((Lunar, Windfall, Prominence)) (D,U,A)     October 22nd, 1999

Oracle walks into the Blaster, with no apparent expression on her face.
Lunar is sitting in his normal corner, almost invisible.
Oracle glances about the room for a friendly, or at least familiar, face.
Oracle takes a seat at the bar.
Lunar looks at Oracle, studying her. If she were to look directly at him, she would probably see the glow of his red optics.
Oracle looks around again and notices Lunar. She smiles a slight smile...just a slight one.
Lunar doesn't smile . . . not that any smile would be visible in the darkness, but he doesn't avert his gaze. It isn't challenging, just observant, analyzing everything it sees."
Oracle stays in her place at the bar, but waves at Lunar.
Lunar doesn't wave back.
Oracle walks over to where Lunar is sitting, but stops a short distance from him.
Lunar keeps his optics non-threatening, simply observing her.
You say, "Good evening Lunar."
Lunar finally nods. "Is it?"
You say, "So far it has been. And I was wishing you a pleasant evening."
Lunar cocks an optic ridge. "And what would your definition of a pleasant evening be?"
You say, "One where nothing unpleasant or dangerous happens to you, or one where something good happens to you. Either one works, I would assume."
Lunar smiles tightly. "Unpleasant and dangerous I can live with. Good is relative."
You say, "You know what good means to yourself, and I wish that upon you then."
Lunar chuckles. "Believe me, you don't."
Oracle smiles to herself. "Perhaps not. But is it so inconcievable that you can have a good time that doesn't come at the expense of someone else?" Peers at Lunar curiously.
Lunar shakes his head. "When you're part of the darkness, light is constantly at odds with your happiness."
You say, "There is always the dusky grey in the middle you know."
Lunar peers straigt at her. "But the grey only makes the darkness more black."
You say, "And what does it do to the light?"
Lunar smiles cruelly. "It snuffs it out."
Oracle shakes her head. "But isn't the light and dark, or goodness and evil, just matters of subjectivity?"
Lunar shrugs. "To a certain extent, although it only shifts the realm of the gray areas. There is still light and darkness."
You say, "Yes, but those are things we can detect with our optics. Good and evil aren't so easy to deal with. Both factions think the other is evil. But they can't both be entirely correct."
Lunar shakes his head. "I know I am evil. I revel in it."
Oracle puts out her hand to shake. "Well good for you."
Lunar glances at the hand, then gives a patient look at Oracle. "What is it with you? You should be scared of me, or at least cautious. Were we to meet outside Crystal City I would cause you more pain than you can possibly imagine."
You say, "Most likely. I usually don't wander outside on my own. I'm quite content to stay in the city...I'm not generally wanted anywhere else. I get in trouble that way. Besides, I mean no one, even you, any ill will at the moment."
Lunar keeps looking at her. "Meaning me no ill will is different than trying your hardest to get to know me."
Oracle pauses and cocks her head to the side. "You're different."
Lunar nods. "Slagging straight. But I'm not different in a good way."
You say, "That is true. Most people I've met from your faction actually seem nice, despite propaganda otherwise. But you seem bad through and through. That's why I don't believe you are as you seem. Perhaps I'm a little naive, but..."
Lunar sighs and mutters, "Naive is right."
You say, "I wasn't born yesterday, and so far I've only really been threatened with violence once. Somehow I feel distant from such things. I don't know why I say these things, but you are almost the exact opposite in disposition from me."
Lunar smiles. "Let me escort you outside of Crystal City and I'll show you just how different I am."
Oracle shakes her head and almost grins. "I'd rather not take my count up to two, thank you very much. I have no wish to meet harm for the first time in the face of someone whom I've acutally talked to.
Lunar looks almost kindly at her face. "Such a wonderful job it would be . . . me causing you pain. I'd go for the face first, you see, opening it up . . . never enough to make you faint, just enough to make you scream." His optics go hard again. "I would do that, you know."
Oracle takes an involuntary step back. She says nothing, only stares at you for a long moment of silence.
Lunar leans forward just enough so that the faintest bit of light falls on his demonic mask. His lips twist upward in a hideous grin. "Finally get the picture, correct?"
Oracle's voice goes cold and dullish. "I can see why you must be valued by some members of your faction. Good day." She moves back to the bar, ocassionally turning her optics to watch Lunar.
Lunar frowns slightly. After a bit, he gets up and sits at the bar, a few seats away from her.
Oracle doesn't move, but she keeps a close eye on Lunar.
Lunar says, so quietly that only she can hear, "My faction hates me." It isn't sad, just a simple statement of fact. "Never think that I'm a model Decepticon. I'm not."
You say, "Why do they hate you?"
Lunar smiles. "For the same reasons I intrigue and repel you. My darkness. Decepticons aren't evil, in fact, they're good. It is I who is evil. You were right when you said I was different."
Oracle her voice is almost plantive. "But what does it do for you? What does it accomplish?"
Lunar's smile darkens. "Absolutely nothing. It is a path I chose long ago."
Oracle almost falls off her seat, she's leaning so far forward. "But why?"
Lunar looks at her for a long moment, as if wrestling with a decision. Finally he reaches it. "What do you care? It doesn't matter anymore anyway."
Oracle pauses for a moment, trying to think of an answer. "Cause I don't think being evil is really such a great thing and it makes me wonder why anyone would chose that existance. I mean, the Decepticon leaders are harsh, and I don't like their methods, but you're right, they aren't evil. But you claim you are, and it concerns and puzzles me."
Lunar frowns. "Concerns? You're a fool if you feel concern for me, after what I've already stated I'd do to you."
