-Solar says, "Unpredicatable lately. Someone told the secret recipe to one of our drinks and we've been scrambling to cover our afts"
-Moonlight sighs. All that lovely innuendo speak has her feeling glum again. But she's sure Solar didn't mean it that way. Oh well...bottoms up. She quickly polishes off the rest of the wine. "Could I trouble you for another Solar?" "Could I trouble you for another Solar?"
-Sylver nods slowly, wondering idlly whether Solar is playing her game or actually refering to his bar. She quietly manages to avoid ordering anything for herself.
-Solar says, "Not a problem Moonlight Hey here's thr bottle"
-Sylver leans closer to Solar and whispers "What is the particular drink who's recepie was stolen...?"
-Solar mutters to Sylver: "... ... ... ... ... ..."
-Turmoil looks over at Moonlight. "Sure have it for that white enerwine huh?" he persoanlly finds it too... classy for himself.
-Moonlight grasps the bottle like an old friend. It's not one of hers, but it's comforting nonetheless. "Thanks again." She nods to Turmoil. "Yeah, I like it. I could never stand the beer for some reason. It was Swipe's second love though." beer for some reason. It was Swipe's second love though."
-Turmoil nods his head. "heh.... I like the feeling of beer. I'm not fond of wine as much though... but it ain't as bad as those Omegaritas! Too sour for my liking."
-Sylver's optics light up for a moment "You don't say..., any ideas of the one who stole the recepie? I should much like to...discuss with him the importance of fair trade..."
-Moonlight grins. "I'm surprised that any place even sells enerwine any more. Most people seem to prefer beer...or worse." She glances at Solar, wondering if he has anything to say about that.
-Solar shakes his head, he won't give the name of the operative who spoke out of turn "Don't worry about it. Whiplash and I have handled it. Lets just say I am confident my other recipes are safe"
-Turmoil looks at Moonlight. "What is a bar if it doesn't have the few acquired tastes as well as distinguished tastes?" he's trying to sound distinguished or something.
-Sylver nods and smiles at Solar "In any case, if there should ever be help needed on such matters, I am here for you"
-Moonlight is relieved that Solar isn't talking, even if it wasn't about her, because then he wouldn't talk even if it /was/ her. But she isn't really part of the conversation, so she keeps the bulk of her attention on Turmoil. "Distinct is more like it," she says with a chuckle.
-Solar nods, strangely he has no drink of his own "When the time comes I'll hold ya to it"
-Turmoil nods his head. "Yes distinct. You've always been better with words than me. Then again, I'm a warrior. Don't need a lot of words. I just need to do the talking with my gun." he KNOWS someone is going to try and burn him and make fun of him becuase of his poor reputation of losing to a certain femme. Over and over.
-Sylver nods "You do not intimidate me, kind sir..." she murmurs, feeling even more at comfort at not having a drink herself.
-Moonlight gives Sylver an odd look. "Why /would/ he need to intimidate you? You're on the same side you know." She pats her lone Decepticon symbol, which is located on her thigh.
-Sylver looks aside at Moonlight and smirks. "A form of speech, little one" even at a more friendly setting, she can still be annoying.
-Solar says, "Lots o mechs don't know it Sylver but I started at low rank in combat arms. Believe me this job ain't a cakewalk, and I appreciate the offer"
-Moonlight blinks at Solar. "You were a low rank infantry type?" This seems to be beyond her imagination. "Get out of here! That was a good one." She chuckles.
-Turmoil sighs. Okay... so no one burned him... no one even achknowledged him. He puts on a slight pout and finishes his drink.
-Sylver seems impressed "Not easy to make such an advancement, I salute you, Solar..."
-Solar noticed Turmoil's bragging, but acknowledging it would be just asking for more. "When I returned to Cybertron after my stint of asteroid blasting. I was at the lowest possible rank and in Combat arms. Brawl and I used to be assigned to patrol together cause I was one of the few who could carry him back to base when, not if but when, he got into a fight."
-Moonlight glances over at Turmoil's sulking and pats him on the arm, but then her gaze goes back to Solar. "You weren't kidding?"
