| abstract | - Slipstream asked Shred and Firestorm to join her at the El Sleazo for a 'girls night out'. As for Starscream, well he just tagged along for his own reasons, at least that is what Slippy presumed. She enters the bar first, scoping out the locals as she moves toward the bar proper to order a drink. A glance over her shoulder toward the other seekers is spared. "Nice to get out and just relax isn't it?" she inquires. The idea may be to just relax, however the smallest Femme does not, at a glance appear to have got that memo.. she is constantly lookout out all around her, as if expecting attackers from all of the shadows. When she reaches the bar itself, she puts her back up against it, looking through the room.. "Uh.. sure slip.. but.. did we have to come somewhere so... exposed?" Ah, 'hen parties.' Starscream feels like the third wheel, but he figures he'd better stick around these two just in case. He might hear something valuable in conversation, or they might need to present a united front against a hostile set of individuals. At least, that's what he told himself. Also, the high-grade wasn't bad. Prime has gotten a interesting habit as of late to come here, hiding out who he is by making himself look like a bit of a bum and using ragged hooded robe of sort to cover over his form. Even his mouth plate was missing but thanks to the hood's shadow it hid most of those features, so perhaps the only thing that could be seen of his lower face is the lips, and on the left side an area badly scared and sections missing. Not overly bad damage, but hard to miss. He even went through the trouble to scratch up the paint on his hands and lower arms, along with add dark soot to it so it looked grimy. His voice, he kept it rough, not smooth like he normally had and he sat at the bar, drinking his high end grade energon. Slipstream orders her usual, giving Foz-E a couple credits for the drink. She smiles a bit at Shred, "How is this exposed exactly? The owner has rules about keeping folks from not fighting. We don't have to worry about someone starting something, and besides there are four of us here. I doubt anyone with half a neural net would bother us." Shred nods faintly, ordering herself a particularly strong high grade drink, paying for it.. "Yeah.. I guess you're right, Slip.. Just you know? It's quite a jump for me, coming here.. Though I was sent out here on patrol solo.. " shivering, she shakes her head, those were not fun patrols. Looking around, her optics glow faintly as she looks at the patrons for anything unusual. Starscream sits there quietly. Sipping his high grade with a sigh, the Air Commander looks bored to deactivation. He gazes about the crowd and so far doesn't see anything -too- unusual. Staying calm, even as the Decepticons enter, he just enjoys his drink. After all no rules in Cubicron and the owner doesn't like fights. If-- fights can be prevented. Be it that Prime will never start a fight, but he would finish one if provoked enough. He doubt that would come. Slipstream inclines her head, taking her drink from the bartender then turns toward Shred. "This from the femme that removed her own hardware to make peace with everyone back at base." she murmurs, glancing around again she takes note of a familiar figure among them. She nudges Starscream's wing slightly with a hand, "Why not start up a game of darts or maybe challenge someone to arm wrestle, might prove amusing." Nodding grimly, Shred starts to consume her drink.. gulping it down like her small frame is well used to such potent fuel. "Whatever.. Ahh, now THAT hits the spot.. " looking to Screamer she grins, "Hey, Starscream, why not do as slip suggested? I know, challenge.,. That one, to an arm wrestling contest!" of course she pointed to Prime.. "Darts? Oh I suppose," Starscream says. He gets up and goes to where the dart board is, and picks up some darts. Oh how he wished the target had Megatron's face on it. The cloaked figure glances over to figure of Slipstream who crosses his direction with her sight, but he says nothing and just continues to drink. Those optics and all upper features hidden. He then took notice as he got pointed out at, but still remained silent. Just ordering himself another drink. Slipstream chuckles softly at the 'whatever' from the smaller femme, taking a sip of her drink. Shred earns more of a grin as she pressures Starscream to challenge someone to an arm wrestling contest. Though the individual picked out cause her pause. Self professed 'war machine' Pax himself. This could be interesting. But then the Air Commander chooses darts. Figures. She hmms, approaching Pax slowly. "Good cycle." she offers as she draws close. Shred smiles, and she orders herself another drink, before meandering over towards Slip and Pax, "Hey there, good cycle to ya. " she holds out a small hand in friendly greeting to the larger Cybertronian. Yes, it is quite clear that the first drink loosened her up a bit. Starscream is too busy imagining Megatron's face on the dart board to care. He throws the darts quickly. One dart hits dead center, the other two off to the left. He had had enough of arm wrestling. Darts were more his thing. Takes notice of both of the femmes. As his next drink is placed down, he goes to pick it up before the hand is given to him. "Good Cycle to you both." 