Took some heavy inspiration from Halo I see there, it's a friggin awesome scene :) Just about to post!
FourtyTwo Member
STATUS: 10+ years of an RP idea, finally finished, on 10.10.2025. Goodnight Raven Squad, you were the best, wildest, most silly near future SOF RP that lived on the guild, and you got a worthy send off :) 9 mos ago
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10+ years of an RP idea, finally finished, on 10.10.2025. Goodnight Raven Squad, you were the best, wildest, most silly near future SOF RP that lived on the guild, and you got a worthy send off :)
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Bio
I've RP'd for the best part of over 15 years now here on the Guild, and particularly like military settings, both contemporary, past and near future. I have even dabbled in a little more experimental RPs, as well as created a plethora of 1x1s over my time in the guild. I like creating RPs with a distinct flavour- and often shift between narrative-led RPs to semi-randomised plots. I've been more a GM lately than a player, and don't really lean into fandom- instead, exploring my own universes lifting themes from other source material.
My main interests are military-themed, near-future RPs, with a focus on technology. But I'm beginning to push what that RP idea looks like- taking inspiration from lots of media and focussing on the fun, indulgent side of RP, whilst also exploring the lows and emotional side.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/190121-rav…
Raven Squad is a project over seven years in the making, and focusses on a class-based, eccentric yet half-grounded near future special forces team that acts as a response team where you can't send any special forces team in. It's incredibly dumb, incredibly loose, and yet, has delivered some of my favourite plot points in RPG. A brainless action flick a la John Wick and Kingsman meets a complex thriller with a fun left turn in it, Raven has been the culmination of over a decade of loving special forces RPG, gaming influences and other silliness in a package that has provided players with something quite different to a normal military themed RPG. While at an end, this is an RP that is a signature- it's silly as hell, takes itself barely seriously, and is what peak fun military RPG to me should be.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/192916-del…
Delta Hyper is a love letter to Wipeout, F1's Drive to Survive (Netflix) and contemporary Formula One, with influences from solarpunk, cyberpunk, transhumanism and other posthumanist concepts. An RP that follows pilots in their ups and downs, it's a story that hasn't got me playing an actual character, but framing the camera at each pilot (played by others), and presenting it as if it were a documentary. Lifting elements from TTRPG, this is a Racing RPG like no other and no parallel exists- using dice rolls and randomisation, with a stats-driven system to generate race results, rather than actually RPing the races, players experience the fast-paced, dynamic world of anti-gravity racing. This means that come Qualifying and Race, the results are genuinely a surprise to everyone- and based on decisions made through dilemmas and decisions made between races. Friendships, rivalry, the glamour and even a little political undertone play out in 2094, in a colourful, utopian future that focuses on the fight to take first place.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/196931-tac…
Then there's Tactical Breach Wizards: Fireteam Hex. First use of any set IP as a formal setting, this is an RP that offers a darker mirror to Raven Squad, focussing on the other side of the equation- unlikely heroes in an uncomfortable position. I don't normally do fantasy, but the world, the lore, the feeling of the characters and the ability to write a comedy just was too difficult to pass up. An RP that focuses on a group running away from a variety of threats as wanted mercenary wizards in the middle of a post-revolution, Eastern-Europe adjacent 1990s to present Polavia.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/197399-dis…
Lastly, Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont. This is another IP-adjacent world, albeit drawing on a different setting and a new cast of superheroes. As my "first" proper superhero RP, this combines workplace comedy, a Storyteller-lite system and a fun, diverse, and large cast together in a dynamic, diverse setting.
I'm pretty flexible and try and get back to people on ideas and responses, but sometimes, I may become very busy and it will take some time till I am un-busy. I aim to clear posts within a week!
My main interests are military-themed, near-future RPs, with a focus on technology. But I'm beginning to push what that RP idea looks like- taking inspiration from lots of media and focussing on the fun, indulgent side of RP, whilst also exploring the lows and emotional side.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/190121-rav…
Raven Squad is a project over seven years in the making, and focusses on a class-based, eccentric yet half-grounded near future special forces team that acts as a response team where you can't send any special forces team in. It's incredibly dumb, incredibly loose, and yet, has delivered some of my favourite plot points in RPG. A brainless action flick a la John Wick and Kingsman meets a complex thriller with a fun left turn in it, Raven has been the culmination of over a decade of loving special forces RPG, gaming influences and other silliness in a package that has provided players with something quite different to a normal military themed RPG. While at an end, this is an RP that is a signature- it's silly as hell, takes itself barely seriously, and is what peak fun military RPG to me should be.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/192916-del…
Delta Hyper is a love letter to Wipeout, F1's Drive to Survive (Netflix) and contemporary Formula One, with influences from solarpunk, cyberpunk, transhumanism and other posthumanist concepts. An RP that follows pilots in their ups and downs, it's a story that hasn't got me playing an actual character, but framing the camera at each pilot (played by others), and presenting it as if it were a documentary. Lifting elements from TTRPG, this is a Racing RPG like no other and no parallel exists- using dice rolls and randomisation, with a stats-driven system to generate race results, rather than actually RPing the races, players experience the fast-paced, dynamic world of anti-gravity racing. This means that come Qualifying and Race, the results are genuinely a surprise to everyone- and based on decisions made through dilemmas and decisions made between races. Friendships, rivalry, the glamour and even a little political undertone play out in 2094, in a colourful, utopian future that focuses on the fight to take first place.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/196931-tac…
Then there's Tactical Breach Wizards: Fireteam Hex. First use of any set IP as a formal setting, this is an RP that offers a darker mirror to Raven Squad, focussing on the other side of the equation- unlikely heroes in an uncomfortable position. I don't normally do fantasy, but the world, the lore, the feeling of the characters and the ability to write a comedy just was too difficult to pass up. An RP that focuses on a group running away from a variety of threats as wanted mercenary wizards in the middle of a post-revolution, Eastern-Europe adjacent 1990s to present Polavia.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/197399-dis…
Lastly, Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont. This is another IP-adjacent world, albeit drawing on a different setting and a new cast of superheroes. As my "first" proper superhero RP, this combines workplace comedy, a Storyteller-lite system and a fun, diverse, and large cast together in a dynamic, diverse setting.
