hear what you’re thinking. That’s what the pause is. I’m B, by the way. I dunno if you heard me the first time, or if it was quiet or you forgot.”

D-16 quirks an optical ridge. "You like hearing me talk or you like when someone talks to you?" He smiles, genuinely. "I know you're not glitching..." he trails off, looking B over as he tries to think of a nicer way to say he probably would've started talking to imaginary friends if he had been trapped by his lonesome in a sublevel no one knew existed. "Not a lot of people care to hear what I think. My guess is not a lot of people cared to hear what you had to say?"

He offers his hand to shake. "B for Badassatron, right? I'm D-16."

[tyrantrising]

“ d! d, you’ll never guess what i found today! “ here’s poor stupid orion, giddy with the excitement from his most recent heist from the hall of records.

D-16 glances around, looking for some kind of security detail trying to catch and detain Orion or a mining supervisor seeking to demote him — inevitably them. "Wait, you found something without needing me to save you?"