-Solar says, "Nope not kidding."
-Turmoil sighs.... "So, think there's any hope for me making any advancements?" he knows he is settinghimself up.... but there might be a slim chance Solar won't be a jerk. Then again, that's asking a lot...
-Moonlight grins. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you Solar? That's pretty impressive." She chuckles. "I guess I should start listening to you one of these cycles, eh?"
-Solar says, "There's always the chance for hope, no matter how slim."
-Turmoil smiles a little. "Slim chance eh? That's STILL a chance."
-Moonlight shakes her head, smiling. "Not for me there isn't. I wouldn't /allow/ it."
-Turmoil looks at Moonlight. "Let me gues. You are happy where you are?"
-Sylver grins at Solar as she herself reminisces "Mine was an easier route, after the Air Academy training I was assigned under Starscream, and made it a point to be the best, and never let anyone get to me...that's how I became Air Commander when the Conquest departed."
-Moonlight nods to Turmoil. "Exactly!"
-Solar nods "I'm good at what I do. Just don't tick me off eh Moonlight?" Solar is obviously reffering to his brother Lunar.
-Turmoil nods his head. "I'm alright with where I am at, but I wouldn't mind advancing further in things. AS long as no one expects me to give up guns, bad jokes, and femmes!"
-Solar says, "I heard your guns were bad jokes."
-Moonlight winks at Solar. "Hey, I've been a good femme lately." She pauses. "Comparitively."
-Sylver looks aside at Turmoil as he mentions femmes, looking quite uneasy at that.
-Solar says, "If your gonna shoot him take him outside first."
-Moonlight shakes a finger at Solar. "No shooting of the Turmoil. Blitzwing's already gone, and if Turmoil was gone too I'd have no one left to clown around with."
-Sylver shakes her head "I won't shoot him, I just don't appreciate his talk."
-Moonlight smiles, slightly amused. "He means well."
-Cinder slips into the room, shivering a bit as he folds his wings around his body. He glances about, seeing only the crowd at the bar, and he hesitates.
-Sylver gazes at Moonlight as she murmurs "You don't object such language?"
-Solar says, "You have to understand Turmoil. If he ever tried anything he knows what will happen to him. He has yet to beat a certain autobot femme of dubious reputation"  Solar waves Cinder over to the group.
-Cinder pauuses at the waving hand, looking from the door to the group uncertainly, a frown creasing his features "Uyuuhhm..."
-Sylver looks over at Solar "An Autobot femme? Who is this femme he does not manage to defeat...?" only one would serve for proper excuse, the one she herself can never beat.
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Not at all. I'm used to it." She glances at Solar. "Now, it's not nice to pick at that fact. I think it bothers him." She sees Cinder and gives him a big grin and wink.
-Solar chuckles "Swivel, she's a pushover. At least I seem to think so." Solar moves over and extends a red Icee to Cinder "C'mon over and join us."
-Cinder looks at Moonlight and blinks in confusion, finally moving forwards as he's encouraged. "Uh... H... Hi..." h e murmers quietly, optics flicking back and forth, dancing across everything and everyone with dizzying speed, wings pulled tight around his shoulders.
-Solar says, "Look mech, only one of us bites and even then she don't bite hard. Ya gotta learn to relax"
-Moonlight pats Cinder on the shoulder, determined that she is going to get him used to it, whether he likes it or not, even if it kills her. "Yes, I would take Solar's advice. Mostly because it's advice I've already given you."
-Cinder shrugs at that, muttering something unintelligible. HE eyes the drink, pausing uncertainly... then as someone moves to his shoulder he smoothly moves out of the wya, turning to face Moonlight squarely. "No." is all his raspy voicebox emits.
-Sylver looks at Cinder, and mutters, in a near commanding voice "Sit with us and have a drink, enjoy yourself."  Sylver looks over at Solar and shakes her head "Swivel...? Is she one of Elita's better warriors?"
