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.
Miko lit up at the mention of one of her favorite sports. "I've always wanted to go to the racing circuits! But Bul-..er, Bill won't let me go." She rubbed at the back of her neck at the near slip of Bulkhead's name. "Bill is an older friend of mine. We go to all the cool places together."
"Sometimes we go out to drive through the desert. That's fun." She did enjoy those times. Cruising along at high speed with the stars shining brightly overhead. It was a heck of a lot more fun then...well, this. Inside the confines of Bulk's armor, Miko had no doubt to her safety. He'd do anything to help her including risk his own life. However, outside the Bulk's protection, the desert was revealed to be exactly what it never pretended to be: open, cold, and increasingly alien.
The dark was starting to press in around them and Miko grabbed her phone to light her way in the gloom. Thoughts of glowing eyes surrounding them doing nothing to ease her growing worry.
Though Sarita didn't show it at the slip of Miko's tongue, the botched name intrigued her. "Bill"...older friend, took Miko to places like racetracks, yet had some sort of control over her. Her mind immediately skipped to older boyfriend, an unfortunate circumstance in which many girls found themselves in. Her fingers flexed a little, kept from curling into tight fists by sheer willpower alone.
If "Bill" really was what Sarita had concluded, then his face would be a bloody pulp all over the next road, if she could see to it. (Or dragged by his nuts into a police station.) She was not going to press Miko on it, but she couldn't help but say, "Oh? And how long have you been friends?" in a polite, somewhat inquisitive tone. Respectfully inquisitive, of course, so that Miko wouldn't feel like she had to spill the beans on anything.
As Miko flipped open her phone, using the light from it as a make-do flashlight in the near-complete darkness, Sarita made an impressed sound. "Nice thinking, miss," she said, nodding at the girl's thinking. "When we get a chance to stop, I'll see about making us a torch. It's better to save the battery for when we need it most, like if we spot a cell phone tower."
The plateau was just ahead of them now. Miko could run over to it and start climbing, if she wanted to; Sarita was hoping she wouldn't. To help prevent the idea from being acted on (as she wasn't going to doubt that Miko would do something), Sarita said, "Before you try climbing, I'm going to go around and see if I can find a natural trail up. I think I should go first, to make sure it's safe — wildcats like high places. I don't want you running into a bobcat or worse; how does that sound, Miko?"
Hopefully it didn't sound too bossy of a question. She wanted to help Miko, not smother her — open questions were key. Nothing said with finality unless Miko seemed truly on board, or if it was absolutely necessary.
It was truly blissful being a kid sometimes. Miko had a zest for life most adults didn't possess. Sure, she got into really stupid situations (such as this) because she hadn't had enough hard knocks to teach her better. But she didn't worry or see the evils of the world like the woman beside her did. "Bill" was a friend and the thought of an older man befriending an exchange student from Japan didn't strike Miko odd at all. So she continued the conversation, completely unaware of Sarita's concern.
"Haven't known him that long. Met him one day in town. He's cool! He actually likes to listen to me play and shares the same interests. Unlike everyone else in this dust bowl." She broke off from her musings on Bulk to study the plateau. It was steep but she'd probably climbed worse. The dark was gonna be a pain, though. Now that she was here, she wasn't keen on starting the ascent.
"Before you try climbing, I'm going to go around and see if I can find a natural trail up. I think I should go first, to make sure it's safe — wildcats like high places. I don't want you running into a bobcat or worse; how does that sound, Miko?"
"Yeah, let's do that." Inside, Miko didn't think she could actually get that lucky. If there was a trail leading to the top, it'd probably be covered with poisonous snakes because this week hated her. "I really don't want to spend the night out here..."
Met him in town. He likes to listen to her play. "You play an instrument?" asked Sarita, trying to steer her brain away from going into full-on pissiness. Miko might have mentioned playing music before, but in Sarita's attempt to keep her temper from being triggered, she was latching onto anything that could redirect her thoughts. A current event, a piece of conversation, a particularly pretty star in the sky —
Trails. Perfect.
"Very well then," said Sarita, her tone a tad business like as her steps lengthened forward. "Watch my back as I watch the front. If it's all right with you, I would like to borrow your phone as a light source — if you hear anything that sounds like it's coming up on us, I'll shine it to see if we're being followed. Try to step where I step, if you can, and mind your feet. I don't know how many roots I've snagged myself on because I haven't minded my feet."
