We are a literate, intermediate to advanced AU Transformers RPG Based off of the first season of TFP with dashes of other incarnations sprinkled here or there. Characters from any continuity are welcome however must be restyled to match the TFPrime universe.
Active, with ongoing plotlines, we are always willing to integrate new characters into storylines once incorporated into the setting.
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Jan 22, 2022 15:20:11 GMT -5
Butch smiled as Diamondback explained the lone cup. It was still a reserved sort of smile, but this one was warmer and softer. The wary shield she’d put up around this stranger slipped, and she made a little hum.
“That’s sweet of your Grandmother,” said she. “I’m guessing you would’ve stayed put in that bush if you could?" She took another bite of her sandwich, a crow flying overhead with a booming caw. Two smaller crows darted after it, all three disappearing over the horizon in an instant. Butch glanced up to watch their flight, then went back to eating her sandwich.
The next line of commentary had her expression go neutral again. Butch watched Diamondback as he talked about the land, and the circle of life, and people. Where to begin with people, indeed? Even in places like Humboldt-Toiyabe, which had been set aside for Nature to keep, there were people. That the two had bumped into another without seeing another person for hours was a testament to this.
“People are complicated,” Butch said after a moment. “We’re apex predators that don’t always understand how our world works. We're evolving and inventing too fast for old instincts to keep up with. We're short-sighted, susceptible to tribalism, and forget we're animals too.”
She took her left hand and scrubbed it across her face. It was quick, reflexive, and might’ve given Diamondback a chance to spot its patchy scar.
“It's interesting from a psychological standpoint. Not so much if you want some peace and quiet.”
Post by Nathan Walker on Jan 23, 2022 23:51:22 GMT -5
“Yeah, my grandfather and I probably would have stayed out there if we could.” Nathan replied with a chuckle as he looked up briefly to register the crows and make sure he wasn’t going to be the recipient of any surprises before he went back to his lunch, taking another bite of his sandwich.
Yeah, people were complicated. In Nathan’s experience, there were plenty of times the world wanted to slap some label on someone, saying they were evil or something, but Nathan would track them down to whatever place they were hiding out in and see them be a doting parent or a well respected figure in the community. Granted, generally the family or community had no idea what that individual did to merit having Nathan monitoring them...
And when Nathan and his team inevitably dragged said individual off to face whatever sort of justice was in season, well...the reasons they gave were always along those lines. For their culture, religion, tribe, etc.
“My grandfather used to say that no matter how evolved the human race got, there would always be some jackass who would fuck things up either intentionally or accidentally.” He commented before taking another swig of water. Marcus Crane had a lot to say about human nature given his front row seat as Sheriff of Navajo County, Arizona. Even though he usually dealt with drunk drivers and disorderly conduct, there were more than a few occasions where he’d had to deal with something more serious that seemed to have left a scar on him even into retirement.
He sighed as he looked over at Butch as he saw movement out of his periphrial vision, just in time to see the scar across her hand. “My line of work, you get a lot of time for psychological standpoints unfortunately.” He shrugged apologetically before taking another bite of his sandwich.
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Jan 24, 2022 19:37:47 GMT -5
"Isn't it true with everything, though?" Butch countered. "There are many animals that will pass by - or through - a deadfall trap before it crushes them. Countless bear cubs will follow their mothers to the salmon runs until one of them slips and drowns. Cowbird after cowbird will lay an egg in an unsuspecting nest until one hatches to a species that can't raise it. Fallibility is in the nature of all."
She tore off an edge of crust and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. "But humans, as lofty as our goals and perspectives are, tend to forget that. It's inevitable that, for every good person, there will be one that does evil. There will be mistakes in a system, and those mistakes will be ignored or exploited instead of fixed. I find making peace with that, and moving on to fix whatever fuck-up comes after, makes people easier to deal with."
She looked at Diamondback again. "But this is me rambling. Rambling and, I suppose, saying something out loud to reinforce it in my head before I head back to work later. 'Same shit, different day,' as a very-tired man once said, and it's a bit more literal in my line of work."
She scratched her chin with a finger, taking a moment to satisfy whatever itch was there. "What else do you think about with that 'time' you have?" Butch asked.
Post by Nathan Walker on Feb 7, 2022 0:31:34 GMT -5
All Nathan could do would be to chuckle at the cynicism the two of them seemed to share about their own species. Yeah, he could relate to the same shit, different day routine. Though he doubted Butch could understand to what extent. Bullets don’t do the most damage in a combat zone, it’s the monotony of waiting for the next mission or patrol. At least, back when he was in the airborne. Special Forces was a different game, where the waiting was more of a predator than prey. That he could handle.
