WoDA fiction World of Darkness: Attrition - Boot-Scooting Boogie

[Owns-The-Night]

So... your turn. Gift, souvenir or choice?" She gestured to the buckle, visible with the Vargr stretched out and relaxed.

Dec's face didn't contort with overdone sympathy or shock as August told of her abusive father, but some empathy was present in his expression as he listened intently to the tale. He also didn't appear sceptical, which was heartening to the girl. When she finished, he slipped his own hat from his head and plopped it on top of hers on the floor.

A wolf saved her, and lead her back to her dead sister. Unbelievable, but not if the wolf wasn't really a wolf. he thought, laying back on the bed and looking at the ceiling. Then he remembered she'd asked a question and sat up on his elbows once more.

"Oh this? A gift, from a cousin." he said with a shrug. "Never even knew I had a family before I got back from the Middle East, but apparently it's a big one. She brought me this as a 'welcome to the family' present. Which was cool of her. I like wolves. Used to listen to them when I was a boy..." he was silent for a moment, lost in memory. How different life would have been if he'd known back then. He shook of the reverie and refocused on August.

"I think it's a cool story, by the way. Maybe it was a wolf, and maybe it was something else. But you say it was a wolf, so a wolf it was as far as I'm concerned. Maybe people who say wolves don't do those things don't know everything about wolves. So screw 'em." he finished with a roguish grin.

[Swara-Ann]

Feathers black spread about, and where Jeremy had been standing, a normal, everyday looking raven rested on the ground. The Jeremy-raven spread it's (his?) wings and flapped up to the branches of a nearby tree, a foot higher than Swara-Ann's head. It stared at her and cawed as if to say, 'What did you expect'?

Swara-Ann squinted her nose, looking either confused or repulsed, it was hard to tell which. "Uh, oookay." She looked up at the branch and quirked a brow. "Um, look, no offense but spirits back home were alot more, I dunno... vicious?" She shrugged looking for the right phrase. "I mean, I don't want to hurt your feelings right before I hand you your ass n' all, but seriously? That's your big evil? A bird? I'm a predator who is about to throat you and instead of assuming a more 'grrr' form, you pick something crunchy and tasty?"

With a sigh she rested her hands on her hips. "Okay, how's this? I'd really feel bad if you went to like, spirit heaven, and were laughed out because you panicked and picked the wrong form on accident only to get bitten in half in a new all time record for the spiritual loser Hall of Fame. So, c'mon, give it another go, I'll wait. Scout's honor and all that. No lunging and killing you until you're ready. Kay?"

She politely beamed him a smile and encouraged him to give it another shot.

[z-August Turner]

August paused and looked back at him, her expression bemused. “Wow,” she commented before turning back to the screen and finishing her manipulations. She scooted the chair to the side and sat down on the bed next to him. After a moment, she shoved her boots off her feet, revealing socks. Grinning, she pulled her legs up Indian style and said, “You must really want to sleep with me.”

Dec’s glance was surprised that she said it, but he didn’t hesitate to reply in kind. “That’s what men and women do,” he pointed out, grinning. “I did think your story was cool.”

“Usually men only agree with me to get what they want,” August said. Despite her cynical words, she seemed to be enjoying teasing him. “ ‘Oh, August, you’re not crazy. You’re special.’” She snorted. “Your gender can be a pain sometimes.”

“And the rest of the time?” Dec asked.

“A lot of fun,” August told him. Picking a remote off the nightstand, she started the ‘movie’. It opened with a brief shot of August introducing the assignment and covering the technical proficiencies she was demonstrating. Then it went to Declan working. It was rather dull, but there was something weird about watching himself on the screen. The movie bounced between several angles; the focus on lighting rather than narrative was clear. But at the end, she added the scene with the hypodermic. “My teacher likes if we throw in stuff like that,” the girl told him. Grinning, she said, “That’s it! Your ten minutes of glory. Want a copy for yourself?”

[Owns-The-Night]

"Depends." Declan's answering grin was wicked, as was the glint in his silver eyes. "How much would it raise my chances of sleeping with you if I said yes?" August pretended to consider that, fighting the urge to blush. Sitting next to him, she was intensely aware of the span of his shoulders, the thick fall of his hair, and his strongly male presence. She wondered how serious his flirting was, whether he was just playing.

"Hmmm. I'd say by about point 5 of a percent." she replied, smiling into that fierce silver stare. After all, can't just give it away, can we? she thought. Especially when it'd be so damn easy to.

"Damn, only that much?" Dec feigned disappointment, then shrugged. "Then I'll pass. I'm not likely to ever be self-absorbed enough sit down and watch myself." he admitted with a smile. "It was good, though."

"C'mon!" August laughed and elbowed his arm. "You were trying to work out the plot, admit it. I was watching your face. You were all: 'what the hell is this?'" She giggled again, eyes sparkling as she watched Dec consider denying it, then shrug, grinning ruefully. He was really no good at all at hiding his motives, she realised with an inner smile. His repertoire consisted of the poker face... and that was about it.

"Okay, okay!" he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But from what you said at the start of the movie, about what you were supposed to be doin' and stuff - well, I followed about half of that, but it looked to me like you nailed it." He sat up on the edge of the bed. The room smelled of her. The candles were mildly perfumed, the sheets were cleanly laundered, and the place had been hoovered and air freshened, but it still smelt like August to his senses. He wondered who the dumbshit was who wouldn't be interested in her, then wondered if she'd expressed interest in said dumbshit enough for the guy to get a clue. Women were weird like that, and not every guy could smell interest on the air currents.

