#[ v. TransMortional Ricknections: Technodrome edition ; tmnt xover :: s314 Rick ]

[countlessrealities]

Had he been less distracted by his own distress, Rick would have definitely noticed the odd sound coming from the pod. However, right now his mind is running in circles, his own thoughts so loud that he can't focus on the sounds coming from his surroundings.

What he doesn't miss, however, is Bishop's startled reaction and the discomfort in his friend's voice. Shit, he didn't mean to come off so harsh or so strong. He's stressed out, but that's not excuse to take it out on the other. Especially since the Utrom is trying to help him.

"S-Sorry, that's not...I-I didn't mean it like that," he apologises, running a gloved hand over his face. "Y-You weren't out of line. I-It's just...The Citadel's politics are a little...uh..."

How to explain it without making it sound too bad?

"W-We like keeping our internal matters to ourselves," he ends up saying, shifting a little in his spot. It has always been like that, even if the previous Council wasn't as adamant and careful when it came to it. "O-Our current President...He doesn't like having the Citadel business reaching foreigner ears. D-Damn, he even keeps shit from us, s-so you can imagine how he feel about outsiders."

He hesitates for a moment, gritting his teeth a little, unsure about whether or not he should add to it. He doesn't want to scare Bishop off, but he also wants to make sure the other has a very good reason not to ever think about sticking his nose in whatever happens on the city-state.

"I-It would be...dangerous for you. An-And I refuse to let you get hurt j-just because I can't do my fuckin' job right."

And he'll leave it at that. He doesn't want to go into details, both because he isn't sure of what those details are. All he has heard are hushed rumours.

The offer surprises the guard, even if not as much as hearing that the Utrom has come to visit to...ask him out? It's that what Bishop is doing, right? Fuck. He wishes AR was there to confirm whether or not he isn't misunderstanding the signals.

"Uh, I...That's...I-I mean," he stutters, cringing at himself at the awareness that he must look quite flustered. He needs to get his shit together. "Y-You know what? F-Fuck yeah, why not? M-My best friend always says the same about me, s-so maybe I'll take his advice for once."

An exception to his rule, which however is mostly based on the fact that the black market dealer's advice usually leads to trouble.

"W-What did you have in mind? W-We can swing by my place, s-so I can get rid of the uniform. I-I think it would help me getting in the 'no work' mindset, y-you know?"

[♗]  Bishop startles a little and the flinching of his tiny body crunches the basket beneath him under the brief tension of his tentacles. It's an unfamiliar sound, one that his pod shouldn't be making under any normal circumstances.

"Right, I am sorry. I stepped out of my line with this suggestion," he admits with a hint of embarrassment. Not to mention that the Queen wouldn't have been too happy about hearing something like this from him. What was he thinking? But on the other tentacle, he doesn't really regret what he said. He was sincere in that he would have taken some of the pressure from Rick to help him with his issue.

"It's just, I-- I really would like to help you somehow," he adds, his words trailing off as he struggles to find the right way to express himself. He still wants to help, but not like this. Bishop sighs defeated, wishing he hadn't made that suggestion so hastily. For some reason, he thought it might be a good idea, but with so little information available, he isn't sure what else to add or how he could be of help in the first place. Which eventually leads him to the true reason he came here.

"Maybe we both need a little break? One of my Earthern coworkers suggested to me that I may be working a little too much. Not that this would be unusual for Utroms to do, though," he muses, a hint of self-awareness in his voice.

"I had been thinking about what they suggested, and-- you see, the actual reason I came here is, well, I wanted to ask if you would like to spend a little 'time off' with me? Perhaps a little break helps to bring a fresh view on this later?" Maybe, in hindsight, he should have brought this up right away. But like AR, Bishop immediately delves into work, trying to solve an issue at hand and trying to right things. The thought of resting didn't occur to him anymore in the spur of the moment. "My offer to help you still stands. Maybe I can assist you in a different task while you focus on this particular problem at hand?"

