Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jun 15, 2013 17:30:51 GMT -5
Month 12, Week 2, Day 7, Decepticon Ship, Private If you feel your character should be in this thread, let me know.
The meeting regarding the new Ship rearrangements had finished. Mistwind stood outside the bridge, considering his next move. He got authorization for his project! On his free time, his arrangements, pretty much his thing! He needed someone familiar with tech and who could supply the weapons, someone whom Mistwind didn’t mind co-operating with… and hopefully vice versa. And how much it seemed like a hunt for the golden goose, a good and proper dealmaker would be nice.
That… pretty much narrowed down his starting point. He bolts in the direction he’s sure he saw Swindle head off to.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jun 16, 2013 15:57:33 GMT -5
Swindle is moving along the corridor slowly, but with purpose. He long ago figured out which parts of Ship have the right combination of being off the beaten path and having lots of precious metal wiring in the walls. Since they're taking the ship apart anyway, he figures no-one will mind if he helps himself.
He turns to look over his shoulder when he hear light footfalls behind him, and smiles widely when he sees who it is.
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jun 16, 2013 20:18:20 GMT -5
“Mister Swindle Sir!” Mistwind practically bounces as he approaches the other Decepticon, grinning from audial to audial, “Have you ever built a mobile battle mech, Sir? One that uses a pilot?”
He asked permission for this in front of the entire army. Why run circles now?
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jun 18, 2013 19:43:37 GMT -5
"I've built a few," Swindle allows, turning to face the smaller Decepticon, hands on his hips, returning his smile. "I've also sold off-the-shelf models as well as modifying them. Don't have anything ready-made that'll fit you in stock." Mistwind is too big to use a human-sized battle mech, and too small to use a Cybertronian-sized one, which seem to be the standard sizes most bipedal sentients come in. Funny, that.
"So, how heavy of a chassis were you looking for? Digitigrade or plantigrade?" Swindle is about to continue before he realizes he's not talking to one of the science team. "That is to say, do you like Starscream legs or regular legs? What kind of weapon load-out are you looking for?"
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jun 19, 2013 9:46:47 GMT -5
See that smile, Swindle? That’s the smile of someone who just found out that maybe, just maybe, they don’t have to go to that scary technician who lives in south town because they have an uncle in north town who can help. “Uhm…” is Mistwind’s first reply to the questions regarding chassis-weight and the like. When weapons are addressed, he blinks a couple of times. “ah…” He searches around in subspace and a datapad appears with a scribble of a robot that he holds up to the bigger mech, “this one thought maybe something like [this]? Transformer sized, like, normal! And, and, yes, I... eh... like Starscream’s legs, sir. Er, who wouldn’t?” (was that a trick question?) “And, and… uhm” Weapons? He turns an interesting mix of both blush and pale when he thinks about that. Eventually, he guesses, “standard military weapons? I… don’t know?” Really, he doesn’t.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jun 23, 2013 7:12:44 GMT -5
Swindle leans forward to examine the proffered design sketch, nodding sagely. "Looks like a solid design, I can work with it." He looks up from the datapad to its owner and smiles sardonically. "I meant which kind of legs do you want on your mech, Mistwind. Looks like you've decided, though. We can start with some standard laser cannons for the weaponry and change our minds later if we need to," he states, already thinking about which parts of Ship he can cannibalize for this project.
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jun 23, 2013 14:21:21 GMT -5
“Oh… yes well… these, Mister Swindle Sir!” He bounces and points to the legs on the datapad, grinning sheepishly. That wasn’t some weird opinion test, then. Or Swindle wondering about ripping out their commander’s legs and stick them under a battle mech. That would’ve been a possible thought. “Cool!” Mistwind looks all sorts of happy with the way his plans are being thought upon. Then he turns rather serious, “So how many hours do I need to work for you to earn this mech, Mister Swindle Sir? This one was thinking of working back each hour you spend on this plus more for materials and such… but it doesn’t know how to calculate that. Should it be my worth/hourly rate –which I don’t know- versus the material cost plus favor tax for your knowledge and skill? Is it something like that, Sir?”
What do you mean, child labor is unethical? It's totally normal in Mistwind's book.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jun 27, 2013 18:46:15 GMT -5
"Yes, those," Swindle agrees, pursing his lips to one side and scratching his head as Mistwind opens negotiations.
He doesn't personally find child labor unethical (Swindle's moral code begins and ends with the Holy Commandment "Buy Low, Sell High,") but can forsee problems with the arrangement. "I think my time is worth a fair bit more than yours, objectively speaking, Mistwind," he states, not unkindly, "Skilled labor, and all that. I'd say if you worked for me twice the amount of time I worked on the project, we could call it even as far as time. I'd have to figure out fair compensation for the materials once I have a better idea what I'm going to need."
