[ well , if he’s inviting . . . gently placing a hand on their head . very carefully rubbing an ear with their thumb . ] wait , telamon did /this/ ? and they didn’t even try to fix you up ? by no means would it be easy work , but the least they could do is not leave you with damages like +

used to be way longer ? what happened to your ears ? . . . huh . now that i actually kind of look at them , it does look like they’ve been torn . [ about to reach their hand forward to touch them — but then realizing ! dude ! that’s rude ! withdrawing their hand . ]

i don't know ! i haven't tried that before . . . i don't even know if i have a function to play any tunes directly from me . [ antennae twitching as they heard that completely messed-up sounding tune . raising an eyebrow . ] does that sound come from your antenna ?

there's no issue with singing ! i just don't do it ! singing just isn't for me ! :/ [ they just didn't want to fumble and embarrass themselves in front of scripter ! not to mention , they probably wouldn't be a good singer -- ]

no thanks . i don't -- well , you're right ! my voice /is/ really pretty but . uh . [ . . . a shy glance down . getting flustered . ] . . . i don't sing .

i . i don't know ! i just thought that singing was just something to entertain someone , or like -- a crowd or somethin' . i never considered it to be a thing you could do alone . [ itching their nape awkwardly . . . ]

[ looking around . ] why ? no one's around .

what are you doing 🤨

[ huff . bored . ]

[ resting at their station , charging . . . but they weren't asleep . sitting there , trapped in their own thoughts . ]

THANK YOU . just — get over here as fast as you can . . . . i’m not crying , by the way — ! i’m just cold ! i don’t cry ! [ they were definitely crying . ]

I WOULD BE FINE IF I DIDN’T HAVE 25 ON MY BATTERY , YOU IDIOT ! ! [ snnrrf . sniffle . gathering their coordinates , and sending it directly to 89 . ] you’re almost as much of a headache as the boss ! god , you are annoying !

[ dead silence as realization settled in . ]

. . . wait is it actually snowing later .

why would i need a ride ? ! especially from you ! hell no ! ! 💢💢

>:( shut up ! ! shut up , shut up , shut up ! !

😔 [ dramatic sigh . . . slowly but surely walking back to base . ]

wh -- HEEEY ! ! WAAAAAIT ! GET BACK HERE ! ! I'M SORRY ! I DIDN'T MEAN TO PISS YOU OFF ! ! [ no , no . they definitely meant to piss it off . they just don't want to walk home ! . . . shit ! kicking a rock , beginning their walk back . groan ! ]

[ staring up . . . they figured that's what he was doing . luckily , 75 can't hear all that scolding ! simply sparing themselves the headache ! it's the method . ] i can't HEAAAR YOU , YA NEEERD ! !

[ getting flung quite the distance ! luckily , hitting a surface -- halting the distance gained . they'll return shortly . . . and they did ! grumpily looking at the mech , having a cracked gui screen face ! ]

[ agitated grumbling ! they're mad now ! picking themselves up off the ground , and purposefully scratching the paint on the mech with their claws ! oh , how dare ? ! ]

wwaAUGH -- ! ! [ a harsh landing from being launched out ! landing right on their face ! yeeooow . . . ]

[ MIDDLE FINGER RIGHT BACK AT HIM ! ! MMMBLEEEEH ]

oh i know . it's so over for me but it's funny as hell so i don't CAAARE ! NYEEEHHH

you're ANNOYING ! HAH ! oh it feels SO GOOD to say that

muting boss on my communicator because im bored

[ wiggling their horns curiously ! . . . grumble . ]

[ trying to adjust their antennae . . . their reception felt wonky — OW ! ! shaking their hand around . . . . guess they won’t be dealing with that . ]

[ slumped over . completely ragdoll ! it seems that they got themselves into sleep mode . . . ]

i think i should go in for another checkup eventually . i feel like i've got a loose screw in there . . . . i don't really feel like getting that checked out though ! mbleeeeh !

no ! not at all ! it's just . . . i'm more invested in something else ! you don't matter to me right now , so why even bother with you ? [ shoving his claw away ! then , turning their head away ! haaarumph ! ]

. . . no ! if i did that right now , it'd totally fuck up the holiday vibe .

'cuz i could totally beat ur ass despite my height

IT'S NOT MY FAULT I'M SHORT ! ! BLAME MY STUPID FUCKIN' BOSS ! ! !

[ this robot is WARM and COZY ]

// btww im gonna say this right now my 75 portrayal goes by they/them and strictly they/them ... no he's please

— ! ! [ running up and trying to bite at the bag on the hook ? ! are they stupid ? ] GIVE ME GIVE ME PLEASE

YEAH , I DO ! ! or some mozzarella sticks . . . or some c00l ranch doritos . . . [ drooling emoji ? ]

UGH ! i miss pizza on fridays . i know it’s not friday , but i just have a craving ! i didn’t get any pizza LAST friday , and , well — yeah , i GUESS i get why i didn’t get any last friday , but . . .

how did that happen ? did you somehow break them ? or did they just break on their own one day ? [ bringing them closer once scripter was under their arm , wrapping them into an embrace . simmering down the heat on their heater just to make sure scripter wasn’t getting burnt ! ]

[ blink blink — looking over at scripter ! big tail wagging ! ] yeah — it’s really , really cold out ! i gotta have my heaters on so I don’t begin growing ice on me . [ holding their hand out , feeling through scripter’s fur . ] wh — geez ! you’re cold ! what the hell !

[ laying about , being lazy . heaters on ! not trying to freeze over here ! ]

at least I don’t have any work 😁✨

i hate winter so much because i have to always have to spare resources for my heater so i don’t grow ice on my joints

oh , you /will/ be ! that pizza place is a massive target for our attacks because it's just so easy ! you'll definitely be deployed there someday . when you do , punch that guy in the nose for me ! you'll know his stupid smile when you see it ! [ they laughed ! still flying the mech +

[ just as they were about to agree whole-heartedly , they thought about what may follow after that . keeping the mech's rockets on , keeping it in the air . . . a tiny grunt as they changed their mind . ] urgh , i hate that pizza place almost just as much as boss does ! that stupid worker +

[ the expression on their mask lit up once 89 actually did what was asked of him ! a confident smile as they got their pilot position ready . . . ah , they'll definitely miss this . ] i guess i can get how the layout of the control panel may be a little daunting at first . i can't say +

that's the shield ! that's nowhere near the gun selection ! [ letting up , returning to a proper posture . then , pointing at the gun rotation button . putting an emphasis on where it was . ] you should take notes of these things , 89 . i won't be here for much longer , so you should +

. . . 💢 [ well , all that concern 75 had about their own posture somehow just , vanished ! leaning back now , not keeping upright anymore ! ] and maaaybe if you listened to my /awesome/ advice , you would actually know how to drive c00lm3ch ! tell me , which button is it to switch the guns ?

i know this is how it is , i'm just saying it sucks ! ! is this fine ? i doubt you're comfortable , but i just want to make sure you're alright with settling like that for the time we spent in here . [ making sure to keep their posture upright so that they weren't completely leaning against +