May 12th, 2003
~Enfilade(D), Ghost(D), Solar(D), Dirge(D), Timedigger(A),

The Wild Surge - Bar

     Dimly lit and noisy, Dead End's only bar is never lacking in patrons. While the energon isn't of the best quality, many of the chemical additives are unique to the place, and so highly prized by those who can afford them, even outside of the city. For those less affluent, the wall behind the bar still offers old, contaminated energon and various forms of crude-grade fuel as well as the more acceptable low and high grade energon, plus some interesting compounds that are better left to the imagination.


Calenture [Robot] [D] 
Enfilade [Robot] [D]

Obvious Exits:
 -O- Out leads to Dead End - North Strip

-Enfilade is sitting in the back, sipping an energon lager, tinkering around with what might have once been a Decepticon standard issue rifle but has now been bastardized into...Primus only knows what. Is that a /fuel tank/ bracketed onto it?
-Calenture strides into the Wild Surge, visor bright, perhaps unusually so, movements rather cocky and alert. A passing glance is given the other occupants, be they neutral or whomever before he heads striaght for the bar, and in his light tenor, orders a 'when worlds collide'
-Moonlight makes her entrance sometime after Calenture's. She seems to be in a fairly good mood, despite the fact that it seems to be one of her hatless days.
-Enfilade looks casually up from her work and her optics flash...she hadn't expected to see Calenture of all mechs around. She murmurs quietly, "Cal...what're you doin' ni town?"
-Calenture glances over at Enfilade, visor glittering once before he replies with faint amusement, "Having a drink, my Commander. What else does one do in a bar?" He waves a hand as three glasses are placed in front of him, two silicate and clear, one metal that appears to have been pre-frozen. "Is that allowed?"
-Moonlight makes a straight line for her fellow Cons. "Hello," she greets them cheerfully.
-Enfilade sets down the nightmare weapon and walks up to Calenture. "Yeah...you okay?"
-Calenture nods as he cheerfully plucks up the two glass containers and starts to pour the contents into the third, "I'll be better as soon as I finish this lovely concoction that our dear server has graciously presented me with.. Oohh loook. sparklies." AS the two liquids combine, they begin to fizzle and shower the bartop with sparks. "How have you been, my.. eh.. lady?"
-Enfilade shrugs. "All right, yourself?" She waves to Moonlight, hoping the other femme will help lift Cal out of the mood he's in. She eyes the drink skeptically. "Are you sure that's drinkable?" Yes, this is coming from Fil....
-Moonlight gives the drink Cal is mixing himself an odd look. Well, each to their own. "How are the both of you doing?" she asks, more cheerful than polite. Then again, Moonlight has never been the picture of etiquette.
-Enfilade says to Moonlight, "Not bad...say...you wouldn't have a fuel injector nozzle on you, would'ya?"
-Calenture nods, "Its perfectly drinkable, ma'am." A shrug as he finishes the pour. "And I have been... alright. Functional." He gives the drink time to fizzle down some before inserting a metal straw and sipping it.. "Hn-gak! Feh... " A pause, some slight adjustment to his mask before he tilts the drink up and downs half of it.. "Much.. *kaff* better now."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "No, not handy." She turns to Calenture. "What /was/ that stuff? And those sounds don't exactly sound...healthy."
-Enfilade says, "Can I have a sip?"
-Calenture settles his glass on the counter, now half empty, "When worlds collide." he answers, voice slightly on the raspy side. "Tends to have a kick to start with. Then.." he looks at Enfilade before pushing the remainder over to her, "Sure. Who am I to refuse the boss?" a soft chuckle.
-Enfilade tilts her head, opens her mask==she's smiling==and takes a sip....and coughs, yes, actually coughs, and she sounds surprisingly silly wheezing away. "Damn, I thought I'd tasted it all@!"
-Moonlight holds up her hands as though washing her hands of the whole affair. "Well, I think you're both crazy." She shrugs and grins. "So, any interesting news?"
-Calenture's visor brightens as he chuckles again, "A rare treat for me. Tends to.. eh.. sneak up on you..."
