Share a Glass with Me

Blast Off perches on a low rooftop in an industrial section of Kaon. The Combaticon sits crosslegged, his ionic blaster in his hands... looking through his spotting scope. He concentrates, adjusting the scope minutely before looking back through it and slowly squeezing off a shot. His target? Various pieces of trash scattered on the street below.

'Shutterfly' emerges from an exit at the relatively humble offices of the Kaon News Network, stepping onto the street just in time to see some trash disintregrate just a few meters in front of her. She glances upward, halfway-expecting some empty to be glaring back, but instead she sees a depressed looking Shuttleformer, and she looks sympathetic. She isn't sure whether or not he's spotted her, but she doesn't much care, as she heads up the block to what appears to be a cut-rate energex store and disappears inside.

Blast Off isn't depressed, though. He's doing something he does very well, and when he's like that he's focused and "in the zone". It's relaxing, really. He does notice "Shutterfly" and holds his fire, giving her a slight nod of the head as she walks down the street. He notices the energex store, and wonders what exactly is in there... is that photojournalist snooping for leads there? Or just off duty? Are journalists EVER really off duty? He ponders this, then loads another battery pack in his gun and fires at another piece of trash, obliterating it with ease.

Some time passes, and eventually 'Shutterfly' emerges from the store with a package. She wanders over to the building where Blast Off is stationed, apparently going inside to get the lift for rooftop access. Perhaps she didn't want to risk dropping the package she's carrying by simply flying up to the top...

The lift arrives at roof level, and 'Shutterfly' pulls a bottle of Orion 3 Orchards out of the bag with a smile. When all is said and done, Arcee \*does\* like Blast Off. And yes, she has a job to do, but in no way does she want to hurt him -- she just has orders to take him in, somehow. In the meantime, it's bothered her how completely miserable he's been. She isn't immune to that by any means. "Thought you might like a treat," she offers.

Blast Off notes the femme heading out, then heading towards him, disappearing again.... the shuttleformer tracks her movements, but remains mostly focused on his target practice. He glances up again as "Shutterfly" emerges on the rooftop with him, letting out a slight sigh. "Look, I know you want interviews with pit fighters, but I'm busy! Go find someo-" He stops in mid-sentence as she pulls out Orion 3 Orchards.

Blast Off hasn't had wine in a VERY long time. Slag, he recently even got himself shot in the back of the head in Vos while simply trying to be somewhere NEAR it. Seeing wine- and not just ANY wine but the FINEST wine- has the shuttle's immediate attention. "Where... where did you get that?" He then looks slightly suspicious... in between bouts of looking longingly at the wine.... "Why?"

"You looked kind of upset, and I felt bad about pestering you the other night," 'Shutterfly' admits, as she joins him at his 'perch' (but not TOO close; she still gives him plenty of space, not only because it riles him up but she's also worried about her ruse being seen through somehow). She opens the wine, and pours Blast Off a glass, offering it to him before pouring herself one. "That's one thing I try not to do, is irritate people. And before you ask -- no, I don't have my camera active. It's off and put away tonight. All my editing from yesterday is finished, so this isn't business." And she's telling the truth. She doesn't have the resources to continually stream spy footage back to the Decagon anyhow.

Blast Off looks at Shutterfly a little warily. He does appreciate the distance, however... and the wine keeps his interest. He tries hard not to let it.... but...but... he misses it so. When she pours him a glass, he has the feeling of being manipulated, or the concern he might be being tricked... he's got reasons not to trust people, after all. But... he can't quite resist. His hand nearly trembles as he reaches for the sweet, sweet nectar. He raises it up, taking a sniff and then inhaling deeply. That smells SO GOOD. He lets out a slight sigh, then looks to her. "I...uh.... thank you." And he takes a sip- a loong one. Then can't contain a sigh of relief. "That... is delicious."

"You're very welcome. No strings attatched, I can tell this is not a place you want to be, and somehow you're here out of necessity," 'Shutterfly' muses, sipping the expensive enerwine (which she's able to afford because she's technically working two jobs at the moment!). While she \*does\* need to find out where Blast Off is staying, she refrains from asking him anything personal for the moment. If he volunteers anything, it won't be coerced, she decides.

