Blood and Oil

[Dunruffle]

Riggs sat on one of the makeshift seats inside the bar. The bar itself was inside the husk of a rusted out ship that was half buried in the sand. It was sunset so there was a lively crowd in the bar waiting for the cold night to pass. Riggs sat alone at the table with a cup of makeshift moonshine from the bar. He had put out word with settlements and caravans that he was looking for a crew to take on Boss Rage. He looked out one of the portholes and watched as the sun started to slip behind the horizon. He felt naked without his guns but that was the rule of the bar, no guns or no service.

A big rig pulled up to stop at the ship and rumbled as it turned off. Several scalps attached to the antenna fluttered in the breeze as a large man opened the door and hopped out. Glowering he waited for his daughter to jump out. A petite girl climbed out of the cab of the truck and smiled as she saw the ship. "oh this is so cool! Is this a ship? Is it true there used to be so much water it floated on it?" Sledge simply shrugged and guided Gigi into the bar. The patrons of the bar fell quiet when Sledge walked in as he easily towered over most of them. Gigi giggled and waved to everyone as she saw Riggs and plopped down next to him. "Hey there mister! Are you the one putting together the crew?" Riggs looked Gigi up and down as Sledge walked over and sat down next to Gigi. "Well if it isn't Sledge himself. I didn't expect a big shot bounty hunter to show up." Gigi smiled and nodded vigorously. "Yup! Me and daddy are going to take down Boss Rage! It will be the biggest score ever!" Riggs nodded and took a sip of his moonshine. "Well glad to have you on my side. Hopefully some more people will show up so just wait for a little bit." Gigi nodded and began talking to Sledge who simply nodded along with the occasional grunt of agreement.

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora drove across the desolate landscape, watching the rocks and dunes pass. She didn't have to keep her eyes on the road. There wasn't even a road, everything was empty. Besides, she knew where she was going. An old bar settled in a sunken ship. There had been word from some traders that someone was trying to get a group together to face Boss Rage. The idea of traveling with other people didn't exactly appeal to her, but the goal sparked her interest.
Her car threw up dust as she skidded to a halt in front of the bar. A few other cars, lots of people inside. At least there would be no need to set up her own camp tonight. She got out and pushed the car door shut. She slipped her revolver into her boot and left the rest of her gear locked up. This was extremely uncomfortable for her, considering her knowledge of raiders and scavengers in these parts. But at least she had her strength.
Xora walked into the bar and immediately caught a few stares. She was tall for a woman. Her boots put her at about 6' even. She scanned the bar to look for the man who had called her there. "I'm lookin' for Riggs." She said loudly.

 

[Hyper Light Zulu]

SharpEyes watched the beached, half submerged rust bucket that was a ship. She kept her Kalashnikov beside her as she scanned the area. Her eagle eyes spotting everything. Nothing. She grunted as she got up and entered her truck. The 50. Cal on top leaning down lifelessly. She quickly drove around the raised plateau. She was easily speeding and enjoying herself as she speed across the desert, her sling-shot wheels allowing her to easily floor it through the sand as if it were flippers in the water.

She whooped as she jumped a dune. Smiling as the shock absorbers easily taking the impact and continued on, she parked across from both of the vehicles and disembarked. The sign so no weapons so she agreed. Somewhat. She activated the explosives on her car in case someone got sticky fingers and clipped her small ax across her lower back, and her Pole Ax across her back. She walked up the steps to the entrance and opened the door, her googles and black dirt bike helmet hiding her war paint across her face.

Some of the patrons stared at her and she raised her shoulders. She walked up to the bar. "Give me a bottle of hooch," She said as she dropped 3, 5.56 rounds on the table. She grabbed the entire bottle of whiskey offered by the mutant bartender and stashed it away with a grin.

She turned around and leaned back into the counter. She looked at everyone there one by one and declared. "Riggs."

 

[Dunruffle]

Riggs looked up at the two women who loudly called out his name. He waved them over. "So i assume you gals are interested in taking down Boss Rage. I already know what these two can do." He gestured to Sledge who growled and Gigi who waved happily. "What can you two bring to the table? You look tough but how do i know you arent a couple of fakers?"

