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Castrip

Castrip is a quiet mech with a solemn demeanor on the surface. His behavior can come off as either elegant or cold, but it doesn’t take much to make him smile and bring out his inner warmth. His students tend to find him difficult to train under due to his strictness and high standards, but they know he’s a reliable mentor who has their best interest in mind. Ultimately, Castrip ends up becoming a father figure to many of the young mechs he trians, which does them both good. It gives them someone solid to look up to and allows him an outlet to care for the new generations in a way he couldn’t with his own sparklings.

Early Life

Castrip started his life working as a supervisor in a steel mill and took great pride in his position of leadership. But as the ages wore on, mill work was streamlined and fewer mechs were needed to ensure the processes ran smoothly. Eventually, leaders like him weren't needed, so he lost his position and was left in the dust without direction. It was then he had to answer the daunting question: what does a Cybertronian do once their function no longer exists?

Suddenly out of work and with very few options, Castrip decided to try his hand at illegal gladiatorial matches to get by until he found something better. While it was intended to be a short term solution, he discovered fighting came naturally to him and being a gladiator might be a viable career option. He was strong, strategic, and had all the makings of a great fighter. Fairly early on in his career one of his optics was smashed in. Since it was cheaper to get a red replacement instead of his natural yellow, he went with it, making his two toned optics a signature look.

Before the War

As an underdog who rose through the ranks quickly, Castrip found himself approached by a “generous” benefactor. He was a well liked politician who promised Castrip a better life if he joined his professional gladiatorial troupe. In the time since he'd started fighting, there were now official gladiatorial games, making it a sport looked on with favor by the masses. This meant a politician collecting their own team of gladiators could easily gain the public’s affection if their fighters were well liked, so mechs like Castrip were in high demand.

With misplaced hope, Castrip agreed and joined the politician's troupe, unknowingly signing his life away in the process. At first, it felt like luxury, being well fed and trained by the best to hone his skills. Since official games were more for entertainment than anything, they were almost exclusively deathless, meaning Castrip's life was more secure than it had been when he was on his own. Plus, the games' political ties and high cost of keeping gladiators meant killing one would be a great monetary and social cost to those who owned troupes. But Castrip quickly discovered this security came at the cost of his unwavering obedience.

(Paragraph Warning: Sexual Abuse) Not only was he an excellent fighter, he put on quite a charismatic performance for the crowd, growing a following of fans who wanted to get close to him. Unfortunately for Castrip, all they had to do was pay a premium to Castrip’s handler and they were allowed to spend private time with the gladiator. Castrip's desirability, both socially and sexually, meant the politician's pockets were lined, and Castrip came to understand what his job was when he was brought to someone's berth. Carriers looking for strong children sought him out, leading to Castrip siring and co-siring sparklings. The gladiator has no idea how many, and while he's suspicious he was responsible for the sparklings of a few nobles, he can’t confirm it and had to accept he never will.

Eventually, gladitorial combat was forced underground again, leaving Castrip on his own once more. He was already weathered from battle, and looked far older than he was because of stress. But now he no longer had a benefactor who'd keep up with his maintenance. Every injury went crudely patched up, parts were replaced with whatever could be found, and he rusted away until memories of having shining plating felt like a distant dream. He changed from a heroic crowd favorite, to a menacing dead mech walking. Though with all the years of bloodshed, violation, and lack of freedom, he couldn't say he was sad his glory days were over.

Present Day

With Megatron having great influence in the pits, many gladiators followed him when it came time for war, and it was no suprise that Castrip was amongst them. He'd grown close to his fellow Decepticons long before the fighting began, and had already proven himself to be a formidable fighter and competent leader. So he was made a Captain and fought on the frontlines alongside his troops until one day they faced a devastating loss. A new Autobot weapon lead to him losing nearly all his men in one battle, forcing him to retreat in a broken ship with only a handful of troops. Millions of years of violence both in and out of the pit had already been weighing on him, but this was the final straw. In an audacious confrontation, he informed Megatron he would no longer fight in battle. He switched from leading troops to training them, teaching new recruits everything he knows in the hope that they'll make it out alive. Now, instead of having one warrior like Castrip, they have thousands who studied under him and he’s become a well respected member of the Decepticon ranks because of it.

NSFW Information

(Warning: Sexual Trauma) Unsurprisingly, Castrip has a complicated relationship with sex considering he was forced to interface with strangers for a large portion of his life. Because of his violent occupation and immense stature, he was often expected to be rough and aggressive when interfacing, fulfilling other's fantasy of "taming the beast". But there was nothing there to be tamed in the first place. Outside of the pit, he'd always been a gentle giant and it pained him to neglect his natural inclination in favor of fulfilling an aggressive fantasy.

He hasn't interfaced with anyone in years and isn't particularly eager to change that. His trauma has lead to him to develop anorgasmia where reaching overload is difficult for him, especially when a partner is involved. He's not entirely closed off to the idea of a partner, but he wants to find love with someone he can trust and knows will be more than happy to adapt to how his trauma has impacted him, both in and out of the berth. But it feels like a lot to ask, especially during a time of war, so for now he's content with being single and celibate. Though in a situation where he had this ideal partner, he'd be a very doting lover. Gentle and patient and deeply affectionate, not rushing through things but savoring each moment. He always interfaces with the lights on because he enjoys the visuals, but also because it helps ground him. When he opens his eyes, he needs to be able to see where he is and who he's with to avoid panicking. He also prefers to face his partner during sex, again because he feels it's grounding and the intimacy of it comforts him. While over time he's able to comfortably expand the positions he enjoys, he never gets to the point where he's okay with having the lights off.

Fun Facts

• His voice claim is Liam Neeson as Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia.
• I designed his alt-mode by collaging pieces of other cars and concept art together, then making edits to the design until it felt right.
• His design takes inspiration from Mad Max, smashing different pieces together and adding rivets and spikes for fun.
• If Castrip were an instrument, he'd be a cello.