In the aftermath of the Zebra-Equestrian war, Marelin lies in ruins. The Iron Lord's palace has been reduced to a radioactive hell, his factories bombed into ruins, and the gem that was once his great capital city now a tarnished shell of its past self. Deep within the suburbs of the metropolis, Eagle Eyes was salvaging what she could of a pre-war restaurant. She had to stay quiet because of what dangers lurked in the city, which was everything from Jagers to Boars. She was bent over an old trunk as she carefully and quietly dug through it, her large and curvaceous rump bobbing about in the air.

2531936
[I'm just gonna go for it with Chernobyl.]

Behind Eagle, outside of the restaurant, came the faint sounds of a laser weapon, along with some bright red beams shooting down the street. A boar dropped dead where he stood, his MP-40 from his hands and clattering to the ground. His forehead had a large hole in it caused by the lasers. Walking down the street was a tall, slender stallion wearing a hazmat suit, one that appeared to be armored and reinforced with several leather pieces and metal shoulder guards and such. In his hands was a laser rifle with a precision scope, and holstered all over his body were several energy weapons of all sizes. A few raiders tried to rush the figure from behind. He simply turned and drew his laser pistol, firing from the hip like a futuristic gunslinger while holding his rifle in his other hand. The raiders all dropped dead with burned holes in their chests and heads, and one even turned to ash. The figure replaced the energy cell, holstered his pistol, and went on down the street, looking about for any places that haven't been looted. He was considering that restaurant over there, but he wasn't sure what was inside.

2533709
Eagle ducked down and crept behind the front counter when she heard the laser fire, and she had her G3 battle rifle at the ready. Other looters was an obstacle that she occasionally ran into. She knew the dangers of her salvage operations, so she was appropriately prepared. She wore cargo pants that had been custom fit to hug her legs so that they wouldn't snag, and she wore a grey sweater to fight the cold.

2535750
The suited figure stepped into the dark restaurant, closing the door behind him. From his backpack, he pulled out a small device. A headlamp. He strapped it to his head and turned it on, shining a beam of white light and banishing the darkness. With his laser rifle at the ready, he crept through the dark room, walking slowly past Eagle and appearing to not notice her. The figure stepped into the kitchen of the restaurant, and began searching under the counters, pulling out whatever canned and preserved foods and drinks he could find. His weapon still remained in his hand, and he occasionally looked around himself to make sure he wasn't in danger.

2536271
Eagle carefully and quietly turned to track the suited figure, and she pointed her rifle towards him. "Friend or foe?" She asked calmly. Despite her demeanor, there was a bit of fear in her eyes. She had her finger just by the trigger in case the newcomer was hostile, but there was that worry that they would somehow shoot first.

2537133
[Call me, bro.]

As soon as Eagle spoke, the figure had turned and snapped the laser rifle up, leveling it with the mare's chest. "Depends." The figure spoke in a deep voice, one that seemed to belong to someone who crawled out from a grave. He leveled his laser rifle with her forehead as he stood up. "I don't have any intention of getting shot, and I'm sure you don't either. So let's not shoot at each other, eh?" The stallion lowered his weapon and went back to rummaging through the cupboards, and he seemed to occasionally adjust something inside his suit, near his neck. A necklace of some sort, most likely. He still had his hand on his laser rifle, though he made no threatening moves towards Eagle.

2537436
Eagle's heart pounded in her chest, echoing in her ears as she slowly lowered her rifle and shakily stood up. She took a deep breath, and then glanced at the stranger. "So, what's your name?" She asked softly before going back to the trunk she was searching through. Her voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, and it seemed to naturally purr. She knelt down in front of the trunk and leaned forward to search through the contents.

2538296
The stallion couldn't help but stare at Eagle's large rump for a moment, before turning back to the cupboard. "You can call me Chernobyl. Hmm.... Do you see any cans of powdered milk over there? Gosh darn it... I got everything else but that..." He mumbled something else and closed the empty cupboard, moving onto the next one. "So... I take it you saw my little light show outside?"

2538475
Eagle pulled out three cans of powdered milk one by one, and sat them down beside herself. "There was a few in here, oddly enough." She replied. "Yeah, I caught a glimpse of it out there. Nice work with those pistols." She said warmly. "I'm more for explosives, I keep a grenade launcher with me at all times." Slung over her shoulders was a 40mm break-action grenade launcher.

