Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on May 4, 2010 22:20:26 GMT -5
Day 12, Aboard Ship, Open Thread
Swindle is in his workshop. The door is open, and the sign outside the door reads "We are OPEN, come on in!" Putting the finishing touches on what looks to be some manner of rifle, he walks over to a counter and pours himself a mug of motor oil. He then takes a paper packet out of a jar full of identical packets and rips it open, pouring the finely ground crystalline energon within into the oil. To finish off the drink, he stirs in a spoonful of ethanol, savoring the aroma of the concoction before taking a sip with an appreciative sigh.
The merchant leans against a counter and surveys his domain. A heavily modified Seeker arm cannon is suspended in a forcefield in the center of the room. On a nearby table is a rust-colored underslung weapon, with a row of rockets next it. The rockets have chainsaws on them. On the other side of the room is a bank of video editing equipment. Snippets of dialog can be heard emanating from the speakers. Things along the lines of "And this huge robotic ruffian ran right through my store. . .", ". . . Landed right on my business! Who's going to pay for that? . . .", ". . . Right on the overpass! At least the gangs don't. . .", ". . . Crazy, babbling about spiders. . ." Swindle just nods to himself and makes a note on a datapad.
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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 May 7, 2010 16:10:11 GMT -5
Outside the door things are about to get obstructed as a large crate is dropped off. Attached to the top of it is a twin-turbined jetpack. The crate has several protocol data addresses and checksigns, and one smooth hockey-puck disk attached, that bleeps with lightblue leds.
Securing destination, the jetpack releases hold and transforms, turning into a bot Swindle would be much more familiar with: Mistwind.
Sitting down and slightly leaning over to retrieve the puck, the kid looks into the room. "Sir, you ordered bundle 2046 to be delivered here." It's an affirmation, not a question. "sign for receipt, please" And indeed, Swindle is waved at with a touchscreen device.
------------ Mistwind at work! Whoohoo!
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Screwdriver
Rookie
The Lady Protector, Her Splendid Primacy, Grand Duchess Screwdriver. The Devout Silencer of Common Sense and Logic
"And *I'll* live happily ever after..."
Posts: 225
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Post by Screwdriver on May 7, 2010 19:36:34 GMT -5
A round, rust-red head peeks around the corner and peers in with bright red optics, attracted by the activity.
Screwdriver peers at Mistwind, then up at Swindle, then looks around the workshop. Her optics widen. "Gepetto!" she exclaims happily, bounding into the room. Then she peers at the speakers, tilts her head, and observes, "No soap, radio!"
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on May 7, 2010 21:15:32 GMT -5
Swindle smiles as company arrives, and puts his Robot Space Coffee mug down on the counter, amid of patch of brown rings that indicate numerous other mugs have been there before.
"Mistwind, just the bot I wanted to see! And you've come bearing gifts! Fantastic." Swindle glances at the touchscreen and scribbles his finger over it, writing his name in bold Cybertronian script, the style almost a logo rather than a signature. Then he passes his left hand over a label on the crate. There's a flash of red light between his palm and the label and a beep. "Ah, my plutonium! Great! Honestly, weapons-grade is so hard to find. Speaking of which, are you interested in the modifications to that rocket launcher we talked about earlier?"
Turning to greet the Junkion he says, "You must be Screwdriver! Nice to meet you. I'm Swindle. Shockwave tells me we're going to be working together. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am!" The merchant quirks an optic at the comment about soup. That particular bit of word salad went right over his head.
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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 May 8, 2010 8:26:39 GMT -5
Mistwind brightens up at Swindle's greetings, returning a wink, "Bringing around presents is my job, sir!" With that, he hops off the crate, "And yeah! You mentioned you would add those modifications with the sale!" He nods.
"I could go and collect the launcher from my room right now?" He offers. In the mean time, Screwdriver.... is being stalked, to say the least.
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Screwdriver
Rookie
The Lady Protector, Her Splendid Primacy, Grand Duchess Screwdriver. The Devout Silencer of Common Sense and Logic
"And *I'll* live happily ever after..."
Posts: 225
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Post by Screwdriver on May 8, 2010 21:32:44 GMT -5
Screwdriver tilts her head and considers, then sings out, "You are a pirate, I am a princess, we could sail the seven seas, bring back some presents for all the people!"
So apparently she's good with the working together.
She crouches and turns towards Mistwind, then tilts her head and smiles. She reaches over and tries to touch him lightly on the arm, shouting, "Tag!" Then she turns and runs towards Swindle.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on May 8, 2010 23:45:02 GMT -5
"I actually had another RPG of the same model lying around, so I went ahead and modified it. You can trade in the one you've got now for that one. I think you'll find it fits you a bit better. Still waiting on the payment, by the way. Since you're best pals with the local hired muscle I'd have to play collection agency myself. Which I'd rather not do to you." The arms dealer says all this with his usual smile and pleasant tone of voice. It's not a threat, just a friendly reminder.
Grinning at the Junkion, Swindle replies, "Cannonball's the pirate, I'm just the humble traveling salesman. Only instead of magic beans I sell weapons. And now toys, apparently! A whole new market to exploit! I'm excited! Are you excited? If we're going to be working together, I'll need to get a look at your stock at some point, familiarize myself with the merchandise."
