#The parts where Optimus and Ratchet interact live in my head rent free especially the whole Optimus shielding him from an explosion part

[silverior968]

Look, I know that Ratchet being so different in RiD15 than in TFP is a thing of like different genre and target audience or whatever but I think it's funny to come up with possible in-universe reasons, like:

[Image ID: Several digital doodles, accompanied by text. The first one in the top left is of TFP Ratchet, looking tired, with the text "Poster boy of mental health issues" written next to him. To his right is an arrow pointing to the right, with the text "like 5 years". At the other end of the arrow is a doodle of RiD15 Ratchet, smiling, with the text "joyful individual?". Below the first drawing of TFP Ratchet is the number 1. Accompanied by the text "He's been doing just as bad, he's just currently having a good time". To the right of the text is a drawing of RiD15 Ratchet shinjiposing (sitting on a chair with his head in his hands, top-down perspective). To his right is an arrow pointing to a drawing of RiD15 Optimus and Ratchet, both smiling and blushing with their eyes closed and with flowers floating around them, indicating happiness. Below the drawing of Ratchet shinjiposing is the number 2. With the text "spite" in big letters, and the text "for the government" in brackets. To the right of the text is a drawing of one of the councilmembers with a speech bubble that reads "Optimus Prime sucks and so do you so we're like banishing you or whatever". Ratchet is drawn looking bored with a thought bubble that reads "damn, now I have to get better". Below the drawing of the councilmember is the number 3. accompanied by text that reads "having a little buddy to hang out with is really good for your mental health". The text is accompanied by a drawing of RiD15 Ratchet and Undertow sitting next to each other, both looking deadpan. The text "dead silence" is placed above Undertow and the text "+1 Mental health" is placed next to Ratchet, repeated 12 times like how status updates are placed in video games. / End ID]