I'm pretty flexible and try and get back to people on ideas and responses, but sometimes, I may become very busy and it will take some time till I am un-busy. I aim to clear posts within a week!
Most Recent Posts
Max chuckled, shrugging his shoulder.
"You know what they say, Silverwind....an old man in a young man's game is a scary bastard indeed. Especially one who has a disability sticker on the dash of his GEAR...." Max chuckled, already knowing how to tease his CO, to whatever effect it would have, taking the GEAR helmet resting in his hand and sliding it over his locks-covered temple.
"Politely speaking, let's go kick some heads in, Sir." Max added with a grin knowing Silverwind would react well to that. There had to be a little bit of banter, and Max was almost certain he was gonna get some thrown back, twice as hard in all due course.
Meanwhile, Viper were finalising their checks, the wing-pack equipped squad giving themselves their last checks over, Anna running through Logan, who then ran through Maxine, who then ran through Anna in turn. A logical, systematic process no less- nothing short of what any of them expected for a run like this, Max reminded himself, as they loaded up the last of their things into the squatting GEAR of the Lion Rampant.
"Checks complete, we're set, Actual." Anna coldly commented through her radio, the team now on their own O2 systems, already at a completed pre-breathe for their drop, Max walking across to see his team before they dropped.
"Aww. I thought I'd be able to hang onto one of you for the ride, Spectre." Max sarcastically commented back, rolling his tongue at her, the jaguar not getting the sarcasm just yet....
"Get in the fucking GEAR, Max. Or I'll ride you down." Anna replied, unknowingly slipping her tongue as Max giggled like a schoolgirl, Logan and Maxine hearing the same. A moment of catharsis for pretty much anyone that heard it, as Anna merely flipped him off and Max just slowly walked away, adjusting the cuffs on his pilot's suit and the tilt on his helmet's comms channel.
"Don't ever change, Spectre. Alright Viper, like Silverwind says, door's gonna open in a bit. Remember, nice, calm, easy. Don't make uhh....too many shenanigans. We still have a job to do, so let's not fuck it up right now." Max said succinctly and to the point through teh radio, heading over towards the Lion Rampant's entry hatch, punching his code and sliding himself inside. With a flicker the holographics were online, the displays back to life as the GEAR stood upright once more, firing into action.
Gently checking over the GEAR systems, the lion engaged the GFDS wingpack's extensions, the wingpack locking into place and giving a position to rest the Lion Rampant's arms onto. The HUD altered, displaying a more pilot-styled azimuth and heads up display, complete with altitude, glide ratio and speed. The datalink was already working its magic to already recognise the other aerial-oriented GEARS, pinging them up with a square box for distant visual. In fact, the system was fairly clever- it wasn't an autopilot, but for flying a GEAR in, more than just a pilot's brains were required. An augmented-reality DZ marker linked to an optimal pathing projection, almost like a GPS checkpoint system that the pilots could use to set up a formation or use. Flicking it aside, he checked the comms link to Silverwind, the lion's blue and green illuminated face seen in the link.
"The Lion Rampant is wonderful as always, Silverwind. Viper, sitrep?" Max asked, waiting for his team to chirp up.
"Spectre, all good!"
"Kestrel, ready to go!"
"Hopper, all set!"
"Two minutes to red, everyone!" Anna called out, the jaguar in contact with the jumpmaster at the apex of the ramp, taking responsbility for this side of the aircraft operation alongside the quiet-mask wearing German Shepherd standing near the door. While Catriona was certainly running things in Max and Silverwind's absence, Anna taking control of that was seemingly something nobody was complaining about, or at least, Anna didn't want to hear it. Time felt like it ticked forever inside the GEAR Max was inside, the displays all reading five by five and suggesting that the oxygenated environment inside of here, as per any CBRN attack, would keep him alive.
"Red is on!" Anna yelled out on the comms, Max looking over his GEAR's right hand side to see where Viper were walking out, the red light and the warning klaxon punctuating the fact that soon, the very air they breathed inside of here would be sucked out with barely a moment's notice. The wind howled beyond the mechanical-sounding ramp as it slowly opened, Viper holding at the front of the door, right in front of the Lion Rampant, in a position to at least not get squished when Max pushed the GEAR forward onto the ramp.
The sky beyond the opening cargo ramp was an impressive sight, the very distant sun beyond the clouded sky revealing a slither of glowing orange to Arvara, contrasted with the still glistening and bright white stars in the sky above. The light pollution even in spite of the sunrise showed the stars brighter than most would see in the cities of back home, a glistening blanket of silvery white on navy blue. The noise of whistling could even be heard from inside the GEAR, even in spite of the layers of armour, it was a howl, a shriek, almost a yell to the abyss. An abyss Max had no problem whatsoever looking into. It seemed strange, but after enough of this, you just accepted the void that you went into on a regular basis. Trust yourself, trust your equipment, trust your team, and it's a void worth travelling through, Max reminded himself...