-Solar walks in and heads right behind the bar, he ain't surprised to see anyone here. Mainly cause he already knew they were there. "Whatcha'll drinkin?"
-Enfilade grumbles, "Decent news or more slottin' rumours?"
-Calenture looks over at Solar, raises a hand, "When worlds collide, want one? I'm payin.."
-Solar shakes his head "Nah, don't drink. Got a wierd fuel pump"
-Moonlight chuckles softly and sympathetically to Enfilade's question. "Don't like being on the end of the rumor mill? Any news will do, from the big stuff right now to the trifles." She glances over at Solar. "Doesn't that make things rather flat and dull?"
-Solar says, "Well I DO drink, but its mainly for show. Unless I got slagged and need a bit of extra power."
-Calenture hnngs, picking his glass up from Enfilade and finishing the rest of the sparking, fizzing beverage. "Got very little news or rumors muhse.. eh myself.." He shrugs, glancing sideways at Enfilade. "Heard a few things, sortof ignoring them because it simply isnt any of my business."
-Enfilade eyes Calenture and says, "Things about who?"
-Solar says, "If you hear any rumors regardin the Unafills not likin the bots in CC let me know"
-Calenture glances back at the bartender, "Another one of those, if ya would." before he turns to reguard -Enfilade with a thoughtful air, "Can't say. I've been ignoring them."
-Moonlight leans over and pats Solar's hand. "I feel sorry for anyone who has to live out their life sober." She tries to keep a straight face but can't quite make it. Then she turns to listen to the converstation on rumors. Could be interesting.
-Solar sighs and leans back against the shelves
-Enfilade sighs. "Solar, last night I met a CC neutral who's gone and joined the Bots. He's so mad at what Recoil did he won't give us a chance. Name's Cascade."
-Enfilade regards Cal thoughtfully. "Really. So, you ain't heard a thing about Dirge either then."
-Solar says, "Don't know him, don't care"
-Calenture waits for his second trio of glasses and busies himself with mixing his poisen of choice. "Nope. Havent heard a thing about Dirge. What, he forget how to fly?"
-Enfilade shakes her head. 'That's the latest rumour an' it's tickin' me off...we got a new guest in Darkmount. Timedigger. He's in Dirge's quarters, an' when I went to interrogate him the rumour mill took it all the whole damn wrong way."
-Solar says, "I wish. Dirge has a problem with his mouth and his attitude. I'm hopin Lash slags him on guard duty"
-Calenture ahhs, nodding once as he stirs his drink with the straw before commenting, "Nobody should pay attention to that rumor. We all know by now that you've given up flyboys." He takes a smaller sip of his new beverage.
-Solar says, "Yeah every con in the Empire knows ya prefer Bots Filly"
-Calenture chokes on his drink.
-Moonlight sighs. "That's the way it is. People always want to start rumors." She shrugs. "So, what is it that this Cascade has a problem with?" She gives Solar a frown for his last comment.
-Solar wonders how he said that with a straight face.
-Enfilade looks over at Solar and says crankily, "Shaddup!" She reaches out for her own Worlds Collid,e but instead of mixing the two liquids in the empty glass, she pours them both into her tilted-back mouth at the same time. Sparks fly out of her lips and she gulps, hard.
-Solar starts to chuckle "Rotgut, next rounds on me."
-Calenture finishes choking and rounds on Solar, voice touched with.. would ya know it, anger, "Shaddup!"
-Moonlight shakes her head, but she's not angry like the other two. She looks rather sad. "Was that really necessary?" she asks softly.
-Enfilade looks at Cal, how much his word sounded like hers and cracks up laughing!
-Calenture blinks, visor noticably dimming briefly before he shakes his head, "Shoulda drank somewhere alone n dark." he comments, sipping at his second slowly, having a healthy respect for the inpending drunk.
-Solar mutters to Moonlight: "exztremely  I ... anyone ... ... ... ... this ... ... ... none of ... is takin it ..."
((extremely neccessary, I want anyone who listens in on this conversation to think none of us is takin it seriously"))
-Enfilade looks at Moonlight. "Yes, it was. Fraggin' Phantom, he c'n kiss my aft, lousy Bot." She's halfway to loaded, it seems.
