mbv, Downtown and Rachel's apartment, Moonshadow
Pandita: *looking around worriedly at the other occupants of the cab he and Skylar are currently occupying. While it is true that Skylar lists them amongst his friends, young Thomas and Jacob are a bit on the pushy side when they've settled on a decision...*
Skylar: *Glaring daggers at Thomas and Jacob* I can't believe you two are dragging Pandita and me to a strip club on my birthday.
Cabbie: Here's your stop. *pulls over*
Thomas: *pays the cabbie and leaves a good tip*
Jacob: *Shoves Skylar and Pandita out of the cab, and then yanks Thomas out after he's finished paying* Skylar, man, you really need to lighten up...Besides, it's not like you're 21 more than once, so live a little!
Pandita: Miss Emilia was planning on a celebration at her place of residence...She'll be quite upset if we are not in attendance...
Thomas: Dude...seriously. Enough with the whining...This place is AWESOME. Girls with legs that go for MILES...
Skylar phone: *ring*
Skylar: *thankful for the distraction, steps aside to answer his phone* This is Skylar....
Rachel: And this is Rachel. Where are you? I just came to pick you guys up and there's no one home.
Skylar: *wince* Thomas and Jacob thought it was their job to make sure I went to a strip club. Rachel, I will pay you fifty bucks if you come and get Pandita and me NOW...
Pandita: *listening without appearing to*
Rachel: Give me the address, and I'll be right over.
Skylar: *tilts head and listens as Pandita gives him the address, which he then relays to Rachel* You're a lifesaver, Rach...*knows he's probably going to get glared at for that*
Rachel: No, I'm a Junior Mint. *hangs up*
Skylar: *Quietly to Pandita* The moment you see Rachel's car, RUN for it.
Pandita: *nods and gives Thomas and Jacob a look* Your 'friends'...don't know the meaning of the word 'no'....
Melissa: *pulling at her dress to try and get it to cover more of her body as she steps through the door and onto the sidewalk. But the moment she's out she starts to shiver*
Thomas: *Wolf whistle*
Skylar: *Attention on Thomas, and then on Melissa*...*concerned, moves closer* Miss? Are you alright?
Pandita: *moves to scold Thomas, and then he's also scolding Jacob for leering*
Melissa: *startles and looks up at Skylar with wide blue eyes* Oh... yes. It... ah. *is outside. She can't ask him to buy her a drink.... Now what? Her master's going to be angry again*
Skylar: *gently* Do you need help, miss?
Melissa: *frightened* I don't know. I.... *looks around again and shivers, then takes a step and twists her ankle in the painful shoes her master makes her wear*
Skylar: Whoah! *moves to catch Melissa* Easy.... are you alright?
Melissa: *frightened and in pain. Starts to cry*
Skylar: *clicks quietly without thinking* Shhh...C'mon....let's get you sitting down so I can check your ankle...*looks around for a bench*
Pandita: *takes off his jacket and gently drapes it around Melissa's shoulders, after giving Thomas and Jacob a look that makes the two young men back off and head inside the club*
Melissa: *stares at Skylar, her eyes wide as she recognizes the clicks. And then she's clicking back softly and brokenly, the baby language pouring out her sadness and fright*
Skylar: *eyes narrow slightly as he hears how frightened Melissa sounds. Glancing around quickly for eavesdroppers and seeing none, he switches from English to Cybertronian* [Easy...we're going to help you...alright? My friend and I know a medic...]
Melissa: *crying now, beside herself* [You're... you're....] *more crying*
Skylar: *clicks quietly* [My designation is Starscream...What's your designation?]
Melissa: [M... my last master... before this one... he called me Moonshadow.] *chokes on tears*
Skylar: *continues to click quietly, in an attempt to be soothing* [That's a pretty designation...] *pauses as what the femme said sinks in* [Master?]
Melissa: *nodding and lifting one hand to wipe at her eyes*
Skylar: *fearing the worst, but knowing he needs to ask* [You're...a slave?]
