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[It's a video. Terra's somewhere outside of HospiTown by the forest in the background; it's late but not so late where he can't be easily seen. He looks like he hasn't been sleeping well, but otherwise alert.]

Hey there. I don't know most of you and most of you don't know me, so ... I'm Terra. I've been told in some detail we're here to save this place, and I intend to get to it.

['Now', apparently.]

Minervamon said she'd be leaving more detailed information later on, but for now I know we need to find Titamon and find the ARCloner as some first steps. It's a lot better than nothing to work with at all, but this world's a lot larger--

[A lot larger than most worlds he's been to. He can't say that, and continues after a moment of thought.]

--Than I expected. There's a lot of ground to cover. So I'm hoping to find some people willing to do some traveling. ...A lot of traveling actually. And willing to share what they find when they're traveling with everyone else. If anyone out there's got experience with uh, scouting, reconnaissance, that sort of thing, and willing to help, I'd like to hear from you.

[It's pretty clear Terra's not used to doing this sort of thing, it's all pretty awkwardly stated, with a bit of fidgeting here and there too, but he manages to stay pretty calm. This was a thing he was sure would help. Now if he could find enough people willing to help..]

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I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Experience is something we can all use about now.

I've heard similar. I suspect if we don't begin pushing our own training and not just waiting around for something to happen, we'll be in for a whole parcel of trouble soon.

[Training was one thing he can actually do with reliable certainty of not somehow botching it. Terra took some comfort in that. He might have failed at every other task before him ... but training, that he can do.]

Like the insect? That's pretty easy, yeah. I was expecting something a lot more electronic, honestly, but Bumblebee's just fine.

Are you currently in HospiTown?

[A chuckle, if he could.] I considered Autonomous-Robomech, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Bumblebee.

[Truth be told, Bee's been itching to meet others like himself. He's never one to sit around and wait if he can help it. Everything that Terra is saying has been weighing on his mind for some time now. It's a relief to hear someone else say it out loud.]

By the way? If Audio or Video suits you better than text, then by all means. Use what makes you comfortable.

I'm in the area. As for a rendezvous, if you want to meet up, we can make it happen. Though there'd be some complications.

'Autonomous-Robomech' would need a bit of practice. And I'd probably ask if there's a shorter version. Bumblebee is much nicer.

[Easier. He can admit it's just easier.]

I'm alright with text. This sort of technology is a bit beyond what we had back home, but I can use the practice. It's not going to just go away because I don't know how to use it.

I'd actually intended to ask you if you might have seen anything interesting on the way here; I assumed there was a reason you wanted to use writing instead.

Not much of interest aside from some abandoned buildings at the edge of town, the hospital, the cafe and general store. HospiTown's mostly just been a meeting hub for a lot of the refugees who were forced out of Tokyo. I'm meeting up with my team here too, but I'm not sure where we'll head next.

[And how to explain... Just quick, and fast is probably best.]

I was damaged in a fight many, many years ago. The transition to an organic body complicated things. The D-terminal is the most efficient way for me to communicate with others.

[Talking isn't an option. And now the reason why he brings it up:]

If we're ever in the field together in a dangerous situation, I won't be able to verbally communicate.

[Like if Bee spots a dangerous threat, Bee wouldn't be able to warn Terra. His digimon might pick up on his gestures, or feel his panic in time to say something, but he can't count on that.]

[There's another of those long pauses in any sort of a response; probably Terra wants to think about it before responding. Interspecies communication was sometimes easy but there's always the worry of not getting it quite right.]

So the damage that happened in your other form stuck when you came here. You're mute. Are your senses impaired any as well, or just your voice?

[That could be problematic, but a digimon partner could alleviate a lot of it. They could at least speak, likely. ... Did Bumblebee 'talk' to his own partner through text messages?]

I have an idea or two for that, if you're willing to possibly learn hand-sign. It won't be perfect but most of the time in scouting situations talking isn't really an option anyway.

[It just means keeping a sharper eye out. Nothing they can't learn to adapt to. Or giving Bumblebee some form of ... whistle. An alarm doesn't need to be detailed, after all, and panic buttons tend to just be shrill and noisy.]

Hey, speaking of your team. Are they going to be okay with it, if I'm asking you to pass along information you catch wind of? I didn't think about other people's traveling companions.

Just the voicebox. The rest of me is operational and combat-ready.

[Vanguard has always been able to detect his emotional states- It allowed him insight that even his close friends couldn't perceive. They were connected. However, developing a system of communication that wouldn't require talking?

The more he interacts with Terra, the more he's glad he reached out.]

That kind of communication system would be pretty useful. I'm in.

