A Mech About Town

[Needlenose]

Needlenose is not a space flier. So he took a shuttle to Pz-Zazz! Now, he is casually strolling through one of the shopping districts. He's starting in the more touristy areas first, to get an idea of the side that Pz-Zazz shows off-worlders, but he'll be checking the side it keeps hidden, later. It's important to know all the angles, after all.

One thing about Pz-Zazz - it's one of the few worlds where a Transformer blends in best just by staying in robot mode! Or using a robot-sized Pretender shell, but they don't have any Pretenders along (and if they did, Runamuck would probably freak out). Most of the aliens are organic, but there are enough robots about to keep the Transformers from receiving odd looks.

The whole place looks like an exaggerated version of something right out of an old detective or mobster movie, with higher technology and more aliens. There are bright lights everywhere, but the prevalent style of dress is suspiciously similar to prohibition Earth. Sometimes, there are shapeless slugs sporting business suits, even!

"So far," he murmurs to his companions (or himself, if there are no Decepticons who decided to come along with him!), "it's looking preeeeetty much like the Pz-Zazz I remember."

As he (the group) passes one sleezy looking individual in a suit, that person wolf-whistles and shouts at Needlenose, "Hey, baby! What're your prices?" Apparently he's assumed something quite improper about the flamboyant mechanoid's occupation!

Needlenose, however, just takes it in stride. He snorts, laying back his antennae, and shouts back, "More than you could afford!"

OOC: Currently open to 'Cons only, and only those not at the Crashdown scene harassing Autobots. Others will have the option to join as Autobots arrive or that scene starts to break up.

[Tasha Walker]

You really didn't think Blackarachnia would stay aboard ship once she heard Optimus was down here, did you? Of course, she was planning on accompanying Needlenose anyway.

Really. Scout's honor.

The...gentleman's proposition and Needlenose's retort make the spider lady smirk. The pretty boy almost seems in his element. This should be fun.

At least people aren't looking at her like she's some sort of freakshow. A few give her curious glances, but that's all.

"So, flyboy, how's it stacking up so far?"

[fangsan]

Of course Ravage was there as well, the feline bot was itching for a chance to see another world and this was like nothing he'd ever seen before either. Looking around and with his head swaying as he tried to take in all the sights and sounds as well as the creatures about.

When the brief exchange goes on between his fellow Con and the local Ravage paused thinking trying to work out what was been offered before shrugging and dart on to walk along side the others.

"At least you seem to know what this place is like and how to handle the locals." Ravage commented, trying his best not to look like a tourist would yet only half managing that. So many things were around him, too many in fact but they were far enough away that he was within his comfort zone.

[Dead End]

Dead End followed behind Blackarachnia and Needlenose, the glow behind his visor shifting from side-to-side almost like an old-school Cylon as he watched for potential threats approaching from one flank or the other.

"At least the atmosphere isn't corroding our intakes away. The locals, on the other hand, appear armed, unimpressed by us, and... of great variety. They'll probably kill us, you know. What does this place remind me of? It was an episode from that TV show with the redshirts...."

He tilts his head quizzically at the odd person that whistled at Needlenose. "A variety of tastes, as well. Xenophile or robophile, do you suppose?"

[Needlenose]

"So far? Pretty much like I was expecting it," Needlenose tells Blackarachnia. As he walks, he glances, for a moment, past two aliens conversing in a doorway. It takes a rather observant person to realize that he noticed them more than he's letting on. "Mob rule, or rather, mobster rule. And Dead End, they'll only kill you if you're incompetent. We were only here for a few days, and we managed to establish ourselves as a legitimate gang. You're not incompetent, are you?"

"The trick, Ravage, is not to underestimate them just because they're organic. And Dead End? No use faking you're not really a Trekkie, nerd. You don't pull a random episode like that out of subspace without actually knowing the show."

Which, of course, implies that Needlenose knows something about the show himself. Well, enough to know that 'Trekkies' are 'nerds,' anyway! He does, at least, seem ignorant of the fact that his reference to subspace doesn't really jive with the Star Trek handling.

