[CYBERFORMED] INBOX | UN: littledrone

[bigsisterterran]

[Hi! I was told to set this up so people could leave me messages! So I'm leaving a message for you to leave me a message! If you know where my family is or how to get home, please tell me. I would like to go home. Thanks. Oh, this is Twitch.]

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[bigsisterterran]

Twitch hadn't... actually made it all that far in the book, but she wasn't sure she was all that excited to learn about all the ways they could find themselves in peril.

"Do I... really need to know all of it? Do think we're really going to end up in all those scenarios?" she asked, her voice a little subdued and clearly worried.

[emojibot]

Optimus, unfortunately, completely misses the apprehension in her voice, because he thinks this is the right thing to do and that there's no such thing as being over-prepared, such as his millions of years of command has taught him.

"When you're in a situation as such, you must be able to rely on yourself before anyone else," he says cheerfully. "As you have to be able to trust that you know what to do and how to help anyone with you. Even if it is just lighting a fire and waiting for help to arrive. You may not end up in those scenarios, but it will certainly help to have a baseline to know where to start when you do end up in one!"

[bigsisterterran]

Her mom was a forest ranger so of course Twitch was more than aware of the importance of wilderness safety.

But this?

Optimus was talking about end of the world stuff! She just went to a cool island to rescue some dogs, there was nothing like this there. It was just one place but... She wasn't planning on going anywhere actually dangerous.

"I learned stuff from Mom too you know. And I wasn't gonna go anywhere that was dangerous like that." But he said when, not if, when they end up in those scenarios and Optimus was so much older and smarter, he would know, so clearly she doesn't have that much control over these sorts of things happening.

She looks over at the pile on her desk.

"I'll make sure to know everything," she says with shakey determination. She wasn't going to fail. She was going to make sure that she could always help and that Optimus would be proud of her and that she would be a good leader and her sister and her friends wouldn't be kidnapped or stabbed or brainwashed. If she knew how to fix every problem then no one would get hurt.

[emojibot]

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. Ranger Malto really is quite talented when it comes to this sort of thing. Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to spend time with her and learn, but Megatron always does. Perhaps he would be able to give some helpful advice on this as well!"

That's an idea, isn't it? Getting Megatron's perspective? Optimus had intended to let Megatron know about what he had decided to do when he was back online, anyway.

"I know you'll do your best, Twitch. You and Hashtag both. I haven't made these decisions arbitrarily."

A beat, then. "Well, let me know if you need help or wish to discuss anything. Otherwise I'll leave you to it."

[bigsisterterran]

It hurts, sometimes, to talk about her mom. She misses her so much that sometimes it's easier just not to think about it. But she refuses to forget. Not again.

The thought of Megatron doesn't help anything either. He got hurt trying to help her. That's why she's in this situation, in trouble and grounded and forced to learn from her mistakes. She was reckless and wild and hot headed and unfocused and disobedient.

She deserved much worse than this.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get right on that!" She says, straining to put as much pep back in her voice as she can. She would be a good child.

She hangs up and returns to the books only for the letter Niles had given her to catch her eye. Maybe... If she's extra good....