1050/Meeting Monte & Shill

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
It's a night just like any other at the Red Guardian Inn - the hostess busily trying to seat or get rooms for patrons, while the bartender lines up mugs near the giant keg of engex on tap. Above the bar counter is a TV screen, showing a rather boring news anchor ramble on about how the mystery revolving around the downed power plant and the leveled ammo warehouse is still unsolved.

However, the staff here might be a bit less busy tonight because near the back sitting at a rusty table is a croupier from out of town, enticing a crowd of bots to try and win his gambling game. The crowd seems duly fascinated by his apparent ability to always win - weirdly, this doesn't deter most from trying anyway.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock would rub at her nose bridge as she wandered into the Inn, stressed as normal, the crowded would catch her attention first, making her shutter her optics before shaking her helm as if knocking herself out of some thoughts, and instead of making for her normal booth, she'd move for the bar, and (struggled) up onto one of the seats, and glanced up at the TV.

      "...Hmm, that whole situation is weird.." She'd mumble to herself, before placing her cheek in her hand and started looking over the menu.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash is here? Well, of course she's here, anyone with functional optics could see that... /Why/ though? That's...probably because she was asked to be here. As it is, she's just sort of lingering. Somewhere near Starlock. Just...giving the place a very wary look over in a fit of aggitation. It's not that the crowd is bothering her the most (but it's close) it's more...just being indoors. In a place. With walls.

She shuffles a bit and busies herself in the menu after sitting down with a soft huff. "Weird is the new normal on Cybertron from what I can tell."

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
And of course, arriving punctually is the reason why Nightlash is here. Nightbeat.

 Thankfully, his annoying assistants aren't around right now. He approaches Nightlash, completely ignoring Starlock for the time being. Naturally, the Autobot investigator has the social skills of a grass snake.

 "So," he says to Nightlash, "how'd the inventory check go? I'm assuming you ran one on your own demolitions cache as well." He glances over at the croupier. "Damn crowds," he mutters, " I figured he'd be hard to get to, but didn't know it was happy hour this cycle.."

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock's finials would twitch up upon hearing Nightbeat, and glanced up, before down and over to the croupier. Her optics then return to Nightbeat and Nightlash, raising an optic ridge, she'd yet to say anything but given the conversation? Likely best for her not to get overcharged... Yet.

      "Ener-tea please." She'd murmur to herself, before waiting for the bartender to return. She'd keep an audial focused on the crowed, trying to listen in to any conversation over there.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash blinks and just sort of stares at Nightbeat. "Why would I do that?" She gives him a rather perplexed look, then looks back down at the menu. "I don't own the armories or anything...heh...I don't even think they'd trust me to count past ten..."

She then pauses and looks at Starlock. "Wait...was I asked to inventory something?" She shrugs. "All I know is First Aid gets reeeeally nervous if I go anywhere near anything to do with the armory. Heheh." She looks back at the menu and then just tosses it to the side. "Eh, not in the mood for any of that anyway..."

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
Nightbeat does a double take. "Why wouldn't you?" He says, genuinely perplexed.

 When she asks Starlock if she was asked to inventory anything, Nightbeat sighs. "You forgot, didn't you?" Then he shrugs, and turns to Starlock, finally acknowledging her presence. "Well," he says to the junior medic, "did anyone run an inventory check on the armories?" Then he waves his hand dismissively. "I guess we can discuss that later, since my best guess is that it just didn't happen yet." He glances over at the croupier, and moves towards the crowd surrounding him. "I did some digging around - apparently he was present at the time of the explosion. By the way, I also talked with the warehouse's owner. He says it's somewhat difficult to tell, but he's relatively certain that whoever blew up the place, also snatched some ammunition before it happened."

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock looks up at Nightlash and blinks, sighing, rubbing at her helm in thought as she attempted to recall what had been said. "Ah, you didn't Lash, that was Hound." She'd correct as well as answering Nightbeat after a moment. She'd follow Nightbeat's movements and her lips pressed into a thin line as she thought about it, made sense whoever was there would of grabbed what they could before setting it off.