“Not much else. If I’m overseas, I try to stay in the moment. It’s only when I’m home that I allow my mind to wander.” Nathan chuckled before he took another bite of his sandwich and washed it down with some water.
“If I’m home, sometimes I wonder about hunting season, worry if my family members are doing alright, or wonder if I’m ever going to get married. Though...that last part is only to appease my folks...”
He chuckled in a bit of a self-pity manner before taking a bite of his apple. He wasn’t in too big of a hurry for that last part, it was just something that his mother particularly loved to bring up every time he talked to her in person. And he was pretty sure that his mother was the reason his grandmother tended to bring it up every time he called to check in on her. At least his uncle only brought it up very rarely...though he still mentioned it once or twice.
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Feb 7, 2022 1:48:39 GMT -5
Butch's fingers played on the side of her water bottle as she listened. She smirked when Diamondback mentioned marriage, giving a lazy roll of her eyes. "Of course they are," she said. "What's their reason? Grandkids? Worried about you being lonely? Hoping that a woman will get you to settle down and put up your spurs?"
Her tone was as dry as the desert scrub. It was a little condescending, even. It seemed Butch didn't think much of the pressures of marriage, or was scoffing at his parents. Who could say what was the woman's reasoning?
Taking a swig of her own drink, she asked, "You close with your folks?" before looking out at the horizon. She squinted at something in the distance. "I'd say you're a grown man and you don't have to listen to them...but I get it. Sometimes family is all you have. It's good to have a relationship with your kin, if you can. You can't forget where you came from."
Her voice tapered a bit at the end, saying that. Biting into her sandwich, Butch chomped through a third of it before pulling back. "Getting warm," she muttered, then returned to eating with a bit more haste.
Post by Nathan Walker on Feb 20, 2022 22:39:38 GMT -5
“I would hope my parents would have figured out by now that no one is going to get me to hang up my spurs except for myself.” Nathan replied with a chuckle before he took another bite out of the apple. At her question about how close he was, he took a swig of water out of the bottle before replying.
“Well it depends. Dad and I have been a bit rocky for the last nine or so years after I left Stanford with only an Associate’s degree and a desire to enlist. Mom took it a bit better because she knew that I have my grandfather’s blood, but my sister is more in my Dad’s camp as she finishes up medical school.” he said simply. He was always closer with their mother and Hannah had been closer with their father, as evidenced by the fact that she was finishing up medical school at Harvard.
Honestly he’d been more inclined to go get male advice from his grandfather and uncle before Marcus Crane had passed away, leaving Daniel Crane as the only adult blood relative he would seek out for advice.
“What about you? I know about your father a bit but what about the rest of your family? Mother, siblings, cousins? Are you close with any of them?” Nathan asked before taking a final bite of his sandwich and brushing the crumbs off his jacket and onto the ground, then taking another sip of water to wash it all down.
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Feb 24, 2022 0:19:19 GMT -5
Eyebrows went up at the mention of a degree. "A Stanford boy?" Butch asked after Diamondback explained himself. "Never would've gotten that impression from you. You don't seem like much of a researcher - no offense, of course. It's how you hold yourself."
Butch didn't explain - or try to explain - what she meant. If he asked, she might continue, but she was now focused on her sandwich. The remnants of it were quick to disappear, a swig of water washing everything down. She grabbed the misshapen package next, careful in unwrapping it with both hands. There was a bit of a struggle with her left hand's fingers, each moving stiffly and needing a flex to work. The damp, juice-stained plastic pulled back with sticky slowness.
“What about you? I know about your father a bit but what about the rest of your family? Mother, siblings, cousins? Are you close with any of them?"
Butch hesitated. The question had surprised her. She frowned, fingers moving in to pull what was squashed tight inside the wrap: a piece of prickly pear fruit. Violet-burgundy stained the tips of her fingers as she popped the juicy hunk into her mouth. She chewed on it as Diamondback brushed himself off, quick to wrap the fruit back up. She stuffed it back into her container, getting ready to move or thinking Diamondback was.
After a swallow, Butch said, "Don't have none. Not any that'll talk to me, anyway. My fault."
Post by Nathan Walker on Feb 27, 2022 22:21:59 GMT -5
“Wasn’t a researcher.” Nathan replied as he picked the apple backup from its place in the tupperware and took another bite out of it. “Pre-law.” He clarified after chewing and swallowing his bite of the fruit, only to catch Butch’s struggle with her left hand causing him to stare for a second before he remembered his manners and turned away to take another drink of water.