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jun 29, 2013 5:41:12 GMT -5
“Ah. Yes, that does make sense, Mister Swindle Sir. You are superior after all.” Mistwind replies to the comment that Swindle’s time is worth more than his. “Good point, Sir. So we should count a 2:1 exchange rate…. “
He thinks for a moment, and brightens up, “Oh! Yes! Once you know how many materials have been used and everything, we can.. uh… derive the remaining time I must work to make it worth for you, Mister Swindle Sir!” He smiles, totally happy.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jul 4, 2013 21:05:19 GMT -5
"Just so we're on the same page here, you don't have any energon put away for a rainy day . . . ?" Swindle's voice trails off hopefully. He'll also accept precious metals and such, of course. It's not that Swindle doesn't like indentured servitude as a form of payment, it's just that it's not a very liquid currency.
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jul 5, 2013 8:50:32 GMT -5
There is a pause as Mistwind frowns in confusion, “A… ‘rainy day’?” He blinks, “What does rain have to do with-“ Wait! Regardless of the expression, Swindle asked him if he ever drafted extra energon that he didn’t use. Mistwind’s mouth falls open in horrified shock, “N-no, Mister Swindle Sir! This unit hasn’t ever done such a thing! It only takes the amount it needs to perform its functions for the group! I-it knows very well that taking more for personal storage is Very Bad Behavior, Sir; it’s not for the greater good of the whole! You can check the logs- I’m not lying!”*
He's looking quite mortified at the suggestion of taking more resources than he needs.
* To be honest… I have no clue how command dictates rations and such. Mistwind has always only used what he needs to be functional, the rest he never touched. I realize this could potentially mean two things: Either Mistwind literally has his exact usage amount available to draft, or he has unknowingly created a savings account of unused rations since he appeared on Gillannan/they went into space. And this player doesn’t know which one it is.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jul 7, 2013 19:33:42 GMT -5
Swindle blinks. "Mistwind, little buddy, I'm not implying you're skimming from the stores, I'm talking about your wages!" The Decepticons are allotted a little bit of energon beyond what they need to function. (Swindle would personally have started several riots by now if he was expected to work for food.) "Do you save some or do you spend it all?"
Swindle has enough saved to get his personal ship to the nearest major starport in case of an emergency, such as the officer in charge suddenly becoming dangerously Matrix-obsessed, or a zombie outbreak.
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jul 9, 2013 19:19:42 GMT -5
“Wages? …Oh! Wages!” The anxiety on Mistwind’s face fades away immediately. It makes place for an uneasy and lingering confusion as he hastens to admit, “… I know what wages are, Mister Swindle Sir.” Sure he does. He fears that he accidentally made it quite clear he doesn’t think of himself as a ‘recipient of a wage’. Mistwind scratches the back of his neck as he answers Swindle's question, “I, er, stored all of my unused rations, Mister Swindle Sir. This one expected command to eventually recall that what it didn’t use so I've kept it safe." Perhaps not the reasoning and mindset one would expect but for the outcome it doesn't matter much: Mistwind hadn't used his extra wages.
"I've learned that I'm not really comfortable with buying weapons, Mister Swindle Sir; This one must earn them. But Supreme Commander Starscream ordered me to use these extra rations if needed. I get the feeling that working alone isn't enough... so could I earn pilot and weapons rights through work, and help compensate material costs through, uhm... my, er, wages?"
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jul 18, 2013 19:17:32 GMT -5
Swindle gives Mistwind a look that starts off pitying then moves into horrified. Clearly this is a child in desperate need of finanical guidance. "When you think someone might take your hard-earned money away from you, that just means you have to put it somewhere they can't get to it. Hmmm, maybe I should start a bank for the troops . . ." he says, holding his chin in his hand and looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.
"But yes, work in trade for work and pay for the materials in cash! Sounds like a plan!" the merchant exclaims, clapping his hands together.
Now he just has to start finish appropriating the materials that Mistwind is buying off him.
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Mistwind
Major
Licensed flight addict, deepsea diving fan, mech-pilot rookie - Accepts food and play for services.
Posts: 531
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Post by Mistwind on Jul 19, 2013 15:22:39 GMT -5
Mistwind's not entirely sure he likes that look of pity/horror Swindle gives him. Apparently, not knowing what wages are -or applying them to oneself- is a Bad Thing. No, he definitely doesn't like that look, not at all. He bulldozers over his doubts and nods agreeingly when the merchant mech explains, "Ah, I see, Mister Swindle Sir, that makes so much sense! Thank you for the advice, Sir!" No, he doesn't see. But he doesn't want that look to continue, either. So he smiles brightly and joyfully when Swindle accepts the final payment plan and bounces up and down in shared enthusiasm, "Yay! We have a plan, Mister Swindle Sir!" And it's a good plan!
"So.... uhm..." Mistwind looks around, tilting his head and furrowing his brow in thought. "I.... let you go on about whatever you were going to do, right, Sir? Or do you already need me?"
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