-Calenture hnngs, "Surprised he hasnt already, my dear..."
-Solar starts to chuckle louder.
-Moonlight just sighs at Solar. "You're the boss so I /guess/ you know best." But her tone leaves the impression that she doesn't believe her words. She stares at Enfilade for a few moments and sighs even deeper. Love is always such a messy thing. She reaches to her side and rubs the long scar there as though it irritated her.
-Enfilade shoots Calenture a dirty look and snips, 'What, jealous?"
-Moonlight puts her hands on her hips. "I think all of you should just leave Enfilade alone..."
-Solar says, "Moonlight, in a strange way we're tryin to help her out. We're forcin her to look at a hard time in her life and come to terms with it. Sooner or later she'll stop lookin for the answers in a bottle"
-Enfilade looks over at Solar who's just made a crack about her drinking. "Solar, you have no idea why I started drinking like this."
-Calenture turns his attention abck to the drink and tilts it back, draining the glass. The followup half choke-gasp is almost amuseing.
-Solar says, "Has it got anything to do with a certain bomb on a certain shuttle?"
-Moonlight folds her arms and doesn't seem about to relent. "You've been blowing things up so long, Solar, that you don't know how to deal with people in a positive way. Bluntness might work sometimes, but it's not the only answer you know. Jeering at her isn't the best way..."
-Solar says, "Moonlight look at me. Subtlety is NOT in my dictionary"
-Moonlight nods her head. "Yeah, which is why /you/ don't always have to have the answer. If you can't be subtle about something, maybe it's not your problem to solve."
-Calenture hrmphs, readjusting his mask and pushing the empty glasses away. "I think Ah'm .. I'm about done with tha drinkin'."
-Enfilade sighs, "Okay, guilty as charged."
-Moonlight doesn't point out to Solar that she wasn't drinking in the first place. "Too serious. Agreed."
-Calenture glances at Enfilade... then heaves a resigned sounding sigh, "Nother round..." he mutters as he rubs at his mask and visor.
-Solar says, "It's on me."
-Calenture shakes his head, "Sorry Solar, I pay my own tabs. Thanks fer tha offer though."
-Moonlight leans against her elbows, which she rests against the bar top. She glances sideways at Calenture. "Don't like free drinks?"
-Calenture shakes his head, "Not really. Prefer to earn my own way, pay my own tabs. Owe nobody."
-Moonlight chuckles slightly. "Free means there is no owing," she points out with a grin.
-Enfilade murmurs softly to Calenture, "No ties to anyone...leaves you in a bad place, ser."
-Solar says, "suit yourself"
-Calenture shrugs, "Nothing in life is ever truly free.." His gaze settles on Enfilade, "No ties to anyone means I can leave whenever and not worry. Which.. reminds me Commander. I'd like to request a position transfer. Back to deep space."
-Moonlight considers that statement. "Maybe nothing is really free, but some costs aren't so unpleasant that you mind paying them."
-Enfilade says softly, "If that's what you really want, Cal, to go back to deep space, I won't stand in your way."
-The door swings open, and Dirge walks into the Wild Surge looking his usual gloomy self. He quickly notices the group of Cons gathered at the bar and is a little surprised at seeing so many of his faction here. With a casual shrug, he silently walks over and orders an Omegarita.
-Moonlight is distracted from the conversation at hand momentarily by the approach of Dirge. She waves briefly to him then turns back to Cal and Enfilade.
-Calenture hnnngs, staring at his third round of the sparking, fizzing evil combo he's been drinking. He reaches out, mixes it as if on autopilot for a moment before he turns and reguards Enfilade for a moment, "You know.." he begins softly.. "I woulda given you anything... Guess thats what they all say, eh? The world, peace.. a safe place to just be you. I'm.. " a shrug as he tips the drink over onto the counter, watching it spill out in a pool of shimmering silver, "just sorry I wasn't what you needed."
-Enfilade says, businesslike, "We need to talk. " Alone, is unadded but evident.
-Moonlight grumps. "Is anyone on this planet happy, I wonder?" she asks of no one in particular. No one present seems to be happy.