And yes, he did want to sleep with August. Or was that un-sleep, seeing as sleeping wouldn't really be high on his list of priorities. She had nice legs, a cute ass, a great rack and pretty eyes. Dec was an uncomplicated and barely-civilised man by today's Western standards - a pretty face was a pretty face. August was pretty cool, too, for an artistic type - not that he'd actually gotten to know many of those. But making a move on her here and now, with her still pining for Mr Oblivious, would probably end in an awkward moment and him getting blue balls. Better to leave things as they were for now, surely.

"So, you wanna go back to the party before your friends assume we're up here gettin' started on some early debauchery?" he asked, leaning down to scoop his hat off the floor before plunking it down playfully on her head. A few sizes too large, the battered hat fell forward over her eyes. "Or we could get started on said debauchery, then take a break for beer and hot wings later." he added as an afterthought.

[Lucien Hunt]

Triessa watched Lucien, mildly annoyed that he was still stuck on the kissing girls. That was SO 'last five minutes ago.' But she suspected she knew how to get his attention.

"I want to ask you about your Watchtower," she said. When his eyes flicked back to her, but his face gave nothing away, she pressed. "It would have seemed like a dream to you...or maybe like a waking hallucination. It called you, so you went to it, passing through obstacles and challenges on the way. And when you reached it, you inscribed your name..."

She moved a hand absently in the air, cocked as if it was holding a pencil, and writing in midair.

"You know what I'm talking about?"

She noticed how Lucien gradually got more and more nervous as she continued on. He was rather composed in the beginning, but the more she went on and the more her words triggered those memories from moths ago, the more his composure waned. For months he'd been on his own no one like him to help him understand what it was he was supposed to be doing, or show him what it was he could do. All this power that coursed through him and nothing to do with it so he did the only thing that made sense: he just quit using it and forgot about it.

"It was like, Heaven." He said softly, almost so soft that she didn't catch it under the loud music and chatter. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes were glossed over in remembrance as his mind went deep into memories he'd forgotten. The vodka bottle just kept dribbling out it's contents as the mixed drink finally hit the rim of the cup and just began spilling out over the sides. "It was beautiful and terrifying all at once." He mumbled again before snapping out of his reverie and displaying a short moment of panic at the realization that he'd spilt liquor all over the counter top.

"Shit." He chastised himself as he grabbed a rag and a roll of paper towels, swiftly making an attempt to stem the flow of alcohol before it trickled over onto the floor. "Okay, so," He looked at her, visibly frustrated. Less with her and more at the situation (this was something he couldn't charm his way out of, so it was a new experience for him) and after dressing the affected ares of the counter with paper towels he let them soak for a moment as he turned to give her his full attention. "How does work? We fight now? Try and take the others head or something? Did Atlas finally get around to sending you, because seriously, he's a little late, and I'm a little put-off about it."

[SalmonMax]

Triessa grinned, relieved. Her one big fear was that Lucien's awakening had been so traumatic that he'd tried to reject it, and fight what he'd become. Trying to redeem a fledgeling Banisher might have been a bit over her head.

"I can help you, Lucien. I have what you need most. Answers, and some understanding. The towers call isn't heard by many, but you're far from alone."

She glanced around. "This is probably not the ideal place to get into it though. Lets rejoin your friends, and just enjoy the party for now. I can promise, by the time there's another one, you'll be seeing the world through new eyes."

[z021]

Oneca let go of the kiss with a pleased little sound and smile shot in Remy's direction. Who wasn't paying attention but instead was watching Lucien and Triessa walk off with a curious little frown. He gave a slight shiver, shook his head, handed Oneca a new drink. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, whispering something softly into her ear, then made his excuses to the others.

"Pardon me, ladies, gentlemen, but I think I've left my customers pining for long enough."

A group of men, and a few women, had formed around Kaitlin and Oneca, demanding their own party favors. "Uh uh uh. That's for party virgins only, which I know most of you aren't; and you've got to get Remy's sponsorship. Good luck on that, by the way." She looked around at the smaller-by-two group and frowned, "Now, where did my co-host go? Or my roommate?" She felt a little chagrined that she'd only now noticed that August had slipped away.

[Lucien Hunt]

"Yeah, okay." He wiped his hands off with the rag. "You're probably right. I don't want to seem like a jerk, but I better get some answers. All this crypto B.S. is getting really old, really fast."

They ended up returning to the floor empty handed. Drinks at this point didn't really seem to hold Lucien's attention at this point and the more his mind wrapped around there being someone who could provide him with answers to his rather rare condition. As they moved through the crowd his lips twisted into a mischievous grin when he passed a young lady dressed like a sexy Native-American girl. An attractive woman was just what he needed to clear his mind.

He approached her with that suave charm that seemed to ooze from his every pore. "Hi," He opened with a smile. "I'm Lucien Hunt, welcome to my wonderful world of debauchery, where you can get a single night of pleasure and life time of regret all under one roof. Care for some company?"

[SalmonMax]

Triessa left Lucien to his entertainments and headed back to where Oneca and her girlfriend had had their rather public encounter. She nodded happily in greeting to Oneca and out of vague sense of duty told her, "Lucien went after some girl on the way back, so you may be on your own for a little while. I've no idea where August went, but I'm sure I could find her if necessary."

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

As tended to be the case, the party was in full swing by the time a certain wolf slipped in among the sheep. That this wolf was clad in denim, had long red hair, and looked out from behind blue-green eyes made it no less a wolf; it simply wore sheep's clothing. For those who knew of such things, her body language - fluid, careful movements that were more stalking than walking - gave a hint that something was amiss, the lizard-brain subconsciously reacting to a predator amid the prey.

Sarah knew the effect she had on people. Knew it... and knew there was nothing she could do to change it. A lifetime of habits gained around her terrifying kin, then half a decade as something equally terrifying roaming the California nights, could not be easily dismissed. And the hunger - sharp and bright, as it nearly always was - did not a relaxed creature make. With effort, the once-girl made her way through the edges of the teeming herd, keeping well away from the blazing hearth and watching for strays that might wander out from the safety of numbers.