 

[Crysodic]

The sun reflected beautifully off of the glistening sand as Asher tore through it with his vehicle. The temperature was just perfect for outside, not cold enough for a heavy jacket but not warm enough to be shirtless. A recent small wind came through and paved over any previous tracks left by any other, making it look like a perfect sea to ride upon with no stopping. But sadly Asher could not take apart in this rare sighting of perfect roads, as he needed to head towards the lone bar in a rotting ship. Asher took his last turn, before shooting down the valley of sand towards the ever growing ship in sight. Two huge mounds of sand on either side of Asher greeted him and guided towards the ship and other cars of varying sizes, from a huge semi to a small dirt bike that you could barely see even if you parked next to it. Hoping that this was the place, Asher slowed his car down enough to hear the sound of the bustling coming from the ship bar. He took off the Mauser from his holster, and left the pipegun within the cabin before opening the door and jumping down into the soft sand. Asher stumbled a bit, still not exactly used to getting out of the tall vehicle and shut the door behind him.

Asher walked up to the door and a man leaning on one of the nearby walls stopped him before entering. "Didn't ya see the sign? No weapons." Confused, Asher patted down holster, just in case he had forgotten to take out his old world pistol, then he shrugged at the gruff man, "No idea what your talking about. I an't got nothing." The presumed to be bouncer pointed towards the thing attached to Ashers' hip, "That thing right there." Asher's face turning into a deadpan look as he detached the shovel from its loop and held it out. "Sir last time I checked, this was a shovel and not a weapon." The man grew slightly more frustrated, and seemed to be looking to grab some sort of weapon, "No. Weapons." Asher let out a heavy sigh as he leaned the shovel onto the wall next to the man before showing his hands to him. The bouncer nodded and then went back to resting on the wall. Finally entering the bar, Asher looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Crude cups, shitty alcohol, Crude benches and tables, it looked horrible. So normal. The only thing that looked of interest, was the odd looking group that was huddled around one bar stool. Considering one looked like he had on too many coats for the desert, one that looked like she had not enough clothes for the desert, an Indian looking gal that was ready to summon some rain for all in the wastes and a very tiny girl that was hovered over by a rough and tumble man that looked like he was ready to murder anyone and everyone that was in a ten mile radius. Yep probably the people. Asher made his way over, swerving between the few people that stood between him and his destination. "So i'm presuming that your the guy that is looking for taking down Mr.Stabby-burn-everything-man that is killing everything?" Asher spoke from behind the girl with virtually no clothes. "Hi, I would like to help you I suppose. I've been trying to find a group myself." Asher put on a small smile before pushing his hand between the Indian and Clothless lady.​

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora chuckled and crossed her arms. "Why would I come all the way out here, risk my own life for something that could be a trap, and leave all my weapons unattended if I wasn't serious?" She examined the others. Riggs looked like your average wastelander. There was a young girl with an older man, another woman, and someone just pushing through them. The girl definitely worried her. Maybe she could hold her own, but gambling with a child's life is dangerous. "I won't rest until we kill that bastard. But you'd better hope no word has gotten up to him yet. Every scavenger, trader, bartender, you name it has been talkin' about this meeting. So, Mr. Riggs, I hope you have a plan." Xora was getting a bit cocky, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't going to be running around with a group of fools. The older man looked like he knew what he was doing, but she couldn't say the same for everyone in the group.

 

[Dunruffle]

Riggs chuckled and nodded as Asher joined the group. "Yes this is the group." Turning to Xora, Riggs grinned and tilted his head. "Dont worry your pretty little head about the plan. I have been planning this a long time." Reaching into one of his many pockets, Riggs pulled out a crude map and laid it on the table for everyone to see. He pointed to one corner where there was a crudely drawn ship. "This is where we are. Right now, Boss Rage should be sending out a war party to us to kill whoever is stirring up rumors of an uprising. I have been tracking the Boss for a long time so i know that the war party will be here at noon tomorrow. We are going to lay a trap." Riggs pointed to another spot on the map. A mountain range had been sketched that spanned most of the map, with a single gap in the middle. "Right now Boss Rage is on the far side of the Flats. For his war party to get here, they are going to need to go through the mountain pass. We ambush them right when they exit the pass. Then we find out where Boss Rage will be next." Leaning back, Riggs finished his cup of moonshine and looked at the group. "Now you can act as tough as you want but once we attack the war party there is no going back. If anyone escapes from our trap, Boss Rage will hunt us all down." Pausing for a moment, Riggs looked around at the other bar patrons who were talking loudly and drunkenly wobbling about. "Now i need to know what you all bring to the table." Riggs pointed to himself and while most of his face was hidden behind a bandanna. You could hear the grin in his voice. "Me? I am a tracker and planner. I can follow a snake in a sandstorm." Riggs then pointed to Sledge and Gigi. "These two are the muscle. They will take on the biggest dangers and provide support for the rest of us." Sledge simply grunted as Gigi giggled and nodded enthusiastically. "You can count on us! Me and daddy will rip apart anyone who tries to stop us!" Riggs nodded and turned to the rest of the group. "So tell me what you can do that will benefit our group, and it better be something other than you can drive fast and shoot good. Most of the people in here can do that already."