2538708
Chernobyl eagerly took the cans of powdered milk and put them into his backpack. "Yes! Oh, thank you! This should be enough for... several batches... I should just make one batch tonight... Alright... I got everything else..." The strange stallion went about the kitchen once more, grabbing a few more cans of food. He then turned and nodded to Eagle. She couldn't see it, but he was grinning. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You... I know the powdered milk may not seem like much, but I'd be lost without it. So thank you. I..." He gave a sigh. "I should probably be getting home... And it's going to be dark soon..." He looked up to Eagle with a sad sigh. "I'd offer you shelter, but I don't think you're immune to radiation, so it'd be useless to you." He slumped forward a little bit, and he seemed to look down at himself. He looked as if he was frustrated with himself. "Have a good evening, Miss. I'll... I guess I might see you again..." He hefted his laser rifle in his hands and began slowly walking away.

2539179
Eagle carefully raised up, and then slowly got to her feet and looked to Chernobyl with a sympathetic look. "You could stay with me, if you want. You seem lonely, the least I could do is be your friend." She said softly. "Oh, and my name is Eagle Eyes."

2539442
Chernobyl turned and seemed to smile, though he was still slumped over in sadness. "I'd love to be your friend, Eagle, and I'd love to stay with you, but... I wear this suit to keep radiation in, not out. If I took it off, I could kill you just by being near you." A green light shone inside the visor, revealing the silhouette of what looked like a rotting corpse, literally just skin and bone. And the face, despite its condition, was very clearly frowning in sadness. The glow stopped, and the stallion sat down in a chair, hanging his head and trying to think of something, anything to do to make the situation happier.

2541487
Eagle sighed sadly as she leaned back against the wall, and she rested her rifle on her thighs. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do. I wish I could make you feel better." She said softly. She didn't like to see someone suffer, but she didn't know how to deal with ghouls.

(We could mutate Eagle again via radiation exposure.)

2541916
[Indeed. Time for a boar to fuck shit up.]

Chernobyl sighed and stepped out into the front room, looking out the large glass windows of the shop. "It's okay. I... I wanted the powdered milk because I wanted to make some cookies. I don't get to make them very often, but they always make me feel better." He turned with a sigh, looking over at Eagle. "I get depressed sometimes, and-" The sound of a very, very large rifle sounded from outside, and the sound of shattered glass followed as the one of the front windows of the restaurant broke. Chernobyl stood still for a second before falling to his knees, then onto his face, a large hole in his suit showing the nasty wound on his neck. He was gasping for breath even as the wound began to seal itself up. He would suffocate before his natural healing abilities could save him.

Outside, a boar racked the bolt of the anti-material rifle he held in his burly hands. "That's for killing my brother, you bastard!" He shouted angrily. He aimed again, this time hoping to hit Eagle so he could loot her weapons and supplies once she perished.

[Nothing says "accurate" like a scoped laser rifle. ]

2541955 (I almost have my metalhead character created, but I might not be able to RP all day like I usually do.)

Eagle quickly grabbed Chernobyl's laser rifle while the boar was reloading his rifle, which left her G3 on the floor, and then she hastily aimed it at the boar's head. His forehead was suddenly replaced with a gaping hole as she pulled the trigger, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she lowered the weapon. She turned to Chernobyl and then dashed over to him. She knelt down beside him and laid the rifle down beside herself, then took off her back and began pulling out some medical supplies. She took a piece of surgical tubing and fed it into his throat to let him breath. Then, she took some bandages and covered the wound so that nothing would get into it. She didn't know how ghoul biology worked, but she was trying.

2543570
Chernobyl gasped as he slowly began breathing normally once more, and he placed a hand over the hole of his suit. He tried to motion that he wanted it sealed up; the radiation inside his suit could kill Eagle if she was exposed for much longer. He didn't care that he was injured; so long as this beautiful, kind mare could make it back home safely. "Eagle..." He croaked out, looking up at her through his dark visor.

2543904
Eagle clutched her chest as she coughed and hacked, and a small amount of blood spattered onto her mouth and sweater. Her breathing had a slight wheeze to it, and she seemed dizzy. She clumsily pulled out some materials to patch up Chernobyl's suit, and she began stitching it up. Halfway through the job, her vision began to darken, and she dropped the needle from weakness. She coughed again and then collapsed face-first on the floor.

2544385
Sometime later, after the sun had gone down, Clockwork awoke with a gasp, and he quickly removed the tube from his now-healed neck. The room was dark and cold, and he needed to make some sort of fire. After putting some old, dusty tablecloths over the windows for privacy, he broke one of the old chairs down and shot it with his laser pistol. The heat charred the pieces of wood to hot, burning coals, and he put more wood and a tablecloth over the coals. Soon, a warm fire was going, and he could now tend to the patch on his suit. Chernobyl's dextrous hands quickly finished sealing the patch, and he then looked down to Eagle. He slowly sat her in a chair, then brought some water to her mouth, gently pouring the water down her throat in a soft trickle, hoping to help her wake up with the heat and the hydration combined.