With a gentle turn, Max stood on the edge of the ramp's downcline, bracing himself as he saw Viper move to the side, getting out of the way. If Viper went first, they could risk having a GEAR fall on top of them if their GFDS system failed- and that was pretty much game over, so knowing that the Viper operatives could catch up, they would wait and wave their collegues on by.
"Standby, Actual. All callsigns, prep for deployment, aircraft is on 250 bearing, speed 220kph- adjust for bearing 265 pathway on exit. Bastion, Python, Blade, you're all first. We'll follow you out." Anna commented, the jumpmaster giving her all the details she needed, the red light still on. Viper had fully deployed their Corvid packs, the sight of their protruding wingpacks on their backs an odd and strange one to see, the sight of Arvarans who looked like they'd looked to birds for ideas.
"Green is on!" Anna yelled out, the lights lurching from red to green on both the panel and across the cargo bay as the klaxon changed tone, going to an even harsher buzz. Like a "get the fuck out" sort of buzz, because when the green was one, it was go time.
With a gentle flick of the controls, the GEAR wheeled itself down the last remaining part of the ramp and fell right off the end, the intial inertia making the Lion Rampant sink with the wing surfaces braking hard, using the momentum to turn barely a couple of degrees, and ultimately, pivot immediately into a sharp, steep glide.
And it was a rush.
"All systems good, tracking on flight pathing 265, all datapoints live, holding pattern. Fuck....this never gets old!" Max called back, his head professional yet his heart just all himself. The GEAR's glide flattened quickly as he adjusted the wingpack's dive, giving him a good position to hold at the front of the pattern, or at least, hold in a spot to give Silverwind room in front.
With the other GEARs sending it to the end of the plane, Spectre, Kestrel and Hopper were running out of the back, throwing themselves out sideways and in probably the coolest fashion the jumpmaster alone would be able to witness, flying onto angle immediately from the exit. As if a bunch of GFDS-equipped GEARS wasn't enough, the three other Viper team members were following into the breach, already keeping an eye on the cluster down below as they turned and caught the wind effortlessly.
Flying down to the main group, flying a few degrees onto their bearing the three wingpack-equipped SOF operators had actually flown fast and caught them up, hanging right above the main group. It was something to behold, both from Max's and Anna's perspcetive, the sight of not falling but gliding GEARS and Arvarans into the dark black sunrise from high altitude. The fluttering noise was howling even with earplugs and their helmets, Anna holding steady above Max's GEAR and the rest of the group.
"Viper, sitrep?"
"Right on top of you, Actual!" Anna, or Spectre called back, in a rare show of her exited self, as Max chuckled back, running through the AR checkpoint system as Max saw them come up on his camera, chuckling to himself.
"Blade, we're all green here- should be about a ten minute flight to our DZ....the visuals are just mad here. There's a patch of cloud on the path, want us to re-round around?" Max asked, calm as you like as he gently gave a slight adjustment in angle, the GEAR turning back onto angle and onto pathing, the wingpack-wearing operators following suit as Anna dived to barely within a couple of meters of Max's rocket anchor, quite the sight to behold. It had to be said, Viper weren't kidding when they said they could fly very tight to Max, their Corvids making it look effortless as they kept right on top of the Lion Rampant, out of the burble path and on the collective flight route.
"You know what they say, Silverwind....an old man in a young man's game is a scary bastard indeed. Especially one who has a disability sticker on the dash of his GEAR...." Max chuckled, already knowing how to tease his CO, to whatever effect it would have, taking the GEAR helmet resting in his hand and sliding it over his locks-covered temple.
"Politely speaking, let's go kick some heads in, Sir." Max added with a grin knowing Silverwind would react well to that. There had to be a little bit of banter, and Max was almost certain he was gonna get some thrown back, twice as hard in all due course.
Meanwhile, Viper were finalising their checks, the wing-pack equipped squad giving themselves their last checks over, Anna running through Logan, who then ran through Maxine, who then ran through Anna in turn. A logical, systematic process no less- nothing short of what any of them expected for a run like this, Max reminded himself, as they loaded up the last of their things into the squatting GEAR of the Lion Rampant.
"Checks complete, we're set, Actual." Anna coldly commented through her radio, the team now on their own O2 systems, already at a completed pre-breathe for their drop, Max walking across to see his team before they dropped.
"Aww. I thought I'd be able to hang onto one of you for the ride, Spectre." Max sarcastically commented back, rolling his tongue at her, the jaguar not getting the sarcasm just yet....
"Get in the fucking GEAR, Max. Or I'll ride you down." Anna replied, unknowingly slipping her tongue as Max giggled like a schoolgirl, Logan and Maxine hearing the same. A moment of catharsis for pretty much anyone that heard it, as Anna merely flipped him off and Max just slowly walked away, adjusting the cuffs on his pilot's suit and the tilt on his helmet's comms channel.
"Don't ever change, Spectre. Alright Viper, like Silverwind says, door's gonna open in a bit. Remember, nice, calm, easy. Don't make uhh....too many shenanigans. We still have a job to do, so let's not fuck it up right now." Max said succinctly and to the point through teh radio, heading over towards the Lion Rampant's entry hatch, punching his code and sliding himself inside. With a flicker the holographics were online, the displays back to life as the GEAR stood upright once more, firing into action.