It may have been a party for the living, but this place could be a banquet for the careful dead.

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia could hear the party going on in full blast downstairs, but she still had ten more minutes left on her "fashionably late" timer, and she intended to utilize them to the best of her ability. After all, this was her first party in L.A., her first party as a normal, regular college student. Well.. maybe "regular" was a bit strong of a word.. but that made no difference tonight, really. She wanted to introduce herself to her cousin's friends, meet this hawt Lucien guy she'd heard about, and get a bit of a buzz going. She might even see her cousin unwind a bit for once, since the Prissy Bitch wasn't gonna be around. It irritated Saja to no end that this new cousin had started calling her "PB", and wouldn't tell her why. Aradia's only response was that she "wasn't good with names, so everyone gets a nickname".

She surveyed herself in the mirror one last time before deciding with a certain amount of satisfaction that she was about as hot as she was gonna get for the night. She was wearing a pair of tight denim jeans cut short enough to cover her butt, and not a millimeter more. She had debated for three hours the other day before finally selecting a white bikini with crystal rhinestones, deciding that since she had a healthy tan for the first time in her life, she was going to show it off. Before anyone got the idea that she was too classy to have fun, she followed it up with a rhinestone-studded brown and white zebra-print belt, a pair of brown boots with a white floral inset, and stark white streaks through her currently medium-brown hair. She picked a couple of brown and white bangles from her vast collection (the size of which her roommates had shaken their heads at in disbelief), both solid and prints, and slipped them on over her wrists. After a moment's hesitation she skipped the earrings and picked up her white cowboy hat, placing it on her head and tugging the brim down to what she hoped was a sultry angle.

Behind her, she heard a soft yawn, and her gaze flickered back to the mirror, though this time she wasn't looking at her own reflection. She was instead meeting the reflection of the gaze of the creature curled up on her bed. It was a medium-sized leopard-looking animal called an ocelot, measuring about three and a half feet in length from it's nose to the tip of it's tail, that stood about knee-high to an average-sized person. It stared at her with a bored expression, and she sighed, sensing the creature's impatience.

"Well if you wanna go to the party, go ahead and go. You don't have to wait for me. And besides.. you're just gonna hide and watch. I'm out to make an entrance."

Latigo hopped up and over to the open windowsill, slipping out of it smoothly and glancing back at the young acrobat briefly before making his way down the gently-sloping roof of the high-end L.A. mansion. Aradia was sure she'd see him throughout the night, but doubted anyone else would really notice him - that was his way. She did a bit of final magical primping to her appearance, giving herself the look of "no-makeup" makeup, without overdoing it. No sense having people wonder how it all stayed in place once she decided to take advantage of the pool, which she had every intention of doing. Then she hurried out of the room, knowing her deadline for "amazing entrance" was quickly approaching the "missing the fun" line. She hurried to the staircase and hopped up on the bannister, sliding down it smoothly and landing at the bottom with little more than a click of her boot heels. Then she began to look around for her cousin, or barring that, something interesting to get drawn in to.

[Astra D.]

He approached her with that suave charm that seemed to ooze from his every pore. "Hi," He opened with a smile. "I'm Lucien Hunt, welcome to my wonderful world of debauchery, where you can get a single night of pleasure and life time of regret all under one roof. Care for some company?"

She gauged the party as fairly typical west-coast fare, with loads of attractive young people in minimal clothing designed to display their bodies to their best advantage, energetic music, and enough alcohol to merit the addition of a storefront. It was either a great time waiting to happen, or a recipe for total disaster, depending on the company you kept while there.

LA was one of the most superficial cities on the planet; when you moved in, your complimentary welcome wagon fruit basket included a list of agents and vouchers for chemical peels and nose jobs with area plastic surgeons. The standards for attractiveness were improbably elevated, such that someone who would be considered gorgeous anywhere else in the world was relegated to merely "average" status. The "beautiful people" were more like hyper-real constructs than anything native to Earth, and while Astra had glimpsed such creatures on billboards and television screens, she'd never found herself in the presence of one of their number.

Until now. And it- he- was talking to her.

As her brain sputtered like an '83 Pinto, she took a hasty pull off the bottle of imported beer in her hand. It was cold, it was Mexican, and it gave her time to catch up to what he'd said. That was about all she knew for what felt like an eternity of those mischievous dark brown eyes fixing her in place. Whoever he was, he was staggeringly hot, and she could feel a creeping warmth working its way across her cheeks as he smiled.

Say something!

"Uh," she managed with a self-conscious grin, "yeah, sure. Nice to meet you, Lucien Hunt. I'm Astra." She switched the beer bottle to her left hand, extending her right towards him.

[z021]

Remy called back, "I'll find August and send her your way." He liked the quiet camera girl, and the fact that she'd blush over almost any little thing. He also spotted Lucien playing the field for a bit, "And I think your other host is...hosting." He winked at Kaitlin and held up his own glass, "If you need anything, I'll be on the black couch in the living room. Anything."

Oneca pouted for a moment that she'd lost her warm shoulder, but Lucien would make the rounds again and he was spending the night, anyways. That last thought tugged a grin back onto her lips and she looked around at the much smaller (now that the declaration of no more kisses had thinned out the crowd) group, which was actually just Oneca, Kaitlin,Triessa and Romeo. She winked at Kaitlin and grinned at both of them, "Well, here we are now. Anyone up for a sw-"

She cut off mid-question and began jumping up and down, trying to wave someone over. "Aradia! Over here!" The jumping up and down had definitely gotten a few people's attention, but it was the girl with white streaks in her hair that wasn't staring at Oneca's rack as she made her way over. "Guys, my cousin, Aradia, you'll love her. She's awesome. Aradia, Romeo and Triessa, whom I don't know all that much about either one yet, and Kaitlin, who is a fantastic kisser."

