Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 3, 2011 19:10:05 GMT -5
Obviously you throw a gun once you run out of bullets. It is like pistol-whipping at range.
Optimus can't decide whether or not whether to tell Sentinel Prime something along the lines of 'nice shot.' In the end he figures it would be taken as mockery and decides against it.
He accepts the photon eliminator back from Sentinel with a nod and takes aim at the target, lining up the sights carefully before squeezing the trigger. His first shot is low, grazing the bottom edge of the target as he overcompensates for his previous unneeded compensation. His second shot is high, landing on one of the outer rings of the target. His third lands in the same general area as the second before he hands the gun back to Sentinel.
Optimus takes a moment to flex his hands, working out the kinks. "Not used to using my servos this way." That can totally be a thing for space robots, right?
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 3, 2011 19:39:08 GMT -5
Rodimus had been bracing to have that button pressed from the moment Optimus asked about the HUD. It is strange that he doesn't use that interface, and Rodimus knows it. Of course, he expects the source of the curiosity to be based more on, 'Why wouldn't he use it?' rather than, 'Ooo, emotional button! What does it do?'
Thus, it's without flinching or hesitating that Rodimus explains, "Back when I was Hot Rod, I used to be a Targetmaster. You know, like Blurr and Haywire? My partner's name was Firebolt." Now, finally, Rodimus's calm facade cracks slightly. His expression grows far away, and he lowers his gaze. "He was killed in battle... almost twenty years ago. Ever since that time, direct interface with an unliving gun felt... wrong. Off. I mean, I use it for the trailer cannon, but I'm usually running that remotely, anyway.
"For awhile, I couldn't bring myself to use a hand weapon at all, and just relied on my pipes, but they don't have the same sort of range, so eventually I had to just... deal with it. Relearn how to shoot." He shakes his head, bringing himself out of it, and smiles faintly, a somewhat self-depreciating smirk touching the right corner of his lips as he looks at the various missed shots. "It sure as blazes took longer than just one session there. Don't worry too much about hitting them dead on just yet. It'll come with practice."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jul 4, 2011 19:32:12 GMT -5
Holding the photon eliminator with just one hand, Sentinel Prime tries to lay his other hand on Rodimus Prime's forearm and says sincerely, "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you."
Sentinel Prime literally cannot imagine that. Bonding his very spark to an organic alien being? That sounds like a good way to go crazy! And then... losing a piece of his soul? It's just horrible on a mind-boggling, visceral level for him. If the Decepticons ever want to frak with Sentinel Prime some more, they'll get him a Nebulan Targetmaster partner. A female one. Then Sentinel Prime and his seditious hypothetical gun will go have a mental breakdown together.
He gives Rodimus Prime an odd sidelong look and asks, "Do you think Firebolt went to the AllSpark? I know he wouldn't be in your Matrix, he wasn't a Prime, but if he went to the AllSpark, and you go to the Matrix when you die, maybe you could visit? Do the Matrix and the AllSpark hook up that way? I mean, he wasn't a Transformer, but he kind of was, he turned into a gun, so maybe..."
This is more morbid than he wanted to get. Sentinel Prime takes a few more shots and is still so rattled by his disgust over the concept of having a Targetmaster and then losing it that all his shots just go wild, splashing the wall.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 5, 2011 23:07:09 GMT -5
"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry to hear that, Rodimus." It sounds lame, but what is there to say? Optimus, like Sentinel, can't even imagine what being a Targetmaster must be like, let alone losing a bonded partner. He can only imagine it must be a bit like being bonded to an Omega Sentinel, only different. Not that he's ever done that, either.
"I thought Rodimus's- I mean, I thought your reality didn't have an AllSpark," he says, curious.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 6, 2011 14:38:56 GMT -5
Rodimus smiles faintly, glancing down as Sentinel touches his arm. "I honestly hope you never can imagine it," he says. "The choice had made sense at the time, but... none of us really understood what we were getting ourselves into. It's not easy to talk about, but... Firebolt may have been born a Nebulan, but he died an Autobot, and he deserves to be remembered." And this, friends, would be why Rodimus is sharing this rather personal bit of his history right now.
He shifts and looks down at Optimus, nodding. "Anyway, Optimus is right in that we don't have an Allspark. Our life force is returned to Primus when we're done with it, and Firebolt... he may have been an Autobot, but he wasn't of Primus. I... really can't speak for visiting rights between the afterlives."