Gently checking over the GEAR systems, the lion engaged the GFDS wingpack's extensions, the wingpack locking into place and giving a position to rest the Lion Rampant's arms onto. The HUD altered, displaying a more pilot-styled azimuth and heads up display, complete with altitude, glide ratio and speed. The datalink was already working its magic to already recognise the other aerial-oriented GEARS, pinging them up with a square box for distant visual. In fact, the system was fairly clever- it wasn't an autopilot, but for flying a GEAR in, more than just a pilot's brains were required. An augmented-reality DZ marker linked to an optimal pathing projection, almost like a GPS checkpoint system that the pilots could use to set up a formation or use. Flicking it aside, he checked the comms link to Silverwind, the lion's blue and green illuminated face seen in the link.
"The Lion Rampant is wonderful as always, Silverwind. Viper, sitrep?" Max asked, waiting for his team to chirp up.
"Spectre, all good!"
"Kestrel, ready to go!"
"Hopper, all set!"
"Two minutes to red, everyone!" Anna called out, the jaguar in contact with the jumpmaster at the apex of the ramp, taking responsbility for this side of the aircraft operation alongside the quiet-mask wearing German Shepherd standing near the door. While Catriona was certainly running things in Max and Silverwind's absence, Anna taking control of that was seemingly something nobody was complaining about, or at least, Anna didn't want to hear it. Time felt like it ticked forever inside the GEAR Max was inside, the displays all reading five by five and suggesting that the oxygenated environment inside of here, as per any CBRN attack, would keep him alive.
"Red is on!" Anna yelled out on the comms, Max looking over his GEAR's right hand side to see where Viper were walking out, the red light and the warning klaxon punctuating the fact that soon, the very air they breathed inside of here would be sucked out with barely a moment's notice. The wind howled beyond the mechanical-sounding ramp as it slowly opened, Viper holding at the front of the door, right in front of the Lion Rampant, in a position to at least not get squished when Max pushed the GEAR forward onto the ramp.
The sky beyond the opening cargo ramp was an impressive sight, the very distant sun beyond the clouded sky revealing a slither of glowing orange to Arvara, contrasted with the still glistening and bright white stars in the sky above. The light pollution even in spite of the sunrise showed the stars brighter than most would see in the cities of back home, a glistening blanket of silvery white on navy blue. The noise of whistling could even be heard from inside the GEAR, even in spite of the layers of armour, it was a howl, a shriek, almost a yell to the abyss. An abyss Max had no problem whatsoever looking into. It seemed strange, but after enough of this, you just accepted the void that you went into on a regular basis. Trust yourself, trust your equipment, trust your team, and it's a void worth travelling through, Max reminded himself...
With a gentle turn, Max stood on the edge of the ramp's downcline, bracing himself as he saw Viper move to the side, getting out of the way. If Viper went first, they could risk having a GEAR fall on top of them if their GFDS system failed- and that was pretty much game over, so knowing that the Viper operatives could catch up, they would wait and wave their collegues on by.
"Standby, Actual. All callsigns, prep for deployment, aircraft is on 250 bearing, speed 220kph- adjust for bearing 265 pathway on exit. Bastion, Python, Blade, you're all first. We'll follow you out." Anna commented, the jumpmaster giving her all the details she needed, the red light still on. Viper had fully deployed their Corvid packs, the sight of their protruding wingpacks on their backs an odd and strange one to see, the sight of Arvarans who looked like they'd looked to birds for ideas.
"Green is on!" Anna yelled out, the lights lurching from red to green on both the panel and across the cargo bay as the klaxon changed tone, going to an even harsher buzz. Like a "get the fuck out" sort of buzz, because when the green was one, it was go time.
With a gentle flick of the controls, the GEAR wheeled itself down the last remaining part of the ramp and fell right off the end, the intial inertia making the Lion Rampant sink with the wing surfaces braking hard, using the momentum to turn barely a couple of degrees, and ultimately, pivot immediately into a sharp, steep glide.
And it was a rush.
"All systems good, tracking on flight pathing 265, all datapoints live, holding pattern. Fuck....this never gets old!" Max called back, his head professional yet his heart just all himself. The GEAR's glide flattened quickly as he adjusted the wingpack's dive, giving him a good position to hold at the front of the pattern, or at least, hold in a spot to give Silverwind room in front.
With the other GEARs sending it to the end of the plane, Spectre, Kestrel and Hopper were running out of the back, throwing themselves out sideways and in probably the coolest fashion the jumpmaster alone would be able to witness, flying onto angle immediately from the exit. As if a bunch of GFDS-equipped GEARS wasn't enough, the three other Viper team members were following into the breach, already keeping an eye on the cluster down below as they turned and caught the wind effortlessly.
Flying down to the main group, flying a few degrees onto their bearing the three wingpack-equipped SOF operators had actually flown fast and caught them up, hanging right above the main group. It was something to behold, both from Max's and Anna's perspcetive, the sight of not falling but gliding GEARS and Arvarans into the dark black sunrise from high altitude. The fluttering noise was howling even with earplugs and their helmets, Anna holding steady above Max's GEAR and the rest of the group.
"Viper, sitrep?"
"Right on top of you, Actual!" Anna, or Spectre called back, in a rare show of her exited self, as Max chuckled back, running through the AR checkpoint system as Max saw them come up on his camera, chuckling to himself.
