[Fury] Swill's (Dog 2.6)

Rich

Dog,

You walk in with Cujo to the seediest bar around: Swill's. They say to get to Swill's, you take two steps down - physically and socially. Music is blaring on an ancient jukebox, half the lights are broken, but the tunes are still rocking. This is playing right now:



A dozen or so people are dancing, a handful of the inside gang are here, mixing it up with the folks huddling and drinking during the storm. Swill's put drinks "on special" during storms. The place is heavy with sweat and the smell of beer and gun oil.

Grunge just walked in, she's with a couple members of the inside gang. She's sporting a faux-hawk, all blue. Somehow you and Cujo ended up at a table with Pine of Grimace. Pine would say it's "her table", but there are other people here who might object.


Pine throws an arm around you, Dog, "Like I said, I was taking Grimace out for a spin, running south, where it's drier. Grimmy's not a skimmer like the Arrows, don't want to rust out my gears underneath, you know. Plus, it only takes a couple feet of water for her to turn into a floating hood ornament. Anyways, I'm clocking eighty when the Arrows zip past me like I was taking a dump!" She laughs and squeezes your shoulder, the one that is still really sore, but you're not sure if she knows. "Tax Patrol flags wagging south of us, and Dog and hers turn it into a rotting race! So, of course I drop the nox and push pedal to metal and goose past the old lady and her trio of bad mammas on the grounders, but that storyspinner and Dog and the other girls, even Goldie Ear here, who's missing the best story of her life, they leave me sputtering." She pulls up a mug, her own metal mug with her name torched on the side, "But I didn't pay a tax either, and that, my friends, is a good day!" She finishes the drink and slams the empty mug on the table.


Cujo takes a drink, then signs subtly, ::I do not read this one's lips. She talks so much I read her tonsils.:: Cujo is going to get in her cups tonight. She's worried and will be taking the edge off. It's a matter of when, not if she starts a fight.


"Isn't it past your bedtime, Dog?" Pine chides with a grin. "Thought you kicked out at Pikes when you went drinking?"

What do you do?

halcy

Pine won't notice when my jaw tightens and I force some air out through my nose. It's like I didn't remember how sore that shoulder was till she 'helped' me.

I laugh when Cujo mentions Pine's tonsils - if that lines up with some part of Pine's story she's fond of all the better.

"I wouldn't kick out all the way to Pikes on a night like this. 'Sides, I can't sleep when it rains big. Ever been out on the salt?"

Rich

Grunge spots you and Cujo, offers a wave, but moves to the bar with a fellow ganger, one of Speed's old friends, they order some drinks and saddle up at the bar. There's a girl


"Nope," Pine answers without hesitation, "I met a long-hauler, named Two-Step. He had the best singing voice! He told me he went out on the salt, said out there, the rain's not blood, but tox green, burn your skin stuff. Nasty." She squeezes your shoulder, then lets go, looking at you, "How do you know about that place, Dog?"

halcy

I scoff at the green stuff story. "That hauler was pulling your leg. Now, the Red-Blue Deep Death near the North-most part of Big Open, that's real." I take a drink of the goat's milk I sweet-talked out of the bartender. It's the limit of what my nervous gut can handle.

"Naw, on the salt what's bad is the ground is hard and flat all over, no trees or roofs or nothin'. Blood's got everywhere to go. I'm from Binge Hole, just east of the salt. Dumb soakin' place to live..think like..it's a hole as big as Sea-Town is wide. Then you fill it with tunnels and big engines."

Rich

Pine's eyes widen at the story and she raises her cup, "Why the hell did you leave? Hard and flat all over, engines and tunnels? That sounds like a soaking paradise! We could race for years!" She drinks up, then reaches over to get Cujo's attention, miming she should take a drink, too. After the round of drinks, Pine looks in your cup, Dog, "What... is that?"

halcy

I lick my upper lip clean. Guess I haven't told Pine anything that means anything. Still it would be a fun place to ride, now that I have a ride. Pine is thinking with her gas-pedal foot though, not about food or floods.

I look in my own cup in case there's like a bug or something in it. "I dunno Pine, what does it look like to you?"