 

[Hyper Light Zulu]

Vendetta watched them all. The only one who seemed like a threat was the bruiser character. She stood with her head held high, her feathers swinging casually. She listened to the man and felt nothing for his words. He was talking. That was it. She needed to see their actions before their words. She looked at each one. A scantly dressed ex-raider no doubt. A cocky man. A talker, and a little girl and her daddy. She scoffed mentally.

"I'm SharpEyes. Killed a man from 500 yards on a moving truck with only ironsights. Also one hell of a fighter, mechanic, talker, hunter, tracker and even a medic if the time calls," She said calmly. She fingered her ax silently. It was covered in dry blood, the rags on it blood red and the countless notches being awfully evident on both of them. The feathers swung as she moved, the 8 on her back sticking out into the air.

She looked at Riggs. "You better be more than a quick talker and a handsome face, wastelander. Because if I'm on the line to end this megalomaniac and you end up being a pussy yourself. I will gut you and string you to my truck with your own intestines," She said calmly.

She was all for ending a genocidal monster, but she wasn't about to offer up her skills to a man who simply wanted him dead with no intentions as to why he wanted him dead. Unless it was for a good cause and an actual strong leader, she was in it for herself. That was it.

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora scoffed. "I'm a survivalist, an ex-raider, and the best damn melee fighter you've ever seen. I'll knock a mans head a hundred yards with one swing of my club. Plus I got intel. I know a few people here and there that can get me what you need." The, Xora turned her back to the group, showing the gruesome scars. She faced them again. "Boss Rage did this to me and I'll give up my life for a chance to end his." She ordered a glass of moonshine from the bar, laid down a couple of coins and a few bullets, and took a swig. "Why do you want his head, anyways. You gotta plan, but where's your motive, Riggs? What's fuelin' the hatred in that little head?"

 

[Dunruffle]

Riggs leaned forward and glared at Xora. Pulling up his bandana, he showed a large scar that showed where someone cut his throat. "Oh i dunno. Maybe because Boss Rage torched my home, raped and murdered my wife, then cut my throat and left me for dead." Pulling his bandanna back down, Riggs scoffed at Xora. "You got lucky with just a whipping. I have spent the last two years planning a way to kill Boss Rage. So if you think you have a better plan be my guest. I doubt you have the brains to even think about where to start looking."

Turning to asher, Riggs nodded at him. "What about you? You look a lot more sane than these two chicks. What can you do and why do you want to kill Boss Rage? You look like an actual decent person. Shouldnt you be working for a caravan or living on a settlement or something?"

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora mumbled under her breath, slightly irritated. She ordered a few shots for herself and drank them as soon as they were placed on the table. She sat quiet for a few minutes and watched the rest of the gang. 'Riggs better smarten up' she thought to herself.
He was right about Asher, though. He looked like a fairly normal guy, which concerned her. He could just be a little boy with a dream of taking on Boss Rage and get himself killed. But that was typical of Xora. Quick to judge anyone as weak until they proved themselves to her. Riggs may have slid past death once, but how many times could he do it again? She was hardened to the cruelty of the wasteland. Not just the harsh settlements, but living alone for so long, then being treated like a rag doll. She had to prove herself to get this far, and the rest of them had to too. She felt like a wolf in a pack of dogs.
Around the bar people were heeing and hawing, making fools out of themselves as they drunk away their despairs. "This'll be a nice place to come after half of you get killed. Everything is strong here." She joked quietly. Her eyes flitted back and forth, the alcohol in her system barely starting to put her at ease.
She pushed her hair out of her face and glared once more at Riggs. She didn't take kindly to insults, but he seemed somewhat serious about this, and she wasn't gonna give up a sliver of a chance to get back at boss rage. "If I wasn't so set on revenge, I would squash you like a bug. I'm gonna try to get along with you for the greater good, but I can't make any promises."

