[DVFP] Fixin a Fifty Cal (G 3.2)

Rich

Gigg,
You head out of Tum Tum's to look for Newton, the guy Tesla told you would fix your .50 cal "no questions no snitching". The heat's already oppressive, not that you mind much. One thing you notice on your way out of Tum Tum's, something Last ignores, is there's a beggar with a cloak thrown over her shoulders, watching the tent with dark eyes. She has dark hair and looks like she might not have eaten in a few days, but she's watching that tent with all the focus she has. She's acting like you're not there.

What do you do?

exterminatorx

I stop and take a good long look at the beggar girl.* Could just be Tum Tum's eyes and ears making sure no one gets sideways. But, it could also be that June has picked up a tracker....

I walk in front of her focused glare, shielding the tent from her gaze. "What're doin' watchin' that tent all scoundrelly like?" I growl and grab at where I think a scrawny arm might be under that cloak.

---

*Intending to Read a Person

Rich

She misses the grab, but when your fingers close around where you'd assume her arm is under the cloak, you grab cloak and nothing else. That gets her attention and she shows teeth and hisses up at you in a stage whisper, "Fug off."

You can read her, sure. Work the questions into whatever conversation you have with her.

exterminatorx

OOC: Read a Person, roll+sharp
(Rolled: 2d6. Rolls: 6, 2. Total: 8)

exterminatorx

"Don't tell me to fug off!" I growl and hiss back, my mask moving to within inches of her cloaked face. "You weren't here when all us went into that tent, but here you are now like a big ole' horse fly seein' whatcha can see. I'm gonna ask you one more time. What are you doing?"

---

OOC: What does she intend to do?

Rich

"She ruined my life, big guy." the woman says harshly, pulling the cloak over where her arm should be. "I got no fight with you." You spot a UF brand on the right side of her neck, Gigg.

She's starving and weak. She needs someone to give her some way out of Depot, and she thinks June is the one.

exterminatorx

Everybody wants to get even. Just another gang banger gone wrong song. Still, I have a bit of soft place for the destitute, homeless, and abandoned. I draw back, less invasive, but the wrench slips out from the carabiner clip on my belt and into one hand, just so she knows I mean business. 'Look, if you're here to unload on June, I ain't gonna let that happen. Understand? If you're here because you think she might help you, why you asking the one who done you in?" I shake my head and grunt.

"Listen, if you're looking to get out of the Depot, I can probably help with that. I got a roller and you crash at the junkyard until you figger things out. Got a little food... water... shade. Nobody ever comes looking there." I make a motion with my head like I'm looking at her UF brand again, just to let her know I saw it. And I motion at the big red A on my chest, and say, "If you wanna keep on gang banging, I could also see if Last would be willing to take you in? Maybe a longshot? Maybe not." I heave the wrench up and rest it on my shoulder, other hand firmly holding my hockey stick like a staff. "So, are we gonna wait on June to come out, or shall we get on with moving on?"

Rich

That's a damn fine offer, Gigg. She peers up at you for a bit, knowing you know about her past, what's obvious at least. She grunts angrily, then reaches up with her right arm, the only one she has, and grabs your staff, using it like a crutch to pull herself up.

"My name's Mimi," she says after one last look at Tum Tum's tent. "She messed with my head. Made me run. Now... I don't have a bike, they already took my arm." She swallows, looking up at you. "Junkyard. Big fugger with a mask an' a stick. You're Gigg. One bad mother. You aren't gonna get me out there and..." She doesn't finish the sentence. She's on the edge of agreeing.

exterminatorx

"And what?" The silence lingers a few seconds as I'm trying to figure out what she thinks is gonna happen. "Ohhh! Naw, I ain't one of them rootin' tootin' cowboys if that's what's eatin' at ya. You'll be safe there. Blazes, I prolly won't even be out there mostly. I got plenty on my plate that's keeping me rolling." I drop the wrench and clip it back to my belt. "C'mon, Mimi. Yup, I'm Gigg. At least that's what everyone's always called me. Let's get you something to eat while I see a man about a gun. Then we take a ride out to the Junkyard and you can tell me what you know about June messing with heads..."

Rich

She's still tense, but without better options, and knowing you could've probably killed her with impunity, she nods, "I... I can't have the UFers see me. But food, yeah. I'm fuggin' starving."

You can find some grub for her for cheap (not a full barter, just some oddments), and leave her to it, huddled under her cloak as you step into Newton's shop.