-Moonlight begins to wonder what's wrong with the mechs on Cybertron. Probably all the paranoia. "No? No what?" She sounds a bit indignant. She looks at Sylver. "Swivel? A warrior? Hardly! But she /is/ probably the only one of the lot that is worth anything."
-Sylver blinks "Why then is Turmoil having difficulties with her? I would destroy her where she stands."
-Solar shrugs "Your off duty so I ain't gonna order you to join us, but my advise is to enjoy yourself. Mechs who know you and trust you are more likely to come to your aid. Swivel is a small runtish femme tech-car. She has no training and no disclipline and at times even the rest of the Bots don't trust her. She's like Hyperdrive's younger more annoying sister"
-Cinder takes a seat slowly, keeping an optic on Moonlight still. "Uhm... Energon." is all he murmers quietly for a drink request. He was a raw cadet, heck probably still considred a minor.
-Moonlight stares back at Cinder rather deliberately. "You didn't answer my question," she points out, her tone mild, despite her intense staring.
-Solar passes over a bottle of midgrade pure energon "Enjoy."
-Cinder takes the bottle, and looks at Moonlight nervously "Uhm... " is all he murmers, sounding a bit nervous under the stare. his wings twitch a little bit.
-Moonlight sighs. "You're hopeless Cinder." But her intense stare abates and she turns away from him for the moment, giving Solar a questioning look and motioning to the bottle of energon with her head.
-Solar checks a file from a terminal mounted under the bar..."Moonlight leave him alone, he's just shy is all." Solar has just read His file and rumors and innuendoes are his business, even if Cinder does not stutter and is just shy, he should still have the option.
-Cinder's optics flicker and he looks up at Solar a moment, then loooks at his drink, then the others, turning a bit to at least look like he's politely in with the group, if not contributing.
-Moonlight climbs up onto the bar and lies on it, looking up at Solar. "I'm trying to fix that though," she says with a grin.
-Solar says, "Thats between you and him, next cycle you get to polish the bar. Your scratchin it with your armor."
-Cinder looks over and just GLOWERS at Moonlight. "STay. Away. From. Me." he rasps out coldly. Nope, he definitely wasnt used to socializing.
-Moonlight winces for real this time, and doesn't say anything, which is saying a lot. She curls up at the far end of the bar, still atop the bar however.
-Cinder turns and takes a sip from the bottle he was given once Moonlight moved away, and he folds his wings again, looking still nervous.
-Solar mutters to Cinder: "relax she's ... a ... too friendly"
-Cinder looks at Solar, and nods "Thank you...for warning." he states in reply.
-Sylver looks oddly at Cinder, imagine that. "Relax"
-Moonlight continues to sulk at /her/ end of the bar.
-Cinder glances to Sylver, and states "I AM."
-Sylver nods "Good..." and then turns to look at Solar again "You don't drink, do you...?" she asks as he has no glass next to him.
-Solar says, "If the situation calls for it I do, but I don't need to ingest energon to become energized. I have a very strange fuel pump"
-Sylver seems interested "That is highly useful..."
-Solar says, "during normal operation my fuel pump puts out more energy than it takes in"
-Sylver says, "Intersting design...are there more like you?"
-Solar says, "Sorry, I got it from an emergency operation. I went up against Magnus and he put a hole through me and my old pump"
-Sylver nods "Sometimes there's an advantage to losing, huh?"
-Solar says, "Shockwave told me I had ceased to function for a few clicks"
-Moonlight siiiiiighs like a friend of hers.
-Solar says, "Moonlight quit sulkin. I just asked ya ta leave the mech alone. Its his choice"
-Moonlight flips herself onto Solar's side of the bar. "Sorry, I'm used to people liking me." She walks over to him and leans her elbows on the bar.
-Cinder just ignores Moonlight, but he glances to Sylver again quietly, nodding in greeting.
-Solar says, "How do ya know he don't like ya? All he said was to leave him alone. Its good advise."
-Sylver grins as she looks over at Moonlight "If it helps, nobody likes me...I don't mind it"
-Moonlight grins at Solar despite herself. "You told me long ago, our first meeting even, that my charms didn't work on you. That was strike one. Cinder seems to be strike two. I don't know what will happen when I hit strike three." She glances at Sylver. "I used to /live/ by having people like me."