Blast Off has to restrain himself from just GUZZLING the wine. No, he must remain a gentlemech, and drink his wine as a civilized being would. There's still a slight greediness, though, and he's downed half the glass in no time. Placing the wine down for a moment lest he finish it off too soon, he sighs again... then looks at Shutterfly.

He still isn't sure about her, but... she obviously has some TASTE, if she likes Orion 3 Orchards. He glances down the street, watching as some litter blows in the wind. "No... it's not a place I want to be. I used to live much more... comfortably. But... things took a turn for the worse, and...well..." He glances to his weapon. "My shooting skills will get me a job. ...Again."

"I'm sure they will," 'Shutterfly' exclaims. "Kaon's kind of like a sinkhole of city-states. Circumstances trap you here unexpectedly. Then, when you think it's simple to just leave, it brings you even further in, collapsing around you and making it nearly impossible to escape. If you're not actually \*from\* Kaon, you have an advantage over those who are." She watches Blast Off polish off the wine like it was nectar of the gods. "Interesting time at the Forge...it took me a while to get out of there, so many fighters wanted to talk."

Blast Off looks to Shutterfly and nods... a little morosely. "...Yes. I keep...trying, but... easier said than done." He then straightens, a determination reappearing in his optics. "But there is something here... there's the Pits. They may be dirty, and miserable, and grimy.... but they are a ticket OUT." He hopes. "The fighters you talk to... probably have the same plan I do. Well... at least the part about earning some shanix. I imagine what they'd do with that shanix might not be the same." He tilts his head. "So do you really care about these fighters, or is it just a story to you?"

"Both," 'Shutterfly' says. "Both, because...I care about the mechs I interview and I also care about their stories. To me, 'just a story' is like you having 'just a space flight'. There is no bad one. There is nothing ordinary about it," she explains. "There's as many stories out there as there are stars in the galaxy, and I want to find as many as I can."

Blast Off holds tightly to his wine glass, like he's afraid he might lose it. He must savor every last drop of this sweet paradise. It puts him more in the mood to listen. "...Yes. Well..." He glances upwards, towards those stars. "No, there's nothing ordinary up there... at all." He tries not to let it show just how MUCH he misses those stars, turning back to the ground with a small huff. "Unlike here... where... there's far too much banality." He takes a sip. "I manage though. So do many of the people here."

He lifts an optic ridge and looks back to the femme. "If that's so, then... good. Someone probably /should/ tell the stories here. There are many. Perhaps you'll even change a few minds. Though I fear that working for the Kaon news, you may only be preaching to the choir, as it were."

'Shutterfly is up on a rooftop in the industrial/business sector of Kaon, just a short hop from the humble KNN headquarters where she recently finished her editing duties for the evening (and sent some footages and images out in an encrypted file to Prowl and Magnus at the Decagon). She's sharing a bottle of very good enerwine with Blast Off, and just...having a discussion. Surveillance equipment is currently off or put away. While she's hoping for a nugget of info she can use, like...exactly WHERE Blast Off is staying and who's keeping him there...these things are impossible to extract by conventional means, so Arcee is just remaining patient.

"Oh, I don't know, you mean...I just tell these folks what they want to hear?" 'Shutterfly' asks Blast Off, for clarification.

Blast Off takes another sip. "In a way, yes. They already know how rotten things are around here. Reading others' sob stories just gives them something to commiserate about. Not that that's a bad thing, I suppose." He glances upward again. "What \*I'd\* like to see is what can we DO about this? What's the next step? Will things change?" ....Will he get to see the stars again?

"There appears to be something pretty big on the horizon between...that one mech, the one who lost his cool in the Forge...and Megatron. Maybe a power struggle about to happen. If Megatron challenges him -- and /defeats/ him...that will bring about some of the most drastic changes this city's seen in a long time, 'Shutterfly' muses. She checks the level of enerwine inside the bottle, and decides she'll pass on a refill. Looks like Blast Off's going to finish this up.

