[Snowpocalypse] Run-Ins (S 3.1)

Rich

To Silica:

You've been out of work for a week now. You've blown a jingle over the past week, what was it on? Comfort food and a nice place to sleep? More ice than normal?

How long did you stay with Rossi and Jester before things got too intense or annoying and you took off?

We pick up with you walking through the market at Crossover. You're walking with Oakley, who is one of Hadden's guys. He evidently thinks you work with Hadden, and came by when you were avoiding Forum and trying to get some work.

Wonky just walked in. He's by himself, just walking through the market with those intense eyes, not looking at any goods. He'll see you any second now. Oakley doesn't realize that, he's just walking near you, asking about your experience with the lake.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

I was at Rossi's just for that first night. It wasn't... awful... but it wasn't amazing either... more uncomfortable silence than being at each other's throats at least. But you know... I'm havin' nightmares, being around her brings back the worst of that shit... I'd rather have to think of last fucking week than five years ago.

Since then I've been sleeping up in the snow... middle of nowhere type places. It sucks, even for me.. you know, the cold isn't an issue so much but it's wet and it's uncomfortable sleeping out in the open, even if it seems safer than around.

Been spending extra jingle on ice, yeah... even I need a little something extra sometimes outside in the fucking night wind... it just takes it all out of you. Too much time outside makes coming inside from the snow hurt, though... as my blood cools further it just makes being normal more impossible... but I cant' stay outside forever, it's too expensive if nothing else. I wonder if I keep this up if some day I'll never be able to come back inside.

So I walk with Oakley, I shiver like I'm having withdrawals or something but the truth is the heat of the inside just makes my skin hurt like needles.

I'm in the middle of answering him, "I know the fuckin' lake, Oaks... you know I do..." then I see Wonky. I just curse "shit!" and suddenly turn a half a turn and head a different way, not a word to Oakley, I don't even want him following me... he'll figure it out when he sees... I'm not hiding from Wonky, just don't want to be seen with Hadden's people.

Don't need the complication.

Rich

To Silica:

Oakley isn't the kind to chase after you, so you break off easily. He heads on to make it like he's shopping and Wonky is none the wiser when he spots you. He gives you a nod of acknowledgement and walks over.

"Hey Silica," he says, his brusque demeanor quickly sliding away as he gets closer. "You doin alright?" He's sort of close, like intimate close, but he isn't touching you.

What do you do?

FYI - your bullet wound is fully healed.

scott

Silica

I stop and let him catch up, my arms at my sides now, "hey Wonky," I look up at his face. He looks bigger than I'm used to for some reason, "doin' ok... Still in one fuckin' piece, nothin' skanlous. You good?"

I'm not doing as good as all that, actually... but yeah... he don't need to know.

Rich

To Silica:

"Good. Yeah, I'm good. Dice's got the Skegs doin some work inna city, I've had to bust some heads, keep idiots in line, shit like that." He scratches the back of his beck, towering over you. "My ride's purring. Finally got a new belt. I know, bout fucken time." He's working up to something, you feel it. But he takes a pause, sort of looking around.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

Of course I've heard a little about what's going on, big gangs settling scores... Skegs been in the think of it from the sound of it.

I find a weak smile for him, "oh yeah? Bendin' corners?" Sure, I'll bite... and it feels like there's ants crawling on my skin and I'm fidgety. I gotta get the fuck outside, "you know what I heard, Wonky? I heard that a doglseds' faster'n the Skegs rides? That true?"

Rich

To Silica:

Wonky's face splits with a sudden grin. It's genuine and out of the blue for him. "What? Whoever told you that is prolly one o' Stinky's dumbasses. My ride will blow them the fuck away. No doubt."

He taps your shoulder lightly, "You wanna see? :Last time I let loose, you were about to bleed out, bet you don't remember. Let's go." He turns an about face and starts heading up top.

scott

Silica

I slap him back, hard, on his shoulder, a little slightly angry look on my face, "thanks for fuckin' reminding me!" But I laugh it off, just fucking with him, "and you're right, I don't fuckin' remember... show me."

And I follow him up into the welcome cold outside.

If Oakley's watching I give him a "seeya later" shrug.

Rich

To Silica:

Oakley returns your shrug with a "be careful with that wacko" nod.

So let's skip ahead to you riding on the back of Wonky's snowmobile. He headed south out of Crossover, then west past the ruins of Grease Park. The place is slagged, really. Molten tires and wrecked and blackened cars mark the place like some sick grave. Everything of value was picked clean.

Rumor is that it was a Soulja Boy fight, and the Sparekeys went underground. The Soulja Boys pulled their dead off the streets. Because numbers. And because pride.