'Pax' says before he then takes a hold of Shred's hand gently, but a firm shake. "I take it finds you both well." He then chuckles as he picks up his drink once more, "Hopefully this time no mechs trying to play hero.." Slipstream glances at the Air Commander's dart throwing a moment, "Nice shot sir." she offers to him, then looks back to the hooded figure of Pax. "I am well enough, thank you for asking." then a little chuckle, "Yes, I doubt that will be happening tonight." she muses. Shred hmms, quirking an optic, "Playing the hero? Why, what happened?" now she's curious. "The cycle finds me in good function.. " taking a first mouthful of her new drink, she grins, "Least they sell damn fine energon here.." Firestorm is running a bit late to the party, having had to finish up a few things back at the base. The femme finally reaches the bar, no hesitation in her step since she's quite familiar with this area as of late. She sidles past various folks once inside, red optics spotting the gals and Screamer near the bar. "There you are. Sorry I'm late." Firestorm smiles lightly, more friendly around the two femmes since she's known them a while now. Starscream turns to see Firestorm enter. He nods a greeting at the femme. He knows she'll want to sit with her friends, so lets her be for the time being. More time for him to fill the imaginary Megatron face with holes. "They can get high grade for very cheap, and the good stuff for even cheaper than most places." Pax smirks, "Call it the perks of being in Cubicron, huh?" He then takes another sip from his drink. "As for the hero business.." Pax motions over to the stage with his thumb, "A dancer apparently caught some attention of the mechs, I guess they say something they didn't like and from what I heard after-- a big mech was found dead." "By the way, as your lovely lady here knows me already," Being Slipstream, "The name is Pax." Slipstream peers at Shred's drink, "What you do, threaten Foz-E like I did my first time here in order to get a decent drink?" she asks with a smile, then a pause, "Oh yes, that was an interesting night. Goa and Echo decided to take it upon themselves to free a femme that was singing here that night. She was apparently owned by some mech." she looks over her shoulder at Firestorm, "There you are, was wondering what happened to you." she notes. The 'lovely' comment is not missed, "Thank you." Shred hmms listening to Pax's explanation, "I see... " then when he introduces himself, she smiles, "A pleasure, Pax.. I'm Shred. As to how I got a good drink, Slip? I was polite when I ordered my energon, and told him that if he ripped me off I'd completely dismantle him. He was quite amenable.. especially considering my chosen drink." Firestorm isn't in the mood to drink tonight, instead taking a seat on the other side of Pax and leaning forward with arms on the counter. "Pax, hm? You new around here or something?" She tilts her head a bit as a brow is curiously arched. Starscream gets another mug of High grade and pulls the darts from the board again. This time he throws a little more viciously. He hears the name 'Pax' and rubs his chin. Slipstream chuckles softly, "Mm, effective." she notes toward Shred, then teases slightly, "Remind me not to get on your bad side." She then rests a hand on Firestorm's shoulder, "We need to talk." then a little smile thrown at Starscream, "Having fun sir?" Pax takes another sip of his drink, "A bit-- mostly just do work around the parts and come here to get a drink, then relax." He muses. "Just like everyone else here. Hear the rumors, catch up on gossip, relax, and maybe even meet some new faces." Shred nods, setting her drink down as she gives Slip a meaningful look, "I guess." she also wanders over towards Starscream, perhaps foolishly leaving her drink unattended for the moment. "How's your game going, screamer?" Firestorm's attention is pulled away quickly by Slip as the femme looks to the hand on her shoulder, then to the other seeker. "Hm? Oh.. sure. Here, let's move down the bar. Less crowded." She stands from her seat, moving down the row of stools until she found some empty ones near the end. Slipstream nods her head toward Pax, then looks after Shred as she approaches the Air Commander. She hmms, then pats Firestorm on the shoulder before the femme gets up. She heads over to where Firestorm settles and smiles, "I was hoping to do this in private, but this seems as good of place as any." she murmurs. "It's going fine," Starscream says. He smirks as his third dart this round hits the bulls eye. He collects his darts again, tabulating the score. Shred nods, and she smiles, returning to her drink.. however, while her back was turned another patron went past her drink, dumping the contents of a small vial in it.. Unaware of this fact, the diminutive medic picks her drink up, downing the rest of it in a single gulp, before going to sit at the bar, and missing the stool completely, her servo's jerking randomly Firestorm leans an elbow on the counter as she turns to Slip, a worried look in her optics, hoping it isn't bad news or something. "What is it? Did something bad happen?" Slipstream's optics 'blink' over at Shred's stool miss and thunk to the floor. "You okay? Maybe you should stop at that drink Shred." she notes softly, then looking back to Firestorm, she shakes her head. "Nothing bad." she assures, then leans over to whisper in the femme's audio. This is something only that should be kept between them.. for now. You whisper, "It's about Goa and I. But he says you already know..." to Firestorm. Shred tries to get to her feet, nodding.. but her optics are flickering.. "Wh..what the.. I.. I shouldn't