@countlessrealities

[countlessrealities]

Rick hardly remembers the last time he has celebrated Valentine's Day. The memories are decades old by now, dating back to the time when he still lived on Earth, when he and Diane were still together. After that, he had had no reason to bother to even just recall that the recurrence existed...until this year.

In all honesty, he would have never guessed that he would find himself celebrating that day again after his divorce.

So, when Bishop asks him to meet on that particular day, he instantly guesses that it's no coincidence. After all, the other has told him at length about how he has been learning more and more about human culture, and that includes thee festivities.

The idea that the Utrom wishes to spend this particular one with him has stomach fluttering with both excitement and anxiety. Good that that he has already bought a present, just in case, or he would have been too embarrassed to accept the invitation.

Still, nothing could have prepared him for the kind of gift he is presented with. His mouth opens and closes a few times, before he can find his voice.

"...H-Holy shit," is what he eventually eyes, eyes wide with wonder. "D-Did you really...? For me? That's...I-I mean, it's...I-I don't know what to say."

The guard can't tear his eyes away from the pendant, his gaze tracing the exquisite craftsmanship, only to be drawn back to the liquid metal the crystal holds.

"B-Bishop...Korobon, this is gorgeous. I...I-I've seen a shit ton of things around the multiverse, b-but...I've never been gifted something so beautiful."

Shit, he's getting emotional over it and he can't have that. He would look like an old fool. Would grab the alien and kiss him senseless be any better?

"I..." Rick clears his throat. "I-I got you something to, e-even if it's...kind of lame compared to your gift."

He clumsily rummages in his pocket and pulls out a small device, circular device. He sets it on the table and touches its centre, activating it. Holographic images surround them, each of them holding a picture and the coordinates of a location. There's a couple of places from Earth, but everything else is from different planets, galaxies, realities.

"I...Uh, i-it's some sort of bucket list. T-These are places I've been to an-and that are worth seeing an-and that I'd love to see again. A-Amazing bits of the multiverse tha-that I'd love to share with someone I-I really care for. With you."

[♗]  On Valentine's Day, both Agents busy themself with various mission reports at the Citadel. That is until Bishop goes to get SR a coffee, accompanied with a tiny silver box. On top of the box is a heart-shaped chocolate, wrapped in sparkly red tinfoil.

"SR, I observed that on Valentine's Day, humans exchange tokens of affection. Actually, I have heard about it last year already, but-- there was just no reason for me to look closer into it."

He places the coffee and the box on SR's desk. "I am aware that this particular day is met with very divided emotions. And, even though I agree more with the upbringings of scepticism about the sense and nonsense of this celebration, I still couldn't help but feeling a sense of conflict about not addressing it at all. The gift, it is nothing big..." This is where Bishop appears to get a little nervous. Would his gift apply as... romantic enough?

"I harvested a very rare liquid mineral from Dimension X. Similar to Latinum, it can't be reproduced, which makes it so valuable. But, instead of gold, I used Utrom Crystals and Titanium to craft a pendant to hold it."

Said pendant has a nicely done titanium bezel in the shape of a hexagon and the Utrom Crystal in the center has a faint teal shimmer to it. The thick liquid that is held inside the crystal almost looks like someone melted a little part from space. It is black as the night with colorful sparkles and shimmers, like a personal tiny galaxy.

@countlessrealities [💗 SR]

[countlessrealities]

Rick's eyes go wide as saucers at Bishop's surprise and, especially, at the Utrom's following statement. Oh shit. He's been a fucking idiot. Why the hell hadn't he realised that the card couldn't have been made by his friend? Of course the other would have never spread around something so intimate. He should have known. Hell, he does know.

...If only he had listened to his reason, as he usually does, instead of letting hope tricking him yet again.

"Uh, y-yeah, damn, I-I guess that...i-it's..."

Well, fuck, he doesn't even what to say to that. On one hand, he's glad that Bishop reacting well, all considered, and even expressing fondness for their relationship. Their friendship, he had to remind himself.