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Kaitlin shot the withdrawing Remy a grin, eyes speculative. Anything, hmm? That sounds like he can get... Kaitlin held up her glass - empty now - in turn. "I may take you up on that offer, Remy."

She snagged a chicken wing - she wasn't sure what flavour it was, but it was good - and was debating whether to get another drink before, after, or during the swim when at Oneca's frantic urging, her rhinestone cowgirl of a cousin came bounding towards them. Seeing the way Aradia moved and her legs shown off in short-cut demin shorts, after watching Oneca's boobs bounce - Kaitlin decided she was an athlete of some sort.

And just how much had she had to drink? Sure no more than the one - though now she thought about it, maybe Remy had refilled it for her, which when unnoticed basking in the afterglow of the kiss. She didn't notice girls that way that much, did she?

"Hey, one-that-I-am-told-is-awesome." Kaitlin gave Aradia a salute with the bones of the chicken wing. "Like skateboarding and freerunning, practice makes perfect with kissing too, though sweet innate skillz help too," she boasted, playfully pointing at herself self-importantly with her thumbs, but her cheeks still glowed a fetching pink under her tawny tan. "There was some noise about heading into the pool, if your interested." She threw an exaggerated leer around the group, which ended including some that were outside it too. "I know I am."

A furrow formed between her fair brows as she cocked her head to the side. She was entirely knew to this scene, if not ones like it, so she wasn't sure about everyone here. A vague idea began formulating... "How many people live here, Oneca?" Kaitlin inquired curiously. "You, your cousin, your room-mate. I thought I heard someone say something about a sister... Remy, too?"

[z021]

Several expressions flicked instant-quick over Oneca's face* as she shook her head and said softly, "No, Remy doesn't live here." She tried to recover her mood with a sarcastic, "He just invades during parties. "The rest are housemates, yeah. August, whose been with me since the second semester of freshmen year, Sat-Saja moved in last year, and August got here about two months ago."

Oneca grabbed a couple of expensive-looking mini-sandwich hors d'oeuves from the food table near them, then downed most of a beer and shook her head as if to clear it. She muttered something in another language, then smiled wanly at the group. "Sorry about that, I was starting to get sober."

*

Anyone can tell that Oneca is sad about Remy. Anyone with a Wits+Empathy 5 can tell that Remy not living at the house is a major sore point. Her emotions ran from sadness to anger to pain to fear to resignation. Anyone with Wits+Empathy 7 or Wits+Empathy+Medicine 7 can tell that the pain was physical as well as emotion (slight tics of muscles and tightening of her facial expressions).

[SalmonMax]

Triessa nodded happily at Aradia as she came over. "Hi, I'm Triessa. Party crasher at large, just enjoying the company."

She paused momentarily to concentrate, and her mouth fell open in startlement. Aradia's aura flashed to life before her, and had the same flashes of light that Lucien and her own did. Another Awakened? Was there something in the water? How had Lucien Awakened without drawing attention if he was surrounded by mages like this?

Well, all right, surrounded was hyperbole. Still.

Triessa held out a hand to Aradia. "You seem very awake and alert to me," she said, hardly able to contain a wink. "A lot of the people here are practically sleeping, don't you think?"

She had to giggle. She felt like she was in a spy movie.

[z-August Turner]

August was grinning as she pushed the hat up so she could see Declan. “You know, I’ve never done that,” she told him, blushing a little.

“Done what?” he asked, intrigued by the sparkle in her eyes. “Had sex and then had beer and wings?”

“No, c’mon, this is LA, and I’m not twelve,” she told him, give him a playful push. It was exactly the kind of push that women give when a little tipsy and wanted to touch a guy. “I’ve had sex plenty, before and after snacks. No, I mean the friends with benefits thing.”

“You’ve never slept with a guy you were just friends with?” Dec seemed both intrigued and slightly doubtful.

“Not unless I liked him like that,” August said, grinning at him.

“Like…?”

“Like wanted him to be my boyfriend,” she answered, blushing a little at her confession. “Let me clarify: I’ve never wanted sex so much I slept with a guy I didn’t want to date.”

“Wanna start?” Dec asked, in much the same tone he’d offered the head-start on debauchery.

“Wellllll…” August’s pause after that draw seemed to last forever. “I’m definitely considering it.” Though she couldn’t tell, she was pumping out pheromones that let Dec know she wasn’t lying. The slow smile that followed her words also added credence to her statement.

“Really?” Dec asked, his eyes gleaming as he leaned toward her a little.

“Yeah,” she answered, mirroring him.

“Now?” They were shifting toward each other in slow motion.

August’s eyes dropped to his lips as her tongue darted out to lick hers. “Thinkin’ ‘bout it.” His breath was warm on her wet lips-

The door banged open as a two guys and a girl stumbled in, already half-naked. August jerked back from Declan and snapped, “Out!”

“Whoa, occupado,” one of the guys said. “Mea culpa.” He was trying to draw the girl back out of the room.

“Hey, you guys wanna share the bed?” the other guy asked. “Have a fivesome?”

“No, this is my fucking room now get the fuck out!” August snarled, hopping off the bed to reinforce her statement, with violence if necessary. The three seemed to believe her and were hurrying to exit. “God!” August hissed as she shut the door and locked it. Still pissed, she leaned on the door, her expression wrathful. “Can you believe those guys! I mean, I sleep here! And it’s not like they’ll change the damned sheets after!”