-Enfilade says, "Gimme another two or three Worlds Collide an' I will be!"
-Calenture shrugs, "If you wish, Commander. Now or later?" He eyes the mess, "No.. after two or three more, we'll be pouring you into something to haul you abck to base, ma'a*hic*m.. eh.. whoah."
-Moonlight disagrees. "That's not happy; that's something else."
-Dirge takes a seat near Moonlight and offers her a brief nod in greeting. He takes a slow sip of his omegaria and notes in response to Moonlight's query, "Happiness is shallow."
-Enfilade grins at Cal, "Look who's talkin...."
-Calenture snorts, mock offended.. He almost pulls off the sober offended until he hiccups again, "Slaggit to the pit.." a good natured grumble. "Happiness.." he glances over at Dirge, "Is a full clip and moving targets." a pause, "or a nice starlite flight.. "
-Moonlight gives Dirge a look that indicates he's not being helpful. "Well, then mark me down as shallow because I'd rather be happy than the alternative."
-Solar says, "Ya know ya all are fraggin nuts."
-Calenture grins to himself, "Suuure we are.."
-Moonlight gives Solar her 'I'm a good femme, really' grin and says, "Takes one to know one boss."
-Solar says, "And I should know I'm nuttier than all of youse"
-Dirge gives the others a sardonic smile and swirls his drink around his glass. "Happiness doesn't last. Why bother chasing after it?" He gives Solar a curious look.
-Calenture shrugs, "Sometimes its good to he happy.. Just so you have a basis of comparrison for when things really get slagged."
-Enfilade meanwhile falls silent. Has she ever really been happy since the shutle accident? Really happy? Proud, yes....but happy?
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Of /course/ it doesn't last. That's what makes it so tantalizing, so special. If people were /always/ happy, it would grow stale." She grins. "Solar, I'll have an enerwine," she says, finally ordering a drink.
-Solar pours a red enerwine.
-Dirge considers both Moonlight and Calenture for a moment, then replies, "Happiness, however, doesn't mean anything. What can you learn from being 'happy'? It only seems special because it's an illusion." He looks at his drink. "Like being overenergized. It lasts briefly, then life will blast you in the head with a laser." Dirge shrugs at Calenture and says, "More like comparing reality with delusion."
-Dirge considers both Moonlight and Calenture for a moment, then replies, "Happiness, however, doesn't mean anything. What can you learn from being 'happy'? It only seems special because it's an illusion." He looks at his drink. "Like being overenergized. It lasts briefly, then life will blast you in the head with a laser." Dirge shrugs at Calenture and says, "More like comparing reality with delusion."
-Calenture raises a finger and wiggles it, "Aaactually.. you can stay overenergized for a looong time if you do it right.." he pauses then errs, "Orso I've.. heard.."
-Moonlight puts down the credits for it and raises her glass. "I know this enerwine won't last. In fact, it will probably be gone pretty quick. But I'm going to enjoy it none the less." She finishes it all at once and makes a sound of satisfaction. "It's now pretty much gone, but I won't fret because I know I'll have some again. It might not be any time soon, but I'm sure it will happen again. The wine itself doesn't really mean much, we can all live off of normal energon. But it's nice to drink. And if you don't think so, Dirge, what the Hell are you doing in a bar?"
-Enfilade eyes Calenture. "My record's 37 days. Yours?"
-Solar says, "Ya know fil with that nanostrainer an overenergized state can be held indefinately"
-Calenture lifts a brow unseen, "I lost count after the second month."
-Enfilade says to Solar, "That's cheatin'...I prefer the obscene abuse of system enhancers an'...." She stares at Calenture. Gapes. "How the...how the FRAG Did you manage that?"
-Moonlight rubs her chin in contemplation. "Now, I'm not so sure if winning this contest is a good thing..."
-Dirge takes another careful sip of his Omegarita as he considers Moonlight. "There's my point," he replies to the femme. "Happiness doesn't last. Therefore it is illusionary." He raises a hand and brushes his fingers against each other, as though he was sprinkling imaginary dust from the tips. "It feels nice for an instant. Then you realize which emotion is permanent." Dirge shrugs.