"Blade, we're all green here- should be about a ten minute flight to our DZ....the visuals are just mad here. There's a patch of cloud on the path, want us to re-round around?" Max asked, calm as you like as he gently gave a slight adjustment in angle, the GEAR turning back onto angle and onto pathing, the wingpack-wearing operators following suit as Anna dived to barely within a couple of meters of Max's rocket anchor, quite the sight to behold. It had to be said, Viper weren't kidding when they said they could fly very tight to Max, their Corvids making it look effortless as they kept right on top of the Lion Rampant, out of the burble path and on the collective flight route.
Ah awesome! Nice little post- yeah I'll get it all set up!
@Silverwind Blade
No worries! Whenever you get the chance- I've been a bit tired due to work of late!
No worries! Whenever you get the chance- I've been a bit tired due to work of late!
No worries man!
Yeah nothing too major- I've jumped ahead with one part of the post but it's up to you if you want to follow that up, put filler in, hold it back or all three! Apologies if that was a bit of a leap!
Whilst Max dozed off to the land of dreams, the rest of Viper had continued on, not immediately going off to catch some shut-eye.
Anna in particular was busy at hand with checking the optics on her helmet-mounted NVGs, while Maxine had taken a book to hand, the rabbit reading a science-fiction novel she had recently gotten into- part of a longer series, so this would keep her hopefully occupied for a long more downtime. The Flemish Giant was a caring bunny, with her long floppy ears set back and a gentle light-brown fur, a true squad mum in every sense of the word. Caring perhaps, a warm alternative to Anna, who seemed to be in her own zone of things. She had a partner back home she wanted to have children with, perhaps after all this was said and done. The pension would be good but for now, she knew she had a purpose to serve in this team, helping them out. She flicked the page, listening in on both conversations of the two teams, but mostly keeping to herself as well, knowing she'd get some sleep soon.
Meanwhile, Logan headed over towards the rest of Python, a little exitable and chuckling at the sight of Silverwind keeping his eye open despite being basically asleep.
"I suppose sleeping in combat does that to you, heh. Max is way too much like that." Logan commented to the team, chuckling as he sat down by them, wanting to mingle and join in with another team whilst his own was occupied with their own little bits and pieces.
The red squirrel's soft Scots accent contrasted heavily with Catriona's, the red-headed Highland cow in the corner opposite to the recon team's squirrel. Logan had a gentle short hair, with his bushy tail righting him on every turn and every movement. Of Viper Team his energy and enthusiasm was second to none- he had a certain cardio that just couldn't be beat, combined with an incredibile ability to climb and just mantle up and over any restraint. Grapple hooks were not something he leaned on, and that energy he brought to the table was why he sometimes carried a DMR of his own, alongside his trusty laser designator. His look was almost the sort of Redwall-esque, medieval look you'd find in a red squirrel, a demeanour that looked like it hadn't been fazed nor stunned by what he had joined in for. Then again, doing just a year so far in Recon hadn't taken it's toll on him. Perhaps it never would, if he kept this rate of enthusiasm up...
"Anyone up for some cards? There's no way I'm gonna be sleeping anytime soon!"
---
A few hours later, and the lion had woken up almost perfectly on time with the wobble on his wrist, his watch waking him up with a gentle buzz. Yawning, the lion pulled himself up, seeing the sight of the team also pulling themselves awake, a bit earlier than him to the Warrant Officer's disdain. Well, he had them drilled....but he needed to be earlier. Damn it.
Nonetheless, the lion yawned noisily and brushing his hair aside, stood up to take a look at Anna placing her Corvid pack on her seat, the pack mounted up. She slid her legs through the parachute harness and brought it up onto her shoulder along with the wingpack that was attached to it, running through the wingpack's calibration. As sleek as the wingpack was so too was the black feline, a tool that looked like it fit her perfectly as she began to tighten her harness up. She took the flight-helmet too that was attached to the "neck" of the pack, and ran through the pre-checks of the O2 tank she would carry, attaching her combat helmet on her tactical pack stowed on her front.
"Nothing like it, eh?" Max asked, Anna nodding affermatively and in her silent manner, as the other team members followed suit, weapons stowed on their sides and unloaded. Running through a few more things, Anna took the full-face helmet once more and popped it over her head, the tinted visor making it almost impossible to see the noir-jaguar's face through the polycarbonate, as she tested the wing's extension.
"Radio check, one-two, Actual." She spoke into the radio, coming through on Max's end as he gave a thumbs up.
"All clear, Spectre. Viper Team, get yourselves set. Forty-minutes worth of this, hook your O2 supplies up to the aircraft supply- then five minutes prior, switch to your own recirculating supplies. None of you are fuckin' passing out on me, so no shit here." Max reiterated to them, the team replying with a simple agreement respectively, as he himself checked over the rest of his kit. Peering through the window, the clouds far below illustrated that they were holding at high altitude, an air that was cold and low in oxygen content. Inside their metal shell they weren't affected by it, but soon they would be out there and seeing it for themseles, that cold relentless sky never holding back.
And with that, Viper was slowly but surely getting ready. Even Logan, who had actually gotten some sleep in was somehow getting himself set up in spite of the fact that the squirrel had now tempered himself back down to focus. Sitting there, packs on and equipment ready to go, they were in their own zone for the moment being. Max knew that his team was awake before the rest of Python as well as Silverwind, so knew he'd probably have the difficult responsibility of waking up his commanding officer, the lion thought to himself. If he wasn't awake already that is...