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Mixing another drink with what was available at hand - vodka and pink lemonade - and snagging a couple more wings - she really liked these, especially how they were dry and not sticky, and her one bit of the fancy-looking tiny sandwiches had made her tongue threaten emancipation - Kaitlin missed the mosaic of emotions painting Oneca's features. She clinked her cup with Oneca's beer bottle - which was really more of a fwap since her cup was plastic. I should slow down, switch to juice after this. If people are getting hammered this quickly, I'll be able to pick some neglected items, no sweat...

"Guests don't let hosts stay sober," Kaitlin teased with a grin. Her brow quirked and looked around as she heard Triessa talking to Aradia. "Uh, what are you talking about? I really don't think anyone's sleeping, Triessa, even if they've managed to snag a bed."

Kaitlin looked around again and snorted. "Okay, this is silly, half the people and more are in bathing suits and you have this sick pool and not single person is using it." Kaitlin finished her drink in several gulping swallows - head spinning slightly, she'd taken it quick and hadn't eaten as much as she liked - then shimmied out of her shorts and kicked off her shoes, chuckling. "Time to remedy that, eh?"

Laughing and moving with fleet and fluid grace, Kristin bounded across the deck, wove through the other party-goers, and swiftly scaled an arching stone trellis. She scampered across the top as agilely as a cat and launched herself from the edge into the air with impressive height and distance, crashing into the pool in a tight cannonball. People cursed and exclaimed in shock - one girl even complaining that she was supposed to get her swimsuit wet (!?) as water washed over the edge and splashed into the air. A moment later, Kaitlin bobbed to her surface, tossing her head back to clear the hair from her face, a wide grin on her face.

I was sweaty from a day at the skate park anyway and I didn't want to hit the Y at this time of night.

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec grinned. He couldn't help it - August fuming, with the too-large cowboy hat perched on the back of her head and her eyes snapping with a mix of irritation and frustrated lust was a sight to enjoy. She noticed the white-toothed grin and narrowed her eyes at him, a smile playing around her own lips.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, sticking her chin out and lowering her head - and causing the hat to tip forward over her eyes. Dec snorted with laughter. August grinned as she tipped the brim back again and sashayed back over to the bed, sitting down and drawing one leg up under her so she was facing him. She poked him in the chest, secretly enjoying the solidity she found there as well as the glint in his eye - something that wasn't quite a warning and wasn't quite flirtation, falling somewhere between the two. "I asked you a question." she reminded him, laying her hand flat on his chest now.

"You are." Dec replied laconically. The girl's irritation had given way to lust again, her eyes large and dark and her lips parted slightly in a sexy smile.

"Oh yeah?" August demanded, leaning closer. She took in the silver eyes, the scruff of five o'clock shadow that seemed to be with Dec even when freshly shaved, the warmth of him through the cotton t-shirt. He felt really warm, come to think of it. Or maybe that was just her. He smelled clean, no aftershave or cologne. Just his own scent, that was driving her quietly but steadily crazy.

"Yeah." Dec shot back in a low husky tone that sounded almost like a growl. Their lips were barely an inch apart now. August looped one arm around his neck and drew herself closer to him...

And there was a knock at the door.

August's lips hovered over Declan's, her eyes a tale of pent desire. She grit her teeth and hissed "Quiet. Maybe they'll go away." Dec grinned back and slid his hands over her hips, gripping her firmly. She mrr'd approvingly and lowered her lips that last distance...

"August? It's Remy. You okay in there? Oneca was wondering where you've gotten to."

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia hurried over at Oneca's urging, looking eager and excited to join in the festivities. Kaitlin's inner assessment was on the mark - the girl had the figure of an athlete, lithe and toned, and a bit skimpy in the boob department. Not that it seemed to bother Aradia any - she knew well enough that men who judged her on cup size alone were missing out, and once most men saw the different ways she could twist her body around, their concern about her boob size dropped to the bottom of their priority list anyway.

Something someone had said seemed to have bothered her cousin a bit, but Ari didn't know the girl well enough to put a finger on it, or figure out exactly what it was. For all that she'd been living here for almost two months now, she hadn't gotten the chance to spend as much time around Oneca as she would've liked, especially without Saja around - and Oneca was a whole different ballgame when PB was in the house. She almost said something to her, but Triessa's comment drew her attention. Her brow furrowed just a bit as the implications of what she was saying sunk in, but Kaitlin jumped in before Aradia had a chance to respond, and hurried off in the direction of the pool. Curiosity warred with party instincts for a minute, but party instincts won out, and she shot Triessa a little smile before turning to Oneca.

"She's right, you know - it's been torture having this awesome pool around and not being able to use it while PB had "maintenance work" done. Who does maintenance on a pool in summer anyway? That's what the freakin' off season is for! You should come with, you haven't seen me show off yet. And besides, this hot Lucien guy you keep promising to introduce me to HAS to be around here somewhere, right? What better way to meet him than in clingy wet denim and a bikini?"

She grinned wickedly at her cousin, and turned towards the pool. To Triessa, whose question had just been unknowingly answered, she shot another small grin and a shrug.

"You might be right. But party now, talk later, huh?"

And with that, she hurried off, following Kaitlin towards the pool. She got there in time to watch the skater girl do her cannonball, but after she surfaced with a grin, she heard Aradia call out to her from the side of the pool.

"I'll give you points for distance, but cannonballs are just pathetic!!"

"Fine, let's see you do better!"