"Anyway, he probably just digs me because I'm gorgeous. It doesn't really matter if I'm xeno, a robot, or anything like that." He stops talking - and walking - for a moment to look up ahead. It would seem that the casinos are getting thicker down this way. He tilts his head, then gestures towards one in particular, a casino done up all in chrome and curves and bubble-shapes. In fact, it seems to have a weird, retro-future-space-age sort of theme, with designs reminiscent of what people in the 40's and 50's often imagined the future would look like. In it, there are both robot servers and attendants, and organic ones dressed as retro-futuristic robots.

The theme of the casino is a bit brain-hurty (or perhaps processor-hurty) when taken in the context of a world that actually already has space-travel.

"Now there's a place to hob-nob, ask around, and still blend in pretty well! Besides..." he points at one of the servers in particular. This one clocks in at about Minibot sized, a robot, made of metal but with somewhat organic lines, and four arms.

Those who had seen the Unicron recording of the destruction of Gillanan IV might recognize the species.

[Tasha Walker]

"Wow," Blackarachnia says as she casts critical eyes on the casino, "Now that is tacky. I thought the humans were bad, but that takes the cube, it does."

"Not that this place seems to be a bastion of good taste anyway," she adds, shrugging.

The server catches her attention even without Needlenose pointing her out. At least, Blackarachnia assumes it's a her, given the stereotypical casino drink-girl attire. She'd watched that playback a few times, trying to make sense of the insensible. No way she'd miss that body type.

"The question now," she murmurs, "is did she manage to actually escape, or was she here to start?"

She looks down at Ravage. She still isn't sure why anyone would choose an organic alt mode, but the neurotic cat seems decent enough. A bit naive, perhaps. "Keep close, kitty. Wouldn't want anyone to decide you're an exotic animal that needs caging."

[fangsan]

"Personally I'd rather go by the way of never underestimate anything no matter what it is." He then rolled his eyes as the two started back and forth with Star Trek comments shaking his head before looking up towards Blackarachnia. "I can take care of myself. And anyway cages I don't fear its collars, as Big Cat would never let me live it down if he found out about I'd been put in one of them."

Shaking his head when he saw the casino the feline bot tilted his head from one side to the other looking at it. From his point of view on four legs even a minibot sized local was still above him giving him a different look. As the group neared the building Ravage paused looking up for a moment and as a creature walked by.

A nano click later Ravage shot forwards to rejoin the group his eyes wide and his tail whipping around behind him. Looking up first towards Blackarachnia then towards Needlenose he shook his head a few times. The young naive bot having just gotten an unexpected lesson in two things, short skirts with a lack of underwear under them. His other lesson was a brief view in one of the local creatures lower anatomy.

When the server was pointed out to them, Ravage was doing his best not to have a repeat lesson. Looking up from his lower view he cocked his head to one side, not yet having chance to look over said recordings he wasn't aware. "Does it matter how she got here. More so is its someone to question."

[Dead End]

Dead End gives Needlenose a long, visored stare. "I am competent," he says coolly. "However, there are always random factors out of the control of the most competent; in the end, you cannot beat entropy."

"I am not a Trekkie. I do not spend endless hours arguing over whether Next Generation is better or worse than Deep Space 9 or Voyager, I do not vow vengeance on those B guys for Enterprise, and I do not argue over whether it is 'Trekkie' or 'Trekker'. I simply watched the shows for entertainment. Ons' team taped them; they kept Brawl entertained without him tearing chunks of wall down." Dead End retorts drily. He turns back to viewing the scenery. "The episode was 'A Piece of the Action'."

He follows Needlenose's pointing finger with his gaze. "Interesting. Grab her, or you two talk her up?"

[Needlenose]

Needlenose returns Dead End's stare, but at a delay. His return-stare comes when the Stunticon denies being a Trekkie, then rattles off more information about the shows than he was even ever aware, how many there are, and then provides an episode name. One antennae cocks back at an odd angle.

"Y'know, Delusion is more than just a city in-" he cuts himself off and tilts his head, his gaze lifting slightly. "Hmm, that one doesn't translate well, I notice. Nevermind!" With that, he turns towards the others, mood suddenly swapped to cheerful-chipper as if a switch had been thrown.

"Blackarachnia, that is the ten thousand Shanix question, I do believe," well, that, and 'Where is Galvatron?' But Needlenose doesn't really know about that. "The Gillanan system had space travel, after all, so she could have already been living off world," he inclines his head towards Ravage, "and it matters because it tells us whether or not she's a witness, and where Unicron might have gone to after."