Unless you've wearing a Decepticon brand? My team won't have a problem with exchanging a information. They'll be kept in the loop. Besides, we can't solve this problem on our own. It's going to take teamwork to fix this.

[That and he'd keep an airtight lid on any information he felt would jeopardize his team, anyway.]

Speaking of which, you've gotten to know me a little. Your turn. You seem to get on pretty well in unfamiliar territory.

[Very adaptable! And so far nothing Terra couldn't figure out how to work around, which was even better. This matter of decepticons wasn't going to be a problem, since if he had no idea what they were he couldn't be wearing one! ... Probably. He takes a moment, out in the woods, to make sure his clothes haven't picked up a new mark. Just in case.

Dorumon helps. It's a good six or seven minutes before there's a response, after they're satisfied he's not been suddenly branded or something.]

It must have been difficult to get used to fighting as an organic too. We're not exactly as tough as metal.

As far as I can tell (and we checked!) I'm not wearing any brands at all, so that should be just fine. If your team's onboard with this too, then all the better. I agree; the more we have I think the better off we'll be. At the very least to have people to watch our backs.

[Terra knew the value of teamwork. He was loathe to put others at risk but ... if he had a couple people to rely on maybe he'd be able to protect them better. If he's not worrying about getting a knife in the back..]

Well. I can't say I was trained as a scout or fought in any wars, but this sort of thing is something that's gone into my apprenticeship for a few years. You could say I've been in training to be a troubleshooter and problem-solver. Normally I wouldn't qualify for this sort of a mission yet but I didn't have much choice in coming here.

[Boy, is Terra ever right about that.] Turns out this organic body could use some work. It's one thing to know how to fight. It's another thing having a body that can keep up.

And don't sell yourself short, either. Sometimes our most effective teammates weren't trained soldiers at all.

[They were human children and civilians, of all things. A fact that likely drove Megatron up the wall. He regards Terra's explanation thoughtfully.]

'Apprentice problem solver,' is it? Not a traditional title I've ever heard of. But I probably could've probably used someone like you back in my world.

An organic body can keep up with quite a bit if trained right. It just takes a lot of work. Usually daily work, that's my routine at least. If you're having trouble I might be able to lend a hand. As you probably already know, the daily maintenance is a real time consumer.

[For a mech, it had to be. Sleeping half the day away. Meals. Bathing. The results of meals. Clothing.. Terra can only guess at it, but it's a pretty good guess. A mechanical person wouldn't need to worry about most of that. What, an oil change every three thousand miles?]

I'm not useless or anything. I like to think so anyway! And a lot of time, being a trained soldier isn't really necessary. But it helps, especially for things like needing an experienced scout. Right?

The traditional title's a bit different, but without the understanding of the terminology it doesn't mean much. 'Problem solver' works well enough. Your world's run into trouble then?

['Keyblade master apprentice' would mean much less than 'apprentice problem solver', after all. Terra goes with the more universal explanation.]

[Mmm. Makes sense to Bee.] We did have a daily training regimen at home, but something tells me your routine would be better suited to what I am now. I just might take you up on the offer.

'Trouble' may be a bit of an understatement. 'All out war'? A little more accurate.

I don't suppose a 'Problem Solver' would be able to unseat any ruthless warlords from power, would they?

I'd be glad to help, especially given you've offered to help me.

Wars are messy. I've never experienced one, and I hope to never directly, but it might happen sooner or later. It's unfortunate you've had to. Sometimes we help with those kinds of situations, but it's not something an apprentice is sent to handle.

[And rarely; despots might be unpleasant but they rarely upset a world's balance of light and darkness. If they did, then someone would be sent to straighten it out.. but would Bumblebee's ruthless warlord count?]

Not much I could hope to do from here though. Maybe once the issues with the digital world are cleared up?

[He'd try! For whatever that would be worth.]

[Terra is certainly right on that count. Despite his earnest wish to make it happen, he'd mostly asked in jest. Megatron had proven to be the most dangerous enemy they'd ever faced, and it isn't a problem he would purposefully pass on to a stranger. Even if they could successfully remove Megatron from power, there was no telling how his forces would scatter, or who would make a desperate scramble for the position in his absence. They could be trading one warmonger for another.]

[Still, the sentiment is appreciated and there is humor in his text.]

That's all right. Like you said, wars are messy. I'll try and fix this on my end first. And when you graduate from Apprentice Problem-solver, I can show you what our world looks like during peacetime instead.

[Wars usually can't get fixed by just one person either. Hopefully Bumblebee's team, or his friends, or both if they're one and the same, will be able to help in that.

Numbers weren't everything in a war, but they sure helped.

Bumblebee can't see the wince when graduating is mentioned. He never will, not anymore. Thankfully, text is really bad at conveying emotion; he can just type otherwise.]