-Calenture shrugs, "Some heavy preplanning.. a timetable and all the bottles were numbered. Or color coded.. I forgot which.. " he chuckles, "Actually. I had to stop. I couldnt find the door to get out and get more supplies.. Ran out of things to drink too."
-Solar says, "Must have been a blast comin down from that one"
-Dirge half-attentively listens to the others discuss their drinking feats.
-Moonlight shakes her head at Dirge. "Maybe if you didn't have such a sorrowful name, you wouldn't be so glum. Maybe we should all start calling you Mr. Joyjoy." Her tone is rather dry.
-Calenture shrugs, "Yeah.. But it wasnt half as bad as why I started so in the end, I felt better hungover.. or under in that case than when I started." He looks over at Dirge, "What you need is.." he catches himself and shakes his head, "Nothin.. Neeevermind."
-Enfilade giggles cause she can guess what Cal is thinking!
-Solar has a sudden thought and turns to glare at Dirge "Who did you leave guarding Timedigger?"
-Moonlight gave up trying to sort Enfilade out /long/ time ago. Well, maybe not that long ago, but she's tempted. "Well, at least a giggle /sounds/ happy," she comments.
-Dirge offers Moonlight a faint smile in response. "And what about your name? Fated to run after illusions your whole life?" Despite his words, his tone is neutral, not malicious. To Calenture, Dirge raises an optic brow. "Well?" he inquires.
-Enfilade says to Moonlight, "It's cause I'm crazy. I gotta be. Otherwise I'd have gone insane long ago."
-Solar says, "WHO the FRAG is guardin Timedigger?""
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "Naw, that would be too long." She looks over at Enfilade and gives her a rather long and contemplative look.
-Calenture shakes his head, fiddling with the liquid on the counter.. "Nope.. Nothing comeing from this flyboy. Iiii'm juuuust going to sit here and contemplate my commanders delicious.. eh.. slaggit.. Frag.. "
-Calenture puts his head in his hands and just shakes it.
-Dirge turns around to Solar and replies, "I assume Whiplash." He raises another optic brow at Calenture.
-Enfilade's optics darken. she'd thought this problem was solved. Evidently not.
-Solar says, "Excuse me Dirge, your assignment is as a team. You did not ask to be relieved did you?"
-Calenture looks up, "Mind! What did you people think I meant? sheesh." He looks at Enfilade, visor brightening slightly, "No really.. I think its your turn to order drinks, my dear. And the last one was delicious."
-Dirge frowns and looks quite unhappy. He does not respond to Solar, but instead casts his optics on the counter.
-Moonlight suddenly feels rather out of the loop. She gives a little hop and seats herself on the bar, letting her legs dangle against the side. She's not entirely sure /what's/ going on, and that's not something she likes very much.
-Solar says, "I /suggest/ you get the slag out of here and back to Darkmount before I get angry and have you brigged or worse. AND next time when you goof off from a duty assignment don't go to a bar owned by the mech who gave ya that assignment"
-Dirge ventilates deeply in frustration and quickly drains the rest of his omegarita. He places a few credits onto the bar counter, then slides off the stool and quickly walks out, his optics firmly fixed to the ground.
-Enfilade orders a round of cheap energon, but takes Calenture's before she can drink it. She removes a hip flask from subspace, shakes it well, adds a single drop of something and passes it to Cal. "Be careful. Enjoy."
-Calenture eyes the glass, "This isnt going to sober me up is it? I'm.. Enjoying feeling not as stick up an afterburner."
-Enfilade laughs. "No, this stuff may make you pass out on the floor if you ain't careful. Oh yeah, and it tastes like crap...just so you know...I don't even wanna know what Dax put in it."
-Solar says, "You could always try a bit of the white stuff."
-Calenture shakes his had, "I'm thinking if I stay here much longer, I'm going to say something I'll really.. regret."
-Moonlight shrugs. "I drink for fun...not really sure what the point in punishing yourselves is."
-Enfilade says quietly ,"Wanna go somewhere else then?"