      "Makes sense..." She'd muse, watching Nightbeat, there where questions she wanted to ask, but with the croupier there? Asking any of that out loud could rouse suspicion or tip someone off. For now, she'd remain wondering how the investigator was to handle this croupier.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash ohs...and seems to relax a bit. "I...forgot, yeah, Hound...right." She shakes her head and then looks around before reaching for Starlock's menu to give it a quick look over. "What sort of...stuff did they take, anyway?"

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
Nightbeat looks at Starlock, and seems to read her intentions. "<If you were wondering about something, feel free to ask>" He tight beams her.

 He turns to Nightlash, motioning for her to follow him as he makes his way towards the croupier. "Well, the warehouse owner isn't terribly certain. Everything was destroyed afterwards, so it's hard to say exactly what went missing. But so far, it would appear that several high yield grenades, encapsulated liquid explosives, plus demolition spare parts were not found among the rubble. Curious... would you know what kinds of spare parts a perpetrator might want to steal if they were going to... say, build their own customized demolitions?"

 Nightlash might not get a chance to answer. Apparently, they've strayed too close to the croupier's table, and he's spotted Nightlash.

 "You there! Luck is a lady, tonight, miss! You should try your hand - you never know, you could win! And the stakes are high..." He holds up the hefty bag of shanix he's collected from all the mechs who had tried their luck, and failed.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash is about to say a thing, but... Nightbeat was silly and spoke for too long. Oh well! She does, though seem to at least think on it before she's called out for a game...a glance going to the bag of shanix.

And then her gaze shifts to the actual swindler goading others into playing, and she just sort of stares at him for a few good moments in silence. "Did...you use to scavenge around Nyon or Harmonex...?" She frowns a bit. "Eh, probably just some other similar design, nevermind...and, uh...no. I, uh, don't like games like that..."

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock put her hands together in thought, a alarm going off in her head as he mentions /liquid/ explosives... The K-class incident still rather fresh in her mind. She'd glance at Nightlash at the question.. She'd nod at Nightbeat, in acknowledgment of his tight beam and would retreat into her thoughts once more.

      "<<Hate to say it but Nightlash kinda asked said question>>" She'd chuckle over the tightbeam. "<<Was mostly trying to keep it low, to keep form spooking your possible witness over there.>>"

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
The croupier ignores Nighlash's protests, and reaches forward to grab her wrist. "Oh, come on, you're the bomb lady, aren't you? Night.. something or other, yeah? The name's Monte, and I hear plenty of talk about you 'round here!" He laughs robustly. "I got more than just .. shanix in here, you know," he says with a chuckle. "Remember that old fella who got brigged? The one who liked fine enerwine. No, no, not the tinfoil sniper. Heard plenty 'bout him around here, too, but he's not the one. I'm talking about the one who was a bot sympathizer. He dropped a whole slag load of ... goodies when he landed here on Cybertron in that ship of his. Well now that's he's in jail, all his stuff's up for grabs! Most of it got looted by now, heh, but I managed a few things. Wanna see?" He opens the bag just a little, enough for Nightlash to look in and see a couple of pressurized bombs, the kinds you would only find on the black market.

 Nightbeat hehs. "<Trust me, he's not the type. Wily, yes, but easily spooked.. not so much>"

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash looks down as her wrist is grabbed and moves as though she's about to just...haul off and smack the mech, but holds short as she hears the 'bomb lady' reference. "Is that what I am?" She pulls her wrist away from him, or at least tries to, and rubs it lightly as she listens to the rest of his pitch, her attention going to the bag of...

...oh. She jsut sort of studies the explosives for a bit before finally grunting. "Those look pretty, but...eh, who wants something like that?" She grumbles. "I don't want to play your silly little game...because I know mechs like you and it's impossible to win."

