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Post by Aceron on Apr 23, 2014 0:27:04 GMT -8
The marketplace never slept. Day or night, there was always somebody open for business, and there was always somebody who needed something at that particular hour. That was just how the Pangols operated, especially at the marketplace located between the slums and the city proper.
The market was also considered a neutral zone. It was the one place where the rich tolerated the poor, the poor tolerated the rich, and the cops tolerated everyone else in return for being tolerated by everyone else. So long as everyone stuck to the rules: no stealing, no killing, no fighting -- everything was gravy.
So today, despite the rain and the gloomy mist and the oppressing, humid heat, a local cop by the name of Sieger strolled alone through the crowds. He easily towered above everyone at 20 feet in height, but this didn't seem to bother anyone since his width was good for keeping the rain off. Sieger was a Cybertronian at first glance, his black-and-white armour faded to a muted grey by sun and rain and rusting at the edges, and he didn't wear an obvious sigil either, which meant he was likely a Neutral and therefore less inclined to shoot first or ask questions later. But he did wear the insignia of the local Intybus Police Force, which meant that he was a cop, so even if he wasn't going to shoot, he was at least going to ask questions.
But not here. Here, he merely strolled, carefully, through the crowd of hefty Pangols that milled around him at waist-height, simply enjoying the view. The view was considerably muddy, packed with Pangols, and edged by stalls and tents and booths of every size and colour and density, but Sieger loved it all, even if the weather was kind of shit. Being a creature made of metal living in a place where it rained a lot made little sense, but it was where money was made, and that was what kept Sieger from fleeing this place at the soonest provocation.
That, and nobody but the orneriest Pangol grandmother ever tried to threaten one of the giant robots. But sometimes there'd be that one guy...
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 23, 2014 11:14:24 GMT -8
Enter, that one guy. (I'm kidding, or am I, who knows.)
Layby cursed the water that dripped down her neck, seeping into joints and leaving her miserable. Usually Layby enjoyed the heat, but not this. Hot and wet was a mixture she hated immediately. Moisture clung to her, drops caught her optic, making her constantly need to blink it away, and the horrible hot damp made her missing one itch.
First, some kind of cloak or cape to keep the water off, then the bar, because for whatever reason Bartenders always seem to have all the info. She walked with her shoulders hunched against the crowd and water, but was extremely aware of the other cybertronian, towering over the natives, and herself. She didn't care what side he was on, or even unaffiliated like herself, the war had managed to frag everyone in some way or another. Better to avoid them altogether, she turned her optic away and-
Praise Primus above she had never been happier to see something in her whole life. A cloak, big enough for her, and seemed to be hydrophobic. How, who knows, someone smarter than her was always working on these things.
"How much?" She asked the stall vendor, pointing at the cloak.
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Post by Aceron on Apr 23, 2014 12:36:59 GMT -8
The pangol tending the stall was an older member of the species with hair growing out of its ears and holographic glasses on its face. It peered up at Layby in the rain and squinted a bit.
"500 credit," it wheezed, holding up a credit stick machine if Layby was interested in purchasing now.
"Nowwww hold on a sec there," a voice suddenly drawled from above.
Sieger stood there, overshadowing the little stall with his hands on his hips. The mech was lean and willowy at first glance, packing some VTOL equipment on his back and upper shoulders. He had a green visor and the usual grey flexmetal face of a fellow Cybertronian, and while most mechs tended to be all sharp angles and blocky edges, he was actually more rounded out and streamlined. And yep, he wore a decal on his chest that denoted he was a member of the local police force. Greeeeat.
"Mister Chu," the mech went on in a long 'southern' accent, "I'm usually an advocate of the bisniz you provide, and heck I occasionally make mahself a patron 'a yers! But I couldn't help but overhear you tryin' ta swindle a fellow countryman of mine, and I'm afraid I can't let that happen, sir!"
The wizened old pangol blinked a few times and glanced up at the two robots now crowding his stall. "Who are you?" the vendor croaked, glancing between them both now.
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 23, 2014 12:56:54 GMT -8
Rather than being relieved at the officers arrival, Layby tensed, her back stiffening. "I wasn't being swindled." she said, her tone clipped. "Any fool could see that thing isn't worth 500" now go away officer, nothing to see here.
"He's no-one." She answered the pangol before the other cybertronian could, then glanced up at the taller mech. "We're fine here." What kind of (ex) cop would she be anyway, if she couldn't smell a scam a mile away. "Really" she pressed. Everything about her tone and body language telling the other to leave.
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Post by Aceron on Apr 23, 2014 20:24:41 GMT -8
"400 credit," the old pangol offered, holding up the credit machine.