Melissa: *eyes lowered submissively* [Yes.]
Skylar: *frowns* [Is your current master the one who makes you wear what you've got on now?]
Melissa: [Yes. I....] *flushes and closes her eyes, cringing and ashamed*
Skylar: *clicks again and gently moves to rub Melissa's back* Shhh.... [is your master here?]
Melissa: *shakes her head* [He had to go check on one of the others. But he's going to be mad at me again....]
Skylar: *Matches Pandita's dark look* [others?]
Pandita: *Gently* [Why would he get mad, Miss?]
Melissa: [Because I won't have any money for him. No one... likes me.]
Skylar: [That's...that's not fair to you...] *concerned frown*
Melissa: *huddling and hiding in the jacket, her eyes on the ground*
Rachel: Skylar? Pandita?
Pandita: *looks over his shoulder to Rachel* Miss Rachel, I believe we have a young miss who is in need of medical attention...among other things...
Skylar: *to Melissa* [We're going to get you out of here...nobody has the right to enslave anyone else...]
Melissa: *gives Skylar a look that says she doesn't understand*
Rachel: ...You know I can't do much yet. *frowning where she's standing in the door of her car*
Skylar: *gently pats Melissa's shoulder, and then gives Rachel a Look* [Like slag you can't.]
Rachel: *blinks* Skylar... English. Remember?
Skylar: *Mutters something decidedly not polite in Cybertronian, before moving to help Melissa over to Rachel* Here...lean on me...
Pandita: *winces at Skylar's impoliteness*
Melissa: *scared and shaking, but leaning*
Earl: Hey! What do you punks think you're doing with my girlfriend?
Melissa: *really scared now!*
Skylar: *watches Melissa's reaction, and then narrows his eyes at Earl* So...'girlfriend' is synonymous with slave these days?
Pandita: *pinching the bridge of his nose now. He knows that look all too well*
Earl: *blinks and scowls* What the #$%#$ are you talking about?
Rachel: *leaning on her car roof and frowning*
Pandita: *Gently* There's no need for tempers, gentlemen... Can we not work this out peacefully? *Trying to keep Skylar calm...not an easy task!*
Skylar: *slight twitch of his right brow* It doesn't take an idiot to see what's going on here. Strip club. Young woman who looks like she'd rather be working elsewhere who mentions someone being mad because she can't get any money for said someone...
Earl: Aww sheesh. Melissa, did you forget to take your meds again? *then turns a glare back to Skylar* Look. So she's a call girl. People have to work now days. There's nothing wrong with that.
Melissa: *crying silently now and confused. She knows she doesn't take any medicine*
Skylar: *Smirk* You suck at lying.
Earl: *cellphone out* I'm calling the cops.
Skylar: Oooh, touched a nerve, did I, [Fleshbag]?
Pandita: Skylar...that's enough...maybe he's telling the truth...
Earl: *staring at Skylar* What the @$@%%$#@$@# was that? I don't have time for this. You $#@$#@ weirdos let go of Melissa now, or I hit this button.
Melissa: *showing clear signs of complete terror, including but not limited to a panic attack that ends in a dead faint*
Rachel: //I'm not detecting any trace of drugs in her system, Pandita.//
Pandita: ...*looking a bit ill now* *quietly* [...so Starscream was right...]
Skylar: *narrows eyes even further, as they shift from their normal blue to red* If there's one thing I hate more than people who enslave others, or liars...it's liars who enslave others... *Gently transfers Melissa to Pandita as he takes a step towards Earl*
Earl: Listen here, you holier than thou #$#@$#@. I never enslaved anybody! *presses the button and puts the phone to his ear to report some guys kidnapping a girl*
Skylar: *voice changing, and becoming more mechanical as he begins to transform, gaining height and bulk* [Don't try to decieve a Decepticon, you scumbag...] *Is nearly fifteen feet of red, glowy-eyed DOOM now*
Pandita: *backing up slowly* [oh great...]