The corner of Aradia's lips curved into a playful smirk, and all of a sudden Kaitlin knew she'd just put her foot into it. The cousin of the host proceeded to pull off her boots, drop her bracelets down into them, and perch her hat on top of the whole deal. She had planned to make the rounds first, but if it was time to break in the pool, then the hell with the rounds for now - she'd make 'em afterwards. She bypassed the other girl's choice of stone trellis and jogged quickly to the diving end of the pool. Climbing agilely up the ladder, she waited until Kaitlin had swum out of the way before turning her back on her, and on the pool itself. The sight of someone doing anything more with the board than a running jump or a cannonball into the clear blue water had drawn people's attention, and after a slight lull -

Wait for it.. till you know they're watching.. NOW!

- Aradia sprung off the edge, her body twisting around in an impressive combination of flips and twists, and went into the water with only a bit of excess splash. A professional diver wouldn't mistake it for a professional dive.. the acrobat was too used to a different type of finish to her moves, too used to reaching out for hands, or a bar. But it was still pretty impressive, especially for the group of buzzed college kids that were mingling all around the pool. A cheer erupted as she hit the water, and she surfaced, flipping her long wet hair back over her head mermaid-style, and threw her arms up with a grin.

[Ira Sagebrush]

Romeo rolled his eyes at the shallow concerns of intoxicated bi-curious college girls.

Was I ever that stupid? I was never that hot, so probably not.

He watched as the girls leaped into the water, one followed shortly after the other's challenge.

Yay, you can make a splash, hurray for displacement.

Even the acrobatic dive did little to impress Romeo. The surrounding inane chatter from the girls was drowned out by his thoughts and he slowly backed out and wandered off, letting the gaggle continue without him.

I got rid of enough cards, do I need to be here? This is sooo not my environment. I am too old for this.

[Jeremy]

Swara-Ann squinted her nose, looking either confused or repulsed, it was hard to tell which. "Uh, oookay." She looked up at the branch and quirked a brow. "Um, look, no offense but spirits back home were alot more, I dunno... vicious?" She shrugged looking for the right phrase. "I mean, I don't want to hurt your feelings right before I hand you your ass n' all, but seriously? That's your big evil? A bird? I'm a predator who is about to throat you and instead of assuming a more 'grrr' form, you pick something crunchy and tasty?"

With a sigh she rested her hands on her hips. "Okay, how's this? I'd really feel bad if you went to like, spirit heaven, and were laughed out because you panicked and picked the wrong form on accident only to get bitten in half in a new all time record for the spiritual loser Hall of Fame. So, c'mon, give it another go, I'll wait. Scout's honor and all that. No lunging and killing you until you're ready. Kay?"

She politely beamed him a smile and encouraged him to give it another shot.

The bird flapped back down and changed into Jeremy again. His expression could be described as 'victim of aggravated absurdity.' He took a breath, then stared at her. "I thought I'd seen stupid before... you've raised the bar for village idiots internationally. I am not a spirit. Nor did I come to this party for any reason other than to have fun and potentially get tail. You Uratha" (spoken in a way that was not First Tongue) "can't recognize Changing Folk if it could save your life, could you?"

[z021]

Oneca was just sober enough to know that getting in the pool was a very bad idea, so she waved to her cousin and Kaitlin-the-probably-underage-kisser. Who knew? Maybe they'd hook up. Oneca wasn't entirely sure which direction(s) her cousin swung, but there was no harm in wishing them a little fun. After a slow moment of deliberation, Oneca decided to go find her own bit of fun that she'd picked out earlier in the night.

Locating Lucien didn't take long and he was, of course, in the presence of woman. Well, there was a small ring of other women around the two of them, but Lucien was ignoring them in favor of the dark-haired woman. Oneca simply strode through the protective circle with a force that said "no, I don't care if you trip over yourself and bruise your ass on the floor, this is my house, move." Most of them were peroxide blond, nipped, tucked, plucked, lazered, and as deep as a puddle during a drought.

She stepped into the circle of Lucien's presence and gave the other woman an appraising looking and a polite smile. Huh. We kind of look alike. "Lucien, I was just abandoned for the pool and I'm way too drunk for swimming yet. Introduce me to your new friend?"

Maybe it was just this particular party, but Oneca (despite reputation) didn't usually get this drunk. Or at least not until after some swimming and most of the guests finding their ways to cars or cabs; she liked to make sure fights were kept to minimum, no spiked any of the drinks, and that underage partygoers were well out of sight if the police showed up. It also wasn't her style to leave all that up to him just because they were "co-hosts".

[Lucien Hunt]

"Astra?" Lucien repeated it as he shook her hand gently. "That's," He searched for the right word, doubtful it was her real name. "Unique. Is that your given name or just what you like to go by here in Los Angeles?"

"Oh, no, no," she replied, then leaned forward, glancing surreptitiously from side to side. "It's the name I have to use in the Witness Protection Program," she murmured sotto voce. "I'm testifying against a rogue KGB agent who infiltrated the Shadow Moses base in Alaska and was selling the secrets of the FOXHOUND program to the highest bidder." As she straightened again, she flipped one braid behind her shoulder and took another long pull off her beer, another grin threatening to break through her otherwise deadpan expression.

"No sweat. I've a sneaking suit and a pack of smokes of upstairs. If things get too hairy around here there's a cardboard box out back we can hide in til everything blows over." He smirked, rather pleased with himself that she retorted with something he knew a little about.

"Careful," she deflected, the rim of the bottle pressed against her lower lip as she looked him over bemusedly, "they can't compromise the mission by letting a civilian get too close. There's a shortage of perfect pecs in this world, and it'd be a pity to damage yours."

"Nice." He smirked. This wasn't the first time someone had been evasive and aloof with him, in fact it was a popular tactic with the more immature co-eds. The types of girls that thought it was cute to be evasive or took pride in having a reputation for being a bitch. For some dumb reason they thought it made them more appealing to men. It didn't. Were it not for he fact that Astra was completely devoid of any shyness, he'd have thought the same about her. She just needed to relax. "Look, if you don't want company, that's cool. I don't mean to intrude on your good time and all."