Rich

She leans over to peer in, "Some... kinda momma's milk?" She looks at you, "Come on, Swill's suds aren't that bad. Don't you wanna throw back a few? Come on!" She looks to Cujo, mimes drinking, looks at you. Cujo shakes her head, then drains her mug, gets up to go get more.

halcy

"I drink what I want, Pine. See, Cujo knows that." I lean back, fold my arms. "Tell you what, since I ain't throwin' back suds I can tell you another story. Go fill up, I'll get my recollections in a row. Not bloody easy for me."

Rich

Pine, and a couple hangers-on, all head for the bar to refill. Cujo stays at the bar, watching Grunge and the other inside gangers through the mirror behind Swill, the bartender and owner.


Pine of Grimace comes back with a pitcher and a full mug, "Dog! Tell us a story or two!" She lifts a leg over the stoll sits near you, but not "on you" like before. She seems genuinely interested.

Behind her, some guy sucker punches someone on the dance floor. A girl screams beside the punch-ee. Looks like some domestic dispute.

halcy

I'm no August at all, my stories come out a big mess. But maybe some of it's rubbed off on me, I hope. I pay close attention when she lays something out.

"Awright, whatcha wanna hear?" I ask Pine as she sits back down. I stay aware of Cujo, Grunge. I wave to Grunge. The inside gang, are they mostly dudes or a mix?

Pine demands to hear how I took over the Arrows.

"Awh, that's kinda boring! Your loss..let's see.. Back when I got started with the gang, it was Nana's show. Nana wasn't as old as Zeus, but older than Laika, you know. She was big, and she had good eyes, and real smart. Wicked smart; when you knew one thing was goin' on, she knew three things were goin' on and she steered the whole gang forward and true. She sure loved pissing people off, though! Never a win with her where she didn't want to look the loser in the eye like 'Yeah that was me.'"

"We all loved her a lot, but her heart failed on her where it never failed on us." I pause.

"After that Rainey was running the gang, she's also real smart. What she likes best is runnin' the gang towards big scores. Big, fat salvage. She's got a good eye for finding where stuff from before the sky went bloody ought to be. One time we went out to this big roof where they used to make beer, like they had before. Brew kettles taller than me, tens-in-a-row."

"One trip out, we're looking for luxe tech, instead we find there's enough breaks in the roof, the haul is full of plants and blood-mad animals that got plants growin' outta them. It was bad, we'd shoot 'em up and they'd burst needles at us. Rainey took a bunch of those, wrecked her up pretty bad. At that time, I was her right hand girl, I'd back up what she said and do all the things hard to trust someone with. So I just stepped up when it was a question." That was like a half year ago? Rainey's better, I think, but when I ask she tells me how it hurts and I should keep it up another month and see.

Rich

The inside gang is two thirds dudes, one third "not dudes".


"I love you and yours, Dog. Like a family!" She raises her mug in salute, others follow. She drains it, then keeps talking as she pours some more. "I never had anything like that till I got knocked up. Now it's me and my girl, but she's about old enough to move on, if she wants. Hey, aint Rainey still with you all? She's the one with the pink tips, yeah?"

Grunge is laughing at something one of her buddy gangers said. Cujo is busy glaring at some bearded guy with a wicked scar across his left cheek. The guy hasn't noticed yet. Nothing much stands out about the guy, dressed like he lives out of Safeco, alone, doesn't have a gun on him, just a crowbar and a small knife.

What do you do?

halcy

"Yeah, that's how we do. It's hard work, but good." I raise up and finish my milk. "Rainey's still with us, doin' rides and everything."

"Lotta growing up goin' on around here, I think it's good." The flipside don't need to be said.

I stand up with my mug. Maybe there's gonna be fireworks. Figure I want to be at the bar in case beardly needs me to take that crowbar away from him.

---

"I know you can hear me, kid. That was one helluva trainwreck. What do you remember?" Nana says this to me, but I don't know who she is yet. Not happy to hear a new voice. Maybe she's making fun of me. Why does she get to talk to me?