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock perked up, optics narrowing as she listened to this boy, he knew Nightlash? That was a bad sign.... And it only gets worse when he mentions the /other/ enerwhine loving bot. "<<Oh /smelt/... He's talking about Gallo, isn't he?>>" She'd murmur over a tight beam to Nightbeat.

      A lot of thoughts where running through her head right now, like had no one really secured that fugly-fun-house of a ship after he was arrested? Specially after how she'd reported about the illegal munitions factory up there.... And for that matter, if it was being looted, didn't that mean Rosie also still had access to it?

      She'd slowly climb her way down from the bat seat and started to make her own was over, folding her arms behind her back.

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
Monte mutters grumpily. "Fine, don't, but I'm telling you, you're missing out."

 And then he notices Starlock coming over. "Oh, yes! Now /she's/ a willing gal. Yes, luck is indeed a lady tonight!" He motions for the junior medic to come over.

 Nightbeat watches placidly, his arms folded. "<Hm...>" he tight beams Starlock and Nightlash. "<If Starlock plays, we can probably leverage him. Tell him, that if you win, he has to tell us everything he saw that night the warehouse blew up. After that, it will be a simple matter of outsmarting him>"

**Nightlash has posed:**
There's a moment when Nightlash looks relieved that she's being let off the silly games, only to hear Nightbeat's remark tightbeamed and blinked. <<That was the plan? Why didn't you say so?!>> She grumbles and looks for the nearest menu, only to realize it's still in her hand. Huh, looks like she didn't drop it when Nightbeat dragged her over...

Right, she looks it over and then tosses it to the side with a grunt. "All looks like garbage anyway..." She chuffs. "Right!" Then there's a blink and she looks at where she threw the menu...then just shrugs. "Right!" <<Well, if Starlock's gonna play...eh, I suppose I can keep watch on things and make sure he cheats less.>>

**Starlock has posed:**
     "<<Read my mind, both of you.>>" She'd state in a tight beam to both Nightlash and Nightbeat. "<<Probably cheating more then Ratchet yells.>>" She'd chuckle, before giving Monte a sweat smile with both her optics and mouth. "Hrm? Oh? someone like me? I don't gamble often, so you'll need to explain me how this game works." She'd nod.

      She'd lean over slightly and tilted her head, trying to get a look at the table and Monte, in an attempt to get a look at what type of game they where playing.

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl struts into the Inn, head bobbing back and forth, up and down as he enters. He moves with casual grace between tables and chairs, dodging around patrons and waitstaff as he prowls around.

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
"<I thought it was obvious?>" the Autobot investigator tight beams Nightlash. Nightbeat then notices Whirl come into the Inn, and his mouth twitches slightly. He moves behind a taller mech, hoping to obscure himself from the obnoxious rotary's line of sight.

 Monte rubs his hands together. "That's my girl," He says eagerly. "So! What I'm gonna do, is I'm gonna lay out three cards. I'm gonna show you which one has the Kremzeek on it. Then, I'm gonna switch 'em around, and you gotta find 'ol Kremzeek again!"

 He then roceeds to lay out three cards on the table. He flis over one of them, revealing it to be the one with Kremzeek on it. Next, he starts shuffling them. After about ten nanoseconds, he lays the three cards out on the table. "Now, all you gotta do is just c+xterm51+pick 1,2, or 3 - then I'll flip it over and we'll see if you picked right!"

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash shoots a look at Nightbeat that's partway between 'this is /me/ you're talking to' and 'well why didn't you say so?!' before she looks back at the table as cards are already in motion... <<Er...s-sorry, distracted, didn't see which one's the right one. Um... good luck?>>

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock nodded, listening and watching intensely. "<<It's okay.>>" She'd quickly answer as she'd reach her hand out to the cards. "Like.. this?" She'd question, as she hesitating for a moment as she she watched a specific few of her fingers twitch, before placing her finger down on the card.