As Screwdriver initiates a game of tag, Swindle blinks, but doesn't move to interfere. As long as they don't touch anything he's working on, Mistwind and Screwdriver can run around all they want. It's all fun and games until someone loses revenue.
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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 May 9, 2010 8:29:48 GMT -5
"Ah! I get it! Is the other gun finished already then? Could I try the handling? ....I've had training!" The kid asks. "And I haven't forgotten that we owe you, sir...." Because there would be plenty of Cons Swindle could buy into reminding him about the contract. Painfully.
Wait, Screwdriver changes topic with a game! Distracted Mistwind instantly chases the Junkion, trying to tag her back.
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Screwdriver
Rookie
The Lady Protector, Her Splendid Primacy, Grand Duchess Screwdriver. The Devout Silencer of Common Sense and Logic
"And *I'll* live happily ever after..."
Posts: 225
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Post by Screwdriver on May 9, 2010 22:15:04 GMT -5
While running from Mistwind, in response to Swindle's question as to whether she's excited, she sings, "Screwdriver's so excited, 'cause all her friends have been invited (that's you !) to go wacky, at Swindle's playhouse!" 1This may not be what Swindle had in mind. She darts past him and turns back towards both Swindle and Mistwind. When he asks her about his inventory, she removes a large metal circle from subspace. "I have a," and now she switches to song, "Hula hoop! Hula hoop! Anyone can play from threeeeeeeeeee," and now she tosses it towards Swindle, trying to loop it over his head, "to a hundred and ten!" 2With that, she dives under a work table and tries to crawl under it for a length in an attempt to avoid Mistwind. 1 To the tune of Peewee's Playhouse.2 Old commercial
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on May 9, 2010 22:50:36 GMT -5
Swindle reaches up to grab the hula hoop and misses. As the ring falls over him it pauses for a few seconds in midair, pausing Swindle with it, his arm stretched above his head to catch the toy and his grin frozen in place, his optics staring. Then the hula hoop falls to the floor around his feet and Swindle blinks, looking at Screwdriver under the table and Mistwind chasing her. His grin falters. "Er, weren't you two over there?"
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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 May 10, 2010 9:08:03 GMT -5
Mistwind's engine purrs lightly as he dashes around the table to try and cut Screwdriver off, swiping underneath the platform and peering.
It's only by the strangeness of Swindle's words that he looks up. "Yeah, we were sir, why?" Then it's back under the table to catch the mischievous Girl-Con, "When I get you... just you wait!" He makes for play-threat and reaches out a second time.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on May 10, 2010 19:00:37 GMT -5
About that time Duskwing showed up, wings spanning most of the open door space as he clomped (or clanged) in. "Hey, Swindle! I think I got the green you was askin' for, only you gonna have to take some of it in goods. Should be easy, you fence stuff, right?"
"Hey, kid! Hey, Screwdriver!" Duskwing waved lazily at the Junkion and Mistwind.
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Screwdriver
Rookie
The Lady Protector, Her Splendid Primacy, Grand Duchess Screwdriver. The Devout Silencer of Common Sense and Logic
"And *I'll* live happily ever after..."
Posts: 225
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Post by Screwdriver on May 13, 2010 20:48:55 GMT -5
"One lady waiting!" Screwdriver sings out right after Mistwind tells her 'just you wait.' At Swindle's confusion, she scrambles out from underneath the table - near enough that Mistwind should have an easy time tagging her - and sing-songs, "Feeling tired? Worn down? What you need is a little pick-me-up!" With those words, she lifts the hula hoop up from around Swindle, slides open a small hatch in it, pulls out a power cell and replaces it. Then, whether she's once more 'it' or not, she straightens and grins up at Swindle. With the hand not holding the hula hoop, she removes a marble from subspace. She drops the marble through the hula hoop... where it stops in its fall for just a few seconds, hovering in mid-air, ignoring gravity before it suddenly crashes to the ground.
Then she turns towards Duskwing, grins, waves, and says, "Welcome, weary traveler!"
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on May 13, 2010 21:27:57 GMT -5
Swindle nods vaguely at Mistwind. "Yeah, right. Guess I need a stasis nap more than I thought if my processor is hiccuping like that." Then someone big and dumb with lots of money walks in.
Swindle throws his arms wide and grins from ear to nonexistent ear. "Duskwing, buddy! I've got your new mod all ready and tested! Of course I accept goods, but I don't fence them, Duskwing. Amateurs fence stolen goods. I redistribute previously owned property." Then he remembers who he's talking to. "By which I mean, I do fence things, but I use big words when I talk about it because it sounds fancier."
While Screwdriver demonstrates how her hula hoop works, Swindle just stares, slack-jawed. Sure, the EMP thing with the AllSpark fragment was a good gag, but this is clearly something more. And that technology is squeezed into a hula hoop. So small. You could fit so many on a shelf and still have room for plasma cannons and discount air fresheners. His huge purple eyes get misty as thousands of cash registers chime out their sweet, sweet music for his audio receptors alone. He walks up to Screwdriver and makes to hug her. "Where have you been all my life?"
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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 May 17, 2010 8:01:30 GMT -5
Briefly, very very briefly upon Duskwing's entrance, Mistwind straightens in acknowledgement. It allows Screwdriver to get away untagged, but the jetpack uses her demo of the hula hoop to ready himself for pouncings.
One.... two....
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