I'm on something kinda soft, my body thick with the feeling that I've been asleep a long time. One eye's all covered up and light hurts the other one. Head hurts. Mouth's dry. Arm hurts pretty bad, too. Can't breathe right. I've got nothing better to do than answer.

"..buried it in the sand, on top'va rope." I pause to let the ache fired up from moving die down, and to try and bring more memory back. It don't work, so I guess and do what I think I did with my hurt arm. "I threw my arm up?" I gotta put it back down. "Where's Quintus?" I'm spinning inside and my voice is quiet.

Usually he'd tell me a bunch of things I already knew after a fight, win or lose. I watch her, though she's blurry. She watches me.

"Maybe I killed him. Maybe law isn't practiced anymore in Binge Hole." Flat and flinty words. I don't move, just close my eye again. What is this feeling? I laugh, and groan, and laugh softer.

"Good, I guessed it right. We can work together. Go back to sleep, kid." She says.

Rich

Pine of Grimace starts talking about growing up, mentions her daughter, then trails off to talk about Grimace. It's weird, she talks about each of them like they're her children, but she gives more credit to her daughter and more worry to Grimace. All the while she's talking, you're keeping an eye on Cujo.

As some song comes on about someone named Flash Ahhhh!, Cujo takes a nice full mug of beer and walks towards crowbar guy. She walks right into him, spill half the mug on his chest and shoes. He shoves her back, throwing his hands up, pissed off at being spilled on. That's when he sees, well for all her mean spirit, Cujo is not hard to look at. He says something to her, lost in the din of the chorus of singers in the song. She pretends she can't read his lips, and he notices the ear, or something, and tries to mouth words like "Who are you?"

It's like crowbar guy is trying to drop it, maybe he thinks she's pretty? Or a mark? Cujo pushes it a little further, stepping to him and grabbing his knife, like "hey, this is cool, I wanna look at it." That's enough for crowbar guy, too much time in the out-of-doors, he does not let people touch his stuff. Cujo probably knows that.

He's going to shove her back, Dog. She's going to start a fight, you think. At least, that's what she said she was going to do. Pine and the others are your table are clueless to this. Hell, even Swill doesn't know what's about to happen.

What do you do?

halcy

Hah, when it comes to a fight, what Cujo wants, Cujo gets. If that's what she needs to wait out her sadness here, I'm not gonna stop her. I will watch her back, though, and make sure things don't go too far.

She's got to save some for Millions' Boys after all.

I slide my mug back on the counter, let Swills know I'm done with a gesture.

Rich

Crowbar guy shoves Cujo back, and she's a head shorter than this guy, it's not a love pat. She goes back a step with the move, like it really threw her off balance. But you saw what she did, Dog.

Cujo pulls up the guy's knife, grinning, like "ooh, look what I got!" He blinks, the reaches for it, clumsily. She ducks under his arms, drops her mug, then tosses the knife casually down to the concrete floor where it skitters along under the feet of some folks dancing. Crowbar guy will never see that knife again.

Now he's mad. She just stole his knife and she's about to get in his face. He clenches a fist, draws it back...

But Cujo jump up onto him, hands on his shoulders, legs wrapping around his waist. He blinks, fist paused, and she grins as she brings her forehead down hard on the bridge of his nose. He stumbles back from the move, the pain, his nose bloodied. She rides him down to the floor, and starts out and out pummeling the guy. Dancers nearby start howling with laughter, the inside gang sees it and as far as they're concerned, this is the main attraction.

A couple at the bar, a male and female, strangers, they see it, and start moving for Cujo. The guy has a rifle over his back, the girl has some curved dagger she hasn't drawn, yet.

What do you do?

halcy

I peel away from the bar, behind these two outsiders, casual as walking off for a piss. Then I tap the fella with the rifle on his empty shoulder, firm, unfriendly. He throws his elbow back like you do in these moments and I take it from him, slide an arm under it and wrap my hand on the opposite side of his neck.

Then I steer him into the heavy wood of the bar face-first. I don't let him go. Now the girl has to decide between Cujo and me.

"Do you want 'im baaack?" I taunt.