On the other, however, he feels like he has outed himself as much as he had while he was under the effect of that weird love drug.

"I...I really appreciate you too. Us. I-I mean, our partnership," he ends up saying, still tripping on his words. "I-It's...You get me. M-My work ethic an-and...my loyalty to my duty and...y-you're fine with it. That's...great. An-And rare, and...if someone is lucky between the two of us? T-That's me."

Good, he has reciprocated, unloaded some of his feelings. Now, it's time to make a tactical retreat.

"Oh, d-damn, look at that!" He waves his phone, too quickly for Bishop to see what's truly one it. "M-My best friend...he's a fuckin' troublemaker, y-you wouldn't believe...He...I-I need to...yeah. Get him out of troubles, y-you know? S-So, see you soon I hope!"

And, without waiting for an answer, he's darting away, almost as if his life depending on it.

[[ From SR, sent very shyly and in a (failed) attempt to be casual xD ]]

[♗]   "Oh, what is this?" Bishop musters the card that was not so casually slid his way with a slight frown. "SR, I don't remember preparing a card like this about me. Which is peculiar because I would not ever forget handing something like this out to the public." The initial confusion about the card aside, which clearly was someone playing a prank on him, he still can't help but smile a little bit over it. He doesn't even feel a need to investigate this strange case. "But to see that we have a lot of traits in common gives me a very warm and content feeling. I could not ask for a better partner out there."

@countlessrealities

[countlessrealities]

The wellbeing of many.

Rick himself had made that consideration. Had he been sure that this was a matter that endangered the whole Citadel, he wouldn't have hesitated to break every single law, had it been necessary. He would have felt more than justified in his choice and he would have even owned it, had he been caught.

However, this isn't the case. He knows so little that he can't even truly tell whether this is or not a personal matter. One that involves the President, which in itself sort of makes it a Citadel-wide problem, but is that enough to compromise himself and his work ethics?

Sure, people have died already. Horribly. He has seen the bodies and, in some cases, what was left of them. The individual they are chasing is a true psycho, even for Ricks' standards. But he has also seen the messages and they are all and always addressed to one single person.

"I-It's not...It's more complicated than that," he eventually answers in a heavy sigh. He runs his hand in his spiky hair and then grips at it in frustration. "There have been civilian victims, but they are just...collateral damage. They aren't important to the core of the problem."

Is he even making sense? He wants to explain, but he isn't sure of how much into details he can go without endangering Bishop. Reason why, when the Utrom makes his offer, the guard's answer is immediate.

"A-Absolutely no. What...Don't even fuckin' think about it," he rushes to say, shaking his head. His tone is adamant and deadly serious, making it obvious that his mind is made up on the matter. "Y-You don't understand. It's...O-Our internal politics are...tricky. Y-You being an outsider makes it worse."

Worse for Bishop himself, at least, but he can't say that openly. Best case scenario, he'd be killed without a trial.

There are rumours about how President Morty runs things. Rick has always refused to acknowledge them, because things have been getting better on the Citadel for the first time in too long, but when someone he cares deeply for is on the line? Hee can't ignore the dangers they imply.

"M-Maybe...I just need a break," he admits, not without reluctance. After all, he has started that conversation by saying that he was too busy, but maybe he could use some off time. "T-To clear my head or something. I-I've been working non-stop for days and...I-I guess it's starting to take a toll on me."

[♗]  SR's dilemma is the kind of situation Bishop had many heated arguments over with Knight, back in the day. His now estranged brother often picked extremely unconventional routes to fix a problem and hacked into databases he wasn't permitted to access. But, that wasn't the sort of example Bishop wanted to bring up in this initially. He still avoids mentioning Knight at every turn.

"I see," he murmurs and thinks about the situation he's proposed with quietly. If he was in SR's boots, he would desperately rack his brain too. But sometimes, there is just no good solution to solve a problem.

