[Snowpocalypse] Morning Indeed (R 4.5)

Rich

Rossi,

You wake up stiff and in pain, hurting from the wound in your neck and bruises in places you didn't realize were hurt. Your normally pale skin is wash with purples and reds. The night passed without further incident. You think maybe Invert left for a while, but it's hard to be sure.

The lot of you head to the sub, right? Anything to be done along the way?

Adam

Awesome... This is going to be a good fucking week...

I don't have anything to do. The plan is to head back to the sub, set up a watch, and get back to resting up.

Rich

Your crew makes it back to the sub, no problem. You find Arbor, standing out front of the sub, keeping watch. He's shirtless, standing there in a pair of cut-off shorts, sweating. His eyes are a cool blue. It's not as cold here as outside, but well, that's ice-walker stuff you know.

The gang gives him some odd looks, but they head in for sleep or to take care of small duties on the sub as you've assigned. Jester stays near you, hoping to corral you to bed for rest.

Arbor steps over into your path, "Hey... you got a minute?"

Adam

Fucking ice... You take it once, and it takes over. Looks like Jester won't be able to corral me just yet, so I stop by Arbor and nod. "What's up?"

Rich

Arbor looks around, waiting for the gang to thin out. He towers over you, and yeah, the guy is sweating a bit. "I need some more ice. Only dealer I knew was in Underlake, never really got to know her. I need some jingle, too."

Jester lets you step up to Arbor, of course. But he's nearby, probably can hear this, but he's pretending not to hear.

Adam

Shit...

I look up at the big guy and blink a few times, "well... I don't know any fucking dealers. Silica's the only person I know who can get the shit reliably... Maybe Hadden... You sure you want to keep doing that shit? It's fucking bad for you, man."

Rich

Arbor looks away from you, shamed, "I know. I tried getting off it for a day or so, got the shakes, couldn't see, fucked me up. I can't... I can't slow down right now, you know?" He looks back at you with those ice blue eyes.

Adam

I narrow my eyes at him. This is bad, but we can't have him down and out... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could wean him? I'm not actually sure. "Well... Let's find Silica. I want you to kick this, but we'll try and ease you off it. OK?"

Rich

Arbor looks at you close. "Alright. Sounds good." He looks over at your neck, "Who shot you?"

Adam

I look around to make sure nobody else can hear before answering, "Frontsides... I managed to wrestle the bitch in charge into GTFO-ing out of town. They're not welcome here anymore."

Rich

Arbor frowns a little, "GTFO? Why not put them to use? Fuckin kill Merr, or ace some of the assholes after your sister? They agreed to it? You think they'll follow through? That the bitch is actually running them?" He rattles off questions like he's used to poking holes in ideas, trying to find flaws, or to make them better.

Adam

"The bastards shot me in the neck, Arbor — I wasn't exactly looking forward to working with them." I sigh and cross my arms defensively... It hurts a little more than I let on. "They were part of the people after my sister, and the other half is up at the pier. When I feel better, we're going to go and sort that out too."

Rich

Arbor backs off, not literally, but you see how he nods and looks away, "Alright. Wandering should give us an advantage with the Pier." He looks over at the sub, watching the gang disappear into the open doorway. "When can we go find your sister?"

Adam

I can't even sit down without someone wanting me to go back out again... "Give me some time to get my bandages changed, then we can go look for her."

Rich

Jester steps in, "No, you are not going back out, Rossi." He looks over at Arbor. "She needs to rest some more. Her stitches are good, but she needs some downtime, okay?"

Arbor shrugs, like it's alright, maybe a bit sheepish about it. "Tonight maybe?"

Adam

Tonight definitely won't be enough for me to feel better, but I guess it's better than nothing... "Sure." I look over to Jester, a conflicting mixture of appreciation and annoyance that he's saved me from myself, "you can come with if you want... I'm not out to start a fight with anyone, or anything."

Rich

Arbor nods at that. "I'll come with, yeah. Rest up." He gives Jester a look, like "make sure, yeah?"

Jester arches a brow in response, like "I just did, you know?" Then he puts an arm around your waist and guides you to the sub. "I can prolly find Silica for you. You really need to heal up."

Adam

I get closer to him, and put a hand on his cheek, "I don't want you going out there alone again... It's like every time I do, some asshole decides they want to turn on you. I'll be OK — you'll be there to help keep me calm. Let's just find my sister, and square this away."

Rich

He nods, not fighting you, since well, you're totally right. "Let's get you to bed, Rossi. And no funky business. Sleepy time."

Where have you holed up, Rossi? I'm curious what your space in this sub looks like.

Adam

Sleepy time... Yeah.

We carved out a place in the habitat that had a pair of mattresses We pushed together, and some storage. Nothing fancy – just a place to be together in private.

Rich

You both head to your bunk, which used to be a supply room, so it's got enough floor for two mattress. Jester shuts the door, and lets you have some rest. He cleans your wounds in the dim light of a candle, then uses some melted icewater to gently wipe away the sweat and the grime for the past few days. Your body ends up as clean for the first time you've been in... well, a long time.

As you're fading away to sleep, Jester sings you a soft little lullaby. It's one you mentioned your mom sang to you and Silica when you were kids. Probably shouldn't be a kid's song, but the way she sang it, it was just fine. He finds that soft tone, and uses it to sing you to sleep. What was the song, Rossi?

Adam

I would say that if getting shot gets me this kind of treatment, then I'd consider getting shot more often... But that's fucking ridiculous. I rolled over onto my side when Jester started singing – largely because of the sick sinking feeling in my stomach from hearing Beautiful Girl...

Its just not something I ever expected to hear again.

Rich

Something rapping on the metal nearby almost rouses you. Not sure how long you've been sleeping, you hover on the periphery of waking up. The mattress beside you shifts. Some moments later, you hear two people talking. One of them is Jester, you know his voice.

You catch Jester saying quietly, "...send Invert then. She can check it out, right?"

Then Wandering's voice rumbles, "Troubadour, you don't run things, alright? Rossi does. Price of power and all that. Wake her up, gotta hear it from her lips."

"So, if Rossi doesn't give orders, you guys just, I dunno, sit around?" Jester asks the question with irritation, still trying to keep a low tone.

Wandering lets that hang out there for a bit. You imagine he's giving Jester a look of disapproval. Or something.

Adam

"I'm up," I answer in a groggy voice. I slowly shuffle out of bed, sitting up on the edge of the mattess, and look over to the hatch. "What is it Wandering?"

Rich

Wandering doesn't shove Jester out of the way, but he sort of steps past him a little to look at you. Yes, he scans your body, like real quick reflex pretty girl on mattress thing, but then eyes on you. "Couple of ours got inna fight at Underlake market over some shit. Merr's gang took them into custody. Holding them for a bribe."

Adam

Fucking Merr... "How many of ours got rounded? What's the fucker asking for?"

Rich

Wandering works his mouth into a scowl, "Three. They want a jingle. Thing is... I think they're wise to us showing up alla time. Probably pushing those guys for details on this place."

Adam

"Fucking asshole. We can't even go up there without getting harassed... Someone needs to set that fucker straight. I get up and grab some clothes, "let's go sort him out... Get our people back."

Rich

Hey Rossi, who are the three gangers who got caught at market? I know it isn't Invert, Arbor or Wandering.

Adam

It's got to be Em-sixteen, Inessa, and Blood Dracula... Those three together, synced up, are a crimson force of fucking nature.

Rich

Rossi, please go here.