Blast Off raises an optic ridge. "Indeed. I believe his name is Clench, and he certainly has an.. attitude problem." So says Mr. Attitude Problem himself. "He acts like he's so much BETTER than the pit fighters." Again- oh the irony. "Well... and maybe some are just...guttersnipes. But many are not." He takes a sip again, reveling in the act. "Even I must admit... I've been surprised. But there are many here who simply want a chance to better themselves. They actually don't like living in the gutters!" He almost sounds surprised; the act of someone who never gave these things much thought before.

"And I find myself agreeing that they should have the chance to work hard... and do that. Megatron seems to afford them the best chance of pursuing that goal."

"That attitude may give him the authority of a 'pit boss', and put the fear into the empties. For \*now\*. But Megatron seems to have tapped into the fact that empties are quite a bit more sophisticated than Clench thinks they are. Fear alone isn't going to keep him in power for long. Not when Megatron makes so much sense to them," 'Shutterfly' notes. "And not just the empties, but...mechs of all classes, just like you and many others. If you're beaten down long enough, you're going to rebel against that. You're going to fight back."

Blast Off nods. "Indeed!" His engines rev softly, a slightly more aggressive sound than is usually heard from the mech. "There are those of us who do NOT like being told what to do. And to be ordered around by fools like that... just makes it all the more egregious. One can only teeter at the edge so long before one either falls... or learns to fly." The Combaticon downs the last of the wine, then looks a little sadly at the bottom of the glass.

"I hope that cheered you up a bit, you looked like you needed some company," 'Shutterfly' says. "I probably should have gotten two, but you know what they say about too much of a good thing! You would think with my job that I'm some kind of socialite, but for every mech you might see me interviewing or filming, like...three or four turn me down. So it's a lot of rejection to face." She looks over at Blast Off. "Do you feel like things are going to happen pretty soon at the Forge? Like...a serious power struggle or major bout? I know it's dangerous, but I can't help it, I feel like I really need to follow this because it's really important to the future of Kaon. Maybe even more important than /that/."

Blast Off glances to Shutterfly, looking a bit nonplussed. "I am fine. Please /don't/ start sounding like that Exodus mech." The one who is strangely concerned with Blast Off's welfare- despite knowing him for all of two breems, basically. Then he relents a little, placing the glass down. "But... thank you. I didn't know that Orion 3 orchards was even \*found\* in this city..." He glances over at the store. "Once I earn some shanix, I will be sure to give them a visit."

He listens to her question, then replies, "...I think it's likely. There are too many raw emotions and life and death power struggles in that place... what would one more matter? Except..." His optics dim slightly. "THAT power struggle might, as you suspect, have massive repercussions. ...Not that I think I'd mind." He glances towards the horizon. "It's about time for some things to change."

'Shutterfly' chuckles a bit as Blast Off mentions Exodus. "I know, right? What is going on with him?? He's an odd one. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to locate him next time he stops by the Forge and find out what his story is. But he really does seem to like you!" She nods, and peeks over the side of the building toward the energex store. "Kaon has all sorts of hidden treasures. Even in the most troubled areas of Cybertron, mechs yearn for a bit of the good life. Around here, they tend to grab what they can by force, but others find different ways to bridge that class gap." She nods slowly as she listens to Blast Off. "I won't ask where you live because that's none of my business." (However...!) "But do you know others...wherever you're residing, that also go to the Forge? I'm really interested in just how many mechs these 'games' pull in. It seems like most of the city's involved, on some nights. I will say that in my line of work, I get non-stop requests for MORE coverage of Forge games, Forge issues. So it's wildly popular but I have no numbers to go with it."

Blast Off lets out a small vent of air. "Tell me about it." He glowers a bit at the mention of how Exodus "likes" him. "Yes... and I have no idea why. But when strange people suddenly take an interest in you, it usually just means trouble." He huffs, looking annoyed. Then it seems to dawn on him she might take that to mean her, too, and he glances back to the femme. DOES he mean her, too? He's not sure anymore. "Well... besides, he doesn't seem to have much taste... unlike \*some\* people, it turns out", he nods back to the wine glass.