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl spots familiar faces and makes a rotory-line toward them -- i.e. he moves quickly and erratically toward Nightlash and Starlock. 'Congratulations!" he says as he approaches them. "I'm here! The excitement can begin!" He crowds close to the table, though he doesn't get into Nightlash and Starlock's personal spaces. Still, he seems to do his best to take up as much space as possible. "Whatcha doing? What'cha playing? Who's that guy? What's that? huh? Huh? Huh?"

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
Whirl unfortunately inserts himself right in front of Nightbeat just as he is trying to watch Monte, to see if he could detect whether or not the croupier was pulling any card tricks.

 Nightbeat grumbles, looking a bit ill. Whirl is probably one of his least favorite people. "<Dammit, I didn't get to watch what he did - this rotary buffoon blocked my view>"

 "<We're in the middle of an investigation>" the Autobot investigator tight beams Whirl. "<Please exhibit self control - if that's even within your capability>"

 Monte turns over the card Starlock picked. It's a turbofox. He smirks at her and shrugs. Then his gaze falls on Whirl. "Next contender, step right up! Pick the Kremzeek, and you win..." he holds up the bag of shanix, jingling it enticingly. "Since you aren't a lady, what's the betting sum gonna be??"

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash grumbles a bit as things go bust... exactly like she thought it would. Oh well! She stretches a bit and then glances at Whirl... <<Well, I mean, if someone wants to give it a go... fine? Why not? I still think the thing's rigged to where no one wins but him. But that's just me.>>

**Starlock has posed:**
     Sadly luck isn't shining on this Star tonight, she'd give a polite nod to him, and joined the group once more. "Hello Whirl." She'd smile over to the rotary, before looking back to watch the bot closely. "<<It's okay, we're all on the same page now, I can help in watching if one of you two wanna try.>>" She'd tightbeam back.

      She'd keep her hands folded in front of her, and her optics watching Monte's hands, thinking for a moment, before speaking on the tight beam once more. "<<...Actually most of us, Whirl, this guy was apparently seen at a explosion site, and we're trying to win to see if we can get him to tell us what he saw that night.. Do try and be careful, and don't let him know that's what this small group is going to do.>>" She'd inform.

 "<<..No you're likely very much right lash, just.. Ahhh, gotta try, Don't think he'd willing give up that kinda info.. Would he?>>" She'd ask to Nightbeat.

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl's head tilts left and right as he stares down at the cards. "...how do you know I'm not a lady? I mean, I'm not but I could be," he says. "But, yeah, I'm not. I'm not a gentleman either. I am, and I'm quoting here 'a complete and utter dumpster fire on a bullet train to the smelting pits' but...lemme put ten shanix on me to win. Becasue I am a winner. A winning dumpster fire on a bullet train to the smelting pits, but still, a winner." He reaches out and taps one of the cards with a claw.

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
Nightbeat nods at Nightlash. "<We don't need him to win, I just need to see what he's doing so we can catch him in the act of cheating and call it out>" he says.

To Starlock, Nighbeat tight beams. "<Mostly likely not, but if we figure out his card trick, he'll beg us not to make his secret known. Then, we can stay quiet as long as he gives us the information we're looking for>"

Nightbeat sighs as Whirl steps up to play, his optics going half mast. He elbows his way in this time, making sure to have a good look when Monte shuffles the cards.

Whirl, despite his bragging, isn't a winner. The card he turns over has a cyber hippo on it. Monte cackles, and holds out an open palm. "Pay up, buddy."

However, at this moment, Starlock and Nightlash, who aren't playing, may notice now the plain colored mech standing near Monte's table this whole time, watching quietly with a demure look on his faceplates. He hasn't played at all, or even talked to Monte, which is unusual. The croupier has pretty much called out every single mech he's laid optics on, save for him. If they spare him a look, he'll scowl and look away.

**Nightlash has posed:**
A scowl? Look away? HAH! That sounds like a challenge! It's rather unfortunate that the mech in question catches Nightlash's attention, then, and in true...well, Nightlash fashion, she just promptly grabs a menu from a nearby patron of the place, throws an arm around him, and gets all nice and buddy-buddy while bringing the menu up right in front of the mech's face.