Rachel: Starscream! *scowling and heading around the car*
Earl: *mouth falls open and then he joins with everyone else who just decided to RUN AWAY*
Starscream: *going for Earl, and calling him all manner of impolite names*
Rachel: *going after Starscream* Starscream, stand down! Starscream!
Starscream: *Too busy trying to make Earl wet himself, kthx*
Pandita: *Quietly as he makes sure Melissa is completly covered* Well...we won't be welcome back here...that's for sure...
Earl: *hits the crosswalk just as a taxi does... and winds up flying several feet and landing hard*
Rachel: Slag! *stopped, mouth open*
Starscream: *growls and goes to make sure Earl is still alive*
Earl: *isn't*
Cabbie: *hysterical*
Starscream: *Gives the cabbie a look, before shaking his head and scaling a building to get the heck away from the scene*
Rachel: *hurrying back* Pandita, get her in the car.
Pandita: *nods and gently lifts Melissa, making sure to wrap her in the jacket fully before gently setting the woman in the backseat of Rachel's car* Please do not be too harsh with Starscream...he did not intend for that human to lose his life...
Rachel: I know. *slips behind the wheel and slams the door, then looks in the rear view mirror* Hurry up.
Pandita: *gets into the passenger's seat and buckles up*
Rachel: *takes off at the speed limit* I just hope this doesn't bring any trouble down on our heads.
Pandita: It is hard to tell currently...*glad that he thought to grab the cellphone Starscream was using*
Rachel: Will you call Emilia and let her know what happened? *checks over shoulder and pulls into the other lane* I'll bring you back to my place.
Pandita: *nods, and calls Emilia, before quietly trying to explain what happened. Moments later, he's holding the phone away from his ear as Emilia shouts over it*
Rachel: *stopped at a light. Grabs the phone* Emilia! Shouting isn't going to fix anything! And I have a very frightened femme in my back seat.
Emilia: *Over the phone* You couldn't have STOPPED him with a tranquilizer?!
Rachel: No, because I don't happen to have the program on me. Besides, we would have had to carry his gigantic carcass home.
Lisa: *in the background* Emi, calm down...We just gotta make sure Skylar lays low for a few days and you know as well as I do that we need the extra hand around the shop right now and you know he's probably just as worried about blowing our cover as you are and *continues on in this same vein*
Emilia: Just...FIND him.
Rachel: He'll find us. We have Moonshadow.
Emilia: ...Fine. Just...report when he shows up. *Sigh* Of all the times...
Rachel: Light's changed. *gives phone back to Pandita and drives forward*
Pandita: *grave expression lightens as he talks to Lisa, who has ganked the phone from Emilia* Yes, Miss Lisa...We'll make sure he knows that he is to lay low...and that he is to be assisting you with keeping your shop organized...
Starscream: *flies by overhead*
Rachel: //You are so in trouble, 'Con man.//
Starscream: //what else is new?//
Rachel: //Don't you think you could try a little harder? Diplomacy might have saved Moonshadow without the added riot and death.//
Starscream: //That glitch-head was lying...and you didn't see how she was acting before he showed up.// *Databursts Rachel a video of the conversation*
Rachel: //No, but I saw how she reacted after you transformed. The shock of her fear could have killed her.// *switches lanes again and then takes the turnoff that will lead to the attic she inhabits*
Starscream: //She's a Cybertronian.//
Rachel: //And one who isn't very brave. We can die faster than humans in some cases, Starscream.//
Starscream: *Circles overhead, before transforming and landing in the tree next to the house* //Wheeljack's still not back.//
Rachel: //I've noticed. My hotplate hasn't been on fire for days.// *pulls into her parking spot and shuts the Tercel down, then gets out and runs up the stairs to open the door*
Skylar: *climbing down* //I figured you'd count that as a blessing.// *going to help Pandita with Melissa*
Rachel: *decides she's not answering that and instead throws things off the futon from whatever friend had been crashing there last and straightens out the blankets before heading to her room and getting a long soft nightgown*
Pandita: *quietly fussing as he and Skylar bring Melissa inside and gently set her on the futon*
Rachel: Alright, go clean the car or something while I get her cleaned up and take a closer look at her.