-Moonlight grins slightly. "I always say things I /should/ regret and don't."
-Calenture nods, "Probably a good idea." He scoops the glass up and drops creds for his tab.
-Enfilade excuses herself and follows after Calenture.
-Calenture strides out, albeit with a slight wobble to his steps.
-Moonlight watches Calenture and Enfilade leave with a shrug. She turns back to Solar, him being the only one left really.

Dirge's Den
Small. Cramped. Windowless. It appears something is amiss with the lightsource - or is the room supposed to be so dimly lit? A restbed leans against one wall, while in the far corner a chair and talbe await the sporadic visits by their owner.
Contents:
Timedigger
Dirge

-Timedigger is lying on the bed, sleeping.
-Dirge looks down at the sleeping form of Timedigger for a moment and ventilates, then takes a seat in the chair. He takes out the small robot head in his posession from subspace and idly bounces it in the air.
-Moonlight peeks her head in the door. Some shifts Solar put out. They don't always seem to work so well.
-Dirge frowns as he considers the shift. He had believed someone was to be posted in his place, and that he could be free to indulge in an Omegarita or three. Dirge mutters a curse under his breath. He hears the door slide open and his optics flashes in surprise as he sees who is it. "Moonlight?" he says softly.
-Moonlight nods her head, which is hatless much to her chagrin. "Who else?"
-Timedigger makes odd noises as he shifts his position and continues sleeping.
-Dirge catches the robot head in mid-air then carefully places the head onto the table, not wanting to disturb the sleeping Timedigger. "Wonderful shifts Solar plans," he notes sarcastically, then asks Moonlight, "What brings you here?"
-Moonlight grins. "Those wonderful shifts you're talking about."
-Dirge flickers his optics at the sleeping form on the bed, then back at Moonlight. He does not share her grin, but his optics flash in amusement. "Had enough of the inane babble in the Wild Surge?"
-Moonlight shrugs. "Everyone started to leave."
-Dirge leans back in his chair and stretches out, hands behind his head. He ventilates loudly, then replies, "They had to play out the Decepticon stereotype. Being drunk and talking about shooting targets." He gazes at a corner. "I can't believe we can't use the usual sentries for Timedigger. It's taking too much of our time."
-Timedigger rolls over and falls off the bed with a massive thud. "Ghhhhh...slag," he mutters.
-Dirge sits upright on his chair. "Timedigger?" he asks.
-Moonlight shrugs. "I don't mind." She glances over to the stiring Timedigger. "Hey there sleepy head."
-Timedigger sits up on the floor. "Uhhh..." is all he's able to get out for a moment. He shakes his head to clear it, then says, "Oh...hey Dirge, hey Moonlight...what's happening?" He lifts himself off the floor slowly, and sits on the bed.
-Dirge tilts his head at Timedigger. "Bad dreams?" he inquires with curious optics.
-Timedigger shakes his head. "Nah...I'm just not used to sleeping on such a smalkl surface, I guess," he says with a chuckle.
-Moonlight grins and looks around. "Well, this place is rather sparse. Used to something a little more lavish are you?"
-Timedigger laughs. "Nah...in my office I slept on the floor. Can't fall off that..."
-Dirge offers Timedigger a faint smile in response, then gives Timedigger another curious look. "That's quite interesting," he notes. There is a flash of amusement in his optics. "I didn't know floors could be so comfortable."
-Moonlight ahhhhs. "So you're used to less. I guess this is a step up."
-Timedigger fehs. "The floor isn't comfortable, but it is convenient," he chuckles. "So, what's been happening in the world?"
-Dirge shrugs. "Keeping you company," he says dryly.
-Moonlight grins. "I'm afraid the world is still there."
-Timedigger laughs. "Well, I guess that's a good thing, Moonlight...or no?"
-Moonlight continues to grin. "Oh, it's a good thing."
-Dirge glances at both Moonlight and Timedigger, and adds, "The world hasn't changed much. We're still killing each other everywhere but Dead End. Notice the irony?" He smiles at his comment.
-Timedigger chuckles lightly at the humour of the irony. "Indeed. Any news on when they gonna make a decision about me?"