CLOSED MAIN STORY The Evrensel Conflict: Prologue -- The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday -- SINAI

[Wade Von Doom]

~~GM~~

With the group now heading off into the distance where the dust cloud was, it would be but a small journey across the dunes before the ground level out into the salt flats. Each step they took made a crackling noise like they were stepping on crackers, and kicked up sand and salt that stained their clothing. Yet, the further they went across it, the caravan started coming into view. They wouldn't need to look hard to see what was causing the kick up of sand, as it was leading the way across the desert. With music blasting out of its speakers.

​

It was massive. A hovercraft the size of a castle, traveling at the speed of forty knots. The music, 'Run Through The Jungle' by Creedence Clearwater Revival, was echoing across the flats, and with the clearly mounted machine guns and turrets on the platforms in front and atop the hovercraft, it seemed like the Sinai had become Vietnam, and this PBR was out hunting.

Thankfully, it didn't start firing upon the group as it passed them by. Instead, one of the vehicles that was accompanying its right side veered off from it to meet with the group. There were a dozen other vehicles traveling with the hovercraft, which were a range of off-roaders and even street automobiles. Some looked military, others seemed fashioned together with a mixture of parts, and some just looked really out of place. Such as a 1970s red Lamborghini Countach that was traveling along the lower left side of the craft.

A mixture of awe and ridiculous. (Evrensel in a nutshell.)

​

 

[Lori]

𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐒𝐓.​

Above the mishmash menagerie of automobiles and other personnel vehicles, a pair of lavender wings soared in the desert sky, otherworldly feathers cutting through the salty, sandy air as the creature in question rolled through the wind with an occasional flap.

Anyone with better-than-average eyesight would look in the sky and scoff, or boggle, or start giggling at the sheer absurdity of things. Anyone with the ability to sense magic or otherwise supernatural energy would, instead, balk at the miniature equine arcanoreactor currently gliding towards them.

Around the same time that the other vehicles would arrive, maybe a few moments earlier, Twilight Sparkle, newest Princess of Equestria and brave little pony, would touch down near the epicenter of the explosion, displacing dust all around her as she made touch-down with all four hooves.

"Is everyone here alright?" She asks, eyes alight with calm concern under her straight-edge bangs. "We mean no harm: we saw an explosion in the distance, and came to investigate. Did one of the local monsters attack?"

The group that greeted Twilight were a strange bunch, but not utterly strange, on a metaphorical (and, in Twilight's personal quarters, quite literal) bell curve. Most were relatively humanoid (what was with the multiverse's fixation on primate sapience?), and they seemed to be as lively as every other group of dimensionally-displaced people she'd met thus far.

If anything, she was just mildly disappointed there wasn't another non-humanoid. She'd stopped wishing for another pony a while ago, at this point, but still, she'd like someone to relate to...

 

[BazusoTheGrey]

Louis looked in bemusement and awe upon the winged unicorn that had flown to meet him and his companions, though with much more of the former. For one, the mare was, to put it bluntly, rather diminutive in stature and was forsooth smaller than most ponies he had reared when he was younger. Secondly, she was a winged unicorn, a beast that only existed in the wild minds of authors and tall-tales. Lastly, and possibly the most vexing of all, the horse spoke!

It was only by The Lady's grace that Louis had elected to don his helmet for all would surely see the rank confusion upon his face. Breaking his gaze from the mare, Louis elected to look upon Mignonne instead to think on how he and his compatriots would reply to the horse; fortunately so as Mignonne had elected to look upon the unicorn with hungry eyes.

Acting swiftly, Louis knocked the top of Mignonne's head with a fierce, yet somehow gentle blow, "Mignonne. Non."

Mignonne, for her part, had the common decency to at least look ashamed for wanting to eat the talking horse. However, that action had brought undo attention unto the knight, and so, with no other recourse, he would continue speaking.

"Forsooth, such is the case. The vile machine attacked us before we began making our way to this caravan! However, we managed to defeat it, none the worse for wear. In any case, may we learn thy name... madame?" The last word was phrased as a question, both for the mare's name and for whether it was right to refer to her as such. Clearing his throat, the knight would continue, "If thou must know ours first, I am Ser Louis de Ademar, Questing Knight of Fairest Bretonnia. The companions by my side are numerous and their names and titles I shall leave them to answer; for their tales and honors are lengthy and deserving of respect."

A small white lie on his part, though a shameful one by Louis' reckoning. The short distance the group had traveled was not conductive to conversation and the new members of their band were not introduced yet. He was hoping that perhaps the wizard (@Goonfire) or the oddly haired man (@MiracleKa) would introduce themselves at this moment.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande had a distinct opinion of the large craft that loomed over the caravan. It looked like old timely Void Engineer hyper-tech, the type of equipment that was outdated decades ago. More interesting to him was that he recognized the song. CCR. The machine guns and turrets were a lot more conventional, looking like fairly standard technology. Not something he wanted to mess with at all. His attention only turned to the other vehicles as they were veering closer. It was clearly a hodgepodge of groups influence, not unlike his own. There would be countless reality deviants among them, the idea made his skin crawl. The crawling stopped on a dime upon noting the flying... purple object? Whatever it was it was certainly approaching the group.

He clicked a few buttons. The first thing he noticed was that this looked like... a Pegasus Unicorn? Disgusting. Such Reality Deviants were wiped out a long time ago. The second thing he noted was a few material that were odd, but not out of the ordinary on Twilight's person. When he started measuring primal utility, though, he visibly stepped back in shocked. There was a DISGUSTING amount of magical energy radiating off of them, fitting of a high power extra dimensional entity. A single bead of sweat comes as she approaches, this type of entity would take massive operations to take down while guaranteeing safety. He was missing about 3 Victors, 3 Extraordinary Field Agents, 6 Black Suits, , 3 Cyborgs, and 2 Alanson-equipped agents to follow proper operating procedure. This was the threat one responded with overwhelming force, even if a third of that should be sufficient. It would be too dangerous for a one on one, and with her having an entire army? Goodness no. Call the orbital killsats.

Not to mention it was a bit awkward that his organization drove being like this from Earth a long time ago, but that was besides the point.

By the time all the vehicles arrive, he's mostly composed himself. He'd need to make contact back home and get there as soon as possible. He may as well play friendly in times like these. Thankfully, this creature was more than happy to facilitate. Clearing his threat, he steps forward. "As my compatriot here said, we are fine. That scorpion machine attacked us. I just finished repurposing part of it to get us water. "

He, notably, did not give them his name. He knew what Reality Deviants can do with his name, from his lips. He regretted giving his name now. What a flub, what a goof. He didn't have much much choice, but he could test very quickly to narrow down what magic this unicorn used. If they played word games with a weird question, it'd show if the 'True Name' reality deviance phenomena was something they were familiar with. "May we have your name?"

 

[Otomos]

When the group had reached the caravan, Kaathe was at a loss. The vehicle in front of him was larger than any caravan had a right to be. It was large enough to look like it required guardsmen and patrols that required internal lodging, and still had room for other warriors to prepare. Its design was strange to him, but he had long since accepted that whatever he encountered here would be as such. What really caught his attention was the talking pastel purple pony with a horn, wings, crown, and mane that is styled in such a way that it looks like a humanoid hairstyle. The dark elf was not prepared to encounter a creature like this.

There were plenty of equine creatures back home, of course. A talking unicorn with wings was not a species that anyone back home had ever encountered. He briefly considered the possibility of it being a monster's deception, but her appearance was too bizarre for an illusion or hallucination that could affect him.

Others had spoken up to her, stating that the metal creature from before had attacked them. He joined in just so he could salvage a bit of normalcy from the situation

"The explosion was not from the metal creature, but nonetheless everyone is fine. Even the one we thought dead."

 

[Wade Von Doom]

~~GM~~

That same Lamborghini Countach traveling alongside the hovercraft was accompanied by a transport Warthog. Both then pulled up beside the group and Twilight Sparkle, kicking up dust as they did. The drivers in both wore matching, and very striking, attires.