"Boss, sorry to wake ya. We're thirty mins out now. Viper's on pre-breathe- we just need to get inside our GEARS before they open that big bloody rear door." Max calmly said, looking across to his own GEAR, the lion keeping a hold of his pilot's helmet in his hand for a moment as he heard a little more hubub of movement with regards to the aircraft crew.
"It's a bloody fine day to fly a big hunk of metal in..."
Anna in particular was busy at hand with checking the optics on her helmet-mounted NVGs, while Maxine had taken a book to hand, the rabbit reading a science-fiction novel she had recently gotten into- part of a longer series, so this would keep her hopefully occupied for a long more downtime. The Flemish Giant was a caring bunny, with her long floppy ears set back and a gentle light-brown fur, a true squad mum in every sense of the word. Caring perhaps, a warm alternative to Anna, who seemed to be in her own zone of things. She had a partner back home she wanted to have children with, perhaps after all this was said and done. The pension would be good but for now, she knew she had a purpose to serve in this team, helping them out. She flicked the page, listening in on both conversations of the two teams, but mostly keeping to herself as well, knowing she'd get some sleep soon.
Meanwhile, Logan headed over towards the rest of Python, a little exitable and chuckling at the sight of Silverwind keeping his eye open despite being basically asleep.
"I suppose sleeping in combat does that to you, heh. Max is way too much like that." Logan commented to the team, chuckling as he sat down by them, wanting to mingle and join in with another team whilst his own was occupied with their own little bits and pieces.
The red squirrel's soft Scots accent contrasted heavily with Catriona's, the red-headed Highland cow in the corner opposite to the recon team's squirrel. Logan had a gentle short hair, with his bushy tail righting him on every turn and every movement. Of Viper Team his energy and enthusiasm was second to none- he had a certain cardio that just couldn't be beat, combined with an incredibile ability to climb and just mantle up and over any restraint. Grapple hooks were not something he leaned on, and that energy he brought to the table was why he sometimes carried a DMR of his own, alongside his trusty laser designator. His look was almost the sort of Redwall-esque, medieval look you'd find in a red squirrel, a demeanour that looked like it hadn't been fazed nor stunned by what he had joined in for. Then again, doing just a year so far in Recon hadn't taken it's toll on him. Perhaps it never would, if he kept this rate of enthusiasm up...
"Anyone up for some cards? There's no way I'm gonna be sleeping anytime soon!"
---
A few hours later, and the lion had woken up almost perfectly on time with the wobble on his wrist, his watch waking him up with a gentle buzz. Yawning, the lion pulled himself up, seeing the sight of the team also pulling themselves awake, a bit earlier than him to the Warrant Officer's disdain. Well, he had them drilled....but he needed to be earlier. Damn it.
Nonetheless, the lion yawned noisily and brushing his hair aside, stood up to take a look at Anna placing her Corvid pack on her seat, the pack mounted up. She slid her legs through the parachute harness and brought it up onto her shoulder along with the wingpack that was attached to it, running through the wingpack's calibration. As sleek as the wingpack was so too was the black feline, a tool that looked like it fit her perfectly as she began to tighten her harness up. She took the flight-helmet too that was attached to the "neck" of the pack, and ran through the pre-checks of the O2 tank she would carry, attaching her combat helmet on her tactical pack stowed on her front.
"Nothing like it, eh?" Max asked, Anna nodding affermatively and in her silent manner, as the other team members followed suit, weapons stowed on their sides and unloaded. Running through a few more things, Anna took the full-face helmet once more and popped it over her head, the tinted visor making it almost impossible to see the noir-jaguar's face through the polycarbonate, as she tested the wing's extension.
"Radio check, one-two, Actual." She spoke into the radio, coming through on Max's end as he gave a thumbs up.
"All clear, Spectre. Viper Team, get yourselves set. Forty-minutes worth of this, hook your O2 supplies up to the aircraft supply- then five minutes prior, switch to your own recirculating supplies. None of you are fuckin' passing out on me, so no shit here." Max reiterated to them, the team replying with a simple agreement respectively, as he himself checked over the rest of his kit. Peering through the window, the clouds far below illustrated that they were holding at high altitude, an air that was cold and low in oxygen content. Inside their metal shell they weren't affected by it, but soon they would be out there and seeing it for themseles, that cold relentless sky never holding back.
And with that, Viper was slowly but surely getting ready. Even Logan, who had actually gotten some sleep in was somehow getting himself set up in spite of the fact that the squirrel had now tempered himself back down to focus. Sitting there, packs on and equipment ready to go, they were in their own zone for the moment being. Max knew that his team was awake before the rest of Python as well as Silverwind, so knew he'd probably have the difficult responsibility of waking up his commanding officer, the lion thought to himself. If he wasn't awake already that is...
"Boss, sorry to wake ya. We're thirty mins out now. Viper's on pre-breathe- we just need to get inside our GEARS before they open that big bloody rear door." Max calmly said, looking across to his own GEAR, the lion keeping a hold of his pilot's helmet in his hand for a moment as he heard a little more hubub of movement with regards to the aircraft crew.
"It's a bloody fine day to fly a big hunk of metal in..."
No worries! Fun little post- I'm gonna just put a short one up in a moment- just pushing forward a little bit with Viper kitting up a little early!
I thought I was going to do a short post, but I really wanted an introspective post into Max- I think I channel a common theme of pragmatic fatalism into my characters (Max certainly has parallels with Jan but I'd say he's far more exiting and a little more centrally flawed!).
