[Fury] ... tired (Dog 2.4)

Rich

Dog,

You come riding into the hideout as a storm is building up. It looks bad. The metal roof overhead will be singing out tonight. Grindhouse is a leaky place, things will be tight there. Shy isn't waiting for you when you all pull in. Grunge is, she's wearing blue hair today, very light face-paint.

Tin-Girl and a couple others scout the place. They couldn't care less that Grunge has been here, they're checking it, especially after the night you've had.


::Belka:: Cujo signs angrily before she even gets off her h-bike. ::Send that one away. Arrows only tonight. No hangers on.::


Belka's face draws up and her eyes narrow. ::Scrog you, Cujo. If Dog lets her drink with us, why can't she get in the pile? We let the brain witch in!::


Zeus ignores the bickering, looking to you, Dog, "We gave that pig-scrogger one night. Tomorrow, we ride out and get our girl, right?"


"You should have just left me!" Hachiko says, breaking her silence since she left Grindhouse. She's not teary, but she's upset. Guilt-feeling, too.

What do you do?

halcy

Storms rolling in always make my head and face hurt, like behind my nose and up. Every rain in Big Open was a flood. Every last one. I can't sleep when it rains, can't eat, can't keep my hands steady. I'm worried about Grindhouse, and Queen Anne, and August.

I'm glad Shy isn't here, this would be a bad night for her. But it makes me wonder, does Bon have her doing enough work she can't sleep with the pack? That could be tough in the morning.

Tin-Girl and the others checking things close tonight got nothin' but my approval. They're real smart.

::Belka. Tonight is for Arrows only. I would send Vignette away tonight. Grunge can come back later, tonight we have too much hurt to share.:: Truth is I don't want Grunge in the pile until she's proven herself a little more. Her waiting on us tonight is a good step, I think.

I use a shorthand to sign Vignette's name 'cause I'm not much of a speller at all. 'V-knee' is how I say it with my hands.

"Hachiko. This wasn't just a one for one trade. Pretty boy woulda knifed you, and then Millions' Boys would have opened up on us. My guess is we'da buried four of our own and not all of theirs. And I would have lost my shot with Queen Anne giving me something important." This is for Zeus and the whole gang, too.

"Tomorrow we put ourselves on the border of Millions' territory bright and early, sky willing. We see August in good time, unhurt, we rally up and leave. Millions has time tonight to move himself and his boys. But he wants to scrog bad, so I don't think he'll think too hard about it." I pause for a minute to rub my aching forehead.

"But he sees he's made us take mad, he'll prob'ly keep his Boys close."

Rich

Dog,

Cujo's eyes narrow and her upper lip curls when you sign that you'd send away Vignette. She doesn't sign anything back, but that reaction was pretty strong, Dog.


::Arrows.:: Rainey signs with sharp gestures, clapping to make sure the hearing folks look. ::Dog is right. We were in a bad position. Would have gotten beat. We take them on our terms, later. August is strong, she will handle them.::


"Dog," Sounder cuts in, speaking aloud. "What did Millions mean about you killing some kids?"


Belka signs with a scowl as she walks over to Grunge, ::This rots. I am heading out to scrog Grunge, maybe get trashed.::

Grunge looks past Belka, to you, Dog. It's like she knows something's up, like maybe she wasn't here for Belka.


"This is a hard night." Zeus says as she slumps against a wall and slides down, pulling out an old flask.

What do you do?

halcy

I lock eyes with Cujo, give her a look that says 'later'. Vignette being 'in' is a careful thing. I'd like to talk with Cujo about it. And I'd like Belka to not call Vignette a witch. Don't sit right with me.

I spot the look of pent-up talk in Grunge and motion for her and Belka to come over to me.

Sounder's comment cuts hard. ::I didn't kill any kids. I got into a fight with a boy fresh to manhood, soaker whistled at me and said I'd be good with a bag over my head. He was breathing when I left him.:: But I didn't mean to even hit him. Thunder rolls outside and I breathe in and out, slow.

::Don't get me wrong, Millions will die for tonight. From tonight I hate him.:: I put a hand on Rainey's shoulder for a moment and nod. I need her to keep attention while I walk over to meet Grunge halfway.

"Been a hard day, Grunge. I like the hair."

Rich

Dog,

Rainey steps in, a loud clap of her hands to get attention, locking eyes with Ace and Cujo. Cujo gave you a return look, she gets it. She'll wait.


Grunge offers a little smile at the compliment, "Blue's my color, Dog." She glances past you at the Arrows. "Hey, if it's a bad time, I'll take off. I'm not trying to make trouble. I just... it was fun, the other night." She's turned one foot towards the outside.

A couple blood drops hit the pavement outside. Thunder rolls again, a flash of lightning. It's almost on you.

halcy

I frown at the blood outside, my shoulders tighten at the lightning. "I'm not turning you out into the rain." I shift to be seen and sign ::I would not turn Vignette out into the blood, or this girl, even tonight. That would be a soaking rotten thing to do.:: Cujo's snarl was maybe more practical than personal. A lot on my mind tonight.