The Vagabundos​

"Hey Amigos!" The Vagabundo in the passenger seat of the Lamborghini shouted out to the group, "You look a little lost! If you're planning to hitchhike across this desert, you might be better off riding with us than walking the rest of the way! Hahaha!"

"Oye! Sparkle!" The driver of the Warthog called out to her, "the doc needs your help again with the ship engines! He thinks it's almost ready to go!"

The group could still discuss amongst themselves whether joining this convoy would be a good idea or not, but for those who decided to join it, they could take a seat in the back of the Warthog, or try fitting inside the Lamborghini. Both drivers wouldn't wait around too long, as the speed of the hovercraft meant it had already started to pass them by, and were quick to drive off to follow from behind. The Pony could still keep in radio contact with the craft, however, so they weren't completely cut off. Once both cars were close enough, the rear hatch of the ship opened up, slamming against the ground to act as a ramp to drive inside.

The Lamborghini went first, flying into the cargo bay with so much speed, it skidded across the floor; leaving a trail of tire marks against it. "Hey! I just cleaned that floor!" A Vagabundo voice yelled out across the open radio. The Warthog followed next, entering much more peacefully. The whole back of the craft was wide open, about the size of a mansion with no walls, and two ramps that separated the space into two levels. Above it were two floors with ladders leading to each one, and walkways across the whole top of the craft.

Up there were mounted machine gun and artillery turrets, along with a massive cannon half the size of the ship itself. The lowest section of the cargo bay was used as parking for vehicles not in use, but along the upper platforms, the group would see a massive camp. A collection of tents and canvas' that were housing several dozen different 'scattered' like them. Humans of different variety, aliens, and fantastical other races populated this massive camp as best they could. They could smell food being cooked at the far end of the cargo bay, while there were also merchants cleaning and polishing their goods. Most who weren't working just chatted amongst themselves or seemed to be sleeping.

They all looked lost, though. They were exhausted from the humidity and heat of the desert, which couldn't be escaped inside the craft. It felt like over eighty to ninety degree Fahrenheit, even in the shade where the sun didn't shine inside. And there was a sense of nihilistic hopelessness in the air. What happened? How did they all get here? Would they, or could they, go back to their homes? Each one had a different story of their home worlds, but they all shared the same reason they arrived in this desert.

'A flash of light.' Engulfing them like a nuclear blast going off. With what seemed like space and time roaring past them as they were flung across the cosmos. Some had already let despair get the better of them, and believed they were going to die on this world, never seeing their friends and families again. Yet, the Vagabundos, piloting this craft, seemed to share a different mentality.

One of adventure and excitment. "Welcome to our humble abode, compadres!" The Lamborghini driver shouted to the group,
jumping out of the car with a little kick in his step, "Make yourselves at home! If the heat gets too unbearable, you can move inside the ship, but there's not much room in there, and the damn air conditioning is on the fritz. Something the Doc is trying to work on in the engine bay." Noticeably, the Vagabundos seemed to outnumber the 'scattered' by two-to-one. They were definitely the ones in control of the place.

"Lieutenant," a voice called out from the section platform of the cargo bay. It was a man, dressed in modern day human attire, who was talking to a woman, dressed in a more medieval attire of Burgundy colors. With the group's arrival, he cut his conversation short, and walked down the platform to greet the Vagabundo drivers and newbies. "Caught some more live ones, did you?" He asked him, sounding ever so slightly annoyed by yet more arrivals.

"What, you're not happy we have some more 'scattered' buddies for you to play with?" The Lieutenant, who was the Lamborghini driver, asked the man.

"More 'buddies' means more mouths to feed. And we're not exactly a stocked ship now, are we? No offense." He told the group.

Russell Adler
​

"Hey, with how many of those bastards are chasing us, the more hands on deck, the better!" The Lieutenant brought up to Adler. Nice to know they were being chased AFTER they all got on board.

"Guess that's one way of looking at it," Adler replied with a skeptical inflection, "You're all here now, anyway. Welcome to the traveling circus. Name's Adler. Your friendly ringleaders here are called the 'Vagabundos.'" He finally introduced.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande's eye was on the internal makeup o the ship, taking notes on its material composition, electrical systems, critical weaknesses, and the biological makeup of the races he caught brief glimpses of. There was a treasure trove of data on reality deviants, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to gather the information. The air temperature, though, was something he wouldn't be able to fix. Not really. Maybe he could jury rig something to take advantage of typical physics, but when it came to Enlightened application there wasn't much he could do to bring down the heat. Then, he was brought in front of the leader. This man had a sense of authority about him, and a clear edge of ruthlessness. He would be a problem later, but nothing he couldn't take care of. Alande knew how to commit, and cover up, a murder just fine.

At the mention of a lack of resources, Alande has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Sassing this guy was just going to make an ass of himself, even if he was completely right. He opens his mouth to speak. "Fixing our food and water problem will be trivial, sir. But, first, lets focus on the entities chasing us. My name is Dr. Vera. I'm an expert on biology, economics, material science, and data science. When it comes to your needs, I'm your saving grace in and out of this combat situation. If you have software based targeting systems, I can make a few adjustments to skyrocket performance. Or give you one, if you have the power generation. Alternatively, you can put me in the medical bay and I can work with scraps to save lives."

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

This day just got worse and worse. As if it were not bad enough he had already been more or less useless here, this thing was massive and entirely unpleasantly loud, never mind the very air near it was suffocating- and not just because of the sand. The talking pony was admittedly the least of his concerns right now. Louis's response was irritating, a pattern he had noticed. Honorable my ass… you do not know me… Assuming any of them were honorable was nice and all, but like hell he believed any of them were. He sure as hell was not, and the fact that it was just assumed that he was pissed him off too… "I would appreciate it if you stopped assuming things… in case you have not heard the phrase of it making an ass out of you." He muttered.

"We are fine, at least physically. I cannot say the same for my mental state…" He answered. He mostly ignored the exchange otherwise, at least he did until they were urged to board that hellish thing and approach the bigger one even further by bandits. "No thank you. I would rather take my chances with the sand." He refused quite openly. He already knew he fared poorly on carriages as it was, so anything outside his own two feet were a pass, much less something that looks and sounds like that. He dared not imagine what hellish fate awaited were he to ride it.

"I make a living fending bandits off, I have no desire to work with them." He grumbled. He shook his head, not giving any further chance for arguing or persuasion and simply moving to keep walking. They can appraise him later when they meet up again, but for now, he was not going to be forced to ride anything, much less fraternize with bandits.

 

[Goonfire]

​

Magneto scrutinized the convoy as the apparent bandits invited the wanderers aboard. Eclectic groups were commonplace in his universe, so a cartoonishly proportioned pegasus-unicorn was no surprise to him. He glanced up at the machine gun nests indifferently; they would be no challenge, should this group prove hostile.

Floating over the lamborghini, he touched down beside it once the lieutenant parked it and placed the scrapped scorpion next to it. "I will move this to a better location when I find one," he declared, loudly enough to be clearly heard. The leaders of the convoy seemed to disagree with having them aboard, so Magneto seized an opportunity. "I expect to earn my keep, human. I am Magneto, and the metal parts I could reconstitute with a mere thought will repair your failing machinery!" It was in everyone's best interest to keep this giant hovercraft moving; he felt he was in a position of power, driving such a bargain.

Luer had been waspish and moody, likely even before the Master of Magnetism arrived on this godforsaken planet. Rather than try to coax the squishy, ineffective human to stay and continue to sour his desert trek, Magneto breathed a sigh of relief and smirked haughtily. Now he could focus on the issue at hand—the air conditioning. The flamboyant costume insulated well against weapons, but did little against the scorching heat. "Anyway, show me to your engine bay."

 

[Lori]

𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐒𝐓.​

"The explosion was not from the metal creature, but nonetheless everyone is fine. Even the one we thought dead."

Acting swiftly, Louis knocked the top of Mignonne's head with a fierce, yet somehow gentle blow, "Mignonne. Non."