 

[Crysodic]

Asher listened to each one of the skills and abilities of the group. While some were impressive, like being able to track with now virtually no landmarks, and being able to stand above everyone with ease. The rest of the group seemed to just be normal brawlers that could just shoot and knock heads. "Wow. Didn't even leave the bar and everyone is hell bent on killing each other." Asher said softly to himself, before continuing to listen. He looked over the whipping scars of the less clothed women, staring deeply into the etching of what was presumably a spiked whip. Surprisingly the cuts and permanent scars did not look infected. Either she cured herself, or this was one of the few that cleaned their toys. Asher thought about the few that may clean their weapons, despite his previous employer's demand to not. Probably Luko. Or at least his weapon. The girl turned back around, as Asher washed the thoughts from his brain, but yet still slightly wondered what awaited them. Then Riggs showed his own scar on his neck, just by the look of it Asher could deduce that it for sure did not heal correctly. And that it was for sure the ceremonial knife that was used. Asher shuttered as he traced his eyes along the scar. The waves of the knife made sure that any wound would not heal properly, and once again, it was not cleaned ever. Yet the wound seemed clean despite the challenges of the cut with the certain knife. He nodded at the confirmation that Boss Rage was getting more and more blood thirsty.

Then Riggs spoke to Asher and questioned what he could do, but before he could answer the lightly clothed women spoke up once again. Already she seemed to be getting buzzed, and her brain making possibly worse decisions than it should be. Waiting a few seconds after she was done just to make sure, Asher spoke of his skills, "Well, I was a doctor for Boss Rage. Dislocated bones, broken bones, bullet holes. You name it I probably fixed it, despite the rumors that him and his crew are invincible. And before you say anything, I was in his group before the 'kill everything' motif came about onto him. The first camp he decided to burn to the ground and kill everyone, I was out then. That's how I know that your scar." Asher nodded towards the one that was whipped, "Was probably not actually from Boss Rage, it was a whip with probably nails or some sort of crude spikes on it. For sure not his weapon, most likely Lukos. One of his lieutenants, or if it was Boss Rage, it was sure not his weapon. As Riggs said, you got off easy and probably lucky. He cleaned his weapon, more for appearances and fear factor but that's not important. You actually got the worst of the bunch Riggs." Asher turned to the man and did a neck slicing movement across his own neck. "You for sure got sliced by the man himself, I can tell by the pattern in your cut. A wavy knife that makes sure you can't heal all nice. And oh boy you sure did not, it's never cleaned and you got cut in the neck. Shit, i'm surprised that your alive at this point, much less ready to fight at peak condition." Asher took a breath, as he was rambling off useless information. "Oh uhm. I said doctor right? ...I guess I can shoot well? I took the Crown also. Minus the attachment I suppose. Other than that...not much I suppose."​

 

[Dunruffle]

Riggs nodded, "well at least you are more than a pretty face. Having a doctor will be a great help if one of us gets hurt." Turning to Xora, Riggs chuckled. "Sure sure, whatever you say." Rolling up his map and putting it back in one of his many pockets, Riggs turned to face the group. "So it looks like this is our crew. We have the muscle, a sniper, a doctor, a brawler, and a planner. Hopefully we will make it farther than the others who have tried." Standing up, Riggs went up to the bar and placed a few 7.62 mm rounds on the bar to pay for a spot to sleep on the upper deck. "Rest up well. Tomorrow will be a busy day." Riggs nodded to Sledge and Gigi then vanished up a set of stairs.

Sledge got up and gently took Gigi's hand. Gigi giggled and waved to everyone. "It was nice meeting you all! Lets have lotsa fun tommorrow!" She then skipped out of the bar with Sledge following her. They then climbed back into their big rig and locked their doors before going to sleep.

 

[Hyper Light Zulu]

SharpEyes stared at Asher and Xora before taking out her large bottle of whiskey and offered it to the two. "Drink. Good offerings," she said in a quiet voice. She didn't take her dirt bike helmet off. Not wanting too. She grunted and sat back, the bottle of hooch still offering to the two.

"I suppose I should say that I want Rage Boos dead is because he sacked my tribe. Raping and killing us all. I'm the only one left," she said aloud. Shurgging her shoulders. "I will be glad when I pierce his skull with my rifle..."

She looked around the bar, noting the drunken patrons. She couldn't blame them. She too would like to get thunderstruck drunk and forget the wastes.