He wasn’t a medic or a doctor like his father or sister, but if he had to venture a guess based on his experience it was obvious that Butch suffered some sort of injury, probably pretty recent as opposed to having been born with it. Well, if she wanted to tell him she would, otherwise it was none of his business.
How he held himself? Well, even though she didn’t clarify he had an idea of what she meant. It was the same way that you could identify trained soldiers around the world, no matter where or the training methods. It was all the same in the manner of speaking. It was the same thing with his grandfather, how he just radiated the fact that he could kill you and wouldn’t bat an eye if the situation called for it. At her comment about how her family life was complicated, Nathan took a bite of his apple to buy himself a little bit of time as he considered how to respond to that statement. Once he finished he turned towards her and gave her a look of compassion. Family always was...complex at times...
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Feb 28, 2022 0:52:45 GMT -5
"Don't be," Butch said. "I acted like a little bastard once upon a time. I'm hoping I've done better since then. You live, you learn, right?"
Once she was sure everything in her hip-pack was accounted for, Butch pulled up her legs. Looping her arms around her knees, she scanned the ground for a moment. Looking back at Diamondback, she said, "Pre-law, then. I'm going to guess you either were going to be a lawyer, prosecutor, or a cop, and the military was where you settled on. Or you wanted to go for being an MP. How close am I?" She then glanced down at his left boot.
"Without getting into anything classified, of course. There's a tarantula by your foot, by the way. I think it just wants to rest there, for now - it looks like a desert tarantula. He's probably on a mating migration, and came a long ways to try and find someone."
Butch's eyes flicked back up at Diamondback. "What about you? On a little love quest yourself, or do you have someone? Most military folks I've talked to have a story about a girl."
Post by Nathan Walker on Mar 22, 2022 0:14:25 GMT -5
“I think everyone’s entitled to be a little bastard at one point in their life.” Nathan replied before he took another bite out of his apple. “We just tend to be more forgiving of it when it happens at an earlier point in that person's life though.” He chuckled before taking another bite, getting down to the core of the apple which he cleaned up, then tossed into the brush to decompose into the soil.
“As for your question: prosecutor. Grandfather said it had better long term career prospects than being a cop.” He said before wrinkling his nose at the idea of being an MP. He was never a major pain in the ass for the MP’s except for when they were being told to give more traffic tickets, but the idea of sitting in the rear with the gear never sat right with him, even if the MP’s pulled convoy duty in the field. He was always more of a proactive sort, even though he was willing to wait for the opportune moment.
At her mention of tarantula, Nathan looked down and indeed saw that there was a desert crawler by his boot. He stared at it for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head, turning his attention back towards Butch. “My grandfather once said he had a snake land on his back then crawl off him when he and his partner were stalking an NVA commander through the brush. Said it tickled.” He shook his head before taking a bite of his sandwich.
“Yeah, everyone’s got a story.” Nathan said simply as his expression darkened slightly and his voice got a bit colder.
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2022 1:21:34 GMT -5 by Nathan Walker
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Mar 25, 2022 20:36:12 GMT -5
"Prosecutor," Butch repeated. "And yet, despite the perks, the idea of getting shot at still suited you?" She chuckled, and said nothing more about the topic. When Diamondback mentioned his grandfather's snake encounter, she had a slight, envious grin.
"I would've loved to see that. Cobras are beautiful animals. There's something regal about how they rear up and flare their hoods at you. I've always wanted to try and hold one, just to see if I could."
Then came the frown when Diamondback's voice grew cold. "Let's discuss something else, then," Butch said. She started opening her Babe Ruth bar when a sharp, metallic sound broke in the distance, rapid and stark. It was a pattering buzz, reminiscent of a jackhammer. Butch leaned to stare down the trail, even if there was nothing visible making that sound. She glanced at Diamondback, but was silent.
The sound started again a few seconds later. On its heels came the tittering cry of some bird. Butch looked down the trail again, and turned her right ear to listen. Her eyebrows furrowed.
Post by Nathan Walker on Mar 29, 2022 1:17:36 GMT -5
“Honestly, I don’t think it ever really crossed my mind...” Nathan muttered before he finished off his sandwich, brushing the crumbs off his jacket and onto the ground for the birds and the soil to feast on once he left. He seemed to perk up a bit when Butch mentioned the cobra, but shook his head with a chuckle. “He didn't know what species it was, just that it tickled as it slithered off him.” he smirked before standing up and placing the rest of his lunch supplies back into his backpack, but not before withdrawing the Reese’s which he ate in two quick bites before tucking the trash into his backpack.