2545930
Eagle suddenly coughed and hacked, and she spit up a small bit of the water onto her clothes. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up to Chernobyl, but her eyes were different. Her lust-red eyes held an unusual glow to them. "Chernie?..." She asked softly. She groaned as she felt a lance of pain go through her head, and she reached a hand up to massage her temple.

2546210
[Um... Just putting it out there, but a very, very close friend of mine came up with Cherry as a nickname for him, and I think it sounds better, and cuter. Could Eagle perhaps use that? Sorry, just a little embarrassed about this, but it would mean a lot if she did, despite how small a change it is. ]

Chernobyl massaged Eagle's temple with precise movements, then held the bottle of water to her lips again. "You need to drink up. You've been exposed to radiation." After a minute, he placed his hand on Eagle's cheek. "Thank you. I could never have asked you to do something so dangerous as what you did. I'm just thankful you're alive so I can return the favor."

2546368 (I could do that, but it might get me mixed up a bit. One of my friend's OC's is named Cherry Blossom, or Cherry for short. I'm not saying I won't use it, I'm just saying don't be surprised if I derp.)

Eagle groaned again in response as she began drinking the water. It hurt for her to talk at the moment, it hurt even to breathe. The water hurt as it went down, but she kept drinking anyway. She didn't want to die.

2546462
[No worries.]

Chernobyl made sure the bottle was emptied before pulling away, and he dug through his backpack for a moment. "Come on... I gotta have at least a couple... Aha! Here we are." He pulled out a needle of Med-X, then gently injected the potent anesthetic into the mare's arm. "This should help with the pain, Eagle. Now, just rest by the fire. Come on." He gently shifted her off the chair so she could lean against the wall, and he pulled a tough black blanket from his backpack and laid it over the mare. It was big enough for two ponies, but only if they cuddled close. "Something I keep around if I get caught out in the cold. You need it more than I do, though." He sat next to her and let his suit warm up by the fire, which warmed him up in turn.

2546812
Eagle moaned softly and closed her eyes, wanting to rest a bit after such an eventful day. She felt awful from her radiation poisoning. Her chest felt heavy, it burned when she breathed, her head felt light, and it felt like something was moving inside of her.

2546918
A needle was gently inserted into her arm, and some of the pain washed a away a bit as Chernobyl injected a packet of RadAway. "There you go... I usually don't carry this, but I had picked some up earlier in the hopes of selling it. Glad I hung onto it." The ghoul sighed and sat next to Eagle, and he tentatively rubbed her back in the hopes of easing some pain. "I-if you don't mind me saying... You're very pretty..." He quickly looked away and shut his mouth. She didn't like him like that. He was surprised she liked him at all. He was a freak. Something born of radiation and meant to die alone in the same.

2548661
Eagle sighed softly as she felt some of her symptoms ease, and then she smiled up at Chernobyl. "You're sweet." She said softly. Her face turned into one more serious as she began to wonder about his intentions. "Cherry, do you have feelings for me?" She asked quietly.
_________________________

(Metalhead time)

An abnormally tall, lean and muscular figure slowly and calmly walked through the ruins of an old munitions plant. The mostly-intact hulls of disabled security robots littered the floor of the area, though one was damaged from several shotgun slugs. The figure stopped and looked down at his wasit as he felt the belt on his trench coat loosen, and he quickly pulled it tight. He always tried to keep a neat appearance whenever possible. He smiled behind his steel mask as he found what he was looking for; the loading bays. He carefully walked around the destroyed robots and then stopped at a switch on the wall. He shoved the lever upwards, and the loading bay door hummed and rattled as it was pulled up towards the ceiling. He loaded a few more slugs into his shotgun, a short-barreled 12 gauge pump-action, and then proceeded into the loading bays. He stopped in the middle of the room, and a deep chuckle escaped him as he marveled at his prize. Several untouched crates of military-grade ammunition sat before him, there was enough for both selling and keeping. What amount of it that he sold would bring enough profit to keep his pockets full of caps for months, and what he kept would keep his weapons fed for even longer.