Max nodded in response to Silverwind's comments, taking into account what the wise old hand that was his commander had to say. The chaos of it all, Max had to say, was something he enjoyed and somehow used to his advantage. Where others saw distractions and problems, he saw flexibility and the ability to rip up the playbok that normal warfare almost rote-demanded. In particular the fact that they were theoretically on the guerilla side meant that they could use more disgresion to
"Aye, sir- nothing for granted in a place like that it sounds like. I can work with that." Max said, chuckling as he heard the engines kicking in, the aircraft wobbling and erupting into noise. Well, that was the end of long meaningful conversations, the lion chuckled....and probably as Silverwind said, a good time to grab a seat.
"Yeah, you're about right there...I'm gonna grab some sleep till we're closer in. I need a bit of headspace, Colonel- I'll be back in a few." Max understated, almost a classic trait, knowing full well a "few" meant a few hours in reality...
Grabbing a seat in the seated area of the stealth transport, the lion knew that the quicker he got some shut-eye in, the better. Less time to think about just how insane this was about to be. He loved it, but sometimes it took putting that away into a small part of his head, Maxwell considered to himself. Just remember perspective, he thought to himself. You're gonna fling yourself out of a plane in a heavy piece of metal, fly it into a potentially teeming LZ and try and land under whatever conditions, wind or gunfire came. Then came the harder bit- not dying after that, operating deep behind enemy lines and as if there was a cherry on top, making sure none of his team came to any harm. In an almost strange sense, he could live with death, after all, the operations him and his team did put him harm's way more often than not. It'd be a tragic event, sure, and his family would probably be horrified by it, maybe just annoyed at themselves for not stopping him. But same time, Max took solace in the fact that he owned his own choices. Flawed as they were, he was an indivudal who cared for those around him, not a collectivist who was urging to find his own self. Perhaps that was fatalistic- but in other ways, Max knew that it was right where he belonged, in all of this chaos and fighting.
Keeping the pilot's helmet on his knee and his head back against the transport's divider in the back, the lion exhaled as he looked out to the distance, almost disconnected for a moment from the situation. As much as he didn't want to think, thoughts came back to him, rapid rate. Almost like a harrowing memory of sort. Beneath the exterior of the fun-loving, quirky and rebellious lion was a hardened and conflicted operator, the look on his face reflecting an almost vacant and soulful expression. Lions were perhaps odd like that- leaders, figureheads, the brave Arvarans that they looked to for guidance and courage. Generals, politicans, lawyers, police officers. What a lion Max wasn't, was the one lion that had that civility about him that came with absolute ferocity. That look of chivalry, the look of someone you trusted to be graceful and civil just seemed to splinter more and more when he looked to his siblings at times. It made him the outcast, the isolated one in his mind, leaning towards the ferocity more than the smart and sleek look a lion had. If you looked from an external point of view, that wasn't the case. But Max saw it as that, and in his head, that occupied his thoughts.
The reality was that instead of a noble, chivalrous almost idea of what a soldier would be protecting their country was bullshit to him. It took a fear, a teror equivalent to what they were fighting to make them scared. Someone to make the bad guys remember, they weren't gonna sleep at night well because people like him were coming for them. With whatever tools or methods required, it was just the order of things. And after a while, like Silverwind had, Max thought to himself, you stopped thinking too much about the details. It all sort of became one blur. From an external view, perhaps it was almost like a PTSD-like symptom, a mind that was already just unable to keep laughing it all away permenently. That did help, but there were one, maybe two things that stuck. Stuff that he hoped didn't show, or come through. But it was one that ran deep, that thought of acting in cold blood, or just letting horrifying things happen before your very eyes, helpless. Watching a distant thermal image go limp after a shot, or watching the sight of civilians being forced into a truck at gunpoint from afar felt disenchanting, almost like he was removed from the situation, especially in something like a GEAR. A lesser mind would have lost it by now, or at least, chosen to walk away while they still had control. Still, Max knew he was in it now, and it was better he was in that slot than anyone else. More capable, more willing, and more importantly, able to compartmentalise it when it absolutely mattered. Better more damage were to happen to some poor bastard with a gun than a civilian on a train back in Solernia, the lion mused- and that wasn't even on his mind anymore. But it was there, somewhere. Someday, he knew he'd suffer badly for it, but till then, and so long as he kept up a life that gave him exitement and constant occupation, he wouldn't deal with those chaotic concequences for a while.
Max had to think sometimes, it shouldn't have been this way. He should have done something meaningful with himself. Quit a year ago, taken the pay, joined the police, maybe his sister at that law firm, the place she always thought he'd succeed. For such a messy haired-character he could clean himself up, turn straight-edge and live a civil life doing that exceptionally well. It wasn't like his intelligence would hold him back, he was plenty smart enough for it, and plenty street-smart to thrive there. But he was too stubborn, too unwilling to change. Too set on this path now, one that had already caused him all manner of shit. Pushing that thought aside was hard, an overriding one almost as he itched his eye a little, noisily yawning as he mulled his wired up mind over a little more.
"You sleepy, Max?" Anna playfully commented, Max giving a middle finger as the jaguar chuckled, setting down her own equipment and strapping into her seat.
"A bit, Anna...you know, you could do actually resting rather than bouncing off the walls before an op. Meh, leave me to it." Max replied cooly, eyes shut as he knew roughtly wherabouts Anna had sat herself down.
"Ah, but you know me. Where's the fun in doing what we do without feeling like total shit? Ahh....screw it. Sleep tight, dream warrior." Anna added, bumping Max on the shoulder as he chuckled, setting his head further back and setting off to sleep. By the time the noisy aircraft had actually left land, Max was snoring and on his way to cutting out his mind for a while.