-Sylver narrows her optics at Moonlight "That is pathetic..." she concludes harshly.
-Moonlight narrows her optics back at Sylver. "How do you figure that?"
-Sylver leans her elbows on the counter. "Living of people liking you? What kind of living is that?"
-Solar says, "She was asmuggler."
-Moonlight thinks for a moment. "You though I was...?" She laughs. "I was a smuggler back on Monacus. Got out of most of my trouble by making myself rather amiable..."
-Sylver ohs, not overly concerned with her mistake "I understand."
-Moonlight strangely wasn't insulted by the mistake. She seemed more amused than anything else. "Besides, deep down I guess I just want to be likable. Beats the alternative. There aren't packs of people savagely calling for my head to be mounted on their walls."
-Sylver snorts "Nor for mine, yet I am still unliked."
-Solar says, "Not even the bots, they got a spot saved for me though."
-Cinder shifts a little bit and hunkers down.
-Moonlight just shrugs. So, she wants to be liked, is that a crime? And somehow it's doubted that she would care if it was.
-Sylver stands up "Been nice being here with you, but I got work..." she turns to leave.
-Moonlight nods to Sylver as she leaves. She still dobuts that she'll ever /like/ the femme, but for the time being she seems a little less annoying.
-Cinder realizes he's now alone with moonlight. "Errrr.m..."
-Moonlight keeps a tolerable distance from Cinder, but continues to lean on the bar. "Was I really coming on too strong for you? If so, I apologize."
-Cinder nods "Yes... dislike touch... dislike... well... touch."  Cinder says, "Dislike being... made to change."
-Moonlight sighs. "I really am sorry. I don't change very well either, and I'm used to being very familiar with people." She extends a hand, slowly and gently.
-Cinder hesitates, eyeing the hand, and sighs "Sorry... I dislike... all touch... and am... wary.. of friendship. "
-Moonlight grins. "Just stick out your hand and we'll shake at the air. Then you don't have to touch me."
-Cinder frowns a bit, then carefully lifts his hand.
-Moonlight shakes her hand in thin air, close to Cinder's, but not touching it. "Just don't try to get all frozen if someone has to touch you to haul your aft to safety, okay?"
-Cinder nods and carefully shakes his as well, then pulls it back. "Normaly... I make an exception... not to... get in danger."
-Moonlight sighs again. "I'm afraid it's unavoidable in a war. But I wish you luck with the endeavor."
-Cinder states "I know that. And I will... not need.. luck."
-Moonlight shakes her head at Cinder. "Older and more experienced people than you have gotten into trouble, or even killed. Just remember that. And don't sneer at luck, it's the only thing I have going for me."
-Cinder shrugs "I find... it only is bad for me." he rasps simply, taking another sip from the bottle.
-Moonlight grins. "No, if your luck was bad, Solar wouldn't have told me to behave myself." She chuckles and takes a long sip out of the bottle of enerwine Solar gave her.
-Cinder says, "No, that is good luck.. for YOU."
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "Oh? How do you figure that?" She frowns, "Do you hate contact so much that you would have shot me for it?"
-Swindle walks into Surge like he owns the place. The combaticon nods to some people he recognizes before cornering a barmaid whose audio reciver he whispers into for a breif moment and then gives her a smack on the aft and a sly wink. With an indignent look she walks off and comes back with a bottle of enerwine which she hands to Swindle who has started over to the table where moonlight and some one he doesn't know, yet, are chatting.
-Cinder shrugs "Maybe. " he states, sipping his own plain energon. He eyes Swindle and shuts up as the mech approaches.
-Moonlight continues to frown, not a menacing frown, but an upset frown. "I really /would/ like to know the answer to that. It's sort of important."
-Swindle gives Moonlight a wink, "Heya Moonie." He nods to the mech, "Whose your little friend?" Swindle sits at the table with out being invited as is his style. He pours himself a glass from the bottle that the waitress brought him and takes a sip.