Mignonne, for her part, had the common decency to at least look ashamed for wanting to eat the talking horse. However, that action had brought undo attention unto the knight, and so, with no other recourse, he would continue speaking.

"Forsooth, such is the case. The vile machine attacked us before we began making our way to this caravan! However, we managed to defeat it, none the worse for wear. In any case, may we learn thy name... madame?"

He, notably, did not give them his name. He knew what Reality Deviants can do with his name, from his lips. He regretted giving his name now. What a flub, what a goof. He didn't have much much choice, but he could test very quickly to narrow down what magic this unicorn used. If they played word games with a weird question, it'd show if the 'True Name' reality deviance phenomena was something they were familiar with. "May we have your name?"

Twilight sighs in relief, hearing that everypony... ah, ahem, everyone is currently fine. It wouldn't be the case for long, though: with the monsters in the desert, and the merciless heat of the Sahara itself, anyone left here would be dead or dying in hours. Unless they have either insane luck or a particularly handy skillset, of course: Twilight reckoned she could survive long enough to find a livable climate, but it would be a lesson in pain and humility.

She's pulled out of her thoughts by the feral equine eyeing her up. Like it's... hungry? She's about as related to it as humans are to silverback gorillas, so the thought of garnering the beast's attention is somewhat unnerving. Luckily, its owner seems much more agreeable. Albeit, much more plate-armored, too.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Twilight Sparkle. I'm currently working with the Vagabundos - they're the ones in the approaching machines. Again, we mean no harm, our group just saw you in the distance and wanted to help out." She's not sure what the issue is with some of these humans: some were plainly uncomfortable and worse for wear by nature of, well, multiversal displacement. Others were far more concerned with the approaching automobiles and convoy. It was... a sensible concern.

We are fine, at least physically. I cannot say the same for my mental state…" He answered. He mostly ignored the exchange otherwise, at least he did until they were urged to board that hellish thing and approach the bigger one even further by bandits. "No thank you. I would rather take my chances with the sand." He refused quite openly. He already knew he fared poorly on carriages as it was, so anything outside his own two feet were a pass, much less something that looks and sounds like that. He dared not imagine what hellish fate awaited were he to ride it.

"I make a living fending bandits off, I have no desire to work with them." He grumbled. He shook his head, not giving any further chance for arguing or persuasion and simply moving to keep walking. They can appraise him later when they meet up again, but for now, he was not going to be forced to ride anything, much less fraternize with bandits.

Although the others more-or-less accepted the aid, her eyes widen in shock when the one with a bow on his back decides that enduring an endless desert was more favorable than associating with... bandits? She could definitely see how they came across as such, but if the archer treks across the dunes alone, he's basically killing himself!

Maybe he just doesn't know. With a weapon like that, and with the belts and leathers on his body, she wouldn't be surprised if he was from a world similar to hers. Guns, cars, and machines were non-existent or one-off doohickeys back in Equestria, and some folks in Ponyville couldn't even fathom how dangerous a situation like this would be.

And then he just... trudges off. To his totally avoidable demise.

Twilight's thought process starts, then halts, starts, halts, looking back and forth from the main group to the straggler. Then, her lips flatten to a frown, and she paws a hoof against the sand.

"Oye! Sparkle!" The driver of the Warthog called out to her, "the doc needs your help again with the ship engines! He thinks it's almost ready to go!"

The group could still discuss amongst themselves whether joining this convoy would be a good idea or not, but for those who decided to join it, they could take a seat in the back of the Warthog, or try fitting inside the Lamborghini.

"One moment," Twilight says to the Warthog's driver, "just start bringing back any willing people to the convoy, I'm going to go talk to some of them."

With that, the alicorn's wings unfurl, and she takes off on a small glide in Luer's direction. Before he can get too far, Twilight lands in front of him, concern shining clearly in her wide eyes.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to reconsider." Twilight begins, looking up at the disgruntled man. "You cannot survive these conditions, not alone. This is the equivalent of being stranded in the middle of the ocean, and dismissing a passerby galleon just because it's waving an unknown flag. They're not even bandits, or even pirates: we're all just headed in the same direction."

The Princess of Friendship sighs. "Look, if it makes it more bearable, I swear on my honor - or my crown and princessdom, or my draconic hoard, or whatever oath you'd like - that I won't let anything bad happen to you, and I'll try to make sure you're as comfortable as possible while we're on the way. Even if it means you have to ride my back the entire time! Just please don't march boldly to death-by-heat-stroke."

 

[BazusoTheGrey]

"Oh, sorry. I'm Twilight Sparkle. I'm currently working with the Vagabundos - they're the ones in the approaching machines. Again, we mean no harm, our group just saw you in the distance and wanted to help out." She's not sure what the issue is with some of these humans: some were plainly uncomfortable and worse for wear by nature of, well, multiversal displacement. Others were far more concerned with the approaching automobiles and convoy. It was... a sensible concern.

"Hail and well met then, Lady Twilight! We thank thee for thy offer of assistance and as our current environs are rather dismal, would accept thy offer of assistance."

Honorable my ass… you do not know me… Assuming any of them were honorable was nice and all, but like hell he believed any of them were. He sure as hell was not, and the fact that it was just assumed that he was pissed him off too… "I would appreciate it if you stopped assuming things… in case you have not heard the phrase of it making an ass out of you." He muttered.

"We are fine, at least physically. I cannot say the same for my mental state…" He answered. He mostly ignored the exchange otherwise, at least he did until they were urged to board that hellish thing and approach the bigger one even further by bandits. "No thank you. I would rather take my chances with the sand." He refused quite openly. He already knew he fared poorly on carriages as it was, so anything outside his own two feet were a pass, much less something that looks and sounds like that. He dared not imagine what hellish fate awaited were he to ride it.

Turning toward the young lad's surly remarks, the fair knight would raise an eyebrow at the man, "...Art thou sure young Luer? These wastes we have found ourselves in would spell the death of even the most seasoned adventurers, surely thou can see as such?" He ignored the slight besmirchment of his character, for his concern was with the ill mood that he now realized he had failed to address previously.

"I make a living fending bandits off, I have no desire to work with them."

Again, the knight cursed his lack of wit as the young man continued to stand his ground, asserting even that he wouldst not associate with bandits. While Louis could appreciate such a sentiment, he had no reason to think these men were bandits. Forsooth, they had offered their group succor during their travels, which was wholly unlike any type of bandit he knew. Surely the men were a sign that the Lady's blessing was with them yes? Perhaps the young man was weary of the strange sand skiffs the men used...

Fortunately, as the Knight dithered, Lady Twilight came and spoke the words that Louis had wished to say to soothe the lad. As she finished her speech, Louis found more appreciation in the talking horse, for she was nobility, and though she was no Bretonnian she certainly seemed of noble blood; if the vague sense of magics he espied were of any correlation. "Thy offer of support is most generous Princess Twilight, but thou needest not carry young Luer this day. Lad, I know the artifice thou seest before thee is strange to the extreme, but we cannot righteously leave thee here to perish in these wastes! I humbly request that thou ride upon Mignonne's back, if it would sooth thee. She may be a fierce flier, yes, but she is steady on the winds, moreso than any other bird in any land. Besides which, I must repay the favor thou hast done me earlier for healing my noble steed's wound!"

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

Luer stopped when the tiny horse got in his path, giving a curious look as to why. He did not expect the creature to insist like she did, much less to be adamant he would not survive. How did she know that? Did any of them actually know what was out there or where they were? It was hot and it was sandy, like any desert. He had water on him, he had at least a day in him before it ran out.

He grimaced somewhat as she spoke in defense of the so called bandits. "Then perhaps they would benefit from a better name. First impressions are everything sometimes…" He muttered. If they were going to call themselves bandits, then they should expect to be treated as such. Which meant no true self respecting knight would fraternize with them. …So when the hell did he have any self respect?