be suffering surges... " she's really struggling, looking at her. Firestorm's optics open a bit wider at the femme's words, though they soon calm as her lips curl in a light smile. "Heh, yeah, I do. Didn't take long to guess, 'specially with this link. The things that mech can think up..." She says quietly in return, rubbing her helmet in playful frustration at her link with Goa. "If you're looking for my permission, then it's granted. Not a bother to me at all. Just try not to fool around too late. Can't be having dreams about you two." She chuckles softly, nudging Slipstream jokingly. Slipstream frowns at Shred, "You don't seem to be well Shred, maybe you should go back to base." she suggests. Then she smiles widely to Firestorm. "Ah, about that..." she leans over again to whisper to her. You whisper, "He said you wouldn't mind, even though I insisted we get your okay. Goa and I are spark merged, but on a different level than he and you are.."" to Firestorm. Shred nods.. "y..you MaY bE rigHt sLiP"... she starts to make her way towards the entrance, only to stumble, her optics flaring before she goes offline. Firestorm smirks softly, a hand reaching out to Slip's shoulder and gripping it tight. "It's fine with me. I even welcome it. About time there was someone to keep his aft in line. Welcome to the family." A grin lights the seeker's face, though it diminishes just as quickly once she notices Shred topple head over heels onto the floor. "Er... Looks like we're gonna have to drag her back.." Starscream gets bored of his game of darts. He puts the darts away and goes to sit back down near the femme-cons. He sips more High-Grade, looking a little tipsy. He stares at Shred. "Yes, we probably will have to drag her back," he says absently. Slipstream frowns and moves over to get Shred away from the door, "Why don't you stay here with Starscream, I'll deal with Shred. Goodness knows I owe her that much." then a smile, "And thanks, I feel a part of it." shifting the smaller femme in her arms, she pushes the door open. A mech on the other side holds it open, "Thanks." Depth waits until the femme seeker has passed him, then enters fully. He chuckles softly, "Mmm thought I smelled someone familiar in here." he practically purrs out as he makes his way over to the bar. Firestorm snorts softly, smirk still held as she glances over to her Commander and mutters in a sarcastic tone, "Heh, lucky me." Of course that changes once Depth strolls in, the femme soon beaming. "You really like to hang out here, don't you?" Depth settles in the stool next to Firestorm, replying, "Oh yes, reminds me a bit of home actually. Well at least the really seedy, gang ridden part of it - of which I enjoyed taking part of since I was the leader of the bad guys and all." He leans close, "Ya miss me sweetness?" Firestorm relaxes on her own stool, expression calming into a coy smirk, "You? The leader of bad guys? Nooo." She gives a mock gasp of amazement, clearly teasing him as she elbows the mech away, "About as much as I miss exhaust slag." Depth chuckles lowly at her tone, taking it as it was meant. He raises a hand to stroke his fingers against her cheek, "Probably not as mean as all slag your leader, perhaps. But I was a leader none the less. As for me, I have missed you." he notes, quite sincere sounding. Pax continues to drink his drink and doesn't say much more to the femmes. He seemed to grow distant in thought, as if time sort of went by for him in his own world. It wasn't till some laughter snapped back his attention, but more correctly the sound of his comm beeping, which as he crossed his arms, he shut off switch was kicked on by his hand sliding over the buttons hidden there. He then reached out and picked up his drink again, taking another sip from it. Firestorm's smirk turns more genuine as optics shift to him at his touch, leaning unto it a bit, "Aw, you're makin' me blush." She smiles, the definite, yet slight tint starting to grow on her cheeks. "What do you even do down here when we're not together?" Depth smiles as he feels that lean into his fingers, then murmurs to Firestorm, "You should do it more often." then a pause to her question, "Ah.. heh heh.. different things. Whatever I put my mind to really. Still much to learn about your kind." Firestorm leans her side against the counter with body turned to Depth, head tilting in a curious manner. "Well, what've you learned so far? Anything you find interesting? Or weird maybe?" Starscream just sits there drinking his high grade Depth withdraws his hand, his optics taking on a lighted glint that is pure glee. "Oh yes, I learned something very interesting indeed. But I think it may be impolite of me to say it in public." he muses. A glance toward the barkeep who seems to be waiting for them to order, "Maybe we should move before Foz here gets annoyed we ain't buying eh?" Firestorm can only wonder what he's learned, though she nods at the suggestion to move. "Right. A booth then? Nice and private." She smirks, standing and running a hand along the mech's shoulder as she passes, though she'd grab on at the last moment and pull him off with her. Depth nods to her, gesturing for the lady to go first, then gets tugged off his stool obediently. "I like my privacy, but this isn't exactly private considering its a overcrowded bar." he notes, then a gesture for the lady to pick her booth, her location. "Just curious, but you at all familiar with the names of those that hang out over at this Primus Temple? I bumped