-Cinder doesn't reply. He sips his drink again, wings pulling tighter across his back.
-Moonlight turns her attention to Swindle, and a smile lights her face back up. "Hey there Swindle! Haven't seen you in a long time..."
-Cinder shrugs, eyeing Swindle again carefully "Its... energon." he rasps softly, voice very grating.
-Swindle smirks, "Just taking care of some buisness that needed a personal touch." He looks about and then asks, "You haven't seen a largish mech with amber optics and a large cannon have ya?" he takes a sip from his glass again, "It sure is and decent stuff to boot."
-Moonlight shrugs. "Can't say that I have. Of course, I do see a lot of people."
-Cinder shakes his head quietly at Swindle, not speaking again as he sips his regular Energon. He eyes the bottle that Swindle has a moment.
-Swindle catchs the look at his bottle and motions it towards Cinder, "If ya get a glass I might be inclined to share a little." he gives his #4 charming smile, "In the spirit of new friends afterall."
-Cinder shakes his head "n... n... no thank you." he states, trying to even out his stammer ineffectively.
-Moonlight grins at Swindle. "So, if I see this fella, what should I tell him?"
-Swindle tries to get Moonlight off that train of thought, "How about you Moonie, ya want a little of the good stuff?" He moves the bottle back and forth, "Maybe you got a little more courage then stutterboy here."
-Cinder tenses a little bit, but keeps his optics on his own bottle, going completely still.
-Moonlight eyes Swindle. "Sure I would. For strictly business reasons of course." She winks.
-Swindle smirks at Moonlight, "Well you know where the glasses are just try and find a clean one." He looks back at Cinder, "Don't tell me you prefer that flat stuff to this? If your going to get a charge ya might as well get it with something of decent quality."
-Cinder turns his head and eyes Swindle, and states "Am... recharging... nothing... more." he rasps out haltingly, keeping his words level.
-Moonlight turns away from the counter to grab herself a glass...she /does/ work here after all. She puts it on the counter in front of her. "What do you mean by that? The glasses are always clean here." She grins.
-Swindle hmphs at Cinder, "Came to a foolish place to just 'energize'." He pours some of the energon in his bottle into the glass for Moonlight and some into his own. He winks at Moonlight as if in answer to her question before going back to Cinder, "Last chance sport even my generosity has its limits."
-Cinder shrugs. "I don't... take fuel... from strangers." he rasps quietly. "Came here... because stations... were full."
-Moonlight suddenly feels sorry for Cinder. If /she's/ too much for him, then a combination of her and Swindle must be overwhelming. "Gentle Swindle. He's fairly new," points to Cinder, "and besides, if Solar told me to back off then you have to too."
-Cinder's optics narrow a little bit and states "I... Don't need... your protection... Maam." he lifts his voice a bit, managing to keep it even AND at a decent pace.
-Swindle hmphs again, "Whats Solar going to do?" He pauses and then quickly adds, "Never mind I didn't ask that question." He takes a quick gulp from his glass. "Ok sport if ya don't like to drink what do you like to do? Watch gladiator bouts, explore, public speaking?"
-Cinder hisses, his wings flexing slowly as he tries to keep calm "Energize... then return to room."
-Moonlight sighs and shakes her head. "Look, Cinder, you don't want to be touched, you don't like me to be friendly, you don't want me to stick up for you. What /do/ you want?" She's clearly quite exasperated with the mech. "There are a lot worse fates on this planet than having to deal with me you know. I hope you realize that some cycle."
-Cinder looks at Moonlight, optics glittering brightly. "I wish... to. be... be... alone left."  Cinder doesn't sound as sure as he'd like.
-Swindle rolls his optics, "Great he goes from stuttering to mixing up the order. Who built your vocalizer cause if ya want I'm sure I can find one in my warehouse somewhere that actuly works." He gives his salesmen smile #6 and says, "For you twenty-five percent off, just to show what a nice guy I am."