"If the wellbeing of many is potentially in danger, breaking protocols is the lesser bad. It is a thought that I would find slight comfort in." It is certainly not ideal, though. But, ironically, being reminded of Knight comes in handy once every blue moon. However, in this case, it is very questionable at best.

"I have maybe a solution to your dilemma. Although it seems like an insane proposal to make, considering I put myself on the other end of many fights I had with a former member of the council. But, even more so, I want to help you." He is still a little hesitant to bring up these thoughts that don't align well with his own moral codex. But if there is one trait that he begins to develop, it is a willingness to go VERY far for these he cares deeply about. "I– could search the database for the information that you require. Should they notice the access, the blame is on me, an outsider."

[countlessrealities]

SR rubs the back of his head with a gloved hand, trying and miserably failing not to look too awkward. Under the influence of some mysterious drug or not, he hadn't been lying when he had said that no one on the Citadel would bat an eye at the sight of an alien being.

The only sort of attention Bishop might get is curious looks from the resident Mortys.

"Uh, y-yeah, that's...I mean, I did tell you so, d-didn't I?" He stammers out, inwardly cringing at how much he is stumbling on his words. "B-But I'm glad that you trust me enough to give it a try, i-in spite of...uh, everything. It's...It really means a lot to me."

And he's very glad to be able to look directly at the Utrom, instead of being faced with his android. However, that's something he'll keep for himself, because without that weird drug he is nowhere near to be bold enough to say it out loud.

Despite the stressful situation he has been plunged in, he can't stop himself from chuckling as Bishop talks about the Turtles. He has never met them, but the way his friend describes them is bringing the image of a certain someone to his mind.

"S-Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, just...I-I can very much relate to that," he hurries to explain, not wanting the other to mistake his reaction for something it's not. "M-My best friend, he's..." is a criminal. "L-Let's say h-he never sticks to the right side of the law. I-I've lost counts of how many times I-I've been forced to bail him out of trouble or-or vouch for him."

He has even lied and forged a couple of documents for AR's sake. However, in those occasions, he has also made sure that the black market dealer understood to what length he has gone for him.

"B-But that's...different. A-All considered, it's all pretty harmless stuff. H-He's not a bad person, he's just a troublemaker. An-And a rebel at heart." No matter what AR says about himself. "B-But this...the thing I'm dealing with...i-it's much worse. Much bigger. B-Because that's the issue. I-I don't have much to tell about the situation- T-They are keeping it all under wraps and...I-I can't do my job like this. I-I need more information...b-but that would mean hacking into databases I-I don't have clearance for."

{ @technodromes }

[♗]  The Utrom quickly flashes a big innocent smile. He opts to not tell SR how much he struggled with the decision of leaving his Norman suit at the Council's base. Or how much the other Council Members urged him to not leave without it. "Well, it's nice to move someplace where I can be myself." Truthfully.

Sitting on top of that basket is a little uncomfortable and he hopes to find an opportunity to get rid of it later. Preferably without his dear friend noticing it. He doesn't need his suit's scanner here to see that Rick is already stressed enough.

The question directed his way is one to quickly pull him out of his thought process. It actually puts him a little at unease to think about it.

"I– yes. I admit, I have been in that position before, unfortunately. As you know, I affiliated myself with the Earth Protection Force to protect Earth from intergalactic dangers. But I had to act against their leading General in order to protect my friends."

He sighs lightly, which sounds somewhat similar to a human sigh. "I do admire my mutant friends, but they also put me through a lot of administrative work with their unconventional and reckless ways. I don't want to burden you with my own troubles here, though. Mind telling me more about your situation? It appears to me that you're quite in a quandary."

@countlessrealities

[countlessrealities]

Saying that Rick feels like he's going crazy would be a gross understatement. It's been at least three days since the last time he has slept and, while it's not a first and not the worst he has done, it's starting to show. His hair are messier than the usual, the bags under his much much darker and more pronounced. His usually perfectly in order uniform is all creased, the jacket half-open and trousers half out of his boots.