2549177
Chernobyl only gave a soft nod in response, still massaging Eagle's shoulders and moving onto her back, not wanting to touch her in any... private places. "Yes... I do... You're so beautiful, and you risked your life to save mine and you accepted me for what I was. Yes, I'm, very attracted to you. I just... Most of my normal bodily functions stopped working a while ago..."
__________________________________

Behind him came the sound of a lighter being lit. Behind him was what was definitely a mare, and she was dressed in a form-fitting, flame-retardant blue hazmat suit, with a firefighter's jacket over it, unbuttoned to show her quite large bust and curvy waist, both accentuated by her suit. She wore cargo pants as well over her wide hips and thick, muscular thighs, and a pair of combat boots were on her feet. Her head was covered by the hood of the suit, and her face was covered by a gasmask and a pair of goggles. She also had a grey flame-resistant polyester backpack on her shoulders.

On her back was a Flamer fuel tank, as well as a sheathed Flamer. In her hands was a sort of homemade flamethrower. Constructed from a blowtorch, the nozzle had been widened, and a barrel extended with a rifle grip beneath it. The ignition flame had also been moved forward and a stock had been added. "You don't think you're going to take all of that ammo, do you?"

2549407
Eagle blushed softly and smiled warmly at Chernobyl, then reached over and gently touched the arm of his suit. "I'd love to be with someone as sweet as you." She croaked out. "Maybe....maybe there's a way to turn you back to normal." She mused.
___________

The stallion clenched his left hand as he felt anger rise in his chest, and then he slowly raised his hands into the air to show that he was surrendering. "Figures that I'd be robbed just after clearing out an entire factory of robots and claiming my loot. After all, nothing is fair in the wasteland." He said in a calm and tinny voice reminiscent of a recording. "Take what you want and go." He said firmly. Curiously, slung across his back was a large-framed electric guitar, which was painted black with a little bit of white around the middle, and it also had seven strings.

2549935
Chernobyl sighed softly and looked around. This room was already flooded with radiation. It wouldn't matter if Eagle was exposed to more. He slowly reached up and unzipped the hood of his suit, pulling it back to reveal his dead face. "I'd do anything if it meant I didn't look like this anymore." He said softly, before looking away in shame and putting his hands in his lap.
_______________________________________

The mare giggled, lowered her weapon, and walked over to the crates, picking up a magazine of ammunition and looking it over carefully before pocketing it. "Fair? i'd say it was pretty fair, considering I made sure the turret system was destroyed long before you went in." The mare pulled something from her backpack, and showed it to the stallion. It was part of the security control console, the keyboard and part of the tracking system, with all the wires carefully snipped. "I was gonna use this for something I was building. Figures I end up covering someone else in the process." The mare let out a soft sigh, then put a few more clips into her backpack. "Name's Dawn, by the way. Golden Dawn.

2550257
Eagle weakly put her hand on his chin, and then she gently pulled him to look towards her. She slowly leaned over and pressed her lips to his, and she moaned softly into the kiss. His skin felt odd to the touch, but she could get used to it. She broke the kiss and slowly pulled away, and she looked into his eyes. "Once I'm better, I'll do what I can to help you return to normal." She said softly.
______________________________

The stallion sighed heavily as he slowly put his hands back down to his sides. His right arm was now a little sore from holding the shotgun up like that. He smiled softly behind his steel mask as he turned to face Dawn, and he felt his anger dissipate. His mask completely covered his face except for two slits for the eyes, and a grill over the mouth. There was black paint outlining the bottoms of the eyes, and it traced down the cheeks to resemble tears. "Right, sorry about my reaction. I've become a rather cynical person over the years, so I always expect the worst to happen to me." He used one hand to undo the belt of his coat, and then he unbuttoned it and put his shotgun into a large pocket on the inside. "My name is Harmonic Steel, I'm the lead vocalist and guitarist for Difference Engine. My band is in this area for a show. Since you didn't turn me into barbecue, the least I could do is make arrangements for you to have a front row seat."

2550626
Chernobyl's blank white eyes widened, and he stared into her face for a few more moments before pulling her into a tight hug. He snuggled under the blanket with her and pressed himself to the beautiful mare, burying his muzzle in her mane. "Bless you..." He mumbled. "Thank you... so much... I... I love you...."
_________________________________

Dawn shrugged as she set down her backpack, then bent over the crate and began putting some of the ammo into her pack. Coincidentally, this also gave Steel a good view of her large, toned backside and thick thighs, outlined by her suit and her cargo pants. "Maybe. Not to burst your bubble, but I doubt there are enough sane people left in the world to come see the show, assuming they like metal." The mare was a pegasus, as could be now see by her wings hidden inside flaps on the back of her suit, and then hidden further by the gear she wore. She stood up and put her backpack on again and picked up her flamethrower. "I'll check into the place if I have the time. I usually try to get home before the night comes." With an embarrassed tone, she quietly added "It gets cold at night..."

