[Snowpocalypse] Stuck to the Upholstery (S 4.3)

Rich

To Silica:

I'm curious. What with all this crazy times you've been having, and the fact that you were up till I dunno 2 AM or so (not that you had a watch, but well, you did), if nobody ever comes to the truck to knock on it and wake you, how long do you think you would sleep in?

You wake up covered in snow, like some odd blanket, right? It's quiet. What time do you think it is, Silica?

scott

Silica

I sleep light, you have to outside right? Not many fuckers out there but if they are then you don't wanna be sleepin' when they around. I don't sleep in the open, you know there is such a thing as comfort, blanket or something is good... even cover up in soft snow feels allright if you have to.

You always do is listen, then look... this one time I woke up and this fucker was crouching right over me smiling like a sonofabitch. Coulda totally killed me... but I played it cool... guy just up and walked away.

Usually I wake at first light but it's been that kinda night... when I wake I feel the light on my face... oh fuck... what is it? Well past dawn... I pull down the blanket, dislodging a light dusting of snow. Raise a hand to shield my face from the light...

I quietly get up on an elbow in the bed of Hadden's truck and take a look around.

Rich

Well, Silica, no crazy bum is watching you. No Lunch, either.

Did K2 keep the keys to the truck, or do you have them?

What do you do?

scott

Silica

She's got the keys, I'm just up in the back. I slip out from under the blanket, tossing it to one side and first get up to my knees, then stand. Big stretch, arms overhead.

Take a look around, covering my eyes from the light.

Guess I hop down and lean against the side of the truck for a second, take a good morning hit of ice from my pocket. For a second i think maybe I should just take off... but she's waitin' for me I guess. Sleepin' in maybe...

Maybe she belongs with Hadden, leavin' a guy like that for me is pretty fuckin' stupid right? I wouldn't...

I decide to head down into Misty's to find her.

Rich

To Silica:

The hit of ice feels good, right? Gets your mind firing and your body feels just right. It's the natural state now. You hop out of the truck and take the lonely trek back down to the freight tunnels. You know where K2 is, she told you like twenty or thirty times, so finding the little five by five storage unit is a snap.

It's just a bolthole, so she pays the minimum. There's no power, just blankets and a tarp. Plus a bucket, in case of emergency. The metal gate locks on the inside, but there's no lock showing.

Sitting on the concrete floor, on her butt, in just her underwear, is a sweating K2. Her feet are flat on the floor, knees bent and up. She's staring off into space, doesn't notice you coming to the door. Looks like her blankets are all askew, like she just tossed and turned and gave up on it and rolled out of bed at some point. And her eyes, they're a light gray now. They were blue last night.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

I walk down into the place expecting to find her sleepin' late or some shit. Maybe she got pissed and hooked up with some guy. Why the fuck didn't I? As I push open the door I'm smiling slightly at the thought of it.

But then I see her and.... the fuck? I rush over to her, "Kaykay the fuck?" I crouch down near her getting my face in her view. I touch a hand to her cheek. "The fuck did you do?"

Yeah, I'm worried as hell... did she take bad Ice or something? Something worse?

How does she feel?

Rich

To Silica:

She's cold, even to your touch. Your touch surprises her, and she jerks back, away from you, before she even sees it's you. "I took some... I'm tough, Silica. See?" Her teeth chatter a little as she talks. The left corner of her mouth has a tiny icicle off the side.

She wipes at her face, then starts struggling to her feet. "What... what time izzit? We oughta get the truck back, right?"

scott

Silica

She startles me when she moves and I snap back at her, "it's fuckin' morning the fuck do I know?"

She looks like shit. I wrap my hand around her neck and touch my cheek to hers, to feel her. She's fuckin' cold... "did'ja take the whole fuckin' rock?" I shake my head, looking slightly disgusted, "Kaykay the fuck you thinkin' doing emergency ice in the fuckin' house? Fuck girl... I told'ja!"

I pull my head back to look at her, get her eye, "what fuckin' juggler sold you this kryptonite shit?"

Rich

To Silica:

"Whole rock? ...yeah, think ssso." After you touch your cheek to K2's, she turns her head, looking at you with that yearning, but she doesn't move.

"Who soldit to me?" she repeats the question like she's processing the answer. "Oh... it was Re-Re. Youknow, Revert." Revert sells crap ice, the kind of uncut stuff that is cooked up here at Backside Misty's flats and sold for practically nothing.

K2 starts moving now, slowly trying to make her way up to stand. Do you help her up or let her do it on her own?

scott

Silica

Yeah I help her, stupid girl. I reach down and pull her to her feet, not being gentle about it either, this is gonna hurt. First ice feels like pins and needles all over, like when your leg falls asleep and starts wakin' back up. Comin' off ice feels that way too... one reason I ain't never gonna.

Revert... "the fuckin' bitch... he didn't even tell ya what's what? I told you Kaykay!" Once she's on her feet I let go of her hand and take a step back, help get her shit together. Find the car keys.

Revert might have some words comin' but...

I'm gonna get her home.

Rich

To Silica:

Let's skip ahead a bit then.

K2 is able to walk, but she leans on you at one point, and getting up the ladder is rough. She moves slow, like molasses. She bites her bottom lip a couple times, not crying out, not whining, but it's bad.