-Moonlight leans forward a little further. "Too bad Cinder. Listen, you're part of an entire Empire. This is a team effort you know. Not a /single/ one of us is going to win the war. You're going to have to learn to play nice with others. You learn you depend on others as they depend on you, even if trust never happens." She pauses. "You already know what the jerks can do, but they aren't everyone. You should give the other side a chance." She gives Swindle an odd look, and just shakes her head slowly.
-Cinder hunches down at that, facepalming, and pullin his wings around to shield his face from the person on either side of him the moment the words were out of his mouth. He makes a small gurgling sound. Then he sits up, wings spreading as though to fan him, cool him down. "I... have my part... in the empire... I work... with others... . but that... does NOT mean..." he pauses, trying not to stumble over the words. "That I have to social... soc... be with them... all times."
-Swindle ignores Moonlight's look and gives an odd look of his own to Cinder, "Where did they find your personality chip? Sounds like they pulled it from a busted cleaning drone." He shakes his head almost sadly, "Come on have few with your ol buddy Swindle, get a charge laugh it up. You know what they say about all work and no play right?"
-Moonlight shrugs. "Whatever. One cycle you'll find that you're all alone and that something is missing. When that happens I'll still be here, or so I hope, to give you a hand. But for now I'll give you your wish." With that she hops over the bar and makes her way to a table. Then she waves at Swindle, indicating he may follow if and when he pleases.
-Cinder hunkers back again, optics glittering red on the edgse. He looks quite upset at this, and doesn't react to Swindle. "I work... because... that Is... what I enjoy." he finally replies after long moments of silence. "To me... work is... play."
-Swindle weighs his option, cute femme or doom and gloom. "Ya, whatever pal. There are plenty of places ya could have gone just to recharge, we all know ya chose this place for a reason.  Be a big mech and admit ya came to have a good time and ya might even find yourself having one." He slides off his seat and takes his glass and bottle over to the table Moonlight just moved into.
-Cinder hisses at that, and turns and walks to the door, wings draped around him as he moves out, head kept low, a hand over his lower faceplate. He hunches over as he pushes the door open, leaving the bottle of energon on the counter along with a few credits.
-Moonlight sighs as Cinder leaves. Yup, he's hopeless. She only hopes she can save Starfire in time. She shakes off her gloom and gives Swindle a welcoming smile. "Hey there."
-Swindle watchs Cinder leave and gives him a wave, "Come back again when you got some more time." He looks back at Moonlight, "Been keeping the place clean for me while I was gone?"
-Moonlight nods. "Well, as often as I'm here anyhow. I was in Iacon for a while as a 'guest'. And then I was confined to Darkmount for a bit."
-Swindle chuckles, "Ya, it is like us to lock ya up for being locked up." He leans in close as if to share a deep secret, "Its the Decepticon way don't ya know."
-Moonlight nods. "Believe me, I know it. For many reasons. But that's neither here nor there, is it?" She glances at the door. "You really shouldn't have picked on him so much."
-Swindle shrugs, "I shouldn't do lots of things doesn't meen I'm not going to do em." He pours himself a little more wine and then fills up Moonlights glass again, "If I stopped doing stuff just becuase someone thinks I shouldn't do em I wouldn't be able to do anything. Besides he turned up my generous offer.
-Moonlight sips at the wine appreciatively. "Well, he /is/ new. Just got out of training...or maybe he's still in training. No, I think he's out. Anyhow, give him a bit of time before you pick on him." She grins. "I don't think the higher-ups will appreciate you driving him to distraction so early in his career. I've already been told to behave."
-Swindle looks interested, "Oh did they?" He gives her a smile and takes a sip from the glass, "Do tell."
-Moonlight chuckles. "Well, not /they/, just Solar. But he /is/ my boss after all."
-Swindle hmphs, "That ol stick in the mud. Well don't you worry your pretty little head about it now that I'm back things are bound to get interesting." He grins as if to a joke only he can get and adds, "I might need you for a special mission later but we can worry about business some other time."
-Moonlight grins. "Well, he /can/ be stick in the mudish at times, but he's still backed me up more than times than I can count. He's pretty good so far as bosses go."