2550761
Eagle chuckled quietly at his reaction, but then groaned softly. "Ow, it hurts to laugh..." She she said painfully. She looked up at his face and gave him a small smile, then kissed him on the cheek. "I really like you, Cherry. You actually care for me."
________________________

Steel tilted his head towards one side at her comment about the cold, letting his long, black mane shift slightly, but he said nothing about it. Everyone had something that they hated for one reason or another, it wasn't his place to judge. He righted his head and then cleared his throat. "My music may not reach many, but that's not too much of a drawback to me. My music helps keep me sane, and if I can entertain others while I express myself, then so be it." He walked over to one of the crates and wrapped the lid in blue magic, revealing that he had a horn somewhere under that mess of a mane, and he ripped it off of the container. He floated several boxes of the ammo into another pocket inside of his coat, and then he resealed the box. "Now I have to figure out how to hide these so I can come back for the rest later."

2550905
Chernobyl wrapped one arm around Eagle's waist, careful not to touch her groin or chest, and held another water bottle to her lips. "Drink some more water, sweetheart. You'll feel better." The ghoul sighed and rested his head on his lover's shoulder, then stared into the fire. He wasn't sure where this would go, but he felt better now that he wasn't alone.
__________________________________

Dawn shrugged and slid the crates into a small office that was through a wooden door on the wall. Before she closed the door, she pulled out what appeared to be a pair of grenades, tied to stakes and attached at the pins by fishing line. She used a stake and drove the two grenades into the drywall, then closed the door and turned to Steel. "There. Now only we know where it is and what the trap is." The mare shifted her backpack. "So... I suppose I could spare a little time to see this concert of yours."

2552119
Eagle reached up and steadied the bottle as she began taking slow drinks from the bottle, wincing slightly as it went down her sore throat. She soon finished off the entire bottle, and then gently pushed it away. "Thank you, Cherry." She said softly.
__________________________________

Steel gave a warm smile from behind his metal mask, and he felt a little bit of happiness creep into his heart. "It'll be starting within a few hours, I'm just out here till kill time until then. I hope you enjoy the music, I try to make every show special in some way." He said in a friendly tone, though there was a bit of sadness behind it. He opened his coat and took out his shotgun, giving a brief glimpse of his old jeans and a white tank top, and he checked the chamber to make sure that it was loaded in case he needed. "By any chance would you be willing to have lunch with some wretch that you met in an ammo factory?" He asked in a lighthearted tone.

2552383
Chernobyl smiled and set the bottle down, then snuggled close to Eagle. "Well, no use going outside. The wind chill will freeze us solid. Guess we just have to spend the night here and make sure the fire stays going." After a moment, he spoke with a blush. Or he would, if his blood was still flowing. "Um... I hope I'm warm enough... I can't tell..."
____________________________________

Dawn put away her flame rifle, and her eyes widened at Steel's next words. "Are... Are you asking me out on a... date?" She squeaked the last word with a bit of embarrassment, not ever having gone on a date before. "Um... I... I guess... I've never..." The mare looked away and rubbed the back of her head, her blush hidden by her gasmask. "Uh... I could just follow you.... Otherwise, I was just gonna head on home before night comes..." After a moment, she sheepishly asked "Y-your home is warm, right? I... I kinda need it to be..."

2553089
Eagle glanced over at his flushed face, and she giggled softly. "You're warm enough for me, sweetie. I'm honestly just glad to have your company. I used to get pretty lonely out here." She snuggled a little closer to Chernobyl, and she leaned over onto his shoulder.
_____________________________

Steel tilted his his slightly at her last words, he now had a few theories about this mare's disdain towards the cold. "I've personally insulated my house and rigged up a few space heaters to keep things comfortable. You won't be getting cold anytime soon." He said warmly. He reached up to his face and began fiddling with a few straps, and he eventually removed his mask. He brought his hands back down to his sides with the mask in his grip, revealing a steel grey stallion with bright green eyes which held a hint of sadness.

2553237
Chernobyl smiled and looked into the fire, thinking about the whole situation. He had a marefriend. Not just a marefriend, but one of the sweetest, sexiest mares he had ever seen. She loved him despite how he looked, and that meant much more to him than anything else. He was being accepted for who he was, not what he looked like. The ghoul pulled his lover closer and put both arms around her waist. "I love you, Eagle. Let's just rest for now..."
________________________________________

Dawn smiled warmly at the stallion, and she paused for a moment before realizing the polite thing to do would be to show her face as well. She reached up and undid the straps of her gasmask, then let it come off her face as she pulled the hood back. What was revealed was a mare with soft blue fur, like the suit she wore, so much so that the two colors seemed to blend together. Her mane was a cascade of golden curls, like rays of sunshine, and her eyes were a similar shade of green to Steel's own. "Thank you. Let's get going, please. The sun is going down..." She said as she looked out the window.