On the drive, I assume you're... driving? She lays her head on your shoulder. She's not moving a whole lot. "Outside... feels pretty okay." She says it shakily, trying to push the words through clenched teeth.

scott

Silica

Yeah I'm driving... uh... first time for everything right? Don't think I drove a car before, but I've been around them. Not like I'm going fast or anything, just need to get there.

So I get her up inside... she don't look good... I can't help but sound annoyed with her and I keep goin' on as we climb. (Not like I really can talk though right? But I do.) "how long did'ja sit in that hot fuckin' room like that? Gonna fuckin' kill yourself.... Kaykay You think I sleep outside just cause I like it?"

I find the keys, get 'em in the ingition, turn the thing over... uh... yeah. Shift... I don't realy know about adjusting the seats or shit so I gotta reach way down to the pedals, sitting too far forward on the seat... I feel like a fuckin' idiot.

After a little while driving she rests her head against me and says that... "yeah..." I say quietly, eyes front, "keep the windows open... should be uh... more ok."

Rich

To Silica:

K2 answers quiet, "Givinya space, Silly." She rolls over onto her back, putting her feet out the window while you drive.

I'm curious how well you manage all this, Silica. Why don't you give me an Act Under Fire to navigate Chi-Town and drive and all that.

scott

Silica

Why am I pissed at her? She's just tryin' to... I don't know... make me like her? Be like me? Fuck... who the fuck would want that kinda shit.

She lays down, her head up against my thigh... she feels cool. Is this how I feel to all those fuckers? Weird as shit.

Acting under fire to drive casual:
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 6, 6. Total: 13)

Rich

To Silica:

Turns out, driving a truck is way easier than driving Wonky's sled. Er, your sled. You bring it right up to Hadden's normal parking slot. You park it, then pocket the keys, head around to help K2 out. She sits up by the time you get to her side of the truck, and makes eye contact with you. "Hey... I can makeit. I'll get homenow. You don't hafta comein. I know..." She reaches for the "oh shit" handle to wrench herself up out of the truck.

scott

Silica

She meets my eye... yeah, she's so good on her own.

Hitec's gonna blame me for this shit... HP too probaly. Yeah I'll get Kaykay to the fuckin' door.

I pull her down from the truck and help her when she stumbles, I get close to her face and keep her eye, "you do not fuckin' do this again... it's gonna suck. It'll pass... you don't want this."

You don't want me... Is what I'm really saying... don't know if she can see that right now. She should be with Hadden. I was thinking about it all night. What the fuck is Hadden to me? Yeah he's hot... those eyes, that ass. Yeah... But the fuck are we? He's real... he matters.... he fuckin' matters.

The fuck am I?

"Come on..." I help her to the door at least.

Rich

To Silica:

The walk to HP and Hitec's door isn't nearly long enough, as the frustration of her antics ebb and the dread of seeing her mother and Hitec grows. You reach the door without any further incident, she knocks on the door.

K2 was silent on the way, but you hear her thoughts, as scrambled as they are. She wants you, just you. Nobody makes her feel the way you do. She can't logic it, she doesn't even know why she's attracted to you, not like you have anything in common anymore.

After K2 knocks on the door, Hitec answers. She starts when she sees K2 in a cold sweat, looks to you with alarm. "What the...? Silica, what happened?"

K2 pushes her way past Hitec, you don't see Handplant behind her in the flat. K2 says angrily, "Fuck you, Tec. I took some ice, Silly cameand saved me. She's beenhelpin me. Don't fucking touch her, or I'll tellmom."

Hitec turns to glare at you, but you see worry around her eyes, too. For K2, for their secret, that you heard.

What do you do?

scott

Silica

Hearing her thoughts... how the fuck... but this is bad. Why does she want me? Sure... it felt good that night but... there's nothing there right? It's not like I've been nice... and it's not like I was even good in... I fuckin' sucked in bed with her. If I cared I'd feel like shit about that... ok maybe I do but... it doesn't fuckin' matter. There's no reason why she's so into me.. why the fuck?

When we get to the door I'm keepin' my mouth pretty much shut. Don't give a fuck if someone that hates me is mad, sure... let her glare. My fault, whatever.

I help her in the door but I ain't stayin, I just say, "just keep her cool... it'll last half a day or something... maybe little more."

And I'm fuckin' gone. Guess I take the truck, find Hadden... where the fuck are we supposed to meet up?

Rich

To Silica:

You deliver the message to Hitec. She actually looks worried for K2 more than angry for you. As she's closing the door, you see K2 sit down heavily on the couch, pull her head up miserably and give you a lopsided smile, like "I'm okay".

She isn't. You know that.

Hadden? He was at the Preservers, but by now, he's moved on, you're sure. Maybe you could head to Underlake to find him? Maybe Handplant told Hitec? You could just knock on that door and ask her... nah.

So yeah, where do you go?

scott

Silica

I slowly walk away from the door. My feet crunch on the icy snow as I go... how did this happen? You ain't fuckin' ok.

I get to the truck and stop there for a second, a hand up on the handle. I let out a breath, almost a cry, and rest my head against my arm. "Damn it... girl you're fuckin' crazy..." for the first time I start to realize that I might have fucked up her brain somehow... why's she so into me? Doesn't make sense. I should never have fucked her... I knew it... why'd I let her tell me it's ok?

I sniffle and wipe my face on my sleeve to fight away these thoughs, open the door and climb in. Ok... start it up, shift... no problem. I got this.

Underlake... sure, that place always cheers me fuckin' up.

Rich

To Silica:

Please go here.