Twilight's next words, however, caught him off guard. A princess? Royalty? This tiny speaking steed? Draconic hoard?? That certainly was out of place. Ah, but that was less important. No, this small being was trying to promise him protection… as if that was what he wanted. He was willing to walk himself to death, protection was not his main concern.

No… he truly did not care for his own well being. At least, not right now. Why should he…?

Actually, Twilight offered him something else entirely with her words. Unintentional though he was sure it was, there was a chance… And this act alone proved to shed insight into the kind of royalty she was. The kind he very much missed… that would do whatever it took if they could to help someone.

Louis's words broke his train of thought, which caused him to turn his way. The words admittedly confused him, too. "'Young Luer'? How old do you think I am?" He shook his head again. Dammit, irrelevant again. Focus! He did not much like the knight's statement. Not because it was rude or anything of that nature, but because he understood what he meant.

He sighed to himself, shaking his head. "Well, I cannot put that on your conscience…" He knew what it was like, and he hated it. He would not want to be the source of such a feeling for anyone else. No one deserved it…

He turned his focus back to Twilight now, giving her a bow. "Forgive my not showing my respect sooner and my curt behavior, my lady. Former knight though I may be, I dare not seek the protection of royal blood." He stated. He dared not ask such a thing, his place was in the front line, not the princess.

You might be my only chance. Let me have this…

"Instead, if you would permit me to make up for the indiscretion… I would gladly be yours for as long as we are together." It was more a request than an offer, but it was an offer too. His job, even if it never lasted long, was to stand at his king's side and be ready should he ever have need of him. Even if it did not last here, either, even if all he can do is proved her time to escape in a fight, it was better than nothing.

Please… give me a reason…

Damn that voice. Trying to ignore it, he turned attention to Louis's words and the pony's offer for a ride. He shook his head. "I cannot ask that of you. Besides… I fear I may be a bit too…" How did he word that without sounding rude? She was tiny for someone his size, and he was relatively small. He cleared his throat, looking to Louis. "It is not entirely the 'strangeness' that offputs me here." Entirely, since it definitely contributed. "I have known since the early days of my training as a knight that I fare poorly on anything that moves… less it be my own two legs. I am of very little use to anyone in that condition…" Never mind how awful it was to feel sick like that, it would be an inconvenience to everyone else. "If I must, I would prefer not to be on that thing… So if it will keep me off of it, I will take you up on that offer." He will likely still get sick, though.

He looked back to Twilight and gave her a smile. "You need not answer me right away. I realize I am no one's first choice, and I will not be offended if you said no. But please consider it… I am, if nothing else, loyal to a fault."

 

[Hymeno Ran]

"Had to have high hopes for a living..."

Edward Elric
Vi



One minute he had been sitting out in the rain of Central City, still feeling hollow after losing Nina.
Now he's currently using his Alchemy to fix the AC (Winry would've stuck to this place like glue), even after spending some time here, he's still not familiar with the mechanics of this place all too much. Doc Brown isn't too bad of a teacher- he wasn't sure the Teacher back home would think of the man.

Thank goodness the AC was in one piece, made it easier to use Alchemy to put everything back together.

But then his stomach grumbles, and he realizes he's very hungry. Ed sighed, soon stopping in his work to head to the nearest sink- he's flesh hand is covered in grease, dust and oil. His automail is pretty dirty too... he'd have to clean properly later. For now, "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat!" He called out to Al and Doc Brown, probably some fresh air too while he thinks about it for a few seconds.

Ed soon hurried off, considering the amount of people on this craft, they needed to limit how much food everyone got and such. Which kind of sucked considered he was so hungry most of the time-

The air was still just as hot and sticky once Ed arrived to get some fresh air, his golden eyes zeroing in on the newcomers. Judging by their reactions and/or lack of dehydration, they probably just arrived. Maybe in the same way he and Al did.





This place was dry, dusty, and hot.
Not really much like Zaun, hell- not at all like Piltover either.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Still, it wasn't so bad. It helped get her mind off of... everything, from back home. Plus, with limited amount of drinks and such on this flying craft- Vi pretty much had to go sober, whether she wanted to or not. But, the people her put up with her, some even reminded her of people she knew.
Not Caitlyn though thank the Heavens above. The black dye in her hair still stuck around, she paid a good amount of coin for the dye and such, so yay- she got her money's worth.

The turret they assigned her wasn't, well... she wasn't a lookout. And it sucked for a while, being so high up, alone with her thoughts. She got used to it after a while, the endless desert wasn't a terrible sight to see. Plus, while the air was hot, it was breathable. No smog or terrible gasses to be wary of. It was nice.
The young woman had looked down when seeing fresh faces, her eyes narrowing a little in thought as Twilight- she'd never get over the fact she was familiar with a pony princess with a horn, wings, and magic- talked to someone attempting to leave. She half wondered if the person would listen.

It was still her job to look out for everyone on this craft though. So, slipping on the Atlas Gauntlets she kept beside her, the machinery humming and thriving to life, the young woman soon made her way down.​

 

[Lori]

𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐒𝐓.​

"Thy offer of support is most generous Princess Twilight, but thou needest not carry young Luer this day. Lad, I know the artifice thou seest before thee is strange to the extreme, but we cannot righteously leave thee here to perish in these wastes! I humbly request that thou ride upon Mignonne's back, if it would sooth thee. She may be a fierce flier, yes, but she is steady on the winds, moreso than any other bird in any land. Besides which, I must repay the favor thou hast done me earlier for healing my noble steed's wound!"

Admittedly, carrying humans isn't novel to Twilight at this point: with equines and other ungulates being used as mounts in this universe, it was a foregone conclusion that someone would ask for a ponyback ride. Honestly, it was fair play: Twilight did expect a larger number of humans to enjoy bananas, of all things, but that silly assumption was quashed over time. The alicorn could manage it, albeit by lightening the load by using her levitation magic.

In the long term, though, the larger hippogriff - which resembles a more feral version of a griffin, in Twilight's Equestrian perspective - would be better-suited for riding, since it probably is a fully-trained mount. A 'noble steed', as it were. As such, it's all the better when Luer accepts the offer. Twilight resolves, silently, to try and find some a cure for the archer's motion sickness, magical or otherwise.

"If I must, I would prefer not to be on that thing… So if it will keep me off of it, I will take you up on that offer." He will likely still get sick, though.

"Thank you for offering, Ser Louis. You're a real gentleman!" She smiles at the well-mannered knight, before returning to the conflict at hand.

He turned his focus back to Twilight now, giving her a bow. "Forgive my not showing my respect sooner and my curt behavior, my lady. Former knight though I may be, I dare not seek the protection of royal blood." He stated. He dared not ask such a thing, his place was in the front line, not the princess.

You might be my only chance. Let me have this…

"Instead, if you would permit me to make up for the indiscretion… I would gladly be yours for as long as we are together." It was more a request than an offer, but it was an offer too. His job, even if it never lasted long, was to stand at his king's side and be ready should he ever have need of him. Even if it did not last here, either, even if all he can do is proved her time to escape in a fight, it was better than nothing.

Thankfully, Twilight had found some form of connection with the archer. Enough to make him change his tune, thank goodness! Although, her wings ruffle and her jaw clenches when Luer treats her different because of her nobility. The alicorn was taken not too long after her official coronation, and the metaphorical crown on her head is both heavy and unfamiliar. An unbidden humility bubbles in her ribcage, uncertain of her worthiness, of the privilege to even imagine herself above Luer's station. She's just Twilight. She's just the understudy.

Except she's not just Twilight anymore. Princess of Friendship: that's the title she bears, the responsibility she holds, the throne she'll sit upon until Canterlot falls off the mountain. She's consumed libraries' worth of etiquette manuals, and monarchal compendiums, and political manifestos. She's spent sleepless nights researching and preparing for this role. And now, in an awful desert where nopony knows up from down, this very moment is where it matters.