"HEY! You look absolutely thrilling and decisisve, like...you know what you're doing and what you like to drink." She looks at the menu. "I've looked at this thing like...three times? Two... ? ...yeah, two. Two whole times! Well, three now, but two before, I mean, maybe I looked last time I was here but I don't count those towards the overall total of menu-looking-events and all but you know what I mean AND ANYWAY...

"Ahem. What looks good to drink, hmm?"

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl reaches into a hatch and pulls out a small pouch that contains several shanix. He looks over to Starlock or Nightlash. 'Uh...little help?" he asks. "Claws and coins don't mix so good, y'know?"

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock kept her optics on Monte's hands, but did spare a ever slight glance to the Mech beside him, specially when Nightlash does.. Well, Nightlash things, all she can do is true the other femme, and hope she knows what she's doing!

      She'd give Whirl a nod and help him out, which was.. Well, second nature to her, she was used to helping patients in such tasks in the Hospital after all, and gave him a polite smile. "<<Seem's Lash is onto something.>>" she'd quickly say over the tightbeam.

**Koinonia (12) has posed:**
The mech who had been quietly standing off to the side is now suddenly ... harassed by Nightlash. It's an understatement to say he's very displeased by her behavior.

 He shoves her arm off of him, and moves away from her. "Your behavior is most unattractive and unladylike," he says flatly. "I'm not a charity case. What do you want?"

 "<Finally>" Nightbeat tight beams the group, "<She does something useful. Okay, well, that was a bit of a stretch, but at least she tried harder this time...>" He makes his way over to Nightlash and the mech she's harassing. "We want to know more about the croupier, Monte." Nightbeat says quickly, answering his question.

 He folds his arms. "You're out of luck. I don't have a shanix to spare and I'm not the risk taking type, if you know what I mean." He glances over at Nightlash briefly, making the connection that they had similar intentions. "Well. I could be the kind of person you're looking for, but I don't give handouts. As the saying goes, nothing is free in this world, and I'm not an edge case." He starts making his way towards the exit of the Red Guardian Inn, calling over his shoulder. "Come back when you have something... substantial to offer."

 Nightbeat watches him go, looking pensive. Then he starts heading for the exit himself. "<I need to think about this>" He tight beams the others, "<For now, there's not much else we can do. I'm not experienced enough with gambling card games to guess Monte's sleight of hand, but his former shill is. It's also clear he's willing to accept a bribe, but we'll have to be careful about how we go about it. >"

**Nightlash has posed:**
"I just want to know what I should get to drink..." She looks at the menu as she's shoved off and Nightbeat starts to question things, and then just tosses the menu off to join the rest...

And there's that look again. She stares at the menu as that odd sense of deja-vu settles in, and then looks towards the mech departing. "...risk..." She suddenly frowns. "I don't think I like him very much."

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl clicks his claws as he studies the menu. "...something in a flask is usually best," he says. 'Especially if you forget your funnel." At the mention of risk, his antennae go up. "...risk is nice, I like risk. It's what gets me out of the recharger in the morning."

**Starlock has posed:**
     "<<If what I've learned over the course of my time here, yeah, going to need to be real careful.>>" She'd vent a sigh. "..I don't blame you Lash." She'd say in response to not liking him, fairly she didn't feel comfortable with some these weird mechs ether, well weird as in didn't know.

      "Eh, we tried." She'd state as she attempted to climb back onto the bar stool with some trouble, curse being a small bot in a society full of size queens.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash just frowns and starts for the door. "Whatever...this place is kinda...meh. Never liked it in here anyway... too much, uh..." she looks at the ceiling, then the walls. "...to not like." She just gives a faint wave and heads out the door.

**Whirl has posed:**
Whirl watches Nightlash make for the door. "...uh-huh," he says as she goes. His rotors flex and twitch as he glances about. "Little help? AS in, do you need a little help?" he asks Starlock.