Rich

This is the music playing:


This is the girl who's with the guy you have shoved against the bar:

"What the flood?!?" she screams over the music as people laugh at Cujo and your actions. She looks at Swill, who raises hands as if to say "not my problem, babe". She decides on crowbar guy and runs over to shove Cujo off him. Meanwhile, your guy is trying to regain his senses and push back on you, but he's out of position. You could probably break his arm, if you wanted.

What's the weird tool in his back pocket?

What do you do?

halcy

I kick out the back of one of my guy's knees. He loses height like he must and I notice the thing in his pocket, a little screen on it and the rest like a needle but not, not sharp. What the hell is it?

While I try to decide if I've ever seen one of these before, I put more pressure on his arm and twist. Best odds, this is his shootin' arm.

Rich

"Moist, girl!" the guy says through clenched teeth. "That's my shootin' arm! Ease off, what do you want? What did Louisville do to your friend? Hit on her or something?"

halcy

I loosen up a little. "Prob'ly, but mostly he just got born." Some people are unlucky that way.

"What's this thing in your pocket here?" I ask, curious. Soon I should pry Cujo out of this fight, I think. I step a little outward to make it easier to throw off this guy and step in. If the dagger comes out I'll have to be fast.

Rich

"Get born" is not the answer he wanted to hear. Meanwhile, that girl's shoved Cujo over, but the guy hasn't gotten up. He's bleeding on the floor, not passed out, but still seeing stars. Cujo rolls with the shove and comes up, bloody fists high. The redhead with that curved knife sort of stands over her buddy. Cujo has a bit of guy's blood on her forehead from where his nose exploded, and she looks like some soaking demon as she closes in on her new opponent.

"It's a device that tells you what something's like inside. For food. Or people." Guy answers. "We don't have much for trade, but you get your girl off my friends and it's yours." His offer is not one he makes lightly.

halcy

"Huh." That's kinda interesting. I can think of a few people who'd want a look at that. I drop my guy, kinda gently I guess, and step between Cujo and Smudgeface. Smudgeface has my back, which I don't like, but it doesn't make me nervous.

::Save some for Millions.:: I sign, part praise, part serious. There's a smirk on me.

Rich

\

Dog,

Smudgeface was not interested in a tussle, so she doesn't complain when you step in, doesn't take a cheap shot, even though she just might be putting a hand near her knife, just in case.


Cujo wipes at the blood on her face with the back of her hand, staring at Smudgeface, not you. She has a sneer to match any she's given. But she catches your signs, and returns with, ::This was just for fun. Millions dies tomorrow. You sure we cannot hurt this one, too? Just a little. She's so pretty.:: Cujo will go with you, but it's probably best you leave Swill's to calm things down.

What do you do?

halcy

::Nah, we should get back to the pile before people notice and freak out.:: I snap fingers and point at rifle guy to toss me the thing he promised while I walk out.

Rich

Dog,

The guy with the rifle tosses you the thermometer, while Smudgeface watches you, standing over her friend as he tries to sit up, holding his ruined face.


::Sure sure. No need to get Rainey's panties twisted.:: Cujo answers. She grins, a genuine, relieved grin. She busted her knuckles on the guy, bumped her head at one point, and the guy did get in a couple shots on her. She looks like she's tired out the stress.

Anything before you hit the pile?

halcy

I pocket the thing and grin back at Cujo. This was kinda fun after all.

I think I'm plumb out of SafeCo business for tonight. It's late, I need to pretend to rest and get focused.

Rich

Dog,

You walk with Cujo back to the gate that leads out to your hideout. Mackerel gives you "the nod" as you both head past him. Cujo puts the tarp back on, and you toss on your raincoat. After a moment to collect yourself, you dash back into the rain, and make it to the hideout with some bloody splashes, but nothing else.

Nobody is up when you pull open the door and climb the stairs. Cujo strips down and crawls into the pile, putting her head on Laika's leg and snuggling in against the cold. I assume you find a place in the pile and at least pretend to get some sleep.

In the morning, or the ass-crack of dawn when the rain has stopped and someone gets up out of the pile. It's Rainey. She's moving quick, maybe she's got to go real bad or something. She's doing that run-walk thing, heading for the bathroom.

