Drinks at the Golden Stopcock

Log Title: Drinks at the Golden Stopcock Characters: Delusion, Discretion, Encore, Knightmare Location: The Golden Stopcock Date: August 21, 2018 TP: Dominicon TP Summary: Encore has a fresh delivery for the Golden Stopcock, and swaps news with the Dominicons present. As logged by  Delusion Log session starting at 20:45:50 on Tuesday, 21 August 2018.

Delusion stands at the bar, chatting with a couple of the local citizens. She manages to look fairly casual leaning against a bar with a drink in one hand.

Those who are familiar with Delusion might notice that her paint is in a different pattern and there are subtle differences in her frame.

Encore saunters into the bar "Never fear!" He declares. "Th' booze is here!" it is, and all. He's carrying a keg on each shoulder, with another two strapped to his back. Strapped to those, there's a few smaller cubes of the more refined, liquor-like energon. He saunters up to the bar to make the delivery... there's the subtle crinkle of shanix changing hands before he offloads his cargo, giving Delusion a cheerful wave.

Knightmare enters the bar quietly, or at least quiet compared to Encore's entrance anyways. She makes no hooplah or what not and instead of moves towards the emptier end of the bar.

Discretion is seated not too far from Delusion with a drink in her hand, which she absently swirls by moving the glass. She looks up to the boisterous mech entering and delivering his cargo. She gives him a nod and then looks back out over, what passes for, a cword.

Delusion lifts a hand in greeting to Encore, then nods to Knightmare. She finishes her conversation and goes to sit next to the Dominicon leader.

Encore orders himself a drink and turns, giving a happy wave to the other Dominicons. He leans in and has a word with the bartender. There's the crinkle of Shanix changing hands again - the other way this time - and the next time a Dominicon orders a drink, they'll find that their money is no good here, for the night at least; their drinks are all paid for. "How yes all doin', lasses?" he asks jovially, leaning on the bar.

Knightmare finds a appropriate seat that can hold her and settles down, one hand resting on the bar itself as she continues to scan th room, her stance as mild as she can make it. As Delusion moves over, she smiles a bit as she retracts her faceguard, "I did not scare off conversation already did I?" Her attention is drawn up as Encore comments, "A calm evening so far.. no one has tried my patience yet."

Discretion leans a bit towards Encore. "Just fine, aside from the expected outlying patrons of this establishment, but nothing that can't be taken care of grageully."

Delusion shakes her head at Knightmare. "Just wrapping up. Fruitful, I think. We'll see who follows up again tomorrow."

Encore can't help his bartender's ears. He scans ounr the room idly, picking up odd fragments of random conversation. Dominicons recruiting? Well, fair'nuff. Neutral turf, if there's any place that's right for it, it's here. He sips his drink. "Glad tae hear it, lass. I spoke tae th' higher ups aboot waking up th' Valvolux refinery... th' problem we've got is battle damage, from th' fight tae recover it. Till we can fabricate some more of those really /bug/ distillery towers, we're only operatin' on four out of th' six main distillation columns, we cannae risk waking up th' other two until we've had th' pressure vessels repaired. We've done a'reet tae get th' two we've repaired online... but we only did it by cannibalizin' the more damaged towers."

Discretion smiles, "That's good to hear, at least. So, I figure you spoke to Bulwark and got his opinion on the best way to get the other cooling towers back up and, or replaced?"

Knightmare taps her fingers lightly on the bar, quiet for a bit longer then she intended on as she decides how best to react to the comments. After Discretion's comment though she stops what she was going to say and instead replies with, "I am sure we will finds ways to get it back up and working properly.. if the Bots and Cons can stop themselves from damaging it again."

Delusion gets her drink refreshed. Ah, pre-paid. Well, alright then. "I will be pleased to see the refinery working again, but it's not the only building that needs attention. Only the most desperate."

Encore shakes his head "Nae yet... there was... a situation back on Earth I hadda deal with. I'll be on mah way tae talk ta him later." He agrees. He nods to Discretion. "Aye at some point soon. And I'm nae talkin' aboot th' local one... I'm talkin' aboot Toraxxis. We been tryina crank production to try suppliment wha' yer doin' here wit' th' raidin. You get anythin oot tha' slant drillin' rig you scared the Cons off?”

Knightmare is mildly distracted for a second as she looks towards the bar, and ponders if a small drink might not be so bad to ease the tightness of the last few days. At the moment Delusion and Discretion are handling things better then she would, but she keeps a ear towards the conversation.

Delusion hmms. "They packed up what little they got before getting away," she says. "Fortunately, Bulwark put a very decisive end to that venture."

Discretion takes a sip from her drink. "Mostly just the dregs. Bulwark shut it off and the 'Cons left shorly after that; taking what they had gotten so far with them."

Encore nods "Figures. Bastards." He scowls into his drink, taking a sip. "We've started buildin' a surplus tae ship over. Soon as we've go' a load for a decent run we're gonnae send it here. Should help things oot wit' the locals if we c'n do tha' once or twice a month 'till the refinery here's rebuild... sorry we cannae do more."