That sounds great. Hey, if we ever do run into each other in person, how am I going to recognize you? What do you look like now?

[Bee's oblivious to his discomfort. Instead of answering back with another text, he figures it's just easiest to change the feed to video and give Terra an informal, friendly salute with two fingers.

The face that looks back at Terra may slightly resemble a perky young blonde Terra knows... albeit aged several years into his late teens or early twenties. His eyes have a slight blue glimmer that is distinctly not human. Though, Bee doesn't have the same childish wonder as Ventus, having seen more than it's share of both grief and conflict. Still, they're bright enough with a smile.]

[That solves that question pretty easily!

And Bumblebee will certainly be recognizable, that much is clear. His eyes are a little odd but the rest of him looks human enough. And looked like he could be an older brother for Ven.

Which was impossible, Ventus wasn't related to robots. But the thought passes through his mind anyway.]

Huh. I think you'll be pretty recognizable. You ... look a lot like one of my friends back home.

[What was he doing right now? Or Aqua? Were they alright? Where would they go, with their world in ruins? Master Yen Sid would surely help, but..

Terra pauses, then blinks once, shaking himself out of his thoughts.]

Ah. Sorry. Thanks!

[Bumblebee doesn't change back to text right away. He watches as Terra's eyes eventually becoming distant. Like he's anywhere but here. A thousand miles away. He's seen that look on some of his teammates on occasion.

Once Terra comes back from... wherever he was a moment ago... Bee gives Terra a visible tilt of his head, his expression turning into that of questioning. His brows are furrowed in curiosity and concern.

Something wrong?]

Edited 2014-01-21 22:19 (UTC)

[Bumblebee might be mute but some things seem to transcend the language barrier pretty easily. As the no-longer-an-autobot looks puzzled, Terra quickly waves it off.]

Just thinking, sorry about that. You probably know how it is. You're here, some of your friends aren't.

[It's hard to not think about it. He tries though.]

[He gives the other a brief sympathetic look. And then it's back to plain text for Bumblebee.]

I do.

[Very much so. The moments before he'd woken up in this world were ones filled with urgency and desperation. His friends, his leader, his mission, his enemies - everything hung over his head like a dark, suffocating cloud.]

It can be a trying time for anyone. Especially when you don't know if your friends or allies are safe. When there's so many things left undone in your world.

[It takes him a bit to switch back and forth but he's getting better at it.]

Yes. At least I have the reassurance of knowing they're together. So long as they stay together everything should work out.

All we can do from here is hope for the best.

[Most others tend to have a preference for video and audio, as it's easier for many of them. Most others would stay with video rather than switch back as Bumblebee is often forced to. He's not sure why Terra is insistent on it. It could be he really is trying to acclimate to the new technology, or it could be a polite consideration on Bee's behalf. Either way, he appreciates the gesture.]

We may even see them again here in this world, given time and chance.

Right. Hope for the best and do what we can to fix the situation from here.

[Possibly there's another option, and Terra just hasn't figured out that these things can juggle text and video at the same time. But there's certainly an element of wanting to make sure Bumblebee's communicating in a way comfortable for him; being mute meant what, standing there and typing for him to see? That wasn't necessary. It might even be a little embarrassing.

Text is easy enough for now.]

hat's true, nobody really knows who might get picked up as one of these 'chosen children'. I can hope, right? Yours too. The more the merrier, I've always been told.

Edited (BRACKEEETS) 2014-01-23 04:42 (UTC)

Are your friends 'problem solvers' too?

[Because that won't just be merrier, that'd be ideal. If all of them are as proactive as Terra has been, it'd do this world some good.]

Yes.

[If Terra were completely honest he'd also note that when all three of them were in the same place occasionally they caused problems instead of solved them, but weren't most teenagers like that?]

Don't worry. If they arrive here, either through the digimon or tracking me down, they'll do everything in their power to help out. I'm certain of it.

[Bee and Smokescreen are close to teenagers in Cybertronian terms, so yes. He can attest to that. It's the natural order of things. That's just what teenagers do.]

I'm guessing as an apprentice, you've been exposed to multiple problems.

You've solved other situations like this in the past?

Edited 2014-01-23 08:30 (UTC)

Most of it's been training. Preparation for when we're ready to take on our duties fully. It's funny how training never really prepares you for the reality of it.

[He wasn't a master, but he's seen plenty of worlds off-balance, in need of a little adjustment. Or a lot, in some cases.]

What, deposing warlords? Not so much, I haven't deposed anyone yet. Honestly so far my experience has been that most problems can be solved by finding the instigator and convincing them to stop.

[Through violence!]

I know there's far more complicated situations and solutions, I've just been lucky or unlucky enough to not run into them just yet.

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