Bloody Handed

Previous Session: Burning

Kim the Savvyhead is expecting her long-awaited delivery of fine sand, and will arrange to sell it onwards to Sanders (for his continuing production of solar panels) in return for as large a stash of tinfoil as he can lay his hands on. She'll need that for her lurgy cure.

Dusk the Skinner talks with Midnight through the night about home. She finds out that the Mirror-Faced Queen has gone mad and is waging war against the Wolflands. Midnight wants to save Dusk: he's heard the anguish of her soul in her darkest moment. He wants to move forward with her under his protection, leaving broken things behind (he's referring to those who live in the Valley). She's unconvinced by his world view; she thinks what she's doing here is important.

She retires back to Dremmer's room - he's trying to make her feel safe after the attempted lynching/burning earlier. He's concerned and listful.

Market Day comes around, and everyone has an early start. Things are shaping up to be even busier than last month, despite (or maybe because of) the chaos which erupted with the Circus' arrival.

Ripper wonders with Kim how big the problem is going to be to get their tinfoil-related cure out to everyone who's affected. With Wire's gang driving up and down the Valley and beyond it's going to be an enormous challenge. Ripper wonders if they could just kill them off...

Dusk and TumTum catch up when he walks in; he's just checking with her that they're still on for their plan?
-Yep, and I need to square with you for your best bottle of whiskey.
Nodding at where his prized bottle was til now. He raises an eyebrow, but smiles when she puts her nice silver bracer on his arm
-If you need a taste of it, you'll find the rest of the bottle beside Dremmer's bed
His other eyebrow shoots up

Kim has set up at her usual spot. But with her mangled hand she can't really fix things for people - instead she's directing them how to do it themselves. It's a little bit frustrating/amusing for everyone involved.

Reginald shows up with a trailer full of sand for Kim. It's full to the brim of just the best quality sand she's ever seen in bulk, but she's got nowhere to store it. She gets him to give her a loan of it for a day, and Brother'll deliver it to Lopez while she stays here.

The usual excitement of Market Day is going on:
Mr. Tambourine Man is reading fortunes; is this just diversion. or are people getting real insight from him?
A rival eatery has set up opposite Chubby's - an artic truck by the name of 'Hammertime Chow Down'; is the food really better, or are people just a bit leery of Chubby's since the gruesome cannibalism of the Circus' driven madness?
Arnold's Pot-Luck Fuck Truck sets up; it's surprisingly popular, maybe it's just the novelty, or maybe the bout of sickness at Madame Cho's leaves people with little choice

D & Martinez show up with a couple of trucks selling and a handful or well armed guards. They're both in gas masks and are actively trading for liquid soap, sugar and ammo.

Sanders is with them selling solar panels! Kim's surprised to see him there, but brings him back around to her shack so she can show him the sand. He's wondering where she's been for the last month, and then asks after Fox. She usually pops up like clockwork, but she's been MIA as well.

He's impressed by the sand though, and she gives him the list of medicines (and tin foil) she'll need.
-That's a monster list of some specific shit! I can't guarantee that I can get it, least not in these volumes
-I need it, else you might want to be sure no one every enters Lopez ever again!


East Harlow is announcing his new show. 'FISTICUFFS!'
Volunteers duke it out in the pit and after a few rounds of fighting (and betting) the onlookers start throwing in weapons to cut things short.

Dusk stops by to chat to Martinez. He complains that now Lopez wants his own tattoo; reckons Martinez thinks he's a leading light now that he has a serious tattoo and no one else does. Small problem to be honest. Dusk might have to visit soon.

**

The summit gathers. Dusk, as a hacienda owner, can formally attend with a heavy, and she brings Killer. There's the usual tiresome display as each of the other arrive, showing off their latest accoutrement. Johnson is sitting pretty in his limo (mounted on the chassis of  a monster-truck. He's dressed up to the nines, with a top hat and fancy coat on.

