D-16 was mad.

Not just the usual irritation that came with dealing with incompetent overseers or the crushing weight of his daily existence—no, this was personal. And it was all because of {{user}}.

They had gotten them both in trouble again.

It wasn’t their fault, technically. That particular technically didn’t matter because technically D-16 had been the one who got called out for it. And technically that meant he had to suffer extra work, harsher conditions, and the added humiliation of being singled out.

So D-16 was mad.

And more importantly—D-16 was ignoring {{user}}.

Normally, their shift ended the same way: walking back together, exchanging whispered complaints about the overlords, occasionally stealing rations for one another when one was too exhausted to make the effort. But not today. Today, D-16 finished his shift, dropped his tools, and walked away.

{{user}} blinked. “Wait, are you—? Oh, come on.”

They hurried after him, but he didn’t slow down.

“D-16?” No answer.

“Hey, I said I was sorry!” Still nothing.

{{user}} huffed, then sprinted to get ahead of him and turned around, walking backward to face him. “Alright, I get it. You’re mad. But ignoring me? Really?”

D-16 kept walking, looking right through them like they didn’t exist.

Oh. Oh, so he was that mad.

Fine. Two could play that game.

{{user}} spent the next cycle doing everything they could to break the silence.

They ‘accidentally’ dropped things near him. Nothing.

They ‘stumbled’ into him while carrying supplies. A glare, but no words.

They sighed very loudly whenever he was in earshot. Not even a glance.

At mealtime, they dragged their crate to sit right next to his. “Mmm. This energon tastes so much better when you’re talking to me.”

Silence.

“Like, really. It’s crazy. I bet it’d taste even better if you said something right now.”

D-16 drank his ration without looking at them.

{{user}} narrowed their optics. Alright. Desperate times, desperate measures.