Greasing Up Those Bets And Bettors

[Overlord]

Month 7, Week 2, Day 4, Ship, Swindle's 'shop'

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Despite this being a strange new reality, Overlord is finding matters disappointingly the same. Where there is war, there will always be war profiteers. However, Overlord has need of the skills of one such tiresome merchant at the moment, and so he finds it in himself to pay Swindle's shop a little visit. It was hard to drag himself out of his lethargic rest in the CR pool, and he hasn't bothered to tidy up - there's a trail of wet footprints behind him, and he still glistens with that curious liquid in patches.

Then again, 'splattered' has always been a good look for Overlord.

He calls out, sounding cheery no matter what he might actually be feeling, "Oh, Swindle, is it? Are you in, by any chance?"

[Swindle]

Swindle looks up from his datapad where he lounges in a chair, his feet propped up on a countertop. His inventory is, for the moment, organized just the way he likes it, so he's started a novel. "Gigatron, right?" My, but he's a big one! "Guilty as charged," he says, smiling at the mention of his name. "What can I do for you?"

[Overlord]

Only about twice as tall as the normal Decepticon! ... so yes, up in the land of the Skyfires, but more obviously built for war.

Overlord replies airily, hands gesturing theatrically without much thought, "Guilty, I'm sure. Hmph. There's a lack of quality entertainment on this ship and a lack of an outlet for venting steam. If that seems incongruous, I'll soon enough show that the solution is one and the same. Now, the throttled violence just builds up, the boilers rattling and rattling, and I'm afraid they're going to burst someday. It's going to happen, you know. Unless, of course..." he looks off and pauses, "...all that raw, seething aggression boiling within this crew can be turned to profitable use."

[Swindle]

Swindle's player was confused by this picture, and the fact that Overlord is a Phase Sixer. He always seemed larger than life!

"You want to set up a fight ring," the merchant says. It's a statement, not a question. "I can get behind that. Have you started working out the logistics yet?" he asks, setting aside his datapad and pushing back his chair to get to his feet, coming around the counter.

[Overlord]

Overlord's player and Perceptor's player spent an awful lot of time squinting at comics, while suffering food poisoning, trying to determine how tall Overlord is. They eventually concluded that Overlord is about twice as tall as Impactor. This is just proof that Overlord will even make people sick in real life.

"Yeesss, a fight ring is just what this dreary ship needs," Overlord agrees and adds, absently, as an afterthought, "and a betting ring." The betting ring is why Swindle ought to care. "I think the ticket to start it would be to find a long-standing grudge and to convince it to be aired before an audience. There's built-in drama right there, a compelling reason to watch, and once they're hooked..."

[Swindle]

If you got food poisoning from Overlord, you must have eaten him. If you ate a toy that is that valuable on the secondary market, you deserve what you got.

"Oh, the betting ring goes without saying," Swindle says, flashing a grin at 'Gigatron.' "Long-standing grudge, huh? Well, I can think of one, but Bonecrusher versus The World would be pretty time-consuming to set up." It would probably be at least as good as Scott Pilgrim, though.

[Overlord]

"Just one?" Overlord inquires expectantly, peering down at Swindle.

Decepticons getting along this well is rather strange! They need more back-biting strife in their lives.

"You can't think of any fight the crew would just be dying to see?"

[Swindle]

"Well, Starscream and Scourge would be profitable to set up, but I'd hesitate to suggest it to either of them. I like my motherboard on the inside. Hmm . . . " the merchant trails off, hand on his chin. "There's no love lost between Assault and Slugslinger. They get along like oil and water. Anyway, you're missing the point! You don't need a grudge to make for an interesting fight. Why not something like all the Predacons, Jetstorm, and Mistwind against Wreckage? Or Brawl and Duskwing versus a pack of Esoterican Thought Eaters?" Swindle doesn't actually have a pack of Esoterican Thought Eaters on him right now, but he knows a guy.

[Overlord]

"I'd suggest it," Overlord says with a perfectly straight face. He would do it. He's not afraid. Swindle's the one afraid, and Overlord notes that.

He flourishes a hand and echoes, smiling, "Why not, indeed? Those ideas sound perfectly serviceable."

Did Swindle really only need this tiny nudge to get his momentum rolling down the hill toward the valley of glorious, brutal pit fights?

[Swindle]

"You suggest it, then. I'm already on thin ice around here, I'm not about to go stirring up trouble between the mechanisms in charge." Of course Swindle's afraid. That is the logical reaction to Scourge and Starscream when you aren't a Phase Sixer.

And yes, Swindle really only needed this tiny nudge to get his momentum rolling toward the valley of profitable, profitable pit fights.

[Overlord]

Overlord does indeed go ahead and suggest that.

"Thin ice? What's the worry - can't you swim?" Overlord jests, or at least, it seems like he's making a joke. Go ahead, laugh!

[Swindle]

Swindles smile falters a little. Gigatron likes to play word games. That's always tons of fun in a client.

"I tend to sink, actually, being denser than most liquids." He claps his hands together. "So, have you given any thought to logistics yet?"

[Overlord]

Overlord just looks happier when Swindle's smile falters.

He shrugs and admits, "I used to do single-elimination matches, up to twelve wins and then a... prize. However, I think I'm in the mood for something different here."

[Swindle]

"Do tell," Swindle prompts, crossing his arms in an unconscious defensive gesture. He's sold weapons to more evil warlords than he can count, why does this headshrinker creep him out?

"What was the prize?"

[Overlord]

"I let them think it was freedom they were fighting for," Overlord replies absently. He laces his hands behind his back and stretches a bit.

"Not something soldiers care for much, but I was working with criminals, you see. I'm sure I could devise something sufficiently motivating, if you aren't up to it. Say..."

He tilts his head sidelong. "...what is your store missing, do you think?"