video • un: el rey

[shabby]

[ The video opens on a man's face, a little too close up for a few seconds. Then he pulls the arm with the communicator back, lengthening the shot and showing vegetation behind him. He's in the atrium, currently sitting on a low hanging tree branch. ]

Hello, alien-abducted internet peoples.

[ He says it cheerfully, with a smile and a wave. For a man who comes from a world without shit like this, he's unperturbed. Possibly because he thinks it's a drug-induced hallucination. ]

How are you today? [ He gestures off to the side. ] This is crazy, no? Outer space and shit. It's like a movie.

[ The image shakes a little as he starts digging through his pants pocket. Eventually, he pulls out a joint and, remembering that he's in the middle of talking to people, asks; ]

Hey, does anybody have a lighter?

Comments

video, un: l.organa

[sensive]

[ she wrinkles her nose. ]

Really? [ in response to...some part of this broadcast. perhaps the insinuation that abduction rather than anomaly led them here. ] Why would anyone want to abduct you?

[ partly curious, mostly rude. ]

[shabby]

I'm a king, sweetheart. People like holding kings for ransom.

[ People are always coming to his island trying to take over his land. It's possible alien abduction is a new tactic. Or he's just had too many drugs in his lifetime. ]

[sensive]

[ That earns a little hum of thought. Not a bad answer. ]

I suppose they do. [ She tilts her chin up, caught between challenging and curious. ] I'm Princess Leia of Alderaan. [ quickly followed by — ] What are you King of?

[shabby]

[ Sometimes the shit Vaas says makes sense. Only sometimes, though. ]

Vaas Montenegro. King of Rook Island.

[ This is the first time he's spoken with other royalty, so he is trying very hard to be polite. ]

Looks like they're trying to ransom you too, Princess. Wanna kill the bastards?

[sensive]

[ A polite invitation to a murder quest... She has to wonder if Rook Island is often at war. ]

Might need proof they're ransoming us before we go that far.

[ "We" being used very loosely here. ]

[shabby]

[ All the time. That there are any people left there is a miracle. ]

Yeah? So what do you suggest then? Diplomatic talks and fancy parties?

[ It might seem facetious but he's actually curious, not mocking. Everything he knows about diplomacy, he learned from movies. Quite a few of them were Michael Bay movies. ]

[sensive]

[ Even as she crosses her arms, she keeps her tone steady. Vaas is still listening, after all. ]

Yes, I would suggest diplomatic entreaty first, particularly since there's no proof that we aren't here by accident. [ While she does entertain more nefarious options, is that paranoia or intuition? ] An attack would be a declaration war, and I don't know about you, but my troops didn't follow me here. [ wrly. ] I'm not interested in losing a fight that might be unnecessary in the first place.

[shabby]

Nah, my guys didn't either. But I'm thinking maybe I don't need them so much, you know?

[ Contrary to Vaas' everything, he isn't stupid. He's actually a crafty, intelligent guy underneath the crazy. He just doesn't understand the dangers of real space travel. ]

The people here are soft, like domesticated animals.

[sensive]

[ Must be something to this guy, if he's so self-assured. She laughs a little. ]

Maybe some of them are, but I bet there are a few firecrackers, too.

[ like her and Luke. And maybe that's an acknowledgement of her underestimating Vaas as well. ]

[shabby]

[ That makes him grin. ]

I bet there are. Maybe we're firecrackers, eh? Maybe this ship and these little aliens won't know what hit them.

[ And maybe Vaas will find some explosives now and blow some shit up. That would be fun! ]

[sensive]

[ Aliens. But they're all aliens, aren't they? ]

Is that what you're hoping for? A fight?

[shabby]

Maybe? I don't know. This is my first time in space. I'm not sure what to expect except for aliena. And that's been a letdown.

[sensive]

You've never been in space before? [ check your space privilege, leia. ] What planet is your island on?

[shabby]

Earth. Some people on Earth have gone to space. You know, to the moon and the space station, but nobody has a spaceship like this.

[sensive]

Wow. [ a beat. ] I guess I take it for granted — I rarely go planetside these days.

[ mostly on account of her... not having a home planet... anymore... ]