At the metal sound, Nathan dropped onto one knee and went to draw for his handgun when something caused him to stop again. He cocked his head slightly to the side for a moment and seemed to close his eyes and listen for a moment before he visibly relaxed, taking his hand off the butt of his handgun and tucking it back under his jacket.
“Sure, we can talk about something else.”
He squinted a bit as he looked into the distance, then removed his sunglasses and reached into his down for the field glasses around his neck and seemed to focus on a point in the distance. After a few moments of observation, he set the binoculars down and reached into his jacket pocket. When his hand came out a second later it had a small note pad and a pencil in it.
Nathan turned a few pages in the notepad and jotted something down rapidly before returning the notepad to his jacket pocket with the pencil.
“How’d you get so interested in animals? Nature hikes with your dad as a little girl?”
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2022 1:25:16 GMT -5 by Nathan Walker
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Mar 29, 2022 1:33:17 GMT -5
Butch watched as Diamondback reacted, but didn't move. She became more still, digging her fingers into the rock so she wouldn't waver in place. Her breathing quieted. Her sandwich container balanced in her lap, the Babe Ruth bar untouched.
Then Diamondback relaxed, and so did she. Butch didn't talk when he stood back up, instead leaning over toward him. She tried to squint and see what Diamondback was writing in that little notebook of his.
“How’d you get so interested in animals? Nature hikes with your dad as a little girl?” Diamondback asked. Butch leaned back and sat up straight, then began putting her lunch away. No dessert for her today, it seemed.
"It began that way," said Butch, "but a lot of it's because it's good to know. Better when you can tell what's poisonous and what's edible, what has a temper and what doesn't."
She bent her knees and pushed herself forward, springing off the rock. Butch landed lightly on the ground a few inches in front of Diamondback. "What did you see out there?" she asked, turning to face him.
Post by Nathan Walker on Apr 24, 2022 20:31:37 GMT -5
“Still, it’s quite surprising.” Nathan replied as he began policing the area he had just been eating in to make sure that he didn’t forget any trash. “I haven’t run into too many people that do this without getting paid for it.” he said before turning and seeing Butch begin to pack up her lunch as well without finishing it.
“I was just cleaning up my place, you can still finish.” he said reassuringly before walking over towards the ledge and squatting down on his haunches. “As to what I saw, I saw some mule deer. I was recording my observations for review when I get back to my apartment.” he said as he took another look through his field glasses. For Nathan, part of the joy of the hunt was being out in nature and enjoying the process, but deep down he still had that desire to win, something that came in handy in the line of work he was a part of. So he made sure to gather all possible data in advance before heading out on a hunting trip, but if he still managed to miss one then it wasn’t on him. The prey was just better.
“Sure the journey is fun, but I hate losing. So I make sure to limit the chances of my losing before I go out.” he chuckled in explanation. “Another thing my grandfather taught me.” he finished before taking out his notebook and writing down another observation.
“So what about you? You used to do this stuff for a living, or are you one of those types who moves up to Alaska and lives off the land half the year?” he asked, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Post by Cassandra Cassidy on Apr 25, 2022 1:01:30 GMT -5
“I was just cleaning up my place, you can still finish.”
"It's fine," Butch replied. "It'll get eaten, eventually."
Butch nodded as Diamondback explained his observations. When he talked about not liking to lose, Butch had a small grin, but said nothing. That grin grew when she picked up on Diamondback's tone. The woman gave her freckled shoulders a loose shrug.
"I've lived off the land before," said she. "Not so much now, but I still have my moments." She turned to face the path, waiting to follow Nathan's cue on what to do next. Her posture was more relaxed now, that wary edge softened into something watchful. Her back wasn't quite turned to face him, but enough so to suggest her guard was down.
***
The walk back to the trail's beginning was uneventful. The wilds of Humboldt-Toiyabe were alive with birds and beasts, as they always were. No predators stalked the pair on their way, and the woods only quieted for them. A few chickarees ran their mouths at the soldier and his companion, but nothing was thrown. The sky had a few wispy clouds, and the land was at peace. As it had started that morning, the day was beautiful and hot.
Butch didn't say much on the way back. She stopped at times to take a stick and check for snakes, but found nothing. Her unhurried stride continued to keep pace with Diamondback's. Her attention would flick to the appearance of a bird or small animal, but only for a moment. Otherwise she kept her eyes on the trail for obstacles, or lost herself in thought.
More people started to filter in down the trail, sometimes waving or greeting Diamondback and Butch. Butch would lift her unscarred hand to wave back, or nodded or gave a quick, "Hello." Though the visitors weren't many, the trailhead was busy enough when the pair arrived an hour or so later.