Theological Meltdown

Log Title: Theological Meltdown

Characters: Dust Devil, Slugfest, Sunstorm, & Swivel

Date: May 05 2023

Summary: Dust Devil challenges Sunstorm's beliefs.

A golden Seeker enters the bar, making his grand entrance in the way most of his bretheren mechs are accustomed: by strolling in as if he were absolute royalty. Only: he has no crown. Just a radiation leak that fills the bar with an odd warmth.

Another lovely day in the neighbourhood. not that there's much of a nieghbourhood on the Toraxxis plains. But there is a lovely bar. It's another lovely day at the Rollout Bar, and Swivel is behind the counter, polishing glasses and keeping an optic on the few patrons scattered about, while lending her audials to one particularly chatty mech sharing all of his woes. That is, until he passes out. Alas, Swivel being too small to shift him, she just leaves him in peace.

Just as Swivel was considering what to do, she hears a few internal clicks and feels the area growing warmer. She immediately looks to the entrance, and she is not at all surprised when a certain golden seeker struts in.

"Greetings!" Swivel calls out in her cheerful way.

Dust Devil is carrying in some supplies from outside and might have walked into Sunstorm as he enters the bar except an alarm sound goes off in Dust Devil's arm. The weird chirp causes him to stop moving just in time to avoid the seeker. "Oops...excuse me..." He carefully walks around, the sound continuing for as long as he's near Sunstorm. It seems to quiet once he's over by the bar, putting down his supplies.

"Greetings to you again, Maddame Swivel," Sunstorm says in an offhanded sort of way -- almost with a snobby pretentiousness. Not quite as nice as when he first came on the scene, but he's at least trying to keep up appearances. Or maybe he's just bipolar with his moods. He has a seat at the bar, giving Dust Devil a wary look when his alarm goes off. "Just some regular energon, if you please, I am so busy today I could burst into flames."

Swivel nods her head to Sunstorm politely. She doesn't seem offended or troubled by his more aloof demeanour. "Very good, sir," she responds as she fills him up a cube of energon. She glances over to where Dust Devil sets the supplies, nodding and waving to him. She then sets the energon down in front of Sunstorm. "I don't recommend burstin' into flames, sir. But whatever stroiks yer fancy."

Swivel then turns back to Dust Devil. She notes the chirping noise and tilts her head, then looks back to Dust Devil. "That sounds loik that little fluffy trillin' thing Hound had."

Dust Devil dodges out of Swivel's way and moves some of the supplies through to the back before backing up and unloading a few more Dust Devil grins, "The Tribble thingy probably.....how do ya think he got one..."

Sunstorm takes the energon cube from Swivel and sips it, saying nothing for the time being, but keeping a very wary optic on Dust Devil.

Swivel tilts her head to the side at Dust Devil's question, then shrugs. "Don't know." Swivel goes back to polishing the counter. She looks up at the passed out mech. Still passed out. Then she glances to Sunstorm again, who seems very quiet. She glances at Dust Devil, then Sunstorm, and then nods quietly to herself.

Dust Devil chuckles, "Brought the doodads that Encore wanted fer the enerwine glasses....and also got some samples without gettin myself dirty. Primus knows what he's gonna do with the little decorations....maybe he's tryin ta give the place a little class. They're kinda cool lookin though."

"Primus DOES know what he's going to do with the little decorations," Sunstorm suddenly points out. "Don't assume that he doesn't -- he sees ALL."

"Well, we have been attractin' more classy customers lately," Swivel responds conversationally as she peers at the boxes. But she does not get underfoot or interfere with Dust Devil's job. She's about muse out loud about something when Sunstorm interjects. She tilts her head, but goes silent, merely waiting and seeing where this turn of conversation goes.

Dust Devil says, "Primus may know all but sometimes he needs ta figure how ta make his plans clearer. Doin the guesswork for omnipotent beings can be a pain in the aft."