So when Luer's eyes raise from the ground, he'll find a pony that stands tall with her legs planted firmly, her eyes sharp with wit and fair judgment. A million thoughts go through her mind right now - what would Celestia do, what would her friends think, how should she word this - but right now, all the alicorn needs to know is that she needs to live up to her name. Not a bookworm, or an egghead, or a librarian; Twilight is all of those things, but right now, she must be a princess.

He looked back to Twilight and gave her a smile. "You need not answer me right away. I realize I am no one's first choice, and I will not be offended if you said no. But please consider it… I am, if nothing else, loyal to a fault."

Twilight Sparkle's wings unfurl. Their lavender color takes on an orange glow in the desert sun, the light refracting off of her feathers to create the warm crepuscule color of her namesake. She flaps once, flying up and retaining her altitude so that she's at eye level with Luer, more or less.

"Sir Luer, your offer speaks volumes on your integrity, former knight or otherwise," Twilight smiles at him, her voice steady and measured, "And I can sense a deep sense of Loyalty in your heart, it's true. Even moreso, hearing that you healed Ser Louis's steed, even in a time of great uncertainty like this."

The alicorn takes a deep breath in, closing her eyes and gathering her thoughts. Okay. She can do this. "By the power bestowed in me by my crown and throne, I accept your offer. Because of our... extenuating circumstances... I hope you understand that you may break your vows if needs must. But until then, this oath will be honored to the fullest extent. My trust is in your hooves - er, hands."

Twilight chuckles, blushing when she goofs up that last bit.

The young woman had looked down when seeing fresh faces, her eyes narrowing a little in thought as Twilight- she'd never get over the fact she was familiar with a pony princess with a horn, wings, and magic- talked to someone attempting to leave. She half wondered if the person would listen.

Looking up at the turret and seeing a shock of pink Zaunite hair, Twilight realizes they've probably spent enough time down here, and it's high time they made their way back to base, so to speak. The pony realizes she's going to get an earful and winces at the thought: Vi's probably gonna rib her about picking up strays and being a perfect little pony friendship princess, if nothing else.

"If that's everything, let's go meet up with the rest of the group. We can get to know each other better once we're out of the heat." Twilight nods to the other two high-fantasy individuals. Hopefully, they can keep in touch during their time in this strange realm: it's always nice to have familiar folks from similar worlds to talk to.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

Alande's eye was on the internal makeup o the ship, taking notes on its material composition, electrical systems, critical weaknesses, and the biological makeup of the races he caught brief glimpses of. There was a treasure trove of data on reality deviants, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to gather the information. The air temperature, though, was something he wouldn't be able to fix. Not really. Maybe he could jury rig something to take advantage of typical physics, but when it came to Enlightened application there wasn't much he could do to bring down the heat. Then, he was brought in front of the leader. This man had a sense of authority about him, and a clear edge of ruthlessness. He would be a problem later, but nothing he couldn't take care of. Alande knew how to commit, and cover up, a murder just fine.

At the mention of a lack of resources, Alande has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Sassing this guy was just going to make an ass of himself, even if he was completely right. He opens his mouth to speak. "Fixing our food and water problem will be trivial, sir. But, first, lets focus on the entities chasing us. My name is Dr. Vera. I'm an expert on biology, economics, material science, and data science. When it comes to your needs, I'm your saving grace in and out of this combat situation. If you have software based targeting systems, I can make a few adjustments to skyrocket performance. Or give you one, if you have the power generation. Alternatively, you can put me in the medical bay and I can work with scraps to save lives."

View attachment 264600​

Magneto scrutinized the convoy as the apparent bandits invited the wanderers aboard. Eclectic groups were commonplace in his universe, so a cartoonishly proportioned pegasus-unicorn was no surprise to him. He glanced up at the machine gun nests indifferently; they would be no challenge, should this group prove hostile.

Floating over the lamborghini, he touched down beside it once the lieutenant parked it and placed the scrapped scorpion next to it. "I will move this to a better location when I find one," he declared, loudly enough to be clearly heard. The leaders of the convoy seemed to disagree with having them aboard, so Magneto seized an opportunity. "I expect to earn my keep, human. I am Magneto, and the metal parts I could reconstitute with a mere thought will repair your failing machinery!" It was in everyone's best interest to keep this giant hovercraft moving; he felt he was in a position of power, driving such a bargain.

Luer had been waspish and moody, likely even before the Master of Magnetism arrived on this godforsaken planet. Rather than try to coax the squishy, ineffective human to stay and continue to sour his desert trek, Magneto breathed a sigh of relief and smirked haughtily. Now he could focus on the issue at hand—the air conditioning. The flamboyant costume insulated well against weapons, but did little against the scorching heat. "Anyway, show me to your engine bay."

"A doctor?" Adler remarked to Vera, taking a puff of his lit cigarette in his left hand. "Nice to have another on board. I'm a doctor myself. Though, more of a 'psychologist.'" If Alande didn't know better, he would detect a hint of sarcasm in Adler's voice at that word. Like it's meaning was a little 'in-joke.'

He wasn't so impressed with Magneto, however. The way he brazenly carried himself with an air of smugness and arrogance, and the demanding nature of his tone was like that of a king talking to peasants. He may control metal, but he seemed to overestimate his abilities and how far he could go in this unknown world. Even if it was familiar to both of them. "If you two feel like helping our other Doctor with the engines, I can show you to him." Adler wouldn't linger on his doubts for long. They had more important duties to worry about.

"Had to have high hopes for a living..."

Edward Elric
Vi



One minute he had been sitting out in the rain of Central City, still feeling hollow after losing Nina.
Now he's currently using his Alchemy to fix the AC (Winry would've stuck to this place like glue), even after spending some time here, he's still not familiar with the mechanics of this place all too much. Doc Brown isn't too bad of a teacher- he wasn't sure the Teacher back home would think of the man.

Thank goodness the AC was in one piece, made it easier to use Alchemy to put everything back together.

But then his stomach grumbles, and he realizes he's very hungry. Ed sighed, soon stopping in his work to head to the nearest sink- he's flesh hand is covered in grease, dust and oil. His automail is pretty dirty too... he'd have to clean properly later. For now, "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat!" He called out to Al and Doc Brown, probably some fresh air too while he thinks about it for a few seconds.

Ed soon hurried off, considering the amount of people on this craft, they needed to limit how much food everyone got and such. Which kind of sucked considered he was so hungry most of the time-

The air was still just as hot and sticky once Ed arrived to get some fresh air, his golden eyes zeroing in on the newcomers. Judging by their reactions and/or lack of dehydration, they probably just arrived. Maybe in the same way he and Al did.





This place was dry, dusty, and hot.
Not really much like Zaun, hell- not at all like Piltover either.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Still, it wasn't so bad. It helped get her mind off of... everything, from back home. Plus, with limited amount of drinks and such on this flying craft- Vi pretty much had to go sober, whether she wanted to or not. But, the people her put up with her, some even reminded her of people she knew.
Not Caitlyn though thank the Heavens above. The black dye in her hair still stuck around, she paid a good amount of coin for the dye and such, so yay- she got her money's worth.

The turret they assigned her wasn't, well... she wasn't a lookout. And it sucked for a while, being so high up, alone with her thoughts. She got used to it after a while, the endless desert wasn't a terrible sight to see. Plus, while the air was hot, it was breathable. No smog or terrible gasses to be wary of. It was nice.
The young woman had looked down when seeing fresh faces, her eyes narrowing a little in thought as Twilight- she'd never get over the fact she was familiar with a pony princess with a horn, wings, and magic- talked to someone attempting to leave. She half wondered if the person would listen.

It was still her job to look out for everyone on this craft though. So, slipping on the Atlas Gauntlets she kept beside her, the machinery humming and thriving to life, the young woman soon made her way down.​

"In fact," Adler, out of the corner of his eye, saw Vi slide down the ladder to the cargo bay floor. Probably to get some shade from the sun bearing down, or grab some food from the freshly made stew. He watched her make her way into the camp, and there he saw Edward making himself a bowl, "I can introduce you to one of his helpers." Saying that, he waved for Magneto and Alande to follow, with the Vagabundo lieutenant following suit. (Though not before shooing away two of his crew who quickly surrounded the dead scorpion out of curiosity of scrap rights for it.)