What do you do?

halcy

I get up, too, might as well, making my way out careful 'cause everybody deserves sleep. I get some dry clothes on - ain't gonna wear yesterday's pants or shirt today. Jacket's in good shape. I drink down some water.

I prick up my ears a little and move to where the cooking happens. I need something easy to keep down, and my guess is so will Rainey in a little while. The fire gets going pretty well, and while I wait for it to make coals I take up the clean cooking knife we got, piece things up on a board. I think it's gonna be beans and veggies. And some oats with honey.

I make more fire than I need, and more food than I need. Mornings are busy here.

Rich

Dog,

Zeus gets up as you dress, she follows you down, starts working on prep for breakfast. As she's told you before a few times, she's old, she "don't sleep much" anymore.

And yeah, you hear Rainey retching, puking her guts out. It's going to be a little while.


"Why aint you sleeping, Dog?" Zeus asks as she pulls out some shrooms and oil, starts pouring oil on the pan as you stoke the fire. "A sleepy leader is a bad leader. 'Specially when we're going to Pikes today."

halcy

"Too hungry, now that the rain's gone." I watch Zeus, pretty glad that she woke up cause there's lots of parts of cooking I can't keep track of. "I'll nap when I can."

I go to help Rainey, hold her hair back and such.

Rich

Dog,

Zeus doesn't comment any further on you being awake, which is her way of being alright with it. She continues cooking while you head over to help Rainey. When you open the bathroom door, she looks up at you with a mix of surprise and misery, then hangs her head. Another bout of sickness hits her, and you do what you said you'd do.

It doesn't last much longer, a couple more times. Her eyes are watering and she looks pale and clammy. Outside, you hear other girls slowly waking, some quiet chatter, a few snatches of laughter between them, the sound of their naked feet on the concrete as they're coming down the stairs. You smell breakfast nearly done.


"S-sorry, Dog." Rainey finally managed to say when she finally feels right. "Hadn't gotten this sick before. Other times not so bad. Must be something I ate.... or something."

What do you do?

halcy

"You're good, Rainey. Maybe the spicy's not so good? You could ask Laika or Bon about it." I offer as I get her a towel and water, help her clean up. "How long?"

Guess it's gonna be laundry day again soon. That's a whole thing.

Rich

Dog,


Rainey nods that the spicy isn't so good. When you ask "how long", her shoulders slump, "You remember that rider that came in from the south a couple moons back? Had that grin I told you I liked? Yeah. I liked more than that, after a few beers at Swill's." Nice Grin Guy is named Cumberland, and he went north with his crew a day later.

How does laundry day work, Dog?

halcy

"Oh yeah, him." This is what I expect from any rider, period, and most men in general. It just sort of happens this way. Some men get soaking weird about it, some women do. I don't think it's anybody's fault, quite, but there's reasons why Arrows are all women. "He had good teeth."

Laundry day is an all-hands thing, cause ain't nobody allowed to get out of it unless they're hurt or sick. It's a lot of work, about half a day. We take a bunch of water maybe two steps down from drinking and we take shifts getting all the gross and stink and blood out of our kit and towels and pillowcases, blankets and maybe our rags. It always happens maybe a couple days after it should.

Rich

Dog,


"He did." Rainey agrees. "So will his kid." She swallows, blinks a bit, then looks back at you, bleary-eyed, "I lied. I'm sorry. I don't know why, Dog. I got all the way up to telling you... then I skittered." She slumps on the floor, looking at the toilet so as not to meet your eyes.

halcy

"Aw, Rainey, I ain't mad." I squat down next to her and put my arms around her shoulders. "I thought you were tryin' on the idea. It'll be okay." I smooth a hand over her forehead. "You ain't gotta be scared."

Rich

Dog,

Zeus calls everyone to breakfast, which passes quietly. Laika talks a bit about Joey, how he didn't come to the pile, wonders how he's doing with SeaTac. Belka chatters about Grunge, but Ace signs that Grunge isn't interested, which pisses Belka off, but Ace just signs, ::I know body language, Belka. Best you find someone else.:: Cujo chuckles and nods along, like she completely agrees. Chance asks Cujo where she got the shiner and the cut on her lip, and Cujo tells her she went out for a scrap at Swill's and found a good one.

