Author's Note: I do not own Brave Little Toaster, or any other mentioned and/or parodied properties. The only things I own are the OCs and the story itself.
Also, this story takes place in a Modern Day - AU, except the Appliance Characters themselves have not changed. They are modeled after 20th-century tech. The young Master enjoyed collecting antiques, and these were cheaper than the real deal.
Feel free to dub, draw fan art for, or otherwise build upon this fanfiction! Please give me proper credit and a link to your creation in a review.
This takes place before the epic journey they went on.
Chapter One: The Spirit of Radio
Radio, for all his blatant lies and never-ending jabs was still a useful friend to have. He never ran out of stories to tell or songs to play. He was always buzzing around with energy, filling the whole cabin with smiles. He was also rather clever, often finding cheats in the system, making everyone's lives much easier.
Whenever anyone needed a new battery, Radio knew the right strings to pull to have a pack arrive on the front porch within three to five business days. None of the others knew how he managed it, and were too afraid to ask. To Toaster, it seemed as though he was part of some radio gang, the kind of which were often reported on the Appliance-Only broadcast stations.
So, when he went quiet for a few days, even AC was concerned.
Kirby didn't mind too much. In fact, he was rather happy for some peace and quiet. Blankey and Lampy claimed he was on the computer, but was never leaving it. He only left to sleep and give the morning broadcast, before heading back to the desk chair.
Toaster assumed he was binging on Vaporwave or ASMR again. Ever since Radio had won them a free early 2000s computer on a rigged eBay auction, he often spent hours listening to the stuff. Vaporwave was one of the few genres he did not receive. To the rest of them it sounded like elevator music, but Toaster assumed Radios could hear something special in it. Being musically-inclined was a part of their kind's nature.
The others would never appreciate all the fine variety of grain and the SACRED DEGREES OF TOASTINESS he could sense as easy as cherry pie. They all had little 'quirks' like that, which none of the others could understand. Toaster wished for someone else who could relate, even if it meant stiffer competition in the baking department.
Blankets are perceptive of emotion and could comfort a Master through about anything. Vacuums can find even the smallest pieces of lint and dust lying around. Lamps have incredible eyesight even in the dark night. Radios, as mentioned before, understand music like the next Mozart. They know just what to play, the emotion it carried, how it would affect the Master. All of this was great, but when Toaster just wanted to talk about bread, nobody shared his sentiment.
Radios were also notorious for being nothing but little chatterboxes. A quiet Radio was something worth being concerned about.
Toaster hopped up from the cold wood of the ground floor to the stairs, draped in fine red carpet. The contrast always made him pause for a moment, and today was no exception. The hardwood and tile he walked on was always chilled. Only in the heat of summer when not even AC could keep the house at a comfortable temperature was it warm. No human feet had broken up the hard surface in years.
Meanwhile, on the carpet that covered the floor upstairs, he couldn't tell quite as much. Sure, there were no human footmarks, always left like a drawing in wet sand, but it never got as cold. It was also much softer than the tile.
Toaster wished all the floors in the house were carpeted. It would make tripping over his cord much easier. Then again, Kirby hated cleaning the crumbs from in between the fibers, and the carpet also got dirty quite often. Maybe the wooden floors had their purpose as well. Anything to keep Kirby's grumbling down.
As much as Kirby hated the ruckus made by the others, they could all say the exact same things for him.
Toaster pondered this for a second, before continuing his journey up the stairs. It was not an easy task for him, each step being almost his height, and his cord often getting in the way. Most of the time, he never went upstairs, leaving it to the lighter appliances, only going up in emergencies, or to calm Blankey's bad dreams.
He hopped up each step, looking back every few steps to make sure his cord was not poised to make him trip.
In only a minute, he had made it up the stairs, a smile on his face. Even without the weight of a human body, or the backpack full of homework Master often carried, he never enjoyed the stairs.
The crimson carpet almost made the trip worth it. Almost.
Toaster sprinted through the hallway, pushing the heavy door open with a grunt. "Radio?"
Lampy and Blankey were both reading on the Master's bed, which was big enough for multiple appliances, even if it could only fit one human. The humans really are big, Toaster thought for a moment, before pushing it aside.
Blankey looked up from the latest issue of It's Hard to be Soft with a welcoming grin. "Toaster! It's so good to see you up here!"
"-Yeah, yeah," he sighed. "Where's Radio?"
"He's on the computer, where do you think?" Lampy shrugged. With this, Toaster entered the room and turned to see Radio facing the screen.
All six of them were thankful that the computer was not alive, as it had no workable legs and needed to be plugged in at all times. Like AC, he or she would be trapped up in one room, only getting attention when the others needed something. Kirby said he'd never be able take another whining idiot as well.
Most appliances were not actually alive, with smaller ones 'awakening' more often than bulky old computers. Toaster believed the general rule for an appliance gaining sentience. The smaller it is, and the closer it is to their Master, the more chance it has of coming alive.
They considered AC being sentient a miracle. Not a miracle any of them were thankful for.
Radio sat on a pile of old dusty coloring books to compensate for the low, human-sized chair. The Master's Superman-themed headphones he had left in his desk last time they saw him were covering his speakers. His antenna was wagging like a puppy's tail.