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora nodded and accepted the offer, taking a swig. "Good stuff." She said, offering the first kind smile of the evening. She sat on a bar stool and ordered a bit of food, hungry and not yet ready to sleep. It wasn't great stuff, but nothing was these days. Just a bit of cooked rodent. Food was hard to come by on your own, but at least places like these served something hot. "You two are welcome to some of this." She said plainly. She patted the stools beside her. It wasn't that she was big on being all 'buddy-buddy' with everyone else, but the alcohol in her system was making her a bit more friendly. She could still focus and talk just fine, but the homey-ness of the bar and the sting of the alcohol took away her cold shoulder.
Xora ordered another glass of moonshine and sipped it slowly, savoring the stinging taste. Tomorrow was going to be the day they all embarked on something greater than themselves. She was prepared to die. Boss Rage barely let anyone in this little group escape with their lives, and she knew he wouldn't do it again. Xora's life had worked up to this moment though, and she wouldn't let it go. Maybe she could find some common ground with the others. Maybe being alone for so long hardened her too much. But that was for another day. Until she knew that they all could be trusted, she wasn't going to get soft for anyone (but liquor, that is.)

 

[Crysodic]

Asher nodded towards Riggs as he left for the ascending stairs. He gave a little wave to the child and immediately regretted it as the hulking man shot a glare towards them before leaving the saloon. Indian offered to what looked to be like a very badly brewed whisky or scotch to him and the one next to him. She sat down on what looked like the only non-falling apart stool in the whole establishment. Asher sat next to the less clothed women and was conveniently greeted with a soft cracking sound while accompanied by the sound of rocks hitting the broken wooden flooring. After a moment of contemplation, Asher took the bottle from his seating partner and took a pull. As soon as the liquid entered his mouth he already regretted his decision. Yep, bad whisky. Eventually after wishing the liquid around in his mouth, he drank the concoction with mild disgust. "I'm uh. I'm good on the food. Thanks though." Asher spoke still recoiling from the previous taste.

Asher reached into his back pocket, and took out a very odd looking coin. He placed it on the table where the metal could shimmer, where dirt and sand was not permanently stained. Asher picked it up again and tapped it on the wooden counter. The bartender walked over, unimpressed at Asher's attempt at trying to signal him over. "Whata ya need?" The man said in a groan. "That." Asher pointed towards one of the bottles that looked fairly clean but with a near clear liquid in it. "Five please." Asher asked the man putting up two fingers, before pulling back the coin towards himself. An old man, that looked to have gone mad years before today started laughing and made a thumbs up towards Asher. "Oh yes, make one of those go to him." He pointed towards the old man before shooting back a smile at him. The bartender stood there for a moment, cleaning one of the glasses before grabbing the bottle and pouring out the four shot glasses at laying them in front of Asher. Asher took one and slid it down the table towards the indian, stopping right at her hands, while he slid another towards his friend to the left. Asher then slammed back the two for himself as the old man in the back got his own shot of the drink. "This is Vodka by the way. And from what it tastes, pretty good. Still not worth this coin though." The barman seemed to become infatuated at this fact. He drew out a huge knife from the bottom of the bar and set it on the table. Indirectly threatening Asher. "Ah but let me tell you about this coin my good sir, now this coin is a very rare coin. If you go to any major city and give this to a man selling bullets. Oh boy will you get his whole stock, or if you take this to a butcher, you'll get all of his meats, and then some. And if. But only if! You take this to a collector of coins, why may you will get all of the money as you wish. Because this coin is from the old world, yes! I said the old world. But not just because this is from the old world, nononono! Its because its lined with silver on the edges, that is why it is so expensive." Asher took in a silent breath, as his show draws faces and ears towards him. "Now my barkeep friend, may you do me a favor and put away that knife and give everyone in this establishment a shot of that liquid!" Asher then holds out the coin towards the bartender, his arm motionless as the barkeep takes the coin and nods. This was greeted with some cheering from the drunkards, and some from the common man. Then starting on the drinks for everyone, Asher takes the first one and stands. Raising the drink high he draws the attention of most everyone in the bar. "Everyone! Everyone! I have a toast." Asher lets his words vibrate against the walls before letting his voice howl through the dusk of the wastes. "Here is to a long life, and a happy one. A quick death, and an easy one. A good girl, and an honest one. A cold drink, and another one!" Asher then sits back down on his crumbling chair as he is welcomed to some wholehearted cheering from most of the crowd. He takes back the last drink and closes his eyes, happy with his small few seconds of attention, and maybe a bit over buzzed.​

 

[CloudyDay]

Xora knocked back the shot quickly, watching Ashers charade. She giggled quite a bit at the whole scene. Listening intently, she followed Asher's story about the coin. Did she believe all that? Not at all. For all she knew that could have been something he melted himself. Anyone could make a coin these days. "Another round?" She smirked at Asher and clicked her nails against the surface of the bar, signalling for the bartender to bring out a few more.