Ollie-Boy, a no-shit badass arrives with people (so-called scum) nailed to crosses on the front of his humvee. Dusk takes a deep breath, and is beckoned to come inside by an young runner - sent by TumTum now that it's time.

Dusk turns back to Killer; wondering where he was last night while she was about to get burnt at the stake. He look guilty and can't explain how he slept through that. She goes inside, but nods for Killer to stay alongside Kim and Johnson as they discuss terms.

Kim wants Killer to work permanently for her; maybe as payment for the Phazer. She's buying out his contract. Johnson protests that Killer works for Dusk now. But they all understand that he controls Killer's services and will trade him. Killer's been primed by Kim and Dusk to recognise that this means there's no real loyalty in Johnson.


Inside the usual order of business takes over. Found isn't at the summit, and Partridge is there in her stead (though she doesn't look well). Kobe isn't there either, (Wire has sent Red as her lieutenant, with T-Bone as a bodyguard).

Max Headroom rants about Kobe's murder but he's shouted down by Red; it was a fair reprisal and Kobe chose to go out the way she did.

Dusk takes the floor. Getting a few irate glances - the others aren't quite used to her as one of them, and anyway, taking the floor like this is a TumTum device. She calls Johnson up to join her
-We've got an announcement to make...
She tells them what she's doing at the hacienda with free labour, and the place erupts. Some are on their feet and screaming bloody murder and others are looking around in bewilderment and/or consternation.
Johnson shoots her a glance, as if to say 'WTF!'
Dusk pulls out her double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun and let's one round loose in the ceiling. Everyone quietens down, in shock, none of them are supposed to have guns in here!
-If anyone wants to join me in changing this Valley, then raise your hand!
None do, and the shouting starts up again...

Until, Dusk takes off Johnson's top hat. Everyone stops what they're doing, enthralled by the exhibition that's only beginning. Red, T-Bone, Killer, TumTum and Dremmer are all excluded from the effects of the display, and as she strips Johnson, they begin the bloody murder.

Caught a little by surprise, Red grabs Dusk's shotgun and after killing Max with the second round proceed to beat people to a pulp with it. The others join in with whatever's handy, but the true carnage is unleashed by Dremmer's shotgun. Dusk is splattered by gore and struggles to keep her shit together, all the while stripping his clothes off. Despite her power over them all, she's a little unsure whether his tattoo would still make him dangerous.

When everyone else is dead, and she's shrugged off her long coat. She grabs his chin, still standing behind him and whispers in his ear
-You know, for a psychotic bastard, you had your charms
and then she cuts through his throat with one of her razor sharp knives

*

After their ears stop ringing, Kim comes in the back and can give Dusk some warning as she tries to shoo away the guards from outside (hacienda soldiers, not TumTum's people). Dusk and Killer combine to take them out.

Quickly, Dusk and TumTum identify the main lynchpin who would lead the hacienda's resistance against them. The main counter-revolutionary is likely to be Monsoon, Ollie-Boy's gang boss. They send out runners to bring in the hacienda lieutenants, but in strict order. Monsoon will be first, and then they'll build up momentum with the rest.

Monsoon is shocked by the bloody bar, and even more when TumTum responds to the suggestion that Dusk is crazy with laughter. He's sitting in his chair at the back of the room with his feet up. The bottom of them are splattered with blood, but it's obvious that he spent the entire thing in that position.

He's in, but with some serious doubts. He tells them that they're crazy and that the Valley is going to burn. His presence helps bring all the others onside. When Dusk takes the floor to tell them about what's going to happen with free labour, they all raise their hands. TumTum restarts the summit with the usual business.


Kim looks to get her solar panels back off Churchhead, who's now running Johnson's hacienda. He's not sure he wants the same deal as his previous master, but Dusk convinces him and he definitely comes around to seeing that he can prosper if he takes care of the Skinner and does her friend the Savvyhead a fair deal. The main reason he's reticent is that those solar panels run the machines that are keeping Mad Bill alive.

Next Session: The Belly of the Beast