She might have sounded bossy, but now was the time for action. With that slightly authoritative manner of speech, there was a comforting hint, an unsaid reassurance that Sarita knew what she was doing. Miko was not alone — a caring adult was with her, they were going to find a way out of their predicament, and the girl would be back in civilization's arms as soon as possible. If the tween/teen was alone, then there would be cause for worry.
"Do you have anything else in your pockets, Miko? Pens, coins, paperclips, other sorts of things?"
Miko frowned but handed over her phone. She almost offered to go in front but Sarita actually looked like she knew what she was looking for. Miko, while creative and awesome, wasn't exactly an outdoor survivalist. If she was, she would have kept the stupid umbrella. She could already feel where the sun had started to burn through the sunscreen. The cold was actually bringing a welcome chill to her skin.
"Yeah, I play an electric, ultra V." If Sarita knew instruments, she would know that to be a guitar. "I would rather be having lessons right about now or doing homework. ...ok, maybe just the lessons." There was never a dire enough moment to wish for studying iambic pentameter.
She shrugged the shoulder holding the messenger bag. Inside was a notebook or two, various pens, and her sunscreen. She also had some water and food but if she was going to be stuck out here for the night, she wanted to hold onto those for as long as possible.
"I don't have anything useful like rope or grappling gear. Actually...wait, carabiner clips are used for climbing. Got some of those." She had several of those on her keyring. "Guess we could always use my messenger bag straps if we're desperate." Shakespearean dictation may not have come easy to the girl, but using limited resources? Pfft, that was cake.
"Anything with a sharp edge in there?" asked Sarita. "We may need a knife if we're going to be out here overnight. It's not just because of animals, mind you — we'll have to consider shelter if we don't get any cell reception. I know how to make a lean-to, and having something we can use to cut with will make the process faster."
The busker skulked forward, beginning to circle around the smallest of the monoliths. It was about fifteen feet in circumference, pointing straight up like a needle; Sarita estimated it was about thirty feet high. It wasn't long before she disappeared and reappeared, frowning as she shone the cell light up the expanse of rock.
"Too narrow," she said, loud enough for Miko to hear. "This one's more of a decoration than an actual vantage point — the sides are too smooth to climb, and it's too tapered to stand at the top if you tried. We'll circle around these other ones, and then stop and take a better look at your backpack if we don't find anything."
There was no room for questions or refusals now — Sarita had taken the reins. Whether or not Miko followed as instructed, the woman began to circle around the larger rocks, not stopping until she came to the actual plateau. Rising higher than the rest of the stones, the great, flattened mountain-top had many nooks and crannies for climbing, and with some poking around....
"Aha!" said Sarita, pulling back some sagebrush to reveal a thin, gravelly trail. Because of the width, Miko would have to follow directly behind her, but it otherwise looked okay to climb. If one of them toppled over, it was lined with thick scrub they could grab onto in lieu of a rope. "This looks like a way up. I'll go first, like we agreed on."
Ducking down, Sarita made a quick sweep of the surrounding brush, checking for things such as snakes or small animals. Content to find only a couple of crickets, the woman stood back up, holding the phone out in front of her. Very, very carefully, using one foot to nudge at and around the trail, Sarita proceeded forward with cautious and darting eyes.
//ooc// Let me know if this is moving things along too fast, Rumi.
Last Edit: Aug 13, 2014 14:46:36 GMT -5 by Deleted
While Sarita was doing her thing, Miko propped her bag up on a small rock to dig through her bag in the scant moonlight. She'd forgotten all the crap she'd flung in there. Admittedly, she didn't spend a lot of time worrying about what was in the pack outside of the school walls. Now seemed a good a time as any to dig through the contents. It wasn't like she had better things to do.
If they'd just let me have a flare gun, this wouldn't be a problem. But nooo. Lessee. Pen, another pen, gel pen, bic pen, calligraphy pen, number two pencil with teeth marks, eraser that smudges more than it erases, box of paperclips. Those she put in her pocket. They could be slightly useful. Gater clip, a mini stapler, a keychain flashlight, my schedule, a-wait a minute.
"...I'm an idiot." She unclipped the keychain from the set of keys and held it up by one finger to offer to Sarita. "It's small but it's going to be brighter than my phone. Plus, if you trip and drop my phone into some place we can't reach it, I'm going to get irate."
She held out her hand for her phone. That was her lifeline as much as their salvation at the moment. That phone held more memories for her than anything else she owned. If something happened to it, she'd be heartbroken.