The place smells like rust and oil. There's a guy sitting at a grinder that he runs with a foot pedal, and a big guy almost as tall as you, sits in the corner of this place. Along the walls are tools aplenty, most of them look built, the rest are reconditioned. Newton has a burly beard and goggles, and he's filing down a piece of metal to fit into a groove, ignoring you as he works. The big guy marks you, but doesn't greet you.

What do you do?

exterminatorx

I approach Newton. I ain't one for small talk, so I cut right to the chase and get down to business. "Hey, I got a big fifty-caliber that needs fixin'. It was werkin' fine until I fell off a van with it, and I think I bent it up. I hear from a buddy of mine in Motley's crue that you're the man who can do jobs like this. If you were to take on something like this, how much would it put a man out?

Rich

He replies without ever looking up, "One jingle." He continues grinding at the metal, bending it slightly in his strong hands.

exterminatorx

Blazes! Just a jingle? I got that in a trunk of an old car back at the 'yard! "Square to the root," I say nodding. "I'll be back later with the gun and the jingle."

I exit the shop and collect Mimi, telling her I gotta stop real quick at The Pit to tell Last that I'm making a trip out to the Junkyard.

Rich

The guy at the grinder grunts acceptance of your proposed terms.

You find Mimi at the same spot where you handed her a bowl of grub. She's sitting there with a tired, satisfied half-smile on her face. She wipes her mouth with the back of her sleeve and looks up, then pushes herself up clumsily to stand. It's obvious she is still weak and doesn't have great balance. Doesn't seem like she's great with one arm, must be a more recent injury.
"Why? she asks as she follows you to The Pit. "Why are you helping me?"

exterminatorx

I stop dead-track, like the weight of her question was an anchor suddenly dragging me to a halt. Why am I helping her? I've just been reacting without thinking, but I do know why I'm helping her.

"Lotsa reasons, prolly, but I ain't gonna get into my life story. We all got a big ole' hole in our heart, and there ain't nothing anymore special about mine than yours.

I guess the main reason is you caught me at the right time. I've recently come to realize that somebody powerful has been influencin' my brain, making me do things I didn't wanna do, and been doin' it for a long time. What you told me outside Tum's tent... I guess I know a little bit how you feel inside. How violated you feel..." I pause as it gets hard to swallow and talk. It clear I'm not going to be able to talk anymore about that, "Besides, if you had any friends they'd be helping you right now, so looks like you could use one, and the closest thing I had to a friend recently got shot and killed. So, I got an opening." I snort and give her a playful backhand slap on her arm to try and decompress the tension.

Turning and continuing the walk to The Pit, I remind her, "If you're on the run from the UF, and if I remember The Pit, there'll probably be some of them there drinking and doing that thing they call dancing. So you might wanna find a place to disappear while I have a word with Last. I won't be long, and then we drive to the Junkyard."

Rich

Mimi listens. When you talk about a hole in both of your hearts, she scowls defensively, but doesn't object. The "right time" seems like more acceptable to her, and she nods to that.
The reminder of the UF causes her haunted look to return. She takes the suggestion to head off and assuming you give her an idea of where the swagman will be, she'll meet you there soon.

When you get to The Pit, you see that there are a bunch of gangers in there. You spot Last and the Zons, some Skorpions, a few UFers, too. Lots of thugs. How are you entering the place, Gigg?

exterminatorx

I walk into The Pit, because I have to. It's not the kinda place I like to hang out. First of all there's lots of people. And it's noisy. Loud. And I'm not one for sitting around and drinking, either. First of all, the mask makes drinking almost impossible. Years ago, I tried drinking beer through a straw (if you can even find one), but I got so much shite from other cowboys and scoundrels in the bar for doing that, I just stopped drinking altogether.

I think Last would have a drink with me -- at least ask me to sit around a celebrate -- but almost none of those girls want me around after what I did to Lala. They barely tolerate me riding with them, and it's really only Last that keeps 'em from ambushing me and getting their justice. I'm not planning on squelching the girls' celebratin', I won't put 'em in that position. So, I'm looking to find Last and get a word with her private.

I walk into the Pit and stand at the entrance surveying the crowd, looking for Last, and maybe Roth and June if they're here. If Roth has recovered from seeing the Real Me, I do want to make good on my offer. Chaz deserves the remembering. And maybe a minute or two to pick June's brain about Mimi -- well, to the extent anyone can do that.

Rich

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