2555917 (I can mutate Eagle a little more. )

Eagle hummed softly as she closed her eyes, and she quickly drifted off to sleep. Her illness had taken what energy she had left, and had weakened her considerably. Hopefully she would be feeling better in the morning.
______________________________

Steel just gave her a dumbstruck expression for a few seconds, and then he blinked and blushed furiously when he realized that he was staring. "R-right. Where I'm staying in this city isn't too far off, I had to pick somewhere close to where I'm playing." He said before turning around and leading the way back out of the factory. It wasn't long before they arrived at an old steel mill which he had made habitable. He opened the main door and walked in, then led Dawn to the supervisor's office overlooking the main floor and walked inside. He had rearranged the furniture to give more than enough room to put a sleeping bag down, and he had a few jury-rigged heaters set up in the corners of the room. The desk seemed to be acting as a kitchen table, as it had a hotplate and a few sacks of food on top of it.

(Perhaps she could ask about where his band mates are? I have an idea for them, and I want to see Dawn's reaction.)

2556740
[ Yuss. Make her sexier. We must have the sexy. ]

The next morning, Chernobyl opened his eyes, pleased to find that they were both still warm, and the fire was still going, if at a smaller size than before. He smiled and nuzzled the top of Eagle's head. "Eagle, sweetheart. Wake up. It's morning."
_____________________________

Dawn eagerly set her things down and sat down in front of the heaters, letting out a sigh of relief. "Mmm.... Oh, that's much better...." The mare let her large wings come out of her suit, warming them up with the rest of her body. After a minute, she looked up over the heaters, and her eyes narrowed. Dawn pulled a wrench and a screwdriver from her bag, then quickly went over the jury-rigged heaters, tightening and loosening certain screws and bolts. After a few minutes, the place grew much warmer, and the heaters seemed to look much less... jury-rigged than before. This mare certainly knew her way around machines and anything involving heat. "Mm.... That's good... So... You said you're in a band, right? Where are the other band members?"

2557331 (Heil, sexy!)

Eagle groaned softly as she was brought back to consciousness, and her eyes slowly opened, revealing that they were still glowing with red light. She opened her mouth wide and let out a long yawn, though her tongue was outstretched two feet from her mouth. Her tongue's form was normal towards her mouth, but it became thinner and more threadlike as it went, and it ended with a pointed tip. She closed her mouth and pulled her tongue back, unaware of her mutations, and she looked over to Chernobyl. "I feel much better today."
______________________________

A small, playful grin crept across Steel's features as he sat down in the office chair. "They're down on the factory floor. Would you like to meet them? They're very interesting people." He asked in a mischievous tone. Without his mask, Steel's voice had went from a tinny sound to deep, bass-baritone.

2557447
Chernobyl's eyes widened, and he looked to Eagle with a bit of a confused expression. "Em... Sweetheart, stick out your tongue and look at it. As far as you can. You need to see it." He didn't want to alarm his lover, but she deserved to be aware of any changes to her body.
________________________________

Dawn gave a nod and stood up, then motioned for Steel to lead the way. "I guess you'll have to show me, won't you?" She made sure also to take her flame rifle with her. She partially trusted this new stallion, but it never hurt to be prepared.

2558445
Eagle gave Chernobyl a confused look, but she nonetheless complied. Her eyes widened and she gasped softly as her tongue stuck out far longer than it was supposed to. "I...Did the radiation do that?" She mused aloud. She was now a little worried about what else might have changed.
_____________________________

Steel gave Dawn's flamethrower a flat look as he stood up. "Many things make me nervous, that thing climbed to the top of my list the moment we met." He remarked as he began walking towards the door. He opened the door and walked down the stairs of the catwalk, his combat boots making heavy thumps along the way, and he casually stepped into the middle of the massive floor. He took his guitar from behind his shoulders and held it close to himself, then began playing the first part of a an old metal song.

After he finished his part, he stopped playing and waited a few seconds. Towards the rear of the floor, from behind some crates, came the deep, powerful bellow of an 8-inch steam chime. From the same direction a guitar began to play the same riff that Steel had just finished.

Steel began playing the first part again, and then repeated it again, this time joined by the unknown guitar. As the song progressed, they were joined by a bass guitar from behind a fallen vat. The three sounds were eventually joined by drums from the farthest corner of the room. As the four musicians continued to play, the three others stepped into view, playing their instruments as they walked. The unknown musicians were not ponies, but ironclads refitted with band instruments and heavy metal ornamentation. The hulking machines seemed to be dancing softly to the tune, bouncing and swaying to and fro in place as they played.