into a mech that said he was one of their high and mighty on religion types." Firestorm scoots into the booth, arms crossing on the table in front of her. "Looks like you've met Hierophant Solarix. I don't know too much about him, except that he runs the church over in Crystal City." She rolls her optics. "I don't care much for religion, so I don't bother with him." Pax continues to enjoy his drink, before he slowly starts to rise to his feet and pays for it. He might as well head back before his Autobots flip out back at base. After all, Optimus Prime hiding as a simple, down in the dumps guy? Never! That is what other Autobots are for.. Right? Depth hmms and nods, then takes a seat next to her, scooting nice and close. "No, that wasn't the mechs name. Said his name was Flare." he notes, "Which was deadly accurate considering when I questioned him he got very glowly, and crackly. Then I mentioned the planet muncher and he went totally black. Freaky." Firestorm raises a brow at the name, "Flare? Hm... No, don't think I've ever heard of that mech before. Where'd you meet him? In Cubicron?" Depth replies, "Just outside the borders actually. He was just sitting there, not paying a lick of attention. So I turned into an i-bex to freak him out, all he did was stare at me." "An.. i-bex? Is that some other kind of alien?" But she shakes her head, leaning forward to poke at him in an urging manner, "You still haven't told me what you've learned. C'mon, tell me." Firestorm smiles as she tries to get him to talk. Depth hehs, "Oh no sweetness, it’s a local critter you all have on this planet. Cute little prey animal, very elegant and silvery looking. Probably good eating too for the predators around here." then he peers at her jabbing finger, "Heh, I think it safer I whisper it to you darling." then leans over to do exactly that. You whisper, "I learned how you all 'do it'." to Firestorm. "Oh right. I.. knew that." She rubs the back of her neck, feeling a little stupid there, but then again she wasn't all too interested in the local species unless she encountered them. A heavy blush quickly forms back on her cheeks as bright as ever though once he whispers that, optics slightly wider as she stares at him, "Err... And how exactly did you learn that..?" Depth nods to the first part, then purrs softly as he really gets her to blush. "Heh. Let's just say I interrogated the right people and leave it to that hm." putting a hand over her shoulders and stroking a thumb along the side of her neck, "Figured if I'm stuck here, I better learn that sort of thing." the lowering his voice a full three octaves into bedroom voice domain, "Especially if I want to get serious with you." Firestorm is no longer the rough and tumble femme from a few moments ago, now quite meek. Sure, she's a flirt, but when it came to serious stuff she was rather... shy. Probably her past self catching up with her. "But.. you don't even have a spark." She rubs at her arm as he touches her neck. Depth nods to her observation, "I know, at least I don't have one like you do." he agrees softly, "But I can adapt. I am a shape shifter after all." Looking into her optics, "We don't have to rush into anything, just I want you to know I would like to be your main mech.. if you have me." Firestorm takes a deep 'breath' to calm herself, expression softening with that hinting smile though the nervousness is still evident in her features. "Slow.. is good. Honestly, I've never been with someone. Even loved, let alone someone from another planet. ..You're an interesting one, to say the least." Her gaze falls to the table a moment in thought, that smile growing a little. Maybe it was time to be with someone. Goa has Slip already, so why should she deny herself happiness after all she's been through. With mind made up she lifts her optics to lock with his own, a hand reaching out to grab his as she says softly, "And... I'd like to be your femme." Depth holds her gaze as she speaks, that thumb still stroking with gentle firmness against her neck. "I have to say you are pretty darn interesting yourself, Firestorm." then a purr as she takes his free hand, "I'd like that, very much so." he states, then squeezes that hand gently, a thumb idly stroking against her hand. Firestorm eventually starts to slip back into her old self as the moment of romance begins to wane, the femme smirking softly as she comments, "Heh. Who would've guessed interspecies romance. Xeno on a new planet falling for a local." Her lips curl to bare her teeth in a grin, "Though I suppose that helps 'spice' things up, hmm?" Depth nods his head to that, "Who indeed. Sure not something I expected at least." he notes, then a chuckle. "Oh sweetness, things are only beginning to spice up." "Beginning? What, you've got something in store for me?" Firestorm leans forward with chin propped up in her hands while elbows rest on the table, the femme batting her optics playfully. Depth has to correct his lean as Firestorm leans forward, "Oh yes, I have things in store for you." he notes, "Surprising and pleasant things." he murmurs before he presses his mouth plate to her cheek. The sensation of lips briefly there as he kisses her there. Firestorm's engines hum delightedly at the kiss, her wings flexing happily as she giggles softly, "Any hints on what those things are, or is it a secret?" Depth straightens a bit and admits, "Lots of kissing. Some touching. The rest will come when you are ready."
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