Wonky takes the Dan Ryan entrance up north, towards Roxy's Red Line. There are lots of vehicles here, but paths have been cleared, more than enough for a skilled driver.

Wonky's not half bad.

He leans over the handlebars and pumps the gas to jerk the ride faster and you feel your hair whipping behind your head. The freezing cold wind cutting against you in that weird pleasurable bite. Over his shoulders, you see the speedometer climb faster, and faster.

70...

80.....

85......

You're passing over Roxy's now, the red line beneath you.

90... the ride starts to rumble, and Wonky holds her down, but she wants to slip at times, and slide a bit, harder to handle. He holds the bars tight and loose, reacting with strength to guide it where he wants to go.

You zip past big Soldier's Field, you swear it's a blur. Wonky's laughing into the wind, and turns his head to bellow loud enough for you to hear over the ride and the wind, "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW? HA HA HAAA!!!!" He's grinning like a big dumb kid.

You have never been this fast in your life.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

Sitting on the bike behind Wonky, it's not exactly... where I wish I were but it's starting to feel familiar. His jacket has this familiar feel against my cheek as I wrap my arms around his thick middle and he smells of oiled leather and grease.

He starts going fast, and at first I crane my neck up to look over his shoulder, trying to see the road ahead. But he goes faster... and faster...

Before long I'm screaming, "holy shit!" Wonky holds the bike together on the road, then the sled slips it's like cold terror in my chest, then such relief, such fucking adrenaline!

"Fuckin' faster than anyone's ever gone before I fuckin' bet ya!" I take a hand and slap it on his shoulder several times in rapid excitement, but mostly I hold on for my life, my fingers digging into the leather of his jacket.

I feel like I'm flying, "this is amazing!"

Rich

To Silica:

Wonky laughs again, turns to bend back over the handlebars. He revs the engine and tries pushing it harder still. You see the road take a deep curve to the left, and he leans into it, turning the sled so it slides as much as drives forward. It's exhilarating, just on the edge, powersliding past the concrete barrier with only a few feet to spare.

Then a straightaway and he burns.

96...

You pass over Backside Misty's, you can recognize the exit points.

99...

Then, in a blink, you whip past Lemma's.

101

The sled starts to whine loudly and shimmy. Wonky doesn't care, he's got this. He reaches down to pat your leg once, like he's making sure you're part of this. With him.

He hits 110 before he finally eases back on the gas, letting the ride settle down, come back from the brink, the wildness settling like a bucking bronco brought to a bit and bridle.

When you drop down to about 50, he yells back, "You wanna go see a polar bear fight? Go lookit some old bones and shit? Back to Shedd? Or keep riding or what?"

scott

Silica

Faster? Even faster? Holy shit... I think I spend the whole ride screamin' all kinds of shit you wouldn't want your mother hearing, but it's awesome! So awesome!

There's a sad thought in the back of my brain but I'm goin' too fast and it can't fuckin' catch me. This is the best.

"What's the furthest you ever gone?" I ask him, breathless... absolutely fucking amazing. "We jus' blew past everything of the world I ever fuckin' seen..." I raise a hand and wave it at the citscape behind us...

Rich

To Silica:

Wonky grins back at you, "Last year, me and the Skegs went all the way up to Milwaukee! So fucken cold that gas freezes. We had to push our rides back for days. It SUCKED! Chi-Town is the best. You seen the best the world's got left."

Instead of taking an exit, he keeps on the highway, saying, "Stick with me, I can take you all over! Let's go to Morton's!"

Unless you object, he speeds up to about seventy again and takes you a few miles north, skidding down an exit and heading on to some place called Morton's. What have you heard about Morton's Salt Mines?

scott

Silica

"Milwaukee! No shit... no fuckin' way!" That's like a whole 'nother country! Didn't know peope could go that far, "you're shittin' me right?"

But he offers to take me to Morton's... which is well outside my turf. Supposed to be these crazy caves there, like... ice caves but not not ice. It's made of fuckin' salt but...

"Wait wait... isn't it fuckin' dangerous? That's across the fuckin' river!" I hold onto him tighter, "that's private property ain't it?"

You don't cross the river unless you're bad ass enough to handle the anarchic fuckers that prowl the streets outside of Chi-town gang territory. Seriously... I don't even go out there. Salt's a valuable commodity and there's supposed to be some fuckers claim the place. But you know, I don't get out that way.. maybe it's just bullshit they say to keep people out.

He hits the gas and I love it though... ok Wonky, show me.