Tin-Girl gets up from the circle early and heads off to work on her bike. It's a dry morning, at least. While you are still worn from the late night, it's nice to have the rain stopped.

How soon until you take off for Pike's?

halcy

I have my fill of breakfast and trade off doing hair with someone. No good to ride into a big fight with my hair down, that'd just look stupid.

When my mohawk is drying and my stomach feels settled, I stand up at the circle. I gather eyes to me and sign out.

::We need to head out soon, but first let's get some understanding. I think we should ride in two packs, loose, so we can keep an eye out for August. We're not surprising nobody down in Pikes, not after our tussle with Millions last night. So we ride loud, yeah? Let trouble come to us.::

::Millions, maybe he's still at Queen Anne's maybe he's had time to move this morning. I got a deal brewing with Anne - we can't soak his walls with bullets. No good. We let his boys point the way. If it points to Anne's place we got to improvise.::

While my words sink in I get my machete and gun set on right.

Rich

Dog,


Chance agrees enthusiastically, ::Yeah, Anne's doesn't deserve any blowback on this. He's good.::


::Hah, you just want the only blows Anne gets to come from you!:: Sounder jokes. Chance snarls at her, but doesn't deny it.


::What about that soaking skeeze Schooner?:: Hachiko asks. "I owe him for putting a knife to my throat."


Tin-Girl throws up hands, saying aloud, "Hey, he did it on Millions say so. Don't wanna mess with Harbormaster on his people. He might take it out on Hope." She looks over to Ace. Sounder sits up, uncomfortable with that, the girls don't say anything more for a moment. You're pretty sure Ace knows what they said, she just looks angry. Really angry.

What do you do?

halcy

::I think there's a line forms up behind Schooner and his time will come. This ain't a pre-game show to Harbormaster. For him we gonna hunt his whole life, and I have people to talk to still.:: I never hunted someone's whole life before and truth is I'm looking forward to it.

::For Millions, we're just after his neck. And as many of his boys are dumb enough to stand in our way.::

Rich

Dog,


Rainey stands up, she's still looking pale, but she's going to push through it. Like you'd expect any less. ::Let's mount up, girls. Check your powder, keep it dry, and eyes on.::


Zeus cackles as she drops the last of the plates in the scrub bucket for later, "Gonna shoot me some Millie's Boys! I sure love shooting young folk. Save 'em all that trouble of getting old and wrinkly."

The Arrows spend a few moments checking weapons, then they head over to push their h-bikes out of the hideout and start them up. Within a few minutes, you and yours are out riding.

Outside, the sun is already bright, light shining off ruddy puddles mixed in with dark brown mudways. There is a small line of folks tramping out of Safeco to their outside work, scavenging farther and farther away from the hold, the constant look for food or things to hunt. A few cars and jeeps range out, Admiral's inside on a tight patrol.

Are you headed to Grindhouse first, Dog?

halcy

Honestly my plan is to give chase on the mobile Boys we find and see if they point us there or at Millions' usual place. If nobody's riding is a giveaway, then yeah I'm onward to Grindhouse.

It worries me that August hasn't come back yet and it makes me wonder if she's been separated from her bike after all. Hopefully a side effect of riding loud is she'll find us.

Goggles on, I'm keeping lookout in front; running one pack with Rainey close to me while I give Cujo lead on the other.

Rich

Dog,

You scout around making noise on the outskirts, none of Millie's Boys stick their heads out. The place is lightly fortified, just a bunch of concrete highway dividers like a low wall around the place, enough to funnel traffic. For all of Millions' bluster, the Boys rely on safety by offering free trade to "anyone", and what raider would crap where they eat, right?


::They skittered. Grindhouse?:: Cujo signs when both packs meet up after seeing no resistance or trouble.

What do you do?

halcy

::Grindhouse. Anybody seen August or her bike?:: I ask the pack.

Rich

Dog,

You see a sea of heads shaking "no", nobody's seen August. Last anyone saw her, she stuck by Grindhouse.


::Nobody at Millions place.::

Please go here.