The speech almost warmed her inside. It was nice to see someone happy in times like these, someone full of hope. Maybe he would get crushed tomorrow, but she wasn't going to ruin a good time. She stood from her stool, stumbling slightly. "Yeah! To old Boss Rage. May the bastard get what's comin' to him!" The rest of the bar 'yarred!' in return and raised their glasses, drinking to the toasts. "If we die tomorrow, at least I had a good night." She said to the others as she plopped back into her seat. Xora took a bit of a breather, munching on the charred rodent in front of her.
"So..." She said with a gulp. "That coin ya' got there. Not really from the old world right?" She smiled a drunken smile. "We could make tons of these babies. You give the speeches, and if anyone suspects anything I can beat some sense into 'em. How'd ya' get the silver though? And you must've worked a while on the mold." Xora questioned on and on, amused by the trick she was convinced Asher played on the bartender. "Also..." she whispered. "Good toast."

Xora was happy to be drunk. It had been a while since she drank with other people around. She remembered the color of the sands and the sunset on nights she drank herself to sleep just to get by the cold. Everything orange and red and brown. Then she remembered the nights with the raiders. The men got drunk and raped the women, joked around and brawled until the sun came up again. She was lucky she didn't get pregnant or used as target practice. As soon as she knew how to fight she was up and climbing the ranks. From nothing to something. Then she left it all. None of these lives called to her. Lone nomad, villager mindlessly living under Boss Rage's rule, a scum-of-the-earth raider. None of those buzzed her like now. Maybe she was really with her people. Or maybe it was just the drinks. But it was the first good time she'd had in years, and the first visions of friends.

 

[Hyper Light Zulu]

Vendetta burst out laughing as she finally took off the helmet, followed by the goggles. She smiled and downed the shot and smiled as she looked at her two squadmates. The two red finger prints crossing over her eyes from her forehead to her lips. "Thank you..." She said. She quickly took out her whiskey and downed a portion of the large Bottle. She smiled and laughed at how Asher scammed the man.

She had found many of those old war coins before, granted they were rusted and buried in the cities. Knowing they could just be melted and used for ammo. She shrugged. His loss, not hers.

She looked at both of her drinking buddies and sighed. This was different. She was going to be working with people... Damn... She didn't have anything against it, it was just that people tended to die very quickly and she made friends with these people... She frowned and clenched her hands. She'd just have to be extra vigilant and wary when she was covering their backs.

Rising from the bar stool, she clapped them both in the shoulder and nodded. "I'm hitting the hey, stay safe. No getting robbed," she mumbled as she donned her goggles and dirt bike helmet then waltzing out of the bar, tripping an drunk young man who tried to touch her. She laughed as she walked down the steps and disarmed the bombs rigged to her truck. She felt the crisp cold night air hit her exposed skin as she hopped into the car and bent the seat down, laying down.

She sighed and dreamed of Electric Sheep.

 

[Crysodic]