Rich

To Silica:

When you cross the river up north, roll +Hard. On a hit, choose options. On a 7-9, choose 2 that are NOT true. On a 10+, choose three that are NOT true.
* The Salty Dawgs demand tribute of "ass, grass or gas" (sex, drugs or fuel) and you gotta pay it or they beat your ass (1-Harm AP) and watch you do whatever
* The Salt Mines have affected your mind somehow. Take -1 Ongoing until you take a clean bath
* The Salt Dawgs know your name
* You lose someone in your group along the way (if you're alone, then it's YOU that is lost)

On a miss, you're cornered or trapped by the Salty Dawgs. Spend two jingle to pay their toll or take 2-Harm AP and you're being chased out.

scott

Silica

We race down the highway, we're well across the river already, but the speed feels like shelter... nothing can fuck with you if you're tearing past... but there's something, sounds... flashes of motion which might be startled birds or might not be. Sounds like voices, or maybe it's just the ice settling... I hold onto his jacket tight and try not to think about it.

scott

Custom move:
(Rolled: 2d6-2. Rolls: 2, 3. Total: 3)

Rich

To Silica:

Wonky zips down the exit and zooms down the street underneath the highway. The engine echoes all over, the sound bouncing back and forth. After a few minutes, you see it up ahead, the words Morton Salt and a picture. A picture of a girl in a yellow jacket with some kind of cane over her head. It's snowing on her, or maybe it's salt?



You're caught by surprise when you notice that her jacket. Looks so much like Nollie's. Like yours. Like... One-Footed's.

The Salty Dawgs come running out when Wonky rides up, about ten of them that you see. They've got pistols, bottles and wooden bats with nails sticking out. Wonky slows, thinking things are good. But no, they're far from good. Some guy called Zesty comes out, starts yelling at Wonky for some toll. Two jingle, he says, for the guided fucking tour.

You feel Wonky tense, he's going to fight his way out of here. He's not about to pay some toll. This is going to hurt, Silica.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

Shit! I fuckin' knew it! Paying off these guys doesn't really seem like an option, not with Wonky, not on this bike... we can fly the fuck out of here, but.... shit they're too close!

"Oh shit... Wonky, fuckin' move!" I cry out, slapping Wonky on the shoulder to make him go and trying to disappear into the folds of his leathers.

I see these dirty fuckers raising their shards of broken wood and glass and metal and I just... what's gonna happen if they catch me... "No no.... no!" I shriek in panic as they get to close, we're not just gettin' away clean!

Rich

To Silica:

Wonky revs the engine and tries to drive on, but the Salty Dawgs run forward like animals. A bottle hits him in the head, spraying you both with stale beer. Wonky charges forward, running over one Dawg, but another cracks a bar on his right hand, probably breaking a couple fingers.

With a grunt, Wonky kicks the asshole back, but then the ride is stalling. He spends a moment trying to get it under control. That's when some other Dawg comes up behind you, smacks you hard with his bat, hit you right in the back, it hurts like a mother-fucker. You swear one of those nails ripped into your shoulder, meat came off. You just know it (2-Harm AP)

Wonky's yelling and trying to get away. Zesty open up with his pistol, laughing and firing wild. Bullets whizz and ting off the engine and the skids. You see a bullet hit Wonky in the shoulder. Blood sprays up and you feel it hit your face like sleet.

Somehow, amid all the tumult, Wonky grabs you and pulls you in front of him on the ride, trying to keep you from being shot again. He's riding hard and cursing up a storm, "Fuck those guys! Fuck them in their salty asses! Shit! Shit Shit!"

He takes off for the highway, putting streets between you and them, taking you back. "I'm takin you to Poke. She owes me." He glances down at you, concern on his face. "You okay, Silica?"

Rich

To Silica:

Harm Move
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 4. Total: 10)

Rich

To Silica:

You don't answer. You can't, for some reason. Your shoulder hurts so damn bad. You can hear Wonky screaming at you, the sunlight above, clouds zipping past.

The roar of the engine.

Then blackness.

scott

Silica

The hurt comes down on us like fuckin' fast... I kick at them, screamin' all kinds of shit but really I'm just panicking and not doing much good. Then the guy hits me in the shoulder and it's... no... no no... Silica.... no....

I let out an anguished cry and hang onto Wonky as her pulls me 'round front.

The sled bounces and slides, I hear bullets... I look up at Wonky's face, he looks back, his eyes wide with adrenaline and pain and all I can think is, 'Wonky... you fuckin' piece of shit... I fucking told you!'

The sounds of the engine ring in my ears for a moment as my vision closes in I remember another sound... another engine... Hadden woulda listened to me. He woulda.

Why the fuck are you thinkin' of him?

Rich

--END SCENE--