The smell of stew in the camp was strong. A large steel cauldron was right in the center of the tents, hung over a metal fireplace to cook all the ingredients, which was a mixture of cut vegetables marinating in a meaty broth. The cook was cutting up a few more pieces of celery, potatoes, and a purplish vegetable that sort've looked like a turnip, but smelled like strawberries when cut open. He had a particularly 'unique' look to him in comparison to the other scattered on board, and the Vagabundos took to him immediately for the 'similar' personality traits they shared.

John Silver
​

You may know why. "Ah! Edward!" Silver shouted out to the young Alchemist as he approached, chopping the vegetables with incredible speed and timing using his robotic arm. "Just in time, boyo! I was just adding in the finishing details! Had to substitute the lack of spices with a bit of bone marrow from our prey, but I've found myself a new family recipe in the making!" Like the others, Silver was found in the desert and picked up by the 'bundos, just before Ed and Al were, but took a quick liking to both boys. Not just because of his relatability to Edward's automail condition, but also his reminder of another young lad that seemed lost and in need of direction.

Once copped and thrown into the stew, a quick flame from his prosthetic arm boiled the stew once more, and a fast stir of the newly chucked in ingredients, he pulled out the ladle and pour it in a nicely made bowl. "'Ere we are.~ Tell me what you think, m'lad." It was thanks to Edward and Alphonse that they had a cauldron, fire place, bowls and even spoons and forks to eat with. Their alchemy was a marvel to watch as they molded simple pieces of metal into finely crafted utensils, as if they were using clay.

The same could not be said about Silver and his cooking. For upon Edward taking a spoonful of stew, he was met with the eyeball of the creature they used the meat of to make the stew. "Whops! There's where that went!" Silver was looking for that eyeball, and quickly snatched it off Edward's spoon. "Thought I lost that little bugger. Think he's curious what you make of him in meal form!" Silver joked, before bellowing out a laugh as he pointed the eye at Edward.

"Glad to see the health conditions of the kitchen are still impeccable," Adler remarked back once all four of them walked into camp.

"Russell! Quick to prey upon the young blood I see," Silver quipped, grabbing some more bowls from under his cutting table.

"Someone has to save them from your corrupting presence."

"Said the pot back to the kettle." The two men's back and forth was light-hearted and easy to see. Adler also enjoyed Silver's company, though maybe for not the same reasons as the 'bundos did. Maybe more for how he could see through the facade the cyborg hid under.

"Edward, meet the new recruits. Dr. Alande Vera, and 'Magneto.' They said they're willing to help with the engine repairs if your brother and Brown need it."

 

[Hymeno Ran]

​

Alande's eye was on the internal makeup o the ship, taking notes on its material composition, electrical systems, critical weaknesses, and the biological makeup of the races he caught brief glimpses of. There was a treasure trove of data on reality deviants, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to gather the information. The air temperature, though, was something he wouldn't be able to fix. Not really. Maybe he could jury rig something to take advantage of typical physics, but when it came to Enlightened application there wasn't much he could do to bring down the heat. Then, he was brought in front of the leader. This man had a sense of authority about him, and a clear edge of ruthlessness. He would be a problem later, but nothing he couldn't take care of. Alande knew how to commit, and cover up, a murder just fine.

At the mention of a lack of resources, Alande has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Sassing this guy was just going to make an ass of himself, even if he was completely right. He opens his mouth to speak. "Fixing our food and water problem will be trivial, sir. But, first, lets focus on the entities chasing us. My name is Dr. Vera. I'm an expert on biology, economics, material science, and data science. When it comes to your needs, I'm your saving grace in and out of this combat situation. If you have software based targeting systems, I can make a few adjustments to skyrocket performance. Or give you one, if you have the power generation. Alternatively, you can put me in the medical bay and I can work with scraps to save lives."

View attachment 264600​

Magneto scrutinized the convoy as the apparent bandits invited the wanderers aboard. Eclectic groups were commonplace in his universe, so a cartoonishly proportioned pegasus-unicorn was no surprise to him. He glanced up at the machine gun nests indifferently; they would be no challenge, should this group prove hostile.

Floating over the lamborghini, he touched down beside it once the lieutenant parked it and placed the scrapped scorpion next to it. "I will move this to a better location when I find one," he declared, loudly enough to be clearly heard. The leaders of the convoy seemed to disagree with having them aboard, so Magneto seized an opportunity. "I expect to earn my keep, human. I am Magneto, and the metal parts I could reconstitute with a mere thought will repair your failing machinery!" It was in everyone's best interest to keep this giant hovercraft moving; he felt he was in a position of power, driving such a bargain.

Luer had been waspish and moody, likely even before the Master of Magnetism arrived on this godforsaken planet. Rather than try to coax the squishy, ineffective human to stay and continue to sour his desert trek, Magneto breathed a sigh of relief and smirked haughtily. Now he could focus on the issue at hand—the air conditioning. The flamboyant costume insulated well against weapons, but did little against the scorching heat. "Anyway, show me to your engine bay."

"A doctor?" Adler remarked to Vera, taking a puff of his lit cigarette in his left hand. "Nice to have another on board. I'm a doctor myself. Though, more of a 'psychologist.'" If Alande didn't know better, he would detect a hint of sarcasm in Adler's voice at that word. Like it's meaning was a little 'in-joke.'

He wasn't so impressed with Magneto, however. The way he brazenly carried himself with an air of smugness and arrogance, and the demanding nature of his tone was like that of a king talking to peasants. He may control metal, but he seemed to overestimate his abilities and how far he could go in this unknown world. Even if it was familiar to both of them. "If you two feel like helping our other Doctor with the engines, I can show you to him." Adler wouldn't linger on his doubts for long. They had more important duties to worry about.

"Had to have high hopes for a living..."

Edward Elric
Vi



One minute he had been sitting out in the rain of Central City, still feeling hollow after losing Nina.
Now he's currently using his Alchemy to fix the AC (Winry would've stuck to this place like glue), even after spending some time here, he's still not familiar with the mechanics of this place all too much. Doc Brown isn't too bad of a teacher- he wasn't sure the Teacher back home would think of the man.

Thank goodness the AC was in one piece, made it easier to use Alchemy to put everything back together.

But then his stomach grumbles, and he realizes he's very hungry. Ed sighed, soon stopping in his work to head to the nearest sink- he's flesh hand is covered in grease, dust and oil. His automail is pretty dirty too... he'd have to clean properly later. For now, "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat!" He called out to Al and Doc Brown, probably some fresh air too while he thinks about it for a few seconds.

Ed soon hurried off, considering the amount of people on this craft, they needed to limit how much food everyone got and such. Which kind of sucked considered he was so hungry most of the time-

The air was still just as hot and sticky once Ed arrived to get some fresh air, his golden eyes zeroing in on the newcomers. Judging by their reactions and/or lack of dehydration, they probably just arrived. Maybe in the same way he and Al did.





This place was dry, dusty, and hot.
Not really much like Zaun, hell- not at all like Piltover either.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Still, it wasn't so bad. It helped get her mind off of... everything, from back home. Plus, with limited amount of drinks and such on this flying craft- Vi pretty much had to go sober, whether she wanted to or not. But, the people her put up with her, some even reminded her of people she knew.
Not Caitlyn though thank the Heavens above. The black dye in her hair still stuck around, she paid a good amount of coin for the dye and such, so yay- she got her money's worth.

The turret they assigned her wasn't, well... she wasn't a lookout. And it sucked for a while, being so high up, alone with her thoughts. She got used to it after a while, the endless desert wasn't a terrible sight to see. Plus, while the air was hot, it was breathable. No smog or terrible gasses to be wary of. It was nice.
The young woman had looked down when seeing fresh faces, her eyes narrowing a little in thought as Twilight- she'd never get over the fact she was familiar with a pony princess with a horn, wings, and magic- talked to someone attempting to leave. She half wondered if the person would listen.