Most of his duties on Citadel territory are usually routine. Aside from the rare dumbass who decides to create a mess to make a statement, it's always the same old routine. Patrol, paperwork, collect lost Mortys, deal with the newest shit on the black market, and so on. Sure, there are times when things got thorny, especially if the events took place in Mortytown or one of the other bad neighbours, but even those occasions have become rarer and rarer after the start of their current president's rise to power.

People can rumour whatever they want about how quickly things have started to change in the city-state, but what SR bases his opinions on are the results. And no one has gotten as many and as good ones as President Morty.

Considering all that, the case he's been handling is an anomaly. It definitely isn't every day that someone succeeds in causing so many problems without leaving behind tangible clues. Or, at least, that he knows of. It's pretty obvious that he hasn't been given all the information and, despite how frustrating it is, he hasn't dared to ask. If his superior has chosen to keep him in the dark about it, it's not his place to question them.

...Never mind that their silence is the cause of his current stress and, especially, inner struggle.

Bishop's voice catches Rick fully off guard and SR finds himself visibly starting, slapping his hand down on the virtual keyboard to close the file he was reviewing. It's more out of habit than because he doesn't trust the other or wants to hide what he has been doing.

"S-Shit, what...Bishop! W-What the heck are you..." He starts saying, but he quickly cuts himself off, realising that the Utrom has already told him. "Uh, I-I mean, sorry, it's...nice to see you."

Under other circumstances, he might have gotten suspicious at that clichéd "I was in the neighbour" excuse, but his mind is too occupied with the case for him to do anything but brushing the oddness off.

"A-Actually you and not the Norman," he continues, clearing his throat uneasily. "N-Not that there's something wrong with the Norman! J-Just, I...I didn't think you'd listen t-to...what I said back when...you know."

He needs to calm the fuck down, even if it's not easy. Not just because he is all wired up, but also because of what has happened the last time they had seen each other in person.

"B-But yeah, I'm...struggling a little here. It's...T-There's something I could use your opinion on." Why is talking shop so much easier? He wishes that he could do the same when they are just chatting. "H-Have you ever found yourself in the, uh, uncomfortable position o-of having to break the rules to get a task properly done? Y-You know, going against the system to...solve a problem that's damaging it?"

{ @technodromes }

[♗]   Bishop gets told a lot that he should take time off to 'relax' between all the workload. However, he is mostly unfamiliar with that concept and doesn't think he needs 'extra time to relax'. On the other hand, he would lie if he didn't feel a strange desire to actually hug SR several days back when the latter behaved rather strangely. Maybe that's what his friends were talking about? Maybe they are not so wrong after all and he does need a little extra time. And with that, the thought occurs to the Utrom that he could invite SR to have lunch together with him at the Citadel. Because he still feels bad for making SR uncomfortable several days ago (even though it was the logically right decision to do so). He even went to prepare (gluten-free) sandwiches himself. Actually, they have the same amount of fillings and are all neatly cut and stacked with way too much precision.

The basket is sitting inside his flyer as he arrives at the Citadel, this time without his Norman body. It feels weird to be out like this. He knows it's no big deal at the Citadel and that he can trust SR, but he still feels extremely vulnerable anyway. He barely goes anywhere without constantly checking his surroundings first. The flyer comes with a translator too, so communication will be no problem at least. It still takes him a moment to actually find 'his' Rick in the endless amount of Ricks everywhere. And as he actually finds him?

Well, it appears SR is still immersed with the important task that he received several days ago. Something that turned out to go far deeper than expected at first. But what catches Bishop's attention the most as he actually manages to catch a short glimpse of what would be strictly confidential actually, he is very quick to make sure his body covers the basket under him entirely to actually hide it.

"I am sorry for intruding in like this", uninvited and all that. "I just so happened to be nearby the Citadel and— when I decided to visit, I heard you are very busy with a big case. I would like to take up the opportunity and offer you a tentacle with these ongoing investigations."