Work Text:
Perfect!" Ouroboros exclaimed, holding up the now updated temp pad. This one was more compas like and meant to look more discrete.
"Nice man!" Mobious said. Just in case he lowered his safety goggles for the test.
"If I'm right, this model will be about 12.5 times more efficient and with a quicker cool down time after I rewired the system." He grabbed the voice recorder next to him.
"Oroborus, test number 341, desired location, New York City, timeline 199999."
"Three, two, one!"
There was a flash of light as the voice recorder hit the ground.
Traveling across dimensions feels different depending how you do it. Some models are easier to get used to like the time doors. But the models he was testing was meant to be faster. It felt like when you get up from floating on your back in a body of water, breaking the surface tension.
The first thing Ouroboros noticed was the abundance of foliage. The air smelled fresh and he could hear running water coming from somewhere.
This was not New York City.
He tried checking his specs on the temp pad only to find it hissing and smoking. That wasn't good.
A woman in green robes reached the edge of the clearing he was in. "What is your business here?"
"I'm was trying to build a new temp pad model. Improve means of inter-timeline travel and—"
"Why are you here?"
Disappointment crept into his voice. "It didn't work." He knew it wasn't a moral failure but it hurt all the same. He'd poured what felt like his soul into this model only for it to go up in smoke.
Her eyes were understanding despite the strangeness of the interaction. "Come with me," she said.
They walked for a bit. "I'm Ouroboros by the way." he said. "but most of my friends call me O.B."
She smiled. "My name is Ying Nan. Welcome to Ta Loa."
Oroborus was up late again. He just felt so close to fixing it this time. It was the fifth time that week and at this point he might as well keep up the night owl streak.
He had made progress, finding an alternate power source but none of the prototypes had worked thus far.
Ying Nan walked into his makeshift office/bedroom. "It's late my friend."
He took his glasses off and pressed a hand to his face, trying to relieve the pressure of the building head ache.
"I know. I'm so close, my friends are counting on me. I don't want to let them down."
"I see. Tell me about them."
O.B. perked up. "So theres Mobius who is really into Jetskis. I think it's been hard for him after Loki left. He had to save the time line but it means he… can't come home."
A thought struck Ouroboros. It had only been a few weeks in Ta Loa but how long had it been back at the TVA? Did Mobius think another friend had disappeared on him?
Ying Nan seemed to see what he was thinking. "Hey, I know you're making a great effort to get back to them. Right now that's all you can do and you're doing your best at it."
Ouroboros appreciated the sentiment.
"Which reminds me, my message finally got though and there'll be a sorcerer coming though tommorow who thinks he might be able to help with your quest."
He smiled. "Thanks."