It was still her job to look out for everyone on this craft though. So, slipping on the Atlas Gauntlets she kept beside her, the machinery humming and thriving to life, the young woman soon made her way down.​

"In fact," Adler, out of the corner of his eye, saw Vi slide down the ladder to the cargo bay floor. Probably to get some shade from the sun bearing down, or grab some food from the freshly made stew. He watched her make her way into the camp, and there he saw Edward making himself a bowl, "I can introduce you to one of his helpers." Saying that, he waved for Magneto and Alande to follow, with the Vagabundo lieutenant following suit. (Though not before shooing away two of his crew who quickly surrounded the dead scorpion out of curiosity of scrap rights for it.)

The smell of stew in the camp was strong. A large steel cauldron was right in the center of the tents, hung over a metal fireplace to cook all the ingredients, which was a mixture of cut vegetables marinating in a meaty broth. The cook was cutting up a few more pieces of celery, potatoes, and a purplish vegetable that sort've looked like a turnip, but smelled like strawberries when cut open. He had a particularly 'unique' look to him in comparison to the other scattered on board, and the Vagabundos took to him immediately for the 'similar' personality traits they shared.

View attachment 264930

John Silver
​

You may know why. "Ah! Edward!" Silver shouted out to the young Alchemist as he approached, chopping the vegetables with incredible speed and timing using his robotic arm. "Just in time, boyo! I was just adding in the finishing details! Had to substitute the lack of spices with a bit of bone marrow from our prey, but I've found myself a new family recipe in the making!" Like the others, Silver was found in the desert and picked up by the 'bundos, just before Ed and Al were, but took a quick liking to both boys. Not just because of his relatability to Edward's automail condition, but also his reminder of another young lad that seemed lost and in need of direction.

Once copped and thrown into the stew, a quick flame from his prosthetic arm boiled the stew once more, and a fast stir of the newly chucked in ingredients, he pulled out the ladle and pour it in a nicely made bowl. "'Ere we are.~ Tell me what you think, m'lad." It was thanks to Edward and Alphonse that they had a cauldron, fire place, bowls and even spoons and forks to eat with. Their alchemy was a marvel to watch as they molded simple pieces of metal into finely crafted utensils, as if they were using clay.

The same could not be said about Silver and his cooking. For upon Edward taking a spoonful of stew, he was met with the eyeball of the creature they used the meat of to make the stew. "Whops! There's where that went!" Silver was looking for that eyeball, and quickly snatched it off Edward's spoon. "Thought I lost that little bugger. Think he's curious what you make of him in meal form!" Silver joked, before bellowing out a laugh as he pointed the eye at Edward.

"Glad to see the health conditions of the kitchen are still impeccable," Adler remarked back once all four of them walked into camp.

"Russell! Quick to prey upon the young blood I see," Silver quipped, grabbing some more bowls from under his cutting table.

"Someone has to save them from your corrupting presence."

"Said the pot back to the kettle." The two men's back and forth was light-hearted and easy to see. Adler also enjoyed Silver's company, though maybe for not the same reasons as the 'bundos did. Maybe more for how he could see through the facade the cyborg hid under.

"Edward, meet the new recruits. Dr. Alande Vera, and 'Magneto.' They said they're willing to help with the engine repairs if your brother and Brown need it."

"An endless road, but I know that you're strong and bold..."


Edward Elric
Vi


He wasn't quite sure why Silver took an almost instant liking to him. He doubted it was because of his arm and leg, nor because of all the repairs he did thanks to his Alchemy. Silver had... a melancholy look in his eyes. A look Edward was familiar with himself more or less. The blonde didn't pry though, everyone was entitled to their own secrets and past. But there was one thing the blonde could accept- the food this man made.

It was the best! The teen grinned in delight, his stomach grumbling as he eagerly accepted the bowl. Spoon in his right metal hand, "Thanks! Wow this looks so-so-... so-" Edward cut himself off after taking a spoonful of the soup, ready take in a big gulp full. Only to be met with an- eye. He felt his hunger quickly fade away like a candle in the wind as he stared down at the spoon where the eye was. Even after Silver removed it- he could swear was still watching him from afar!

Still... he'd sooner drink milk than hurt the man's feelings, he kept such a thought to himself as he took a more tentative sip from his spoon. Once the unique flavor of the soup hit him, Edward quickly began eating. He was hungry, besides, they were hardly trying to impress anyone at a fancy dinner thing. The blonde paused though when Adler introduced him to two new people they found.
A Dr. Alande Vera and... Magneto? Edward took a spoonful of soup to keep from saying something smart- yet at least. "Hey, name's Ed, don't worry about the engine room. Al, Doc Brown and I have it covered." He replied as he finished off more of the soup, "You two better get some soup before it's all gone-" He jumped, nearly dropping his bowl of soup when a loud THUD was heard. Edward whipped around, grumbling when he saw the big giant Atlas Gauntlets on the ground. He had been tempted to take those things apart for scientific purposes- the owner promptly picked up like a suitcase before tossing him back to Al.


"Yeah, this one's still growing so he's gotta get at least four helpings." Edward clenched the spoon so tightly in his metal hand as Vi's jab towards him. "You know if you're not gonna finish that bowl-"
"Hands off!" The teen scampered back a bit from Vi as she 'lunged' for it, it just earned a snort of amusement from the young woman, and a glare from the blonde. "I hope you find an eyeball in yours too..." Edward grumbled as he continued eating, the spoon's handle warped from the amount of pressure from Edward's metal hand.



Vi smirked to herself. Edward was like a funny little combination of Powder, Mylo, and Claggor. Mostly in personality and that sibling energy he seemed to have roll off of him in waves. Her smirk faded as she eyed the new people.
She didn't blame Twilight for wanting to help people, especially in this hot as hell sandy abyss.

That didn't mean she trusted the new guys though. Maybe it was just her own protective instincts flaring up, maybe it was just the familiar air of... arrogance that seemed to roll off these two in waves as well. Or she was just overthinking things once again, something she seemed to keep doing ever since arriving here. Wordlessly she turned to Silver, her expression softening. If Edward and his brother reminded her her siblings, Silver reminded her of Vander in a sense. "Was there actually an eyeball in Ed's soup?" She questioned as she failed to hide back a chuckle.​

 

[PolyesterH]

Adler's word reeked of a NWO operative way too confident in their own posturing, had it not been for their exact choice of words. He clearly wasn't Enlightened, or even an agent, given the lack of identifiers on his person. Nevertheless, he clearly had a very similar type of job in whatever his own world was. Ultimately, he concluded it was best to give a subtle nod that he wasn't entirely ignorant of what Adler was putting down, "I've worked alongside 'psychologists' of many kinds. That will work just fine, sir."

He turned on his heel to follow Adler when the gesture came, heading down the ladder. He started smelling the stew, and the composure he had falters for a brief moment. It was an interesting, and not quite, unpleasant smell. The rough edges of a home-cooked meal he hadn't been quite acquainted with for a while, In a snap of a look to John Silver, he takes note of their ears and non-human and non-cybernetic features instantaneously. His eye only looked to the cybernetic arm afterwards, which prompted him to raise his eyebrow. This actually looked fairly in line with proper Hypertech work, albeit a lot less sleek than it should be. It looked like it needed a few coverings on the upper-arm, could be a bit cleaner around the hand, but it was hardly unmutual in this context.

He seemed to be on board with trying the stew before the eye emerged from the stew. This, on a dime, completely killed his curiosity though his face didn't really show that. He payed close attention to the quips between him and Adler. The health conditions of the kitchen would need help. IN fact frankly there probably had to be a complete overhaul of sanitation and cleanliness standards, which funnily enough he was well equipped to do. Finally, upon prompting, he makes eye contact with Edward. Like just about everyone else he leaked of Reality Deviance. That prosthetic arm, at least, was top shelf stuff. Actually kind of admirable for how sleek it was. It had a bit too much of a European knight aesthetic, but if he had to work with lesser resources this is something he'd wind up dreaming up. Much more mind boggling was him eating the soup. Maybe he was from that era, if he knew so little about sanitation standards.