Rich

Dog,


Grunge holds up a hand, "It would be rotten if you sent me away, but I'm not going where I'm not wanted. It's crunchy cool, Dog. I'll take off." She pauses for a second, you hear patters of rain on the roof. She looks at you, "You.. you okay?"

halcy

"I'm okay." I want people to stop asking me that. "You hurry and stay dry. We'll see you another time." Gotta remember how close SafeCo is, and brellies are worth somethin' here. I hold up a fist for her.

I turn back to the gang proper, get stood next to Rainey.

Rich

Dog,

Grunge thinks the fist is up for a "pound", so she pushes her fist against it, then turns to go. Belka calls after her, then jogs to catch up. Grunge and Belka walk to the door, talking low, but in the end, Grunge runs on and Belka turns back around and comes inside to join you all. She looks like she just ate something rotten.

Rainey nods when you join and the Arrows are all signing about what horrid things they're going to do to Millions. Ace signs that she's going to carve out his eyes. Hachiko signs she's going to cut off his hands and put them on her bike, which Tin-Girl signs vehemently that it's a horrible idea. The gallows humor seems to calm them a bit, everyone's throwing in. Except Cujo, who keeps looking out towards the door, but not at Grunge.


"You know..." Chance suddenly says aloud, "I'm glad we didn't piss on Queen Anne's place. I think he's liking me."


"Pfft, nah." Sounder says with a shake of her head. "Anne's got nothing for you, girl." Chance snarls at her, but then it flashes away.

Anything before heading to the pile?

halcy

I take Cujo aside to talk, in the office where it's hard to look without looking like you're looking.

Straight to the point, I sign ::Vignette. What do you think about letting her in?::

Rich

Dog,


The tension in Cujo's neck and shoulders drop when you ask her that. It's like she's not sure how to answer for a second, then signs without looking at you, ::She cannot ride. She cannot shoot. She is barely older than Shy. This is not her life.:: She swallows at the end, like words just left her mouth. They didn't.

She's still watching outside.

halcy

I pat one of her hands, soft, to get her attention back. ::Just like Shy, those are things she can learn if she wants. You may be right that this isn't the life for her but..:: I hold my hands together and think before signing more. ::..she needs something and you trust her. You do.::

Rich

Dog,


Cujo doesn't pull her hand away, but she's still evasive. ::You drug her in the pile, Dog. Do not put this on me. If you want her, do not make it my thing.:: She exhales through her nose with a bit of frustration. ::She does need something. I do not think it is here.::

halcy

::You're right. I don't fully know why I did. I know I don't regret pulling her in. And I know I'm not trying to scrog her.:: I let that settle in. ::I trust who you trust. She doesn't have to be in to keep coming here, either.:: But that's gonna irritate Belka something fierce.

I stretch and regret that, head's all light and heavy at the same time. Stupid headache.

Rich

Dog,


She nods a couple times, watching you sign, eyes fixed on hands. She licks her lips, like she might speak, but glances back out of the office. She can't hear the girls chatting, but there's movement in the dim light. The rain is coming now. ::I am glad you drug her in. I do not know how she fits. I just know I do not want her to go away.::
Then, she adds hastily, ::Do not tell the others I said that. I do not want their splashing trouble, Dog.::

halcy

I nod. ::I promise.:: I start to open the door, slow-like. In case she has more to say.

Rich

Dog,

Cujo has nothing more. You head out to the pile. Girls are laying down with their pillows. Each one has a fave. Who's the last one to get one of these from you, Dog?

halcy

I sit up and prop my pillows and my big bear behind me, set so I can look out a window.

Belka is the last one to get a pillow from me. One of hers was getting pretty torn up so I got her a new one, long and stuffed with this soft stuff, you press your fingers in it and it looks like your hand for a bit.

I stare outside, not trusting even the tiny sky they have here. Count lights in SafeCo. I look at the pile from time to time, and I feel calmer. Almost satisfied.

Rich

Dog,

The rain comes down hard, Dog. As hard as any in months. The metal roof of your hideout sings with the patters until the rain makes a constant din. It's deafening, pardon the phrase. Ace is the first to sleep. Rainey slides in to spoon behind her, while Hachiko is next to lie down. Belka tries to cuddle with her, like normal, but Hachiko is still sore, and pulls away a little. All the girls start coming into the pile, one by one. Cujo hangs back, watching, still in the office.

Who do you normally sleep closest to, does it change around?

Do you keep anyone on watch at nights?

halcy

There's always a watch of at least two of us. I can't even say if I like watches in an empty place or ones near people better. They're each of them their own problem.

Usually I sleep near Laika, and of course Cujo. Laika gets cold easy and she smells nice. I remember when Cujo didn't trust me at all, so it still feels special to be there. When August is here, I sleep next to her.

I stop looking out the window as the noise gets worse. Nothing to see anymore when it's bleedin' in sheets. I'll see what's left in the morning. I don't close my eyes and I don't dream of a mountain upside-down, red flowing down the walls.