SUPER AWESOME BIG COLAB

[BCOLOR=transparent]Asher thought about taking the woman's offer for another drink, but he waved his hand in rejection. "No more for me, I rather at least slightly be able to walk." He was slightly surprised that Indi took off her helmet and actually started drinking with the two of them. She had what looked to be red warpaint, making Asher rethink her whole outfit in a new light. Before he could say anything, the now maskless woman thanked him for the drink and then proceeded to drink most of her own liquor. "Its honestly nothing. At least the men can have a few free drinks before they possibly die tomorrow." Asher said softly to himself, rolling his previous shot glass around in his hand. The woman next to him sparked another mini toast, as Asher looked over the two drinking partners again. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]We are a totally incompetent team.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] He jokingly though as he smiled, although something seemed to be bothering the sitting one. Asher was going to say something but she got up and said her goodbyes before he could get a word in."Have a good rest there, see you in the morning." He replied as the bar roared with the clothless women. As the other one sat down and threw back her drink, Asher mulled over the coin, trying to remember what was true and what he made up. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"No that was for sure from the old world. I can't smith for shit, and I don't even have a place to do it. Maybe...just maybe if the Crowns' engine gets hot enough I could." He smiled as he started to explain the old coin, "Actually that was the rest of my money. For its worth... Well, it's not as much as I exactly said. But you can still get lots of things with it." Asher looked around as much of the bar is still in a happy drunken state, but it looks like it's starting to die down.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Xora smiled drunkenly at Asher. "I can't hear for shit, buddy. Let's head outside." She pulled him up and walked outside the bar. "Xora, by the way." She grabbed his hand with a firm grip and shook it hard, smiling a toothy smile. As they made their way out the landscape was silent. Dark, orange, and silent. Like most nights. Cars were parked in the dirt with no order what-so-ever. Some people were talking in hushed voices outside their vehicles. Other people asleep, and some just being alone. The ship was like a safe bubble for wastelanders,everyone seemed so comfortable. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing this brought visions of the old world to her mind. Or, of what she had heard it was like. Lots of greens and blues. Bodies of water spanning for eternities. Apparently, they were on the bottom of one of those bodies. Apart from the existence of oceans and an abundance of flora, that's all she knew. Her life hadn't given her much opportunity for an education, considering no formal "school" had existed for commoners in ages. Most people these days were taught crafts such as smithing, mechanics, various art forms, or combat. Most people in Boss Rage's settlements hadn't even learned that. Fortunately for her, her parents taught her how to read. Some kids she knew couldn't even spell their own names. That's how bad it was for them. But Boss Rage used it as a control tactic. No knowledge, no power. The less his people knew, the more he could hurt them, steal from them, and ruin their lives. Xora grimaced at the thought of that man. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent].Pulling herself out of her own bad memories, she got back to Asher.. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I can't believe… You spent the rest of your money! We're gonna need to buy drinks after we shoot that asshole's head off!" She made a gun with her fingers and made 'pew pew' noises, like she was shooting. "Boooom! Just like that. Now he's dead." She blew on her fingers guns and shoved them into her pockets. "But… The old world. Sounds pretty cool. You must know [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Somethin' about it, considering that whole spiel about the coin." She burped a bit and laughed. "I wasn't taught too much about it. Where did ya learn all that? Couldn't of been in any old settlement." She asked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Asher laughed slightly as the newly named Xora shot into the air and holstered her new handguns. "I'll probably pick up something from the guys, presuming i'm living at the end though." Then she asked about how he knew of the old world, this made Asher even try to remember how he learned it. To him, it was just common knowledge. Something that he just knew, and didn't think too hard on how he learned it. "I suppose it was from my parents. They were big on remembering the past and not forgetting our ancestors." Asher looked around and suddenly felt something was wrong. He patted his side and remembered that he put his shovel down once he entered the bar. He looked around for his melee companion and found it missing. "Say...You didn't get yelled at for bringing in your revolver right?" Asher pointed to the outline of the gun in Xora's boot, starting to grow worried.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Xora took out her revolver and held it up. "Sure didn't! Did you see those guys out front? They weren't prepared to fight." She laughed. "Didn't break eye contact with me 'til I sat down. Did they search ya?" She slipped her gun back into her boot. "Unless you got some son of a gun strapped to your back, I'm not gonna aim anywhere near ya." She pointed over at the boat. "I'm guessin' they still got your shit? I'm happy to walk over there and give 'em a bruise eh?" Xora hicked, obviously drunk. She tried to focus on one thing, but it was hard. Why hadn't she been taught about the old world? Why was she really here? Why was Asher asking about her gun? Why had she drank so much, and why didn't she drink more? She sighed and looked behind her at the bouncers guarding the outside of the ship.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Asher looked over to where he previously placed his shovel once again, then swiftly towards the man standing next to his car, Ashers' shovel placed nicely on top. The man hopped into his car and drove off, kicking up sand behind him as he tore out of the bar. Asher stood there silently until finally deciding to speak. "My shovel. That was my favorite shovel. WHO STEALS A SHOVEL. IT'S A SHOVEL."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Xora grabbed her gun from her boot and shot at the car's tires uselessly as the man drove off, missing every shot. "Why do you even carry a shovel? And why in the hell would anybody steal it?" She the revolver back in its place and patted Asher on the back. "I'm sure you can find somethin' else to dig holes with. We can even make missin' posters.'Have you seen THIS shovel? No reward, we blew our money on drinks!'" She laughed wildly at her own joke.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Not surprised at the drunken Xora, grabbing her gun and shooting at the tires, Asher sighed and dug his heels into the sand "Very funny, that was a good shovel. Could do lots of things. Plus it was expensive." Asher spoke in a very quiet voice as he looked off towards the cloud brought up from the thief. He bent down and grabbed a small piece of metal and threw it at his own towering car. It's ripped off cannon sparked slightly on top of the cab in response to its damage. "And your welcome for the drinks, with that I could have bought a thousand shovels."[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]"H-Hey, it's not MY fault I like to consume alcohol before ya' know, potentially dying." Xora grumbled and traced shapes in the sand with the toe of her foot. "Go grab a stick and we can probably make you somethin', kid. It can't be that special" She placed her hand on his shoulder, turning him back the other way. "After we kill Boss Rage, I'll buy you.. I'll buy you [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]ten [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]thousand shovels. That's right. Think about all the money we're gonna get for bringin' in his head! We'll fill our cars up with shovels, or we'll go find your old one if ya' really want. If we don't have you a shovel by the end of this trip, then my names not Xora!" She laughed heartily and punched him in the arm playfully, walking away from the cloud of dust left behind by the speeding car. Yawning, she stretched her arm and slumped against the side of the car. "Time to hit the hay, kid." She opened the door and threw herself into the seat, melting down into a comfortable position. "Get some sleep and forget about the shovel!" She gurgled.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Asher laughed at the thought of having thousands of shovels within a single car, "Sure. Maybe we can get a new one or two." He then thought about the next day and how much danger they were putting everyone in. If they even missed one guy, another half of the waste was going to die just from Boss Rage's blood lust. Or, if somehow they all survive and get everyone, how screwed their cars would be. All random variables that could happen plagued Asher's mind, but then were let go once Xora entered what presumed to be her car. "I'll forget my shovel when i'm good and ready" Asher remarked, walking over to her side and closing the door to her car. "Don't die of intoxication." He said, turning around and walking towards his buggie. Asher awkwardly reached for the door handle and managed to pull it open, then grabbing the bottom of the door frame trying to pull himself up. His grip managed to slip from him and he fell to the ground. A small wave of sand kicked up from around him as he fell, a few drunken men standing outside laughed at his performance. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Xora glanced back just in time to see Asher fall, chuckling to herself along with the other men. "N-Nice one bud!" She said, starting loudly before quietly falling into what was more of a coma than sleep.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] He pushed himself up and attempted once again. This time he managed to push himself up and get himself into the cabin. Asher seated himself in the chair and reached over, closing the door and then throwing one of his jackets over him.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Dunruffle]