Sieger meanwhile just laughed. "Suit yerself!" he chuckled. "And welcome to Intybus, stranger! If y'ever find yerself in a bind 'round here, jes mention my name and that'll help ya some. And you be nice, Mister Chu!"
With another chortle, the cop-mech then swaggered off, leaving Layby to her own devices.
"390 credit," the old pangol offered again.
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 24, 2014 13:30:13 GMT -8
Mention his name. Layby wrinkled her nose and "rolled" her optic. He didn't even give his name. She watched him leave, the overconfident way he walked deepening the wrinkles on her noseplates then turned back to the old pangol again.
"250" She stated, setting her palms flat on the table. "I don't like to be taken advantage of." It was insanely low, but she was no stranger to haggling.
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Post by Aceron on Apr 26, 2014 21:07:18 GMT -8
"Okay, 250 credit," the old pangol agreed with a nod. He held the credit stick machine up to her. "You no trust Officer Sieger," he then went on to say. "Gangster."
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 27, 2014 15:43:22 GMT -8
She snorted. "I'm not even surprised." She muttered as she inserted the credit stick into the machine. "Now finding an officer who isn't tied up with gangs." She keyed in the details. "There's a surprise."
Of course they were all dead or retired. Or Primus knows where else. The transaction complete, she took the cloak and threw it around her shoulders, putting the credit stick away in her subspace pocket in one movement as she pulled the hood up over her head. Allowing her fingers to rub at the flexiplex bandage over her missing optic as she did.
"Does it ever not rain here?" she wondered out loud, looking up and wincing as fat raindrops landed on her face.
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Post by Aceron on Apr 27, 2014 22:21:16 GMT -8
"You want good cop,you find suburi kra," the old pangol advised as he retrieved the credit machine back and checked to ensure that the receipt was properly recorded. "Weather channel on Din-TV. Big hunyn caffee on Tai-ko street, you watch, okay? You want dry? Come to Inty-boss in summer for dry season, no rain for 140 days. Winter bad for hunyn like you. Bad for metal! You want fix eye? Four thousand credit, nice job, so cheap."
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 28, 2014 11:22:50 GMT -8
Layby had to stop and blink as the pengol ran his mouth, reminding her all too much of some of the racers. "Nono, my eye is....is fine." She said unconvincingly but leaned back towards him. "What is 'Suburi kra'?" she asked curiously, almost disbelieving there would be any good cops in a place like that.
And not just in the slums and markets, she had seen a glimpse of the city. Beautiful and glittering, cities like that were always hiding scum. She'd seen it so many times before. The most celebrated and "upstanding" cybertronian cops had usually turned out to be the ones turning a blind eye, or receiving credits under the table. Or worse.
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Post by Aceron on Apr 28, 2014 17:38:36 GMT -8
After pocketing the credit stick machine into the front of his apron, the old vendor swished his tail thoughtfully. "Suburi kra is good guy," he then said with a knowing nod. "He is hunyn like you, same kind. You have problem, you find him. You pay cheap. Police here no good, but suburi kra will fix your problem. You have problem?"
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 29, 2014 13:38:09 GMT -8
Well... If he was asking.
"Actually..." She pulled the datapad out of her subspace and brought up the photo. "I'm looking for him. A Racer, he was famous on my planet." The photo was of a silver mech, a huge grin on his face as he lifted a trophy in triumph.
"His name is Quicksilver, he's an Autobot." She scrolled to another photo of the red Autobrand. "He had this-" She tapped the screen, then the middle of her own chest. "Here."
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Post by Aceron on Apr 29, 2014 14:33:24 GMT -8
The old vendor shuffled forward and adjusted his holographic spectacles to inspect the image brought up on Layby's datapad. "Hmm... hmmmmmm." He rumbled thoughtfully and stroked the thin, hairy beard on his long chin. "Race guy? Ya, ya. Got to Ama-dome." He pointed off in one direction with a rough claw. "Many racer. Red picture, purple picture, same kind. Okay?"
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Layby
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Post by Layby on Apr 29, 2014 15:25:30 GMT -8
"Okay..." Layby said, looking off in the direction the old Pangol pointed. Ama-Dome. It wasn't a perfect lead, but it was something. Racers knew other racers, and the 'hunyn caffee', well, information always passed through places like that.
She allowed herself a grin, and then her youth showed. Even despite the scars around her missing optic. She put the datapad away again as she turned to leave. "Thank you, my friend."
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Post by Aceron on Apr 29, 2014 19:19:08 GMT -8
Far off into the misty distance, a huge, broad, elliptical dome rose out from the low shacks and buildings within the slums. Getting to the place surely wouldn't be difficult.
"Come to King Pai when you need more, okay?" the old Pangol said. "I sell, you buy. Good luck, si heluhunyn."
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