Oracle shakes her head. "But if you weren't evil, you wouldn't say such things. There's a point to it, do you see?"
Lunar's frown turns into a sneer. "You're wrong, Oracle. I am the darkness, I am the night, I am pure evil. Light has no place in me, and that's something you will learn, or be destroyed."
Lunar chuckles. "You are a child, Oracle. And it pains me to crush your innocence in this manner . . . but there is pure evil in the world. Monsters who live by preying on the populace. I am one of those monsters."
You say, "I didn't say you weren't evil. You could very well be, but I don't believe in pure evil at all. There is nothing pure on Cybertron."
Lunar shakes his head. "There can never be pure light, but there can be pure darkness. Merely remove all the light and you have darkness, but light must be added to squeeze out the darkness, an impossible task to do completely."
Oracle slips into a mood of quiet contemplation.
Lunar looks towards the bar. "Enerbeer," he says finally. The bartender slides the drink to him.
Windfall walks in and greets the regulars. She saunters over to Oracle and motions for a drink, "Hey Oracle."
You say, "Oh, hello. How are you this evening?"
Lunar looks at Windfall, his fiery red optics glaring like twin lasers from beneath his mask. His expression is perfectly neutral, made darker by the diabolical shape of his mask. He observes the two closely.
Windfall nods, "I'm hanging in there." She returns Lunar's glare with on of he own, "Something I can help you with?"
Lunar says nothing, though he raises an optic ridge.
*missing some due to compy failure*
Lunar chuckles. "My leaders? Think? Well, I suppose some of them do. The ones who don't will fall soon enough." He continues laughing. "I believe you've gathered all your information about us through childrens storybooks, judging from your conversation."
*missing some due to compy failure*
Windfall shrugs, "Maybe she did, I wasn't listening. But we 'neutra' types have a tendency to follow our own minds, anyway."
Lunar nods. "Which explains the high death rate among neutrals. Freedom of mind should only be attempted by those, like myself, with the brainpower to survive."
Prominence clanks in smelling of old data.
Windfall blanches, "The reason our death toll is so high is that you 'proud warroirs' would rather assault some poorly armed unaffil then someone that could rightly be a threat." She snorts, "Brainpower indeed." Shenods to Prom as he enters.
Oracle nods to Prominence as he walks in.
Lunar shrugs. "Speculation, Windfall, pure speculation.
Prominence waves at Oracle and Windie, grabs an enerslime from the bar and walks over.
Windfall shakes her head and waves Prom over, "Perhaps, but the data backs it up."
Lunar shakes his head. "All the data backs up is that you blame the Cons for all your problems. Pathetic."
You say, "History does show in several areas the ruthlessness of the Decepticon faction at various times."
Prominence approaches the table. He raises an opticbrow at the Decepticon, turns and says, "Hi Windie, what's up?"
Lunar nods. "All necessary times, Oracle. When order had to be established."
Windfall laughs, "Again the Decepticon arrgance rears it's ugly face. And this one is worse than most. You are the LEAST of our worries, but still one to be mentioned since that WAS the topic of conversation."
Windfall shakes her head at Prom, "Not much. How're you?"
Oracle extends a hand to Prominence. "I don't believe we have met. I'm Oracle."
Prominence pulls at his enerslime. "M'ok, I guess." He turns to Oracle and shakes her hand. "Hi, I'm Prominence but just call me Prom."
You say, "Pleased to make your aquaintance, Prom."
Prominence grins. "Same here." He lowers his voice a litle. "So, what's going on?"
Lunar chuckles. "You say that neutrals are superior to Decepticons for their lack of all responsability to higher authority, and you call yourself a free thinker. I say the Decepticons are better for striving to meet the principles of honor, glory, and order, and you say we are arrogent."
You say, "Neither in the extreme are any good. Someone who respects nothing and listens to no one isn't any better or worse than someone who takes every order against his or her better judgement. A committment to either style is foolish."
Lunar nods. "You grasp such concepts well, Oracle."
Windfall corrects, "I make no such blanket statements. I say we extrcise our free will. I say YOU are arrogant. And ugly."
Lunar grins. "You have no conception of how truly hideous ugly is. Only when you've become as black as I am can you see that."
Oracle shuts her optics for a moment, as though looking for a small pocket of peace for her own use.
Windfall again looks unimpressed, "I've seen ugly enough."
Lunar shakes his head. "Failure to be afraid may come from two things. Genuine courage or lack of knowlege. With you, Windfall, it is the second."
Windfall laughs, "One could say the same of you, making an assessment of someone you don't know from a hole in your skidplate."
Lunar smiles. "Everything you say and do gives me more information about you. So far, it all supports my initial assumption."
Oracle seems quite content to stay in her own little world for the time beings.
Windfall chuckles into her drink, "You know what they say about assumption."
Lunar nods. "Yes. Never trust it until the facts back it up. I believe I have enough facts now to support it."
Windfall shrugs, "Believe what you will, 'Con. In the end, it doesn't matter."
Prominence looks on quietly, gathering facts of his own.
Lunar shakes his head. "I suppose not, for even if my assumptions were wrong your death is inevitable."
Oracle gets up to leave the room.
Windfall chuckles, "It's part of mortality I've learned to live with." She looks up, "Leaving Oracle?"
You say, "Yes, I have things to be doing."
Oracle walks to the door.
Windfall waves, "Primus be with you."
Lunar nods to Oracle. "Stay inside Crystal City, Oracle . . . or else." He smiles cruelly.
You say, "I'm not going anywhere...I'm just going home."
Prominence's optics widen at this last bit from Lunar.
Oracle exits.