As soon as the sun peeked over the horizon Riggs woke up. Yawning and stretching, Riggs got up from the metal floor of the upper deck of the ship and looked around. Several other patrons were still snoring loudly as they lay in various places around the deck. Walking down the stairs and into the bar, Riggs nodded to the bartender. Seemingly still in the same spot as he was last night, the bartender nodded back as he cleaned a dirty cup with a stained rag. Walking outside, Riggs walked up to his bike and unchained his various pieces of gear. After organizing his things, Riggs walked over to Sledge's big rig and rapped on the door. There was the sounds of shuffling then the door opened slightly to reveal Sledge's glowering visage. "Hey sledge, can you wake up everyone else for me?"

Sledge sighed and nodded then dissappeared back into the cab of the truck. Gigi popped out of the turret on top of the cab and waved to Riggs. "Heya Riggs! Better cover your ears!" As Gigi giggled and plugged her ears with her fingers, Sledge activated the train horn on the cab. As the deafeningly loud horn bellowed, the sand on the cab shook off along with the sand from Riggs' bike. Wincing as the horn stopped, Riggs chuckled as he heard loud shouts and clamoring from inside the bar. "That should have just about killed anyone with a hangover." The door to the cab popped open and Sledge climbed out and gave a gravelly chuckle. Meanwhile, Gigi had climbed back into the turret hole and appeared on the back of the truck where a .30 caliber machine gun was mounted. "Hey daddy! Do you think we will get someone with the harpoon launcher today?" She motioned to the giant crossbow mounted on the top turret. Sledge simply shrugged in reply as Gigi hopped out of the big rig. "Well i hope we do! Shooting that thing is soooo fun!!"