The machines were all different shapes and sizes, with the bassist being the largest, and the drummer the smallest, with the backup guitarist somewhere in between. The bassist was heavily built and hunched over like a brute, likely having been a rebuilt industrial ironclad. The drummer was a little bigger than Steel, but it was also equine in shape, which alluded to it having served a much less labor-intensive task. The backup guitarist was hunched over like the bassist, but not nearly as much, and was more equine in shape, which hinted that it may have seen military service.

2559273
Chernobyl looked quickly over Eagle's body, eyeing her for anything strange. "That seems to be it. Your eyes are also a bit luminescent, but other than that, nothing seems out of place. So..." He gave a sheepish smile. "Could we... maybe go back to my home? I would go to yours, but I would spread more radiation everywhere."
_________________________________________

Dawn let out a low whistle at the sight, shifting her hips and looking over the ironclads. "Wow. Where did you find them? I thought most ironclads were destroyed when the bombs fell. So, um... You said you were going to play a song, right? I'd be happy to watch." She offered, leaning back against the wall with a warm smile.

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Eagle nodded and slowly stood up, then carefully walked over and tiredly picked up her weapon and bag. She then turned back to Chernobyl and gave him a loving smile. "I'm ready when you are, Cherry. Lead the way."
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Steel smiled happily, and then motioned for the ironclads to gather around him. The drummer stood in the back while the bassist stood to his right, and the backup guitarist stood to his left. He turned to face Dawn, and then he pulled a wireless mic from his coat. "This is a song I wrote after I heard some of the stories that ex-slaves told about being in captivity. It's very personal to me, and I put everything I had into writing it." He said into the mic. He lit his horn and took the mic in his magic, then readjusted his grip on the guitar. "Unless you've heard thrash or death metal before, you may want to brace yourself." He said with a nervous chuckle. He closed his eyes and then took a deep breath. Playing in front of anyone always made him a bit nervous, but he did live performances out of necessity. There weren't many active radio studios in Germaneigh after the bombs fell. He opened his eyes and then began playing a tune which started out slightly abrasive. Steel seemed to be putting every ounce of himself into his playing, seeming intensely focused on his instrument. Soon, the ironclads joined in all at once, the drums booming, and the bass droning behind Steel's guitar. When the song came to the vocals, he seemed to put his very soul into his words, his voice loud and the lyrics clear. As the song continued, a single tear rolled down his cheek as the song began to affect him, and he put that much more effort into playing. The ironclads behind him were methodical and precise about their playing, their movements like lightning as their fingers and hands danced around their instruments.

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Chernobyl put up his hood and mask and led Eagle to an expansive area of suburban Marelin, which was surrounded by radiation signs everywhere. In the center was a crater where a bomb had fell, spreading radiation over the whole area. Not that it mattered to them. He led her to one of the more intact homes, and he pulled a small key from his backpack and unlocked the heavy wooden front door. The inside looked decent enough; most of the furniture was intact, save for a few sewn-up tears here and there. Most of the windows had the shades drawn, save for the ones upstairs to let in what light they could. In the kitchen, which doubled as the dining room, the stove and oven still worked after some extensive TLC. He went down to the basement, where a gas-powered heater kept the place warm. Chernobyl fished a large red tank of fuel from his backpack and poured it into the tank, though it was mostly just to top it off, as he didn't need to use much. "There we go." He went back upstairs and sat down on a couch, then pulled his hood and mask back off his head again. "Welcome to my home. All things considered, it's a lot better than what I could have to live in. Property like this is still intact because it was far enough away from the bomb to not be destroyed, but close enough to be peppered with radiation, making it generally inaccessible."
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[Fear Factory's okay. Not my favorite by a long shot, but not too bad. I've seen screaming lyrics done better, though.]

Once the song was over, Dawn gave a short round of applause, smiling at Steel. She personally didn't care for the music, but she could applaud the effort. "Nice. Not my choice of music, but I can see why you like the genre." The mare stood up and stretched, then rolled her neck. "So... What now? We have a little while until lunchtime. Maybe I could just find something to burn." She said as she looked at her rifle. "I dunno."

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Eagle sat her bag against a wall and her rifle in a corner, and then sat down beside Chernobyl. She cooed softly and snuggled into him, then closed her eyes. "It's a lovely home, Cherry." She said softly. She sighed happily and then closed her eyes, content to be with her coltfriend.
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(That's just one example of their work. The band is mostly known for combining groove, alternative, thrash, death, industrial, and clean vocals all into one style. Burton C. Bell, their singer, isn't known for his death growling. I personally am indifferent to screamed or growling vocals, the few exceptions being ones that are spoken by a bass-baritone and/ or with intense emotion. I chose the song because it was one I knew well, and it fit the FoE universe well enough.)

