thisavrou | video.

[never before has rey used the video function of her MID on the network. she's happy with relative anonymity, and would prefer to keep herself that way. but drastic times call for drastic measures. or, well, asking for help requires a more personable approach than she's used to. and showing her face is one way to do it.

the video starts out upside-down as she fiddles with the device, but she quickly rights it and after a quick shot of her face (hazel eyes oddly bright, grease smudged across freckled cheeks, more flyaway hairs than usual), she turns the feed to a droid. it's a new model, probably unfamiliar to most of the people from her universe, but still recognizable as an astromech droid.

one of its panels is open, revealing extensive wiring inside. the droid's head swivels back and forth, and every now and then it emits a few beeps and occasionally a low whistle. to anyone good at picking up on inflection, it sounds slightly worried. anyone who knows droidspeak can tell it's saying something along the lines of, "be careful in there." rey's voice comes from behind the camera, and she reaches forward into the wiring with one hand as she holds the MID with the other.]

This came in the... mail for me. I guess they don't just take things from our homes.

Anyone know anything about programming? It's a blank slate. [the droid whistles agian: "my program files are no longer blank."] I've got the basics--the latest generation of droidspeak and its basic functions. But I don't know much about subprograming.

[a beat. she'd really rather do this on her own, but she doesn't want to mess it up. a droid is invaluable here.]

Thanks.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So does it like... talk?

Or is it like the cleaning drones?

[bb-9 beeps at him--"i am capable of 27th generation droidspeak"--and rey gives it a gentle pat on the head.]

No, it can talk. Do you know droidspeak?

Uhhh... no.

Sorry little guy. I speak the cursewords in hand-talk though.

You will not teach my droid how to curse! [she says half-heartedly, mostly smiling. he should totally teach bb-9 how to curse.] Well, you're a mechanical being. BB-9 has a data probe. Could it somehow teach you like that?

[she pauses...... wondering. planning.] Or I could program it into you? Sorry, I don't really know how that kind of thing works for your race. [BUT SHE AGGRESSIVELY WANTS TO FIND OUT]

Edited 2016-05-21 06:06 (UTC)

It's kinda gotta have hands for it, chill.

[He uh. Abruptly gets a sort of strangled look on his face.]

Pro-- probe? Um!

N-no probes! That's cool! I could uh. I could learn the old fashioned way! Listening and everything!

[Please don't tamper with his systems, friend Rey, you'll find all his secret gay robot crushes.]

Well, no hands. Only probes. [she is going to use this forever to make him uncomfortable whenever he bothers her]

But I guess that will work. It will take longer, though. It took me months to learn just by listening.

Would you quit saying probes like that!

[oh my god don't be so gross why are humans weird.]

Ughhhh... maybe there's a translator upgrade somewhere...

Like what?

Maybe someone from your world would know.

Like that!

Maybe. But not Megatron. Don't ask Megatron.

Like what?

Why not? He seems fine.

Like you're making it a dirty word.

He's the total opposite of fine.

I don't know what you're talking about.

How?

You so do.

Uh, like, war on a whole planet bad.

Do not.

Oh. Well I'll have to remember that the next time I talk to him.

Do too.

[CHILDREN.]

... Why are you talking to Megatron?

Do not.

Just having a chat. It's no big deal.

Do too.

Yeah, but... he's. Bad. Bad news. He's the reason the whole planet got wiped out!

Do not.

[a beat]

Yeah. Okay, that's pretty bad news.

Do too.

[He's going to try and win this argument.]

Told you! Just... be careful, okay? I mean he's huge and stepping on people is ... probably pretty easy for him.