"Aye, sir- nothing for granted in a place like that it sounds like. I can work with that." Max said, chuckling as he heard the engines kicking in, the aircraft wobbling and erupting into noise. Well, that was the end of long meaningful conversations, the lion chuckled....and probably as Silverwind said, a good time to grab a seat.
"Yeah, you're about right there...I'm gonna grab some sleep till we're closer in. I need a bit of headspace, Colonel- I'll be back in a few." Max understated, almost a classic trait, knowing full well a "few" meant a few hours in reality...
Grabbing a seat in the seated area of the stealth transport, the lion knew that the quicker he got some shut-eye in, the better. Less time to think about just how insane this was about to be. He loved it, but sometimes it took putting that away into a small part of his head, Maxwell considered to himself. Just remember perspective, he thought to himself. You're gonna fling yourself out of a plane in a heavy piece of metal, fly it into a potentially teeming LZ and try and land under whatever conditions, wind or gunfire came. Then came the harder bit- not dying after that, operating deep behind enemy lines and as if there was a cherry on top, making sure none of his team came to any harm. In an almost strange sense, he could live with death, after all, the operations him and his team did put him harm's way more often than not. It'd be a tragic event, sure, and his family would probably be horrified by it, maybe just annoyed at themselves for not stopping him. But same time, Max took solace in the fact that he owned his own choices. Flawed as they were, he was an indivudal who cared for those around him, not a collectivist who was urging to find his own self. Perhaps that was fatalistic- but in other ways, Max knew that it was right where he belonged, in all of this chaos and fighting.
Keeping the pilot's helmet on his knee and his head back against the transport's divider in the back, the lion exhaled as he looked out to the distance, almost disconnected for a moment from the situation. As much as he didn't want to think, thoughts came back to him, rapid rate. Almost like a harrowing memory of sort. Beneath the exterior of the fun-loving, quirky and rebellious lion was a hardened and conflicted operator, the look on his face reflecting an almost vacant and soulful expression. Lions were perhaps odd like that- leaders, figureheads, the brave Arvarans that they looked to for guidance and courage. Generals, politicans, lawyers, police officers. What a lion Max wasn't, was the one lion that had that civility about him that came with absolute ferocity. That look of chivalry, the look of someone you trusted to be graceful and civil just seemed to splinter more and more when he looked to his siblings at times. It made him the outcast, the isolated one in his mind, leaning towards the ferocity more than the smart and sleek look a lion had. If you looked from an external point of view, that wasn't the case. But Max saw it as that, and in his head, that occupied his thoughts.
The reality was that instead of a noble, chivalrous almost idea of what a soldier would be protecting their country was bullshit to him. It took a fear, a teror equivalent to what they were fighting to make them scared. Someone to make the bad guys remember, they weren't gonna sleep at night well because people like him were coming for them. With whatever tools or methods required, it was just the order of things. And after a while, like Silverwind had, Max thought to himself, you stopped thinking too much about the details. It all sort of became one blur. From an external view, perhaps it was almost like a PTSD-like symptom, a mind that was already just unable to keep laughing it all away permenently. That did help, but there were one, maybe two things that stuck. Stuff that he hoped didn't show, or come through. But it was one that ran deep, that thought of acting in cold blood, or just letting horrifying things happen before your very eyes, helpless. Watching a distant thermal image go limp after a shot, or watching the sight of civilians being forced into a truck at gunpoint from afar felt disenchanting, almost like he was removed from the situation, especially in something like a GEAR. A lesser mind would have lost it by now, or at least, chosen to walk away while they still had control. Still, Max knew he was in it now, and it was better he was in that slot than anyone else. More capable, more willing, and more importantly, able to compartmentalise it when it absolutely mattered. Better more damage were to happen to some poor bastard with a gun than a civilian on a train back in Solernia, the lion mused- and that wasn't even on his mind anymore. But it was there, somewhere. Someday, he knew he'd suffer badly for it, but till then, and so long as he kept up a life that gave him exitement and constant occupation, he wouldn't deal with those chaotic concequences for a while.
Max had to think sometimes, it shouldn't have been this way. He should have done something meaningful with himself. Quit a year ago, taken the pay, joined the police, maybe his sister at that law firm, the place she always thought he'd succeed. For such a messy haired-character he could clean himself up, turn straight-edge and live a civil life doing that exceptionally well. It wasn't like his intelligence would hold him back, he was plenty smart enough for it, and plenty street-smart to thrive there. But he was too stubborn, too unwilling to change. Too set on this path now, one that had already caused him all manner of shit. Pushing that thought aside was hard, an overriding one almost as he itched his eye a little, noisily yawning as he mulled his wired up mind over a little more.
"You sleepy, Max?" Anna playfully commented, Max giving a middle finger as the jaguar chuckled, setting down her own equipment and strapping into her seat.
"A bit, Anna...you know, you could do actually resting rather than bouncing off the walls before an op. Meh, leave me to it." Max replied cooly, eyes shut as he knew roughtly wherabouts Anna had sat herself down.
"Ah, but you know me. Where's the fun in doing what we do without feeling like total shit? Ahh....screw it. Sleep tight, dream warrior." Anna added, bumping Max on the shoulder as he chuckled, setting his head further back and setting off to sleep. By the time the noisy aircraft had actually left land, Max was snoring and on his way to cutting out his mind for a while.
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