He shakes his head. "Anyway, sorry for bringing the mood down. You guys are doing well for beginners," he says, completely ignoring the contradicting evidence provided by Sentinel's most recent attempt, "though you should get a lot more practice before you try using something like that on the field. Though really..." he tilts his head to the left and rubs his chin, gaze moving to an open space as he thinks, "what I need to do is get more people trained up on my trailer gun. That thing works a lot better when it's got someone guiding it rather than me running it by remote."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jul 6, 2011 20:21:49 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime tries to surreptitiously hand the photon eliminator off to Optimus after its callous betrayal. Clearly, the photon eliminator gets jealous and sulky when Rodimus talks about his old gun, Firebolt, and that poor performance just now wasn't Sentinel Prime having a bad case of nerves.
To him, it seems particularly chilling that... souls can get torn in pieces? The bit of Hot Rod that belonged to Firebolt just goes off to wherever dead Nebulan souls go, and never returns to Primus or the AllSpark or whatever? So, effectively, a piece of Hot Rod is just gone, never to return?
Sentinel Prime holds his hand there just a bit longer, if allowed, before removing it, and he offers half-sparkedly, "You're good to remember him."
Rodimus seems like a nice guy. Sentinel Prime hopes that Firebolt doesn't come back as a horrific Decepticon spider-gun.
Oh hey, look, a segue! "Your trailer gun?"
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 7, 2011 20:34:00 GMT -5
Optimus Prime surrpetitiously accepts the photon eliminator after its callous betrayal, since it would be crass to talk about how it's a poor workman who blames his tools.
"That's actually a pretty good idea. We don't use firearms ourselves, but we've never been shy about mounting them on our ships." Which is weird, when you think about it.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 8, 2011 16:00:47 GMT -5
Rodimus doesn't do anything to remove Sentinel's hand early, and he allows himself the ghost of a smile at the the other's words.
Then the blue Prime asks for a clarification. "Turret, cannon, whatever you want to call it." He concentrates, and his trailer is summoned from subspace, as it would need to be if he were to transform. Rather than transforming, however, Rodimus remains a robot as the sides of the wagon unfold, revealing the large mounted cannon within. He jerks his thumb for it. "Just a bit more firepower than the Photon Eliminator," they both fall in the same category, though the turret is further along that, "though it can let me attack from two directions. Not very mobile once it's out, though."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jul 9, 2011 20:55:50 GMT -5
"Or, oh AllSpark, our fortresses," Sentinel Prime enthuses, a little starry-opticed, clasping his hands together. He really does love the gargantuan photon pulse cannon that Fortress Maximus has. It's a little unhealthy.
He looks the trailer over curiously and then looks at Optimus speculatively, particularly his trailer hitch area, because Sentinel Prime's vaguely wondering if Optimus could pull Rodimus's battle wagon if there was some bizarre crisis that called for such a thing. Sentinel Prime doesn't do the whole 'trailer' thing. He doesn't roll that way.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 10, 2011 22:14:43 GMT -5
Sentinel is looking at Optimus's 'trailer hitch area'? He needs to hang out with Mirage less.
"Fortress Maximus has some pretty impressive firepower," Optimus agrees. "So how does the turret work?" he asks, hoping to steer the conversation back onto practical matters and away from his reality's hypocrisy.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 11, 2011 12:47:01 GMT -5
While we all know that the assorted Primes' and Prime-like persons' trailers hang out in subspace playing poker with each other when they're not busy existing in the real world, it would probably take something pretty strange to actually cause a summoning mix-up.
Rodimus steps onto his 'battle station' with a quick hop and waves the others over where they can see the controls. "Right here, you have the targeting screen, and over here..." he continues, explaining the operation.
OOC: Fade out on training/practice?
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jul 11, 2011 19:54:29 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime was more meaning, what if Rodimus breaks his arm and has to go get it fixed but his trailer is really, really needed somewhere else - could Optimus haul the trailer if Rodimus is busy? That, and Optimus's trailer hitch is probably on the back of one of his lower legs. Legs are only dirty when Blurr is involved! Sentinel Prime watches raptly as Rodimus explains, as if he's expecting a surprise pop quiz on everything later... - - - OOC: Okie-dokie.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Jul 11, 2011 20:21:24 GMT -5
One wonders just why Sentinel knows so much about where Optimus keeps his trailer hitch. That's kinda creepy, Sentinel. Look at Optimus's face when you talk to him, thanks.
Optimus Prime listens carefully as Rodimus explains the operation of his trailer, occasionally asking questions when necessary.
OOC: Fade away into the sunset.
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