what is this / 01

[stiling]

[ The transmission starts off audio, a confused voice spluttering to itself as Stiles haplessly hits buttons on his communicator. ]

Okay, well, ya said Cape Kore like that means anything to me, but here's the thing, sucker, is that I've never been to a Cape Anything. --Who even lives near a cape, I'm not a cape kind of --

[ Video! It flips over and the face jumps and makes a few surprised shapes. ]

Well. Hello, guy. That just flashed. Nine-one-one? Hello? I'm, um. I'm not living here. There's been a mistake.

Comments

[preytosociety]

[That voice. That FACE. That stupid face. Lydia is just about ready to have a panic attack, and yet somehow... she manages a calm, collected, slightly scary voice.]

... What the hell are you doing here? Where are you?

[stiling]

BGAH.

[ Stiles' face yanks back from the communicator for a moment, and his hand covers the thing before, nope, he peeks at her face again. It's still Lydia. ] What am I doing here, what- what- what are you doing here? What the crap is a Cape Kore?

[shesamarshmallow]

Um. Did you just call me a sucker?

Because I have it on good authority that I'm a blowhard.

[preytosociety]

Ugh. [Can you see the eyerolling? Can you, Stiles?]

It's kind of hard to explain. Meet me by the fountain. [That was most definitely an order. She's already shrugging on her coat and grabbing an extra one from her closet in case he doesn't have one.

... It just happens to be blue.]

[stiling]

Yeah, and I'm a vacuum cleaner. [ What? ] By which -- I mean to say-

Wait, hang on, who even is this?

[stiling]

[ Is that sassing? He shows up in a place out of the blue and she's sassing? Stiles' face back is wondrous. Or horrified. ]

Where's the fountain, is that- [ Because on the one hand, it's Lydia and he can trust that, right? But on the other, he has no idea where he is in the world. ] Am I gonna die, is this kidnapping? What FOUNTAIN, oh, the big giant one just outside the window.

[ Just gonna eat those words and hopskadoodle outside. ]

[shesamarshmallow]

Not so fast, Lance Armstrong. Who are you?

[porcelainpride]

That's what everyone says.

[stiling]

Like bike fast or are you trying to say I've got one -

I'm very freaking confused is who I am!

[stiling]

The cape? [ He snorts to himself like, haha, Stiles is so funny, before he finishes. ] Because it is seriously, seriously a mistake.

[preytosociety]

[You're damn right it's sassing. She smiles, but there's nothing friendly about it. Well... it's maybe a little friendly.]

Good to know your common sense is still intact. Or lack thereof.

[She drops the arm with the communicator strapped to it once she spots him and heads over. Her house is literally right across from it. She forcefully pushes the coat at his chest.]

Congratulations. Now you're stuck here, too.

[porcelainpride]

No, that part. Like being abducted is something you can somehow control b virtue of being un-abduct-able.

[shesamarshmallow]

That's a terrifically long name. How do you fit it onto a name tag?

[Mockery is an art. Veronica has evidently been taking lessons for a very long time.]

[stiling]

I've got plenty of common sense! [ He calls across the way, blowing on his hands to keep them warm. ] Like at least a dollar's worth.

[ Heh heh cents. ]

Oof. [ He grabs at the jacket before he really registers what it is. ] Gee, thanks. Where's that again? This is SO not California. You brought me a coat.

[ The last part is a bit blankly, surprised instead of irritated. ]

[stiling]

Can't I? Is there a face that doesn't get people kidnapped? Because I'd really like to learn some tips.

[ Seriously, how many times is this now? ]

[stiling]

I write with really careful letters.

[ Veronica, meet a possible match. Stiles is about as quick and when he's pissed, the sass just keeps coming. ]

Stiles. Just call me Stiles.

[porcelainpride]

If there is, you don't have it.

[stiling]

Yeah, you're telling me.

[ And, as if the thought's just occurred to him that, yeah, he might just be in the same boat here: ] Is this a, uh, regular kinda thing?

[shesamarshmallow]

Good. That's a good start. [And... had that been humor? Not bad. Not bad at all.]

Veronica. Veronica Mars.

So far, we haven't been able to escape. Our food isn't being replenished, and we've only managed glimpses of the people keeping us here.

What else can I help you with?

[preytosociety]

Very observant. [Sarcasm. So much of it.] They think it's Maine. I don't even think it's... [No. Nope. He knows her. Sort of. Telling him what she really thinks would only make her sound crazy all over again. The rest is crazy enough as it is.]

We're not sure. We're not sure of anything, actually. We all just woke up here one day. There are people from different times, different places-- ... I know it sounds really insane, but I'm not making this up, okay? It's really... It's been--

[She frowns, staring at him for a moment. Without warning, she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him.]

I didn't think I'd ever see any of you again.

video;

[silvergat]

Idiot, y'can't just shout and have someone pull ya back.

[porcelainpride]

You mean, is this a charming coastal tourist hotspot that you've been abducted to? No.

In fact, my theory is that we've all been kidnapped as some sort of massive experiment. Expect dissections any day now.

video;

[stiling]

Hey, it's worth a shot. Better than standing around with my thumb up my ass.

[stiling]

[ INDIGNANT SQUAWK. ]

Wa-hoa, what, that's a joke. Oh, that's a joke.

[porcelainpride]

Partially, yes.