"Hey, Radio, is everything alright?" Toaster asked, taking a couple steps towards the chair. "Why haven't you been downstairs in a while?"
Radio did not respond. He adjusted the mouse and clicked. The mouse was half his size, but he managed to move it with relative ease.
Toaster's eyes and pitch lowered. "Please, we are all worried about you."
By now, he was tapping his front left foot in annoyance. "Radio!" He raised his voice to a level he knew those busted headphones could not mask. Finally, the little red brick turned around.
"Oh, good morning, Slots!" His voice rung with its usual enthusiasm, as if he was an actual radio announcer and not just the method of transmission. "I sure do hope you slept well!"
Lampy blinked. "It's already noon."
"Really? My apologizes, I guess my alarm needs to be reset. Sorry pals." Radio hopped down from the pile of books, causing them to pile onto Toaster.
He tried to dodge, but tripping over his cord sent him straight into the pile. Most days, he would be annoyed, but now, Toaster could not help but smile. The books smelt of old paper and crayon, something he had not smelt since the Master moved away.
Toaster relished a memory of the Master scribbling on the a blank paper. He used the new Crayola's he had gotten Trick-or-Treating from the dentist's widow. She could never bring herself to give a child candy. They hung the drawing (a rather abstract depiction of Toaster himself) up for a good few months. It certainly made the refrigerator a joy to look at.
"Sorry about that," Radio laughed, nudging the books off of Toaster. "I am simply thrilled for a new broadcast that I've been waiting to announce!"
"What is it?" Blankey asked, sliding to the foot of the bed to take a closer look. "Is the Master coming back?"
Lampy laughed. "Don't let AC hear it, then. Or Kirby, for that matter."
The radio shook his antenna. "Sadly, no, but I assure you, it is still good news! I have gotten a girlfriend! We've been talking online for a few days now, and she is the sweetest thing!" With this, he stood up taller than before.
If Radio had a face, his cheeks would have been blushing by now. He was bobbing up and down on his seat. "Her name is Didi, and she's been telling me the most interesting and daring stories on Appliance-Chat. Tales of how she and her best friend wandered through the woods to an old mansion and live there now! She is quite the brave lass!"
"Umm… wonderful!" Toaster gave the widest smile he could. He did not believe this 'Didi' counted as a girlfriend. From what the older Masters had said, dating was serious business, and should not be taken so lightly. Dating someone only known through internet chat rooms? Stupid. Still, he was happy for Radio, and did not want to take away his bright moment. Especially if it meant having someone new to talk about.
"I know, I know!" By now, he was almost dancing. "And we are going on a date tonight!"
Blankey turned his head in confusion. "Date? Like the candy?"
"No, like a date, for dinner and a movie!" With a single bounce, he landed on the comforter. "You know, like in all those classics the Master's parents would always watch while we were sleeping. A man and a woman meet up, and hope nothing will go wrong." He let out a small chuckle. "Of course, there is no need for trepidation! A little adventure would not be a problem for a swordfighter and veteran like myself. I guess it would be a chance to woo the little lady."
"Come on!" Toaster rolled his eyes. "We all know you've never been to war, or even a real duel! Why should we believe this date story either?"
"Are you going on a date with a human? How's that going to work out?" Lampy put his book down, now invested in the conversation.
Blankey smiled. "I hope it works out."
"Thank you for being so supportive, old friend," Radio said, patting Blankey with his antenna. "Her name is Didi, and she's a radio like me! We've been talking for a few days, and she said we should meet up at the small movie theater on King Street."
Toaster felt a chill go through him. "But why would you go outside, especially for something as dumb as a date with some girl you met on the internet?"
"Yeah! What if the Master comes home while you're gone?" Lampy stared off into space, tapping on the comforter with his plug. "How would anyone explain that?"
Blankey shuffled. "What if they take you apart?"
"Not me." He strut towards Toaster. "And if they did, they'd be in violation of the pardon I got from Roosevelt a few years back."
"That's not how pardons work," Lampy responded, although no one was listening to him.
Toaster pushed Radio away from him with a scowl. "Look, as crazy as you are, this is ridiculous. How are you going to buy tickets? Or eat dinner?"
Radio scratched at his alarm button for a moment. "As dense as you are, you have some valid points there. I guess Didi has some clue, as bright a lady as she is. She said her friend had made dinner reservations for us."
The red radio slouched, thoughts of doubt running through his head for the first time in years. Toaster looked down in shame having to see one of his only friends so hurt. "Look, I'm sorry, but… this can't be safe. How do you know she's even a radio in the first place?"
He paused, if only for a second. It was a challenge to read what he was thinking without a face, but Toaster had a pretty good idea. "I might as well see. It is not like our lives could get any worse, right?"
"Just do not say we didn't warn you." Toaster shook his head.
Lampy blinked in response. "How are you going to get there in the first place? It's not like Kirby would tow you around on a chair or something."
"Yeah, that would look ridiculous!" Blankey giggled, with Lampy in unison.
His antenna sunk to the ground. "That is going to be a bit harder."