The Combaticon eyes "Shutterfly" a moment more, then offers, "Well... I used to live at Tenement Tower 2-B until just recently. There are a number of pit fighters there. If you wanted to speak to them, I'm sure they'd give you an audial-full." Of course, if she does enough sleuth-work, she might be able to learn where the Combaticon's moved to. Having recently discovered his fellow Combaticons are alive and kicking (and fighting in the pits) the shuttle has moved in to be closer with them. He's finally got a little money to share a place with someone, and he just seemed to be causing trouble where he was before. It was time to go.

Oh boy, was it EVER worth it to splurge for that bottle of Orion 3 Orchards enerwine! 'Shutterfly' smiles gratefully for Blast Off's assistance. Of COURSE she's going to go over there and chat it up with the denizens of the tenament building. In the guise of making a 'local interest' piece, naturally. "There's pit fighters there? Fantastic! I appreciate you telling me that." Of course, she's happy for other reasons, as well. Now, she's getting somewhere. "Might be kind of risky to go over there at this time, though, I think I'll wait until the day cycle...would love to get more opinions on the Forge goings-on."

Blast Off's weakness definitely includes a good bottle of wine. Add a nice femme to that and the lonely shuttleformer is in trouble. He's still not stupid, however, and remains tight-lipped on a number of things. Giving "Shutterfly" a nod, he responds, "My pleasure. I hope you gain many good stories from that. I shall keep an optic on the news and try to catch your article." He glances upwards. "It's nice to know there are some people here who can appreciate the finer things... and it's nice to be reminded what they are, lest even \*I\* forget."

"Hey, no problem. You ever want to see me, I'm typically at the Forge, or..." 'Shutterfly' gestures over toward the KNN building. "The office. But typically I'm out and about. I can't do the enerwine thing every night, not on my salary," she chuckles, "But it's a nice treat for once in a while. I...I hope you get that 'escape' you're looking for." No, Arcee doesn't really want Blast Off to escape. She's finally convinced that he needs to be brought to justice. But she's very much gotten into her persona, and the photojournalist she portrays would not want Blast Off being 'stuck' and unhappy in a city where he feels out of place. So her concern, while not truthful, is nonetheless sincere on a certain level. One thing she decided she would avoid at all costs while here in Kaon is to never break cover. To make this convincing, she would need to 'be' her persona around the clock.

Blast Off allows himself a small chuckle. Perhaps it's the fact that he's got some enerwine in him for the first time in a long time... he's feeling much more relaxed than usual. "Indeed. And no, I would imagine not... Orion 3 is... quite exclusive. But I thank you for the reminder of what... well, what life \*should\* be like. I hope you find... your story, or whatever it is you are looking for."

The Combaticon nods. If he only knew just who this "Shutterfly" was and what she was up to, he'd be outraged. But as it is, he does not, and he seems to have found an at least somewhat sypathetic ear. Feeling as wronged by society as he does, Blast Off is simply happy to have found someone to talk to. He's back to not knowing anyone here, really, so it is nice to have... a friend? "...Thank you. I hope so, too. Perhaps... someday." His gaze then turns upward. "No...not perhaps. I \*will\* get on my feet again, and I \*will\* be back up THERE, back among the stars... where I belong."

"Have a nice evening," 'Shutterfly' tells Blast Off. If she plays her cards right, not only will Blast Off never know it was her beneath this ruse, but he'll never know her role in apprehending him, either. She'd much rather have it be that way than have a permanent, personal vendetta of hatred haunting her. It's best this happen anonymously. There's enough difficult feelings involved that she doesn't \*want\* it to get personal.

Once again, she takes the building lift down to ground level, and heads off down the street.

Arcee better hope that Blast Off doesn't learn, indeed... for he would not forget...or forgive, especially if Arcee's disguise led to his capture. But for now, the blissfully ignorant Combaticon simply nods as the femme heads away. He is still guarded and aloof, but "Shutterfly" is certainly gaining ground, from "annoying" (which is most people) to... "tolerable" (which is already few and far between). Whether that tolerance grows, or gets shot down, remains to be seen. The shuttleformer goes back to shooting random bits of trash on the street, practicing for the Pits... and dreaming of the day he becomes a star- so that he may \*return\* to them.