[Swara-Ann]

The bird flapped back down and changed into Jeremy again. His expression could be described as 'victim of aggravated absurdity.' He took a breath, then stared at her. "I thought I'd seen stupid before... you've raised the bar for village idiots internationally. I am not a spirit. Nor did I come to this party for any reason other than to have fun and potentially get tail. You Uratha" (spoken in a way that was not First Tongue) "can't recognize Changing Folk if it could save your life, could you?"

Swara was not the sharpest marble in the crayon box at times and she knew it. Even back home her training went a bit slow because she always seemed 'distracted'. Fact remained however that she was Uratha (with a capitol First Tongue) and deep down inside, despite knowing she was a bit ditsy she didn't appreciate being called out on it. Or more to the point, the Uratha with didn't appreciate it. Her cheeks flushed red and her arms crossed tightly over her chest, giving Jeremy at least a view some awesome cleavage before his last moments on this earth.

She sighed and gave him a glare that challenged to twitch the wrong muscle at just the right moment. "To save my life?" She fumed. "I'm not the one who turns into lunch, buddy. All I'm seeing is a twelve piece bucket of extra crispy, gimme a biscuit, slaw and I'm set."

"But hey, while we're on the topic of stupid," There was a sudden popping of cartilage as muscles and bone cracked and shifted. Short, bleached white fur barely longer than a quarter of an inch in length forced its way out from every pore on her skin. Her teeth elongated slightly giving her subtle fangs at the same time her nails elongated into minor claws. Probably the most unerving sight of the whole thing was how the petite young woman now stood in excess of seven feet in height! Almost as tall as most of her kin in their war-form! Her voice was still rather sweet and perky, considering how the wolf within was saturating it with guttural growls and predatory snarls that trickled up within her throat as she spoke to him. "Explain the logic in flinging insults at something that considers you 'prey'. You seem like a good talker, you've fifteen seconds to talk your way back onto my good side."

"And if you can't..." She offered him nothing but a white smirk upon black lips.

Swara is now in Dalu form.

[z-August Turner]

His lips were as warm as the rest of him. Her lips, already sensitized by rising hormones in her body, tingled as her lips touched his. For a second, it was just the press of skin; then she parted her lips and flicked out her tongue. He answered with a growl and a sensual assault of his own, his hands pulling her tighter while his tongue probed her mouth. The green-eyed girl felt herself go plaint against him, her body leaning against his. August wasn’t sure what was happening here; she’d been sexually attracted to men before but she hadn’t let it go to her head like this. She’d never considered letting that sexual desire push her to the point she’d have sex with a friend. What was it about him?

“August? It’s Remy. You okay in there? Oneca was wondering where you’d gotten to.”

The words barely penetrated the haze of her mind, but August broke the short, electric kiss. Pressing her forehead to Dec’s, she whispered, “Later? If you… still want?” Dec nodded, his disappointment clear. “I’ll make it up to you,” she promised, even if she wasn’t really sure how she’d do that. There were a few ideas rolling around in her head.

Dec looked truly annoyed for a moment, and August wasn't sure that he wasn't going to dump her on the floor and find someone else. Then the annoyance shifted to frustration, though that was tinged with amusement. He leaned close to her again, until his lips were just above her. "I'll hold ya to that," he told her softly, his voice thick with desire. August shivered at his tone; something about it filled her with unease as well as lust.

"Okay," she whispered before scooting off the bed. She hurried to the door and opened it. "Hey, Remy, sorry about that."

"If you have company, Oneca will wait," Remy said, bemused that his favorite blusher had found someone so early.

"It's okay," August said, that predictable flush lighting up her face.

Remy made an apologetic face at the hot young man sitting on her bed, looking equal parts frustrated and lusty. Remy knew that look. "I understand, you're a shy one, August. Nice hat, though," he added, leaning in to tap the brim - only to stop and blink at August.

"What?" the girl asked. Suspicion filled her green eyes, in a way that Remy didn't remember from before. He'd barely seen August all summer; something about her had changed.

"We can talk about it later," Remy smiled at her. "It was nice to meet you, August's guy." Waving, he turned and departed, wondering how many more of Oneca's friend had experienced such fundamental changes to their beings over the summer.

August sighed as he departed. She turned to Dec, her expression rueful. She didn't say it, but the mood had been destroyed by Remy's stare. "Beer and wings?" she asked softly.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Treading water at the cusp between the deep end and the shallow end of the pool, strong legs keeping her breasts well above the water, Kaitlin pouted, impressed. She seen Cirque de Soleil plenty of times - legitimately and not - and she could tell from Aradia's performance that she was an acrobat or gymnast or something. And she'd just been served.

"Oh! It. Is. On!" Kaitlin shouted in playful excitement, adrenaline coursing through her, burning away the encroaching alcoholic haze. She certainly hadn't expected someone with real athletic skill, except for maybe a university QB or - Pfft! - cheerleaderat a random rich-folk party she stumbled upon. "I was going for splash radius and here you are, using technique and shit. This girl got game too,bi-atch! Bring it!"

Kaitlin swam to the edge of the pool and adroitly pulling herself out as the onlooking crowd murmured at the challenge. Kaitlin ran around the deck with a smooth, economy of motion, cutting the corner of the pool with an effortless springing vault, then hauled herself up the ladder to the diveboard, using the railing to take the rungs three at a time. Just at the top, she paused, though not for the perfect dramatic moment like Aradia did.