Sarita made a sound of satisfaction. "Ahhh, good girl," she said, handing the phone back and taking the small light. As promised, it had a far wider and brighter light, a cone of illumination cast upon the dark path. Stark shadows were outlined and a rattler slithered, heading from beneath a rock to the bushes on the other side of the trail; Sarita held her arm up. "Snake," she told Miko, not putting said arm down until the creature had passed.
Looking back at the girl, Sarita flashed a brief smile. "Just watch yourself for the next couple of feet. It's a rattlesnake, but it won't bother you as long as you don't cast your feet close to the sagebrush. Walk straight — our way up is narrow enough as is."
Again Sarita took the lead, the keychain light bobbing up and down as she moved. Every movement was slow, careful and precise, like a chef slowly cutting through a prime piece of meat; patience was key. They had to find help, but they couldn't fall off the trail or be bitten by something. Gradually the desert below shrank, bushels of foliage becoming dark specks upon a desolate plain. Sarita was immediately reminded of the Red Wastes from Game of Thrones, and frowned for a moment.
"How are you holding up back there, Miko?" asked Sarita. "It's just a few more minutes to the top, I promise." Barring, of course, any falling boulders, breaks in the trail or other such obstacles. Sarita would deal with those as they came.
Rattlesnake? Now that's cool. Miko resisted the urge to go off trail to see the snake closer. The last thing she actually wanted to pair with the sunburn was a nasty bite. Were rattlesnakes deadly? She couldn't remember exactly what the teacher had told them about the native life of the desert. Hemo-something.
Hemotoxic! That was it. That means they destroy blood. Which is kind of vital to living. Gonna stay away from that one. Still, she flipped open the phone and snapped a pic of the snake as it passed by. So she could show Bulk later. Belatedly, she remembered she should be sticking close to Sarita and picked up her pace to fall back behind the woman.
It felt weird being up high in the desert. The open land already made one feel tiny, but looming up over the expanse of empty park, Miko started to feel about as important as a gnat in the scheme of things. But the view! The stars wheeled overhead in a speckled, dazzling show away from the obstruction of pollutants. She couldn't wait to get to the top and stand on the edge!
"I'm ok. Kind of wishing I'd brought some aloe gel. Or a jacket. Or hadn't gotten lost. But ya know, besides all that, I'm ok."
"If we find my car, I have a blanket in it," said Sarita. The likelihood of finding the gas station again seemed nil, but at least she could give Miko some hope. Sarita was used to sunburn and cold, and could weather such things like how an ocean rock could weather a storm.
The snapping of the picture was not lost on her, either. "Never seen a rattler before?" she asked, a hint of amusement to her voice. "Be careful when you're out in your yard — they can come into cities and sit on your step to enjoy the sun. Jasper's fairly good at keeping them out, but I had one get in my way when I was filling up my tank."
They were almost to the top now, a dazzling vista of stars spread out above them. A great, silky line of dark clouds arced through the sky, the Milky Way visible in a way unseen in the cities. Dividing the nighttime like a great chasm, swirls winged it on other side, glitter and glow smeared heavily across the firmament. Sarita almost tripped, looking up and being transfixed — it was a sight that would never grow old. There were more important things to attend to, however.
"Not up close. I've seen them out sometimes when out driving aro-wow..." Miko trailed off as the view at the top opened above revealing more starts than she could count. Danger shmanger, this was worth the getting lost! Why had she never taken the time to look up at the vast sky above her before and actually look at the nebula's glowing above? What was she waiting on? You can see for miles up here...Wait, seeing!
"Maybe we can spot the glow of a gas station or something!" She jogged to the edge of the plateau and squinted out into the dark. It was a shot in the dark but it was better than nothing. Even if they did spot civilization far off into the night, they weren't likely to go hiking towards it until the sun came back up. Miko was rash but she wasn't that stupid.
"An excellent thought, Miko," said Sarita, snapping off the penlight. "Turn off your phone, the extra dark will make our eyes more sensitive to any lights in the distance."
The desert stretched out far and wide. Rolling hills and sharp slopes folded into each other, patches of brush now unseen or barely-seen splotches. The starry sky above, so familiar and comforting to the travelling busker, was ignored as she focused on the horizon. There were many shadows and magnificent silhouettes — but not civilization, no.
They were very, very far out in the desert, then. Sarita couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.
"See anything?"
What happened to staying positive? a voice in her head chortled. It wasn't bitter, but more...amused, than anything. Grimly amused, and perhaps just a tad tired with how the last weeks had played out. Overtly-emotional mood swings, some shit the universe had decided to stack against her, and running out of food at the worst times in the worst place to run out of it.