The backup guitarist gave Dawn his equivalent of a funny look, which was a blank stare with his head tilted to the side. Fire seemed to make him a bit antsy.

Steel closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he floated the mic back into his coat, and then he wiped a few tears from his eyes. With a soft sigh, he looked back up to Dawn, and smiled with a bit of sadness. "These guitars have a secondary function. Ever wonder why the robots back in the factory were mostly intact?" He walked over to the catwalk and casually ascended the stairs, then leaned against the wall. "I can show you, if you're willing to get close to a raider camp or something else dangerous."

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Chernobyl smiled lovingly and kissed Eagle's cheek. "Um... Maybe I could slip out of the suit? I wear normal clothes underneath. One second..." He stood up and took off his suit, revealing his thin, glowing form and the turtleneck sweater and sweatpants he wore to keep himself warm in the near-constant winter of Marelin. He sat down next to Eagle and looked away sheepishly, embarrassed about his appearance, especially next to such a beauty as Eagle.
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Dawn gave a squee and put her gasmask back on, then put up the hood and raced upstairs and grabbed the rest of her weapons. "Oh, I am so up for that. Also, I wanna show you my rifle. It's a special design." She grabbed the large rifle grip on the weapon and pulled, revealing that it swung on a hinge and connected to a compact air tank, hidden inside the grip itself. "The fuel is also a special mix. My own concoction. Two parts kerosene, one part napalm, a bit of propane, and a dash of white phosphorous. This stuff flies out like a bullet, and just as far, thanks to the compressed air tank. It also sticks." She said with a devilish grin behind her mask. "It sticks to whatever it hits and burns for a while."

[I am an evil person.]

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Eagle smiled warmly, and then snuggled back into Chernobyl's embrace. "I'm glad I met you." She said softly as she closed her eyes. She was still a little tired and sore from her previous radiation sickness, and she needed to rest for a while.
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Steel couldn't help but grin at her invention. "Impressive. Not many around the wasteland know their way around tech." He said with admiration. "I'll demonstrate what we have once we find a little bit of trouble." He said playfully. He turned, and then walked back down the stairs, and then over to his group. He ordered the drummer to stay here and hide on account of his fragility, and he told the two other guitarists to follow him. The bassist gave a happy whistle and then fist-pumped, seeming eager to follow along with Steel's plan. The stallion then looked back to Dawn. "Ready?"

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Chernobyl smiled and closed his eyes, feeling his dry tear ducts contract. He wished he could have shed a tear of joy at this moment, but if nothing else, he had a beautiful mare who loved him for who he was. That was better than anything he could think of. He looked out at the closed windows, seeing the setting sun filtering through his windows. The trip to his home took quite a while, but that was okay. That just meant he could start making a delicious dinner for his beloved. He stood up and went into the kitchen, and he turned on the gas stove and put a pan on the burner to heat up. He also began mixing ingredients, including the powdered milk, which he had hydrated.

After around an hour, he had made some steak, some corn from a can, and some mashed potatoes from an instant mashed potatoes packet. It was a veritable feast in the wasteland, and that wasn't even the best part. He had also made a large platter of fresh, steaming chocolate cookies from scratch. It was hard to get every ingredient, but it was worth it to have one of the few things that could help him out of his usual depressive state, if only for a little while. "Eagle, sweetheart!" He called. "Dinner's ready!"
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Dawn gave a swift nod. "Ready. Lead the way, and I'll show you what I can do."

[Skippy?]

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Eagle's eyes fluttered open, and she let out a small yawn as she reach her arms up and began stretching. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a while. and then she slowly stood up. She walked into the kitchen, and her eyes widened at the sight. "You made all this?..." She said with disbelief. This was more prepared food than she had ever seen at once in the wasteland. She then quickly sat down at the table, and began eagerly fixing herself a plate. Once she had a little bit of everything on her plate, she dug in.
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Steel had led them to an apartment building just outside of a raider camp. He had taken them to the second floor, and he was currently peaking out of a window at the camp. The ironclads were too large for the entryways of the building, so they had forced their way through. That was alright, what he intended to do require a lot of noise. Steel ducked down from the window, and he looked to Dawn. "Alright, here's my plan. I'll make a little bit of noise to have the raiders come investigate, then once they get near the building we have our fun. Rinse and repeat until there's no more raiders." He glanced back out the window, then ducked down as a sniper turned towards them, but they didn't see him.