"But you're right, she is someone to question." He glances at Dead End. "We'll start with talking, and if that doesn't work, keep grabbing as a plan B." With that, he sashays towards the four-armed serving robot and rather deliberately takes a seat at the table she's in the process of cleaning. His elbow is set on the table, and he rests his chin on his fist as he gazes up at her.

"Hell-ooooooooo, darling! Mind if I gaze upon your fuels selection?" Blast it, did Needlenose ever get the appropriate filter for this planet installed? He doesn't think so - not much point with their ship readily available. Nothing for it, then - Needlenose will just try to go for the fuel-type with the closest properties to energon, and deal with the systems cleaning later.

The serving alien looks rather startled when he sits down. "Oh, uhm..." she looks down at him, then up at the other Transformers whom he'd been talking to. "Sure thang, you got it. You alls togather?"

[Tasha Walker]

"Cage or collar...it doesn't really matter," Blackarachnia murmurs, again looking down at Ravage, "You're trapped either way. Keep that in mind, kitty cat."

The Star Trek discussion goes well over her head, but even she can tell Dead End is not helping his case any. But rather then point that out, she just shakes her head and joins Needlenose at the table.

"Why yes, dearie, we are." She isn't worried too much about the fuel issue, given her built in filtering abilities, but that doesn't mean she'll choose garbage either.

[fangsan]

Ravage felt a moment of cunning really or at least an attempt for him to be cunning and so kept his mouth shut. He could pass off for a beast possibly or a pet of the group which could be useful later. And so as the other sat down at the table he laid on the floor between Needlenose and Blackarachnia's feet.

Briefly looking up to the serving bot his head tilted to one side wondering what kinds of things they served but then also recalling his recently encounter the trying the energon. He'd have to be careful now wasn't the time for that good buzzy feeling.

With a soft purr and his tail flicking behind him he looked towards the others hoping they would catch on with his act, not that it would change much with what he'd been doing anyway.

[Dead End]

"I learned about it on the Internet," he mutters, then joins Needlenose at their table.

"We are together, until it all falls apart," Dead End replies dourly. "Needlenose, perhaps you can figure out something that won't eat out our fuel tanks and recommend it." Dead End sounds rather doubtful of Needlenose's chances.

He reaches down and pats Ravage, then scritches him beneath his chin. His gaze drifts around the room, noting the other customers and persons of interest.

[Needlenose]

"The only thing you're convincing me of, Dead End, is that you guys had too much free time," the video game obsessed mechanoid observes as he accepts a menu (a neat little engraved metal sheet) from the Gillanan server. Nevermind all the time he spends following assorted trends, keeping up with the latest games, and so forth. When he does it, it's valuable research.

"Hmmm. I believe I would like the Meltdown," Needlenose declares, passing the menu on. So much for not having their fuel tanks eaten out!

The server lifts a small handheld device with one hand, and with another, enters the order. "You got it!" she proclaims with the sort of false cheer her job demands from her. Then, while putting on a show of being interested, she asks, "So you alls new on Pz-zazz?" As she prepares to enter the other two orders, her third hand finishes cleaning the table, and the fourth rests on her hip.

[Tasha Walker]

Blackarachnia stretches one foot out to try and idly rub along Ravage's side and belly. It's a smart move on his part; perhaps the cat has more intelligence than she thought.

She accepts the menu, and after a brief perusal orders, "Shooting Star, neat." "

A quick stretch, and she answers, passing the menu to Dead End as she does so. "Just taking in the sights and having a bit of fun after too long at space. I must say," she leans an elbow on the table and props her chin in her hand, "it's quite the colorful planet you've got here."

[fangsan]

While Backarachnia and Dead End may of thought they were petting Ravage, more so they were stroking his ego but catching on with his unspoken plan. In his mind it was one more notch for him as he doubted many others would be able to do this and even fewer willing.

And of course he had to admit deep down in the back of his processor he did enjoy the attention as well. This guity pleasure was shown by a soft low purr rumbling from his frame.

Not wanting a drink and knowing he couldn't really ask for one either, Ravage took it upon himself to look around as well from the floor. Every so often sniffing to take in the smells and using that to finish off the picture of what the place was like. His tail coiled around himself, brushing first against Dead End's hand then the ankle of Blackarachnia.