"He lays out his plans in very plain, easy to comprehend details! True believers understand and heed his call," Sunstorm grates in irritation. "My point is that you would be wise not to mock the powers that you very obviously do not comprehend. They are beyond your understanding!"

The polishing of the counter slows down. Swivel glances up, and is watching Sunstorm very closely. Dust Devil she knows a bit better. Sunstorm, a bit less. So for the time being, she is on high alert, unsure if his righteous indignation will escalate.

Dust Devil sighs, "Well perhaps it was my fault fer overhearing the message." He frowns, "But someone tried to 'talk' to him directly and I had ta knock him off the connection before it killed the mech. I got a headful of weird information and when we compared notes, mine didn't match his. Instead of sending pictures and images....wouldn't it have been easier ta just say hey, while yer causin trouble in the universe, can you go pick up this and this....they got left in stupid places and somethin bad is gonna happen if you don't move them?"

Sunstorm just stares at Dust Devil blankly for a long moment. Then, he begins waving his hands around, sputtering to find the words he wants to use in his indignant outrage. "No! That's not how Primus works! That's not how any of this works!" he cries in exasperation. "He is a godly power beyond your comprehension. He will not simply TELL you things like a mortal nincompoop! He...brings you signs and portents! He will send omens and calamities! He performs miracles! THAT is how he communicates!"

GAME: Swivel FAILS a COURAGE roll of Above Average difficulty.

Swivel brings a hand up to her chin in thought as Sunstorm begins to unspool a little. She peers at Dust Devil, then at Sunstorm. She opens her mouth to chime in, but then immediately silences herself. What does she know about Primus? How can she even weigh in? Swivel just remains in the background.

So with every wave of Sunstorm's arm in his direction, the little alarm in his forearm gets louder and thens ofter louder and softer. Dust Devil himself just takes the words in stride. "Ya remind me of Red Alert...." He finds a spot to sit and grins at the Seeker. "I can tell ya that Primus ain't perfect...nor are his children. Scrap...that's partially why two went 'bad'....sounds like part of it was their own misunderstandin of each other and overall expectations. I've been in the presence of some of these guys and yeah they're powerful, some are incredibly smart and passionate about what they believe. Most have a sense of duty and all that is unlikely ta be rivaled but all of em have their own issues and hang ups. We damn near killed Cybertron and Primus all in one go. Luckily the plan was figured out in time and we were able ta save things. But if it'd been a mite bit clearer...we mighta managed ta do it without more people dyin or without more of Cybertron goin dark first."

"Primus /is/ perfect, though!" Sunstorm insists. "We're the ones who got it all wrong! It's belief in his alleged shortcomings that angers him. It's why we fall short and suffer. He wants us to strive toward his perfection! Nnggh. Never mind! I waste my words with you! You are driving me to drink to excess!" He glugs down the remainder of his energon, and sits there with a decidedly irritated expression on his faceplate. "Don't be foolish!"

Swivel quirks an optic ridge. "Does that mean you do... or don't want another, sir?"

Dust Devil says, "Then why would he allow Cybertron and it's people ta fall ta such lows. Allow so many ta die if he could prevent it. I know we say til all are one and Primus is supposed ta welcome our sparks home in the end...but wouldn't he want them all ta live their fullest lives? Ta bring him stories of all that they did and how they lived? I always figured that was one of the reasons fer how we exist....We're all collectors of a sort. We exist so that primus lives the lives of many...our existence sorta gives him the experiences and life he needs. The matrix does that on a smaller scale I think...I mean this is all conjecture and all since I've not got any plans ta die and test the theory." he grins at Sunstorm, "Yer welcome ta believe as you wish....I just have too many questions ta think as you do."

"I shall take one 'to go', Maddame Swivel. I must depart from this place so I do not have to suffer this blaspheming scoundrel! Listen...you! That is my advice; you must LISTEN more than you SPEAK! Listen to what Primus is trying to tell you! A fool will say, 'I do not hear anything at all!' Then I say you are not listening hard enough! He is trying to tell you that he did not bring such woes upon Cybertron...we did. We are to blame. Please, Maddame Swivel, hurry as fast as you can and bring me my drink, I can hardly stand to remain in the same space as this blasphemer! Any more of his prattle and I will go absolutely mad!" Sunstorm...is not happy.