Pandita: *nods and ushers Skylar out the door, closing it behind him*
Rachel: *comes to the top of the stairs some moments later and calls to them softly* Alright. You can come back. Pandita, put my stuffie back on the mirror. You still can't keep him.
Skylar: *snerks as Pandita pouts a little in Rachel's direction and reluctantly hangs the stuffie back on the mirror*
Pandita: *sulking a bit, even as Skylar all but shoves him up the stairs*
Rachel: *has left the inner door open and there's only the screen door shutting out the warm night air and the moths. Inside, the medic is leaning over Moonshadow, who is now garbed in the soft gown and covered by a green flannel sheet, her face scrubbed free of makeup and her blond hair loose on the pillow*
Skylar: *opens the door, ushers Pandita inside, and then closes the door once he's inside as well* So...
Pandita: Is Miss Moonshadow alright?
Rachel: *quietly* It might not have been that man's idea that she was a slave. Look at this. *shows a mark on the back of Melissa's wrist that shows even in her alt mode* She was built to be one. And from what I've been able to see when I looked at her it's hardwired into her personality matrix too.
Skylar: ...*looking ill now*
Pandita: *looking just as ill, if not moreso, than Skylar*
Rachel: *sighs and turns toward the kitchen, thinking of Junior Mints for herself and coffee for the men* I thought we'd found them all and rehabilitated them. After this much time there'll be nothing I can do short of wiping her processor and making her start over.
Pandita: *abruptly switches to Cybertronian* [Primus almighty....what has the world come to since I have been absent?!]
Rachel: At least the 'Cons didn't get her. How do you want your coffee? One spoon standing up? Or two?
Skylar: *Flinches*
Pandita: *concerned glance at his friend*
Rachel: *no instruction being given, she makes two thick cups of Starbucks instant, then grabs a handful of Junior Mints and brings the cups over. Pauses when she sees Skylar's face* Slag. I forgot. *sets the cups down on end of the couch, and then picks one up and pokes it at him* Here.
Skylar: *quiet* Excuse me...*heads out to the stairway, coffee in hand*
Pandita: Skylar...
Rachel: *blocks Pandita from following with the other cup of coffee* Here. Sit down.
Pandita: *puzzled, but does as instructed*
Rachel: *makes sure he didn't accidentally sit on any part of Melissa, and then parks herself in the gimpy camp chair since all her text books are in Jack's armchair* *quietly, as she eats mints* Skylar's a Decepticon. You might have heard him mention it a few times back there when he was going after buddy there.
Pandita: *nods* I do not understand though....why does he seem so upset now?
Rachel: When people learn Starscream's a former 'Con, they generally assume he was just as horrid and malicious as his fellows... which he's not.
Pandita: ...I still don't understand...Starscream hasn't even told me how long I was gone...
Rachel: *eyes go wide* He.... *rubs face and grumbles at Skylar* From what I know... it's been around five million years.
Pandita: ...*shocked* But...that...that can't be... *trying to find the gap in his memories*
Rachel: *petting the massive Maine Coon cat that just appeared from her bedroom and claimed her lap* Steeljaw, you still have a lead butt. *sighs then and looks back to Pandita, not really knowing what to say*
Steeljaw: *puurrrrr, curls up and settles like he's going to fall asleep*
Pandita: *headshake* That...that can't be right though...I...I stepped through a transwarp field on accident while on my way to the Towers...
Rachel: You can get history feeds from Merlin, if you want. *puts a leg over the arm of her chair, partially dumping Steeljaw to one side a bit, then sticks another mint in her mouth*
Steeljaw: Mrrrrpt...*will get comfortable anyways! Purrrrrrr*
Rachel: *rubs his ears*
Pandita: *nods* I think I shall do that in the morning...