Knightmare starts to order something before she recieves a radio message.. the large Femme sighing a bit before she stands up, "I need to go handle something.. I will return later. Make sure to watch each other's back, you two." She gives Encore a polite nod before she heads out the exit.

Delusion quirks a small smile. "As if we need to be told," she comments.

Discretion shrugs, "I'd say I could try out some of the new gear, but it seems a little close quarters."

Encore nods thoughtfully "Plus tha' stuff I got yez to design is fer engex. Energon enriched tae fuel grade isnae as... temperamental." He chuckles. "We go' stuff that can haul tha', so long as we dinnae go over rough groon'."

Delusion chuckles and rolls her shoulders. "Ah, yes. No build is complete without testing. Shame the arena isn't working yet."

Encore nods, with a sigh. "Aye it is, I been meanin' tae check tha' place oot." A sniff. "Y'reckon they'll ever play smashball here 'gain, properly I mean? 'fore the war I was gonnae try for the Iacon Slammers, me and Fans."

Discretion nods to Delusion. "The design seems functional, but need to fully test it out before I'm happy with it." She considers over another swallow of her drink. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's got a higher spot on the list of repairs than you would expect."

Delusion nods, sipping. "Sports are fine in terms of ritualized violence, but I prefer a stage."

Encore grins "Och a mech can hope." He nods to Delusion. "I like both m'self. Nothin' quite like th' up close an' personal o' a full-contact sport. But... it's an entirely different, an' jes' as good, feeling, tae entertain wit' music. Course we're different styles... dinnae think folks would dance th' Reels tae your music, would they?" He chuckles.

Discretion smirks, "We don't exactly play music. We tend to be a bit more... active in our entertainment."

Delusion smirks as well. "Never learned an instrument," she confirms. "But both dance and stage-play, those I can do."

Encore tilts his head "Och aye? What d'ya do then?" When Delusion explains, he nods. "Ooohh. Dinnae tell anyone, but I used tae love th' theatre, back 'fore the war. Dinnae want people tae think I'm actually a cultured mech, do I? I go' an image tae uphold." He laughs.

Delusion ahs. "Even during the war, being at the aft-end of the Empire meant that we could manage our own entertainment much of the time without being censured for it. The stage wasn't very impressive and neither were all of the actors, but nobody cared if we 'shirked' a bit to go watch."

Discretion says, "Besides, it's a lot easier to provide security if you're on site to begin with."

Encore nods "Kept yez sane, no doubt." He nods as he listens to them. "You ever thought 'boot putting on a show here, in Valvolux? Quicker tae build a stage than it is a Smashball stadium..."

Encore adds "A good show might do th' citizens some good."

Delusion chuckles. "While some of the plays were quite subversive, I doubt most of them would be well received here. They were written by, and for, Decepticons." She leans back. "It might be possible to stage some of the fight scenes, I suppose. Leave off the propaganda, and they were still very good."

Discretion leans back against the bar and takes a long drink, "Might be doable. Might be able to adapt some of the storylines to something that would be better received."

Encore nods as he listens. "It's no' like it's a huge rush tae put it on. Somethin' rousing, maybe adapt th' message tae be aboot personal responsibility an' bein' a community. Ge' tha' ol' Valvolux spirit back, the stubbornness tha's got 'em giving both the Bots an' Cons th' finger fae th' past few million years."

Delusion shrugs. "As much as I have enjoyed acting in the past, I am not a playwright. We'll have to look farther afield for that, I believe."

Discretion considers, "I might be able to, but I have other things that need doing on my list right now."

Encore nods "Och o' course." He smiles. "Anythin' I can help wit'?"

Delusion considers. "To be honest, keeping trade flowing is probably one of the best things that can be done from your end. Charity is all well and good, but these people are tradesmen."

Discretion nods, "I might have that prototype ready for a field test in the next few cycles, but I think that was Backblast."

Encore nods "Aye he's the ground-runner." He nods to Delusion. "I did notice tha'. Folks dinnae want to accept charity here... even when they got next tae nothing, they're tryina give what they can. I tell 'em, you help oot someone else when you can an' we're square. I cannae take from those tha' have nothin'."

Discretion tosses back the rest of her drink. "I should go and relieve Takedown since I'm on shift next." She stands, offering Encore a wave and a nod to Delusion on her way out.

Delusion hmms. "There's more to it, of course. Accepting aid from an Autobot feels like taking a side. You might not mean to make a claim by it, but a people like this stays neutral by being careful." She sets her empty cup down. "Gifts can be a foot in the door, and not everybody has the means to say no when it's too much."

Encore smiles and waves "Ha' a good one."

Encore listens to Delusion. "Och. I dinane give a feck aboot tha'. I jes' wanna help, 's what I tell them." He sniffs. "Dinnae even have to tell anyone y'got it from an Autobot. I tell 'em... dinnae put th' purple brand on, tha's all I ask. Valvolux... it's been free since th' war began, despite the best efforts of both sides. It'd be sad to see 'em pick a side."

Delusion stands up. "Well, I have the means, at the moment, and I must be going. I've work to do." She nods to Encore. "A pleasant evening to you."

Encore smiles and waves "Go have fun." he says, cheerfully.

Log session ending at 23:33:43 on Tuesday, 21 August 2018.