[video]

[inthedriversseat]

[A teenage girl's face appears on the screen, she's sitting on a bench in a Genessia City park.]

So. Hi. How do these kidnappee introductions work? Is there a Miss Manners for the Kidnapped book I missed out on? Anyway, I'm Mikaela. I've been here for a couple of days, got settled in, seen the sights. I'm trying to figure out now where I want to live. Got any suggestions for me? Nova City looks cool right now, I mean, they have flying cars! It's like living in a sci-fi movie.

Comments

[innocent_royal]

[A younger girl shows up on screen. The background looks kinda girly. Obviously her bedroom.]

Nova is great. The windows in our rooms can show us different sceneries, so we don't have to look at just the cityscape all the time.

[inthedriversseat]

Hi. I didn't know that! Sounds great. And I've seen so many robots, though I haven't seen any transform.

[ She leans forward, elbows propped up on her knees. ]

But I heard it's expensive. I'm in high school, I'll have to make do on a part-time job.

[stillnotadragon]

Oh, I don't know - you could also go to the lovely little city where they eat people.

[inthedriversseat]

Yeah, how about no, that's not the kind of excitement I was looking for!

[Video]

[k2so]

[Hi, Mikaela, have a robot. this one is still sorta human sized. If humans were 2.16m tall.]

There's really no etiquette but a lot of people do the following:

1- Cursing

2- Threats

3- Crying (less common but still it happens form time to time.)

[ Video ]

[pianola]

I think home is usually about comfort.

[ Her gaze at the camera is steady and unblinking. ]

[inthedriversseat]

[ She looks dumbfounded for a moment. ]

Oh... hey! I didn't realize there are any Autobots here! You're a bit on the small side, though.

[ Well. Compared to Optimus Prime he is! ]

[inthedriversseat]

[ That unblinking stare is kinda weird, but oookay. ]

I guess it is. Or about what's familiar, at least. [ Not life her home life comes with a lot of comfort. ] There's not much of either here, but as far as getting kidnapped goes this place isn't bad.

[Video]

[solar_flare]

What's up? I'm Yang.

[The cheerful blonde is squatting on a stool inside what appears to be a home garage, something vaguely motorcycle-shaped next to her beneath a dirty oil-stained sheet.]

If you've only been here a few days, the Commons really aren't too bad. I'd hold off on choosing an apartment until you find a job, just to save yourself a long commute between cities. Sorry about the whole kidnapping thing, but you're doing a pretty good job handling it. Go you!

[k2so]

[Kay is matching that look right now.]

This is the first time someone calls me short. [RUDE]

What's an Autobot?

[pianola]

It could be worse.

[ Raises her head just a little. Her inflection doesn't change much, but there might be a touch of curiosity. ]

What would be more familiar to you?

[inthedriversseat]

Sorry. It's just you're... [ She wriggles her fingers at him. ] You're not house-sized. Every other robot I know is house-sized, except for the X-Box bot and the Mountain Dew one and that sort, but they don't really count.

[ Would probably be rude to ask if he turns into a kiddie car. But seriously. SO SHORT! ]

But if you don't know what an Autobot is... I dunno. Robots. Autobots and Decepticons?

[inthedriversseat]

Good question. My life got pretty weird just before I was brought here. This-here-isn't-even-weird-anymore level of weird. I guess normal small town life? School. Tinkering with cars. Normal life things.

[ Not much of that in her life lately, though. ]

[inthedriversseat]

Hi Yang. [ Have a little wave. She sure looks friendly, and Mikaela gives her a bright smile in return. ]

Commons are pretty nice, I've got a clean room all to myself for free... I mean, how much is for free these days? This is really the luxury cruise kidnapping. I haven't looked into jobs yet. I'm good with cars and bikes, but I don't know if anyone will hire a teenage girl as a mechanic. I guess I could wait tables or work in retail.

[pianola]

[ Considers that for a long moment, quiet for perhaps an awkward period of time.

Finally: ]

Attleton might seem the most familiar, then. Weird things even happen there, too.

[inthedriversseat]

What kind of weird things? More weird than cars turning out to be giant robots weird?

[k2so]

I'm a combat droid. A house-sized one would be....[there's a pause.]...actually pretty effective but also not easy to control or maintain.

I've never heard about them before. I'm a KX- series, name's K-2SO. [Very rude. Can you even transform Mikaela? NO, then he's not the only one.] Isn't Mountain Dew a drink? Did you hit your head upon arrival? I know a doctor and a few healers.

[pianola]

There will be a radio broadcast tomorrow about it.

The fact there is a radio broadcast about strange things is one of those strange things.

[ A brief pause. ]

Making a giant robot shaped like a car seems like a poor design choice.

[inthedriversseat]

Nah, he was like, a Mountain Dew machine. Then he came alive and boom transforming robot soda machine. It's... a long story, really. Long and crazy and if I told you all of it you'd really think I've hit my head. [ She shrugs. ] Or maybe not since you're an actual real robot, even if a small one.

[ Oops. Did that slip out again? SHE IS SORRY. ]

Anyway! Hi, K-2SO. Nice to meet you. [ You totally not short robot. ]

[inthedriversseat]

Well, they kind of... They transform, you know? Probably not. One moment they're a car and then you're facing a bipedal robot the size of a house. It's crazy. You've got to see it to believe it. But I guess there aren't any here, or the weird radio show would have talked about it.

[stillnotadragon]

Everglades. Might do well to avoid it in that case.

[pianola]

[ Completely unfazed: ] Why not remain a giant robot the size of a house?

[k2so]

That's...new. But I've heard a lot of crazy stories. Suffered some myself.

Again, I'm not small. I'm taller than the average droid and I'm sure you are much shorter than me too.

[UH HUH...yeah, he doubts it. ]

A pleasure to meet you, visually impaired human. [Since you keep calling him short.] Are there really droids as tall as houses?

[inthedriversseat]

Thanks. I'll cross that off my sightseeing list. I've had my fill of running and trying not to die.

[inthedriversseat]

[ Wow. Rude! ]

Hey, my eyes work just fine. Not my fault the Autobots are all huge. And I'm really talking huge. Bumblebee and Jazz are the smallest I've met and they're still taller than a house. Optimus is... Well, I think I was barely eye level with his knee? He must be something like 30 feet. Okay, Frenzy is tiny, but... Let's not talk about him.