Steeljaw: *Puuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr**headbutt*puuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*
Rachel: *soft chuckle as she cuddles her small friend* Steeljaw, you are a massive suck up. *then looks to Pandita and starts to say something else, only to stop and pull her cellphone from her pocket and answer it. She's on her feet and gently setting Steeljaw down on the chair in the next moment* I have to go to Emilia's place. Will you and Skylar take care of Melissa?
Pandita: *concerned* But of course...*moves to offer gentle scritches to Steeljaw, who is giving Rachel a "...Hmph" look*
Rachel: *to Steeljaw* Bumblebee and the twins are there. I have to make sure they're alright.
Steeljaw: *ears perked* Mrrpt?
Rachel: They just PINpointed in. *gathering her black bag and some extra bits and pieces, including some of the clothes sitting folded in neat piles in the corners*
Pandita: *blink* PINpointed?
Rachel: *heading for the door* Merlin says it's a term for teleporting. Or something like that. I fell asleep during his explanation.
Pandita: Ah....I suppose I shall have to ask him about it when I request the feeds...
Steeljaw: *No longer in the chair, is nowhere to be found?*
Skylar: *leaning on the railing and watching the stars*
Rachel: *is used to Steeljaw coming and going. Pokes Skylar in passing* You and Pandita are in charge till I get back. But there aren't any beds, if anyone comes looking. Jack's is for the two of you if you need to sleep. *bustling on down the stairs and to her car as she speaks*
Skylar: *Absent nod, deep in thought*
Rachel: *pauses and looks up at him, then pitches a Junior Mint at his nose*
Skylar: *catches the Junior Mint and pops it into his mouth*
Rachel: *putting bag in car* Did you hear me? Bumblebee and the twins are out at Emilia's.
Skylar: *nods* Drive careful.
Steeljaw: *Slips into the car when Rachel's distracted*
Rachel: *makes sure not to close the door on the cat's tail* Jack's bed is open. You and Pandita are staying the night.
Skylar: 'kay...*goes back to stargazing*
Rachel: *pulls out of the driveway, and soon the lights of her car fade into the darkness. Silence falls but for night traffic sounds and a party somewhere in the basement of the old three story house. An owl hoots in the tall trees over to one side of the yard*
Skylar: *continues to contemplate the stars, until Pandita brings his cellphone out to him when it starts to ring*
Melissa: *back in the living room she opens her eyes and wonders at the comfortably firm surface beneath her. Something light and soft is over her... she's all covered up and comfortable. But she doesn't know this place.... And then a tiny little robot drone peeks out from under the armchair in the corner and she gives a shriek of fright and winds up wedged between the side of the futon and the wall, down where the ceiling is low*
Pandita: *hurrying back in* Miss Moonshadow, are you alright? *Concerned*
Skylar: *dropped his phone at the shriek and hurries back inside, then he spots the little drone* ...I keep telling Jack he needs to quit building those things...
Melissa: *crying hysterically and in pain from her awkward position*
drone: *stares, and then bolts and hides*
Skylar: *frowns and stinkeyes the drone as it bolts, before moving to click quietly to Melissa and try to help her back onto the futon*
Melissa: *clings, shaking* Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. *more tears*
Skylar: Shhhh...it's okay...that's just one of Jack's little drone-thingies...it won't hurt you...are you okay?
Melissa: *tries to move, and then cries harder*
Pandita: *clicks quietly to Melissa and moves to scoot the futon out so she can get up*
Melissa: *yelps and slides down further, her hands letting go of Skylar to flail*
Skylar: *Catches Melissa and carefully lifts her* Shhhh, it's okay...you're safe here...even if the drones are kinda creepy...*stinkeyes the ones that move from their hiding spot under the futon to a new hiding spot*
Pandita: *apologizing to the drones*
little green drone named Fred: *nods to Pandita before vanishing into the closet-like bathroom*
Melissa: Master's going to be mad. *shaking and once more clinging*
Skylar: Shhh...he won't be mad... *still feeling slightly guilty about what happened to the pimp*
Melissa: *softly* He... he w... will. *nodding and hiding her face on him, scared nearly out of her mind*
Skylar: *quietly* He won't....he...was hit by a taxi...and he didn't survive...