Swivel's optic ridges rise. She hesitates only momentarily, but finally gets a bottle and passes it to Sunstorm. "Roight you are, sir." Swivel says, giving a frown, a smile, and then another frown, unsure what to express here.

Dust Devil frowns a little, "Yer kinda like the bots that worship the matrix as the end all be all and stuff. It's a tool....somethin that is there ta help the bearer protect Cybertron and it's people. I don't think it was meant ta be an Autobot only thing necessarily. Somethin that me and Alpha Trion had an argument over. Havin had the matrix, I can say not all bot leaders were the pure patrons of benevolence...which ta me would be confusin since the matrix is supposed ta be an extension of Primus....why choose someone like that unless perhaps there were no better candidates. I find it hard ta see where protection of Cybertron means neglect the people that are the foundation of Cybertronian society."

Once he's gotten his refill, Sunstorm harrumphs sourly, tipping with a surprisingly decent amount. "I'll be back." He points at Dust Devil ominously. "You are cursed one hundred thousand times one /billion/," he intones. "You are marked for death. Pray for it." With this, he makes a dramatic exit, sipping his energon cube until he's out of sight.

Dust Devil grins and moves to where Sunstorm had been standing and spouting stuff and opens a compartment in his arm. The one that's been trilling. He places the critter on the ground probably where there are some slight scorch/discolored areas and it's just happily trilling away. "Well he certainly was excitable..."

Once Sunstorm has left the bar, Swivel glances over to Dust Devil. "Well that sure was interestin'! I learned a lot!" Swivel chirps merrily. But then she raises an optic ridge and fixes Dust Devil with a slight pout. "Whoile I am sure you meant well, you didn't need to keep challengin' his faith so strongly once he was gettin' worked up." Swivel watches the small creature, smiling in spite of herself at its soothing trilling.

Dust Devil says, "Didn't really mean ta upset him....but oh well...at least I can make sure no one gets radiation sickness...wonder if we should keep a couple of these at the bar for this..." He smirks and watches the little tribble happily munching on the radiation particles and whatever else it finds on the floor."

Dust Devil says, "Was an interesting conversation though.."

Swivel peers at the tribble, then back at Dust Devil. "Has he ever actually made anyone sick?"

Dust Devil says, "No, not that I've noticed....in fact I'm one of the few that haven't been sick at all...I keep him in a compartment in my arm."

Swivel laughs at the confusion, but understands from where it stems. "No, not the tribble," Swivel says as she tilts her head to the exit. "I was talkin' about radiation sickness."

The mech who had passed out at the bar earlier makes a loud moan and rolls his head from one side to the other. "....Getting... so cold..."

A Tiny stego scamper-scamper-capers into the bar at full tilt, pelting little feets! He then leaps and scrambles upon a bar stool and clamors for energons!

Dust Devil says, "if I remember correctly, he can seriously mess a mech up. That's why I'm not gonna purposely try and upset him."

Swivel laughs again. "Just un-purposely upset him. Gotcha," Swivel responds, snapping. She sees Slugfest make his trademark entrance. "Hello Slugfest." Swivel greets.

The very drunk mech jolts up with a snort, and looks around, somewhat dazed. He looks over at Slugfest, and for some reason, begins bawling, thick shoulders heaving with each wail. "They took... Squeaky... away!"

Swivel clears her vent and glances to the side awkwardly. She reaches across the counter, patting the mech on the hand. "There, there..." she begins. The mech then flails out, knocking over a half finished cocktail, sending the contents splashing all over Swivel. There is a sizzling noise as it interacts with he paint, causing it to blister. "Uh... I'm jus... gonna.. go shower now."