Part of her was wondering if Miko was squeamish about rabbit. Focus, you idiot! her inner voice snapped, and she pulled off a smile for Miko's sake.
"There may be buildings in the distance, but their lights are off. We could try travelling, but it's late."
Miko dutifully snapped the phone shut and squinted into the gloom. But she didn't see any telltale glow of civilization on the horizon. So, Sarita was either right about the lights being off or they were really, truly, stupidly far out in the middle of nowhere. What luck...
With a small sigh, Miko turned from the view and headed back toward the safer middle of the plateau and squatted, resting her legs. "I don't think I have it in me to walk around all night. You can go if you wanna but I'm staying up here until the morning."
Not that she wanted to hang around on this large rock in the cold. She also couldn't see the appeal of trekking through the pitch dark while tripping over snakes and all matter of icky things out there. Her luck, she'd run into a wild dog or something. Maybe get leprosy from an armadillo.
"I do," said Sarita, having stayed a moment more to try and find some light. "And a shelter. Do you have a knife, or anything knife-like, on you? It would make the process much quicker, but I can make due if need be."
She strode towards Miko with confidence and carefulness, the walk of someone who was alert but knowledgeable of their surroundings. She showed no signs of panic, not even much tiredness — she had rested earlier, after all. There were others to take care of, and Miko was a clear-cut case of a sheltered "city girl" out of her element. Sarita would get her through the night, and their journey would resume in the morning.
"We're going to need a firepit," said Sarita. "That way we can keep the blaze contained and steady. Miko, if you're not feeling too tired, can you see if there's any fist- or shoe-sized rocks around we can use? Only if you feel like moving, that is. If not, I'd appreciate anything sharp, still."
Her eyes glanced around the darkness, shining the pen light at some thin brush along one side of the plateau.
"I'm probably going to back down the trail to find some sticks. There's a boulder I can probably stack things against to make a lean-to; it'll be cramped, but it's somewhere we can sleep for the night. It'll probably be too small for me, though, so you can sleep in it by yourself while I guard the entrance."
It was a childish-sounding thing to say, but who knew? Maybe Miko was afraid of cramped spaces, and honestly, the thought of a strange adult being squished into a too-small shelter with a kid was a little creepy. She didn't want Miko to feel uncomfortable or cornered — it was the last thing Sarita wanted. The girl was probably feeling vulnerable enough as it was.
Some of the kids back in Jasper thought that since Miko was from Japan, of course she had to have a samurai sword or a throwing star. It was a baffling concept that was likely spurned from too many movies or cartoons. Plus, Miko had pointed out to them, if she had an actual katana, wouldn't she have shown it by now? Her family didn't own a ceremonial sword (if they had they, wisely, hadn't shown it to their daughter) and she wouldn't know the first things about using one. She'd stopped taking her martial arts classes before they'd gotten to any weapons.
Sarita didn't appear of the same narrow-minded grain as some of the younger students in the town. She was likely asking because it was common for people to have a folding knife on them. At least as far as Miko could tell. Everywhere she'd been had forbidden the possession of a knife so she'd never bothered to get one. Plus, it was a little harder to buy one when you were so obviously under age.
"Nope, sorry. Sharpest thing I got on me is a compass from my geometry class." Which was about as useful to her now as it was in class.
While Sarita continued to talk, Miko shrugged the bag off of her shoulder and dug around for the sharp classroom tool. She listened with half an ear, actually paying attention to the woman because, like it or not, she was stranded with her for the remainder of the night. As people went, the woman didn't seem so bad. At least she was fairly interesting and didn't chide at her for standing near dangerous precipices.
"I'm probably going to back down the trail to find some sticks. There's a boulder I can probably stack things against to make a lean-to; it'll be cramped, but it's somewhere we can sleep for the night. It'll probably be too small for me, though, so you can sleep in it by yourself while I guard the entrance."
"I can head down the path. I saw some sticks and rocks on the way up here. You're probably better at digging a proper fire pit than I am." She pushed herself to her feet and dusted her hands off. "And don't worry about a shelter. I'd rather sleep where I can see the stars...if I sleep at all." Though, to be fair, she'd slept in far worse places than the hard ground. June said it was unnatural, how she could fall asleep just anywhere.
Flipping her phone open, Miko headed back toward the path, to hunt for those elusive sticks and try material to kindle a fire. She'd read about building one before but most of the details hadn't stuck around in her mind. Something about lint being flammable.