Melissa: *gasps and lifts her head to stare at him*
Skylar: You're free.
Melissa: *wonder changes to confusion. She doesn't understand what he means*
Skylar: You are your own master now...
Melissa: *confusion changes to stark terror, and she shakes her head as her blue eyes go wide and helpless*
Skylar: *frown* ... *gently* You're safe....nobody can hurt you or make you do something you don't want to do anymore...
Melissa: *clinging to him for protection, small and utterly helpless, and terrified in the face of something that she cannot understand*
Skylar: *clicks quietly and gently rubs Melissa's back, offering comfort*
Melissa: *hides her face against him, her hands white-knuckled on his jacket. After a few moments she starts to relax*
Skylar: *continues with the backrubbing and the clicking*
Melissa: *sighs and lets go the death grip on his jacket, but then snuggles close with the trust of a child, her eyelids drooping as she curls up slightly*
Skylar: *gently* Get some rest...
Melissa: *softly* Yes, Master.
Skylar: ....
drone: *pops up and stink eyes him*
Skylar: *Stinkeyes the drone right back*
Melissa: *sinks into slumber still hiding her face on him*
drone: *gives the end of her sheet a gentle yank where it's hanging over the side of the futon and puddled against the wall*
Melissa: *starts in her sleep and whimpers slightly*
Skylar: *Low growl as he glares at the drone*
drone: *glares right back and gives another small yank*
Pandita: *clicks quietly to both drone and Skylar as he moves the futon slightly so the sheet is no longer puddled against the wall*
drone: *happy peep as it vanishes through the now uncovered hole where an electrical outlet used to be*
Skylar: >/ Jack needs to quit building those things.
drone: *from under the futon, in tones of clear sarcasm* Jack needs to quit building those things.
Pandita: *Soft snerk*
Skylar: Shut up, Fluffy.
drone under futon: Thrrrrpt
Skylar: ...Do you want me to turn you into a Tribble? I'll do it.
drone under futon: *snidely* Do you want me to turn you into a Tribble? I'll do it.
Skylar: *rolls his eyes slightly and mutters in Cybertronian about getting a sledgehammer*
Pandita: Skylar...that's not very nice...
drone under futon: *has Pandita's voice perfectly* Skylar's not very nice.
Skylar: You little &%#*^.
Melissa: *sleepily* Yes he is. He's a hero.
Skylar: ...*and he's brain broken again...*
Melissa: *snuggles* He's nice. And strong, and good.
Skylar: *quietly* no I'm not...I'm just a Decepticon with a soul...
Melissa: *wakes the rest and looks up at him, those wide blue eyes full of trust and conviction* You saved me. Heroes do that.
drone under couch: *silent*
Skylar: *soft sigh* Get some rest, Moonshadow...we'll get you some clothes of your own tomorrow...
Pandita: *remembers the cellphone, and goes out to apologize to whomever it was Skylar was speaking with earlier*
Melissa: *snuggles close again with a sigh, her movements showing her contentment* Yes, Master.
Skylar: *making a mental note to talk to Rachel tomorrow as well, and see if there's some way Moonshadow can learn to not call him "Master"...and then he's moving to settle on the futon a bit more comfortably*
Melissa: *pulling up the sheet to cover them both, her eyes closed. And then she goes still with a sigh, her ear against his chest as she listens to his pump work*
Pandita: *returns with the cellphone, and a puzzled look on his face, before he pauses and settles in one of the chairs to await Rachel's return*
*and thus they pass the night*
((co-written with random_xtras))