Rich

Dog,

The rain doesn't let up, the roof sounds like an army is marching on it. It's just loud enough for most of the Arrows to fall asleep quick. Others, it takes a bit longer. After a couple hours, when they're all asleep, Cujo opens her eyes. She seems surprised that you're still up. She sits up quietly, then extricates herself from the pile. It's a normal thing, leaving the pile to take care of business. You get the feeling this isn't about that. Cujo stands up, heads for the stairs.

What do you do?

halcy

I don't know how they do it.

Cujo wakes up and yeah that's pretty normal. Me being up like this not so much. After a simple bit of eye contact between us I look out a window again. Not gonna stare at her leaving the pile.

But something sets odd in my gut, so when she's halfway to the stairs I ease up and follow.

Rich

Dog,

You head down the stairs after her, and see Cujo is picking through the tarps that the Arrows sometimes use to plug holes in the roof. She pulls out one strip, and puts it over her head, like she's testing it out as a covering. She hasn't seen you yet, but she'll be looking up the stairs any moment now, you can feel it.

What do you do?

halcy

I finish my way down the stairs, start rummaging in my packs. I've got a hooded rain coat in here somewhere, right?

Rich

Dog,

You head down the rest of the way, Cujo looks up, then gets back to pilfering through tarps. Sure, you find a hooded rain coat, no problem. Cujo's trying to pretend you aren't there, more or less.

What do you do?

halcy

I hang it on my handlebars and then go to take care of some business. I might break into some of our kinda-used water, take a bath. Let her find it and get the hint, maybe. I get the glue out of my hair, first.

Cujo's grown up, she can go look for Vignette if Belka can go to SafeCo with Grunge and August can..

..but I got a bad feeling about letting Cujo go into SafeCo by herself tonight. I get my hair in a clip and come back to my bike.

Rich

Dog,

When you come back to your bike after that moment of leaving her alone, you find Cujo standing by your bike, she has the coat in her hands. She holds it like it precious. The dim light down here, flashes of occasional lightning and whatever you have... candles? Old kerosine lamps? She sees you, looks at you for a long moment.

What do you do?

halcy

We burn kero and candles and other oils made for it in lamps and stuff. We used to have strings of little twinkly lights but the batteries we used for that got et up in use for the bikes. Maybe another time.

::Take it, I'll come with if you want.::

Rich

Dog,


She holds the jacket for a moment longer, then walks over and hands it to you, pushing it into your hands. ::Well, help me find some tarp. I will need it since you have the jacket.:: She crosses back over to pick through tarps and settles on one she can wrap over her head and shoulders, most of her torso. Cujo walks over towards the fire door, then sees if you're coming or not.

halcy

I grab an extra tarp just in case, a nice clean looking one, and catch up to Cujo. I take a deep breath and brace myself for the blood. You'd think I would be used to it by now, but it's always bad and I always hate it.

Rich

Dog,

Cujo shoves open the door and dashes out into the rain, tarp over head, her boots splashing the red. Lightning flashes and the thunder shakes the ground, leaving ripples in the puddles.

You follow, the coat protecting you for the hundred or so feet of running until you both make it to the spot where Safeco's overhang protects you from the blood. Your shoes, your jeans, bloody disgusting. Cujo pushes to the gate, which sits unguarded. Nobody comes in through the gate in this mess.

After hunting around Safeco, checking with Gates' people and with HM's workers, you make it up to the Yacht Club. The guard, a guy named Mackerel, looks at you both, "Da hell? You been splashing out there? What do you want, Dog?" There's something about the guy, and the people inside. Something odd has gone on, maybe a fight or something. You just... get a feeling.

What do you do?

halcy

::This feels wrong, be cool:: I let Mackerel think I'm translating. It's an easy trick, to play off how hearing people think the dumb slop they say with their mouths is important.

"No trouble. You need us to check weapons?" I stall on his questions. Something's soured the mood here, it makes me wonder if Valentine is okay. For something to get through the feeling of Yacht Club, it has to be zir or someone else important.

Rich

Dog,

Mackarel puts hands up, "You don't wanna go through there, Dog. Nobody does. The door... it did something. That witch did something to do, cast a spell or something, then vanished. Admiral's locked it down. You oughta go."

halcy

I look at him careful, my face asking is he guarding on dope?

"Vanished?" I say the word like it gives me a funny taste. I dunno as I do or don't believe him.

::Admiral all skittered over a..:: there's no sign for 'spell' ::..spooky to the door. This smells.::

"Listen, we crossed over in the splashing storm to be here. That just looks like a door to me. How else are people getting in and out of Yacht Club?"

Rich

Dog,

The guard is a little surprised that you'd gone out in the storm, but your feet back up the story. He still seems unmoved on letting you through, "There's another way out," Mackerel says. "Service exit. When Admiral says folks can leave, they'll go that way."


Cujo's upper lip curls in anger, ::This rots. It is a lie. Someone took her. I will kill people.::

halcy

"Do you think we're stupid? That Vignette isn't here because'a spells? I'll believe it when I hear Admiral say it. And you can be scared of a door all you want, but I ain't got all night for this splash."

Rich

Dog,

You see Valentine come walking up, and Mackerel turns to yell at her through the doorway, "Don't use the door! That brain witch did something to it!"

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