When Alphonse entered the scene, he immediately noticed the marking on their left shoulder plate. This, combined with the similar aesthetics to that and Edwards arm plus their close relation, it was likely but not certain they were from the same place and knew each other. That symbol was clearly reality deviance, likely Hermetic in nature. Disgustingly unmutual and unscientific, it was fortunate he was so good at keeping a striaght face. After watching him and Al bicker a bit, he finally gets the room to speak up. "I'm not hungry, thank you, The eyeball killed my appetite and reminded me of the state of your sanitation. Someone needs to start applying the principles of germ theory." he stated calmly as he flicked on the life readings. After looking at them for a brief moment he turns it off for his own sanities sake. "If you have any scrap materials, I can get to work on that. A good start would be integrating Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation in to your air and water filtration system. We solved its related problems a long time ago where I'm from. I can also help with building or fixing your solar panel arrays depending on if you have them already."

It was going to be a long day.

 

[Goonfire]

​

Magneto trailed not far behind the elements of this crew en route to the camp's 'kitchen', floating barely a centimeter off the ground. At first, all seemed fine as could be in here. He removed his helmet for the first time, revealing his white mane, and leaned in to peer at the contents of the pot. His nose and forehead wrinkled, the loose eyeball alerting him to the cook's questionable organization. This 'Edward' slurping down the soup did little to convince him otherwise. "While I... appreciate your hospitality, I have to agree with the good doctor," he replied, his tone having softened some.

By now, the mutant had time to notice Ed and Silver had mechanical arms. His eyes flashed white as he examined them both. There was a major difference in the quality of craftsmanship, but the principle was still roughly the same; wires translated motor nerve impulses into signals to manipulate the various motors and pneumatic actuators housed beneath the steel plating. Edward's arm was especially sophisticated, even by Magneto's high standards.

"You said you have the AC handled?" he questioned, ignorant to the contributions and capabilities of the young alchemists. "I take it you are engineers of some kind, then?"

---

Phoenix Stålman
Inquisitor Cleric of Helm​

It was a losing battle already. Sweat dripped from the weakened cleric's forehead. Zuggtmoy stood tall before them, her spores blanketing the vicinity. Phoenix coughed heavily, but ultimately shrugged off the invasive thoughts that came with those spores. Once he lifted his head, his face paled. A rogue, two fighters, a wizard, a druid, and a fellow cleric turned towards him with vacant stares.

In a bold act, Phoenix clutched his amulet and lunged to cast Lesser Restoration on the cleric of Bahamut. The others swarmed Phoenix, and soon their blades pierced his chest. He slouched forward, muttering a prayer without breath as they stabbed him repeatedly. His sacrifice bought the dragonborn enough time to cure their magical infections and gain the upper hand. The Helmite, however, didn't see the bright light pierce the fiery skies of Avernus or feel the strain of his limp body being thrown across the greater multiverse.

When he came to, the heat assailed him instantly. His eyes stung from the sunlight... Ah, glorious sunlight! Though he knew not where he was, the cleric rejoiced to have survived the horrors of the war-torn Hell. How did he survive, though? His mind was a whirlwind as he did mental gymnastics ranging from religious theories to actual math in hopes of rationalizing how he went from bleeding out to arriving in a desert instead of the Fugue Plane or—gods forbid—the shores of the River Styx.

His pondering was cut short as an imposing shape crested the horizon. It was a massive metal structure, akin to the flying fortresses dotting the skies of Avernus. Engines roared all around it, only the vehicles that possessed them were of sleeker designs than the infernal war machines.

Phoenix was afraid at first. He attempted to flee, then to fight when these machines caught up to him. He quickly realized his error; these were indeed humans and not devils. With his party missing, he made the prudent choice to climb into one of these sleek, agile machines and come aboard.

That was yesterday...

Today was every bit as confusing. It was sweltering in here, and other residents of these tents complained about something called the 'AC'. It was broken—some sort of construct, perhaps? Whatever its function, he gathered it could alleviate the people's heat-related woes. Three people were working to repair it, two of whom were 'alchemists'—a claim that further puzzled Phoenix. Where were their tools and vials of quasi-magical compounds? Their shaping of metal into usable items at-will read more as arcane spellcasting than his world's notion of alchemy.

With his armor and weapon left in a neat pile, Phoenix roamed the floating fortress, tending to the injured and ill. A scene at the cooking fire drew his attention, so he wove between the tents towards the gathering. By the time he made it, two apparent newcomers were professing their revulsion. One was said to be a doctor, but the other... perhaps an exhibitionist battle mage? It was the only way the cleric could rationalize the ostentatious and nigh-scandalous garb that hugged the floating man's every muscle.

"Good morrow, Silver. Is everything fine?" the healer questioned, hands held out to receive a bowl as his gaze scanned across all present. He raised his eyebrows at the lecture about... "U... Ultra-violent genocidal radiance? Solar planar rays?" he then tried to echo, failing miserably. "Apologies. I know not such phrases. Is this a matter of the divine?" The rapid-fire esoteric terms rattled his medieval brain, even though he was the second most well-learned among his party. What in the Hells kind of divine conspiracy did he stumble upon this time?

 

[Awinita]

It did not take long for Xeir to find her way to where something smelled delishious. Her nose, naturally strong for a dragon of course easily guided the dragon in human form to the space where Long John Silver made his home cooked delights. By time she actually saw the old Cyborg, her nose was working over time trying to just sort out what was being cooked, or had been cooked, and why something smelled like vension from home.

then she realised there were some human cities that roved the wastelands in various continents that didnt have locked down cities. From what she could understand the middle east was the only region spared the RR virus and all the monsters it spawned mostly because of lack of water, aird landscape, and othewrwise, though pets were indeed affected, by the truckload.

But now, she was within the realm of a cook, and from what she could smell, an expert cook.

Thankfully Louis was a kind fellow, though Xeir couldnt help but wonder if the poor man was absolutely baking inside all that armor when he insisted she laid Darlo over his mount, Mignonne's back. Thye Hippogriff seemingly taking Darlos weight without worry. Well that was that....

Xeirs stomach rumbled, and she briefly wondered if even Louis was hungry ?

But at that moment she couild only think clearly one thought. "What smells so good ??? Why does it smell so good ?"

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande's eye twitched at the insinuation that this was a divine matter. His attitude and mask jolts, as pride takes over. The look he gave the Pagan could kill. "No," he stated with the weight of civilization itself, "This is not a divine matter, because I know better than to trust such beings with my life. I'm a scientist. The work I do is applicable by anyone. No divine endorsement, no unyielding willpower, no rare spark of potential, no genetic requirement but sapience and willingness to learn."

His knowledge of history pegged the poor Cleric as an ignorant man of a bygone faith system best left in the history book. Paganism. "The proof is in the results. We understand why people get sick. The real reasons, not guesswork. We learned how to literally see that sickness is caused by living things smaller than we can see. We learned what they're made of. We came to understand and watch the body fight them. We figured out how light worked, and that some light was invisible. Ultraviolet light. We learned how to make that invisible light and that it killed these microorganisms. Now, like anyone else that understands how to make that light, I can use it to keep people healthy by myself. Compare this to relying on a 'god' who not everyone can learn to call on the same extent as a priest, who may or may not help. Your god may be able to make a miracle, but I can make that so common it becomes so mundane you take it for granted."

He takes in a deep breath, calming down a bit. There was nothing he couldn't prove right here and now. Build up to the challenge, convince the masses, mark the consensus. "I have saved more people than every priest, oracle, or wiseman in your religion has met in their lives put together, without knowing who they are. There are billions of people because of what people like me accomplished, and all of them have us to thank. Not the priests. Anything your God can do, Science can either do better or mass produce a similar process to a greater effect," he finishes with a deep exhale, satisfied with his statement.