2 thoughts on “Holy shit!”

  1. Our Touchstone, Illu, rescued a child that was physically and psychically linked to one of the beasts that are the progeny of the thing living at the center of the Apocalypse World. She and our Faceless, Gigg, did their best to prepare this foundling for life in Jackass’s compound. They were doing a disturbingly good job at it as well and the little girl, Bishop, really seemed to be bonding, especially to Illu.

    Illu left Bishop in the care of two of her lieutenants and the group went to deal with Bishop’s brother David who had been unconscious since they had run him over. Drake, our Quarantine, had a psi-isolation chamber in his facility that they hoped to use to “cut the boy off from the thing at the center of the earth”.

    There were complications, wolves talking and walking on their hind legs, a computer monitor turning into the eye of the thing at the center of the earth, that eye turning the room they were in into a beast, two of the beasts searching for them between the facility and Jackass’, shit was bad but about to get worse.

    They made it back without tipping off the beasts only to discover that Bishop was turning into one of the beasts. Bishop tried to explain to her new mother, the gift that her first mother had given her. Bishop claimed she served the thing at the center of the earth, her mother, for immortality. Bishop offered Illu, her other mother, a chance at the same immortality.

    When Illu refused Bishop wept and pleaded with her mother that she be the last to die when the rest of her family, one mind, left earth. Illu then took Bishop in her arms and broke her neck. As the two lieutenants attached to her died they spoke with Bishop’s voice, saying that she understood and that she, one mind, would always love Illu.

    I am a fucker and I rarely pull punches. The game has gone far beyond what I originally envisioned. The beasts in the wastes, the children that the group found attached to them, the thing at the center of the earth, it’s continued connection to the children, nearly everything of any importance came from the moves. Having to answer questions on the fly and interpret their meanings later. I knew, part way through the previous session that heartache awaited Illu back at Jackass’ hold. I did everything I could to delay that moment but I knew it had to come sooner or later. I did what I could to make Bishop seem monstrous because I knew what Illu’s likely response would be. I think Bishop knew as well and yet she still made the offer of immortality honestly.

    I’d like to say I know what will happen. I’d like to say Illu will find peace in her decision. I’d like to say that the end will read “And they all lived happily ever after.” But this is Apocalypse World. And I’m a fucker.

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