Kaitlin focused, eyes closed, picturing her jump, body twisting and tensing minutely, hips gyrating, anticipating the motions needed. It was like a dive and not like a dive. She wouldn't have the weight of a skateboard in hand nor a snowboard strapped to her feet, and a diveroll wouldn't be to absorb the shock of landing on a hard surface. Ready, Kaitlin nodded sharply, then sprinted down the length of the diveboard and launched herself in the air... She just couldn't pass up the opportunity for big air.

The young woman's tight and wiry body twisted in an equally impressive series of flips and rotations, though her form was slightly different from Aradia's, a little looser, with more hip movement. And like Aradia, her favoured disciplines weren't focused on landing in the water. With the greater momentum from her running start, Kaitlin landed in the water with greater force and a little off balanced, earning a larger splash than Aradia, drops of water skipping across the surface of the pool like a whip. A cheer rose up in appreciation, several people bantering about which girl earned the higher marks... which seemed only partly based on their dives.

The power of her jump also had another, unfortunate effect. Her bikini was a somewhat old, the strings worn thin from her preference of tying them tight, so things would stay in play when she was active. As Kaitlin undulated under the water, her bikini-top was left behind, bobbing on the surface like a proclamation of her predicament. Another cheer - this time almost all male - rose up. One guy suggested she get another point-five for going above and beyond.

Kaitlin became aware of her predicament when she came up to the surface of the water at the far end of the pool and felt the coolness of the air on her chest. With a yelp, she ducked back down in the water up to her chin, hands going over her breasts, and face burning,

"It wasn't on purpose. Honest! It's an old swimsuit. Shit! A little help here, Aradia?" Kaitlin plead-demanded in a sharp whisper. Trying to keep from dwelling on her public nudity - not that she wasn't proud of her body or nothing, it was just a bit much, was all, she didn't even know anybody here - Kaitlin nodded at the diveboard then looked a question at Aradia. "So, uh, where'd you learn to do that?"

[Astra D.]

"Nice." He smirked. This wasn't the first time someone had been evasive and aloof with him, in fact it was a popular tactic with the more immature co-eds. The types of girls that thought it was cute to be evasive or took pride in having a reputation for being a bitch. For some dumb reason they thought it made them more appealing to men. It didn't. Were it not for he fact that Astra was completely devoid of any shyness, he'd have thought the same about her. She just needed to relax. "Look, if you don't want company, that's cool. I don't mean to intrude on your good time and all."

Astra blinked at him, her eyes wide with confusion and surprise. She'd only been teasing, trying to take the edge off her nervousness in dealing with the dark-eyed Adonis, but apparently some wires had gotten crossed somewhere.

"No," she began, that's not what I meant, I just-"

She stepped into the circle of Lucien's presence and gave the other woman an appraising looking and a polite smile. Huh. We kind of look alike. "Lucien, I was just abandoned for the pool and I'm way too drunk for swimming yet. Introduce me to your new friend?"

Exhaling, Astra groaned inwardly at the sight of the beautiful woman; of course someone that good-looking would be attached, and obviously to a stunner like this one. She gamely returned the smile, tipping her beer in the woman's direction by way of greeting.

"Consider it done." He replied energetically and with a smile that could have lit up the party all its own. "Oneca, this is Astra. Astra, Oneca. She and I have just met, we were getting past all the introduction stuff. In a moment I was about to bore her with stories that make me sound more interesting than I really am. You know, typical boy meets girl kind of stuff."

"Nice to meet you, Oneca." Astra followed-up on the introduction with another smile, simultaneously more genuine than the first and somewhat more rueful as she glanced back at Lucien. "And I'm sure you couldn't possibly make up stories to make yourself seem more interesting. I think you already have the interest of everything with estrogen and two legs within a ten-mile radius." Returning her attention to his companion, she quipped, "You must keep him on a very, very short leash. Shock collar." She nodded for emphasis before taking another drink. It was only her first beer, and she'd already been shot down before she'd even gotten airborne.

"...Like meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful wife."

Fate is such a bitch.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Out on the fringes, Sarah's attention was drawn in two directions at once.

In the trees to her right, there was a sudden and loud rustle of wings, the sort that spoke of a spooked bird - a large one from the sound of it. But nothing broke from the trees into the feeble light provided by the thin sliver of Luna above. That's damned odd, she thought to herself, and actually started in that direction before something else came into her peripheral vision from the left.

Freezing like a hunter near prey, she turned her head to watch what looked for all the world like a balding Buddy Holly breaking from the herd to wander off on his own. The Dead-Wolf glanced back to the trees, thinking that maybe there was a couple back there seeking seclusion... then chuckled to herself. A bird in hand's worth two in the bush....

Without further hesitation, she gave herself a bit of a blush and set an intercept course for a certain fellow named Romeo.

"Hey," she called out to the guy once she was within something close to conversational range, "lemme guess. Not much of one for crowds either, huh?" She gave a lop-sided grin, and hoped for some interest. It wasn't the greatest of lines - or of grins.

Presence + Socialize

Sarah Dead-Wolf *rolls* 3d10: 7+2+3

Failboat.

[Jeremy]

Swara was not the sharpest marble in the crayon box at times and she knew it. Even back home her training went a bit slow because she always seemed 'distracted'. Fact remained however that she was Uratha (with a capitol First Tongue) and deep down inside, despite knowing she was a bit ditsy she didn't appreciate being called out on it. Or more to the point, the Uratha with didn't appreciate it. Her cheeks flushed red and her arms crossed tightly over her chest, giving Jeremy at least a view some awesome cleavage before his last moments on this earth.

She sighed and gave him a glare that challenged to twitch the wrong muscle at just the right moment. "To save my life?" She fumed. "I'm not the one who turns into lunch, buddy. All I'm seeing is a twelve piece bucket of extra crispy, gimme a biscuit, slaw and I'm set."

"But hey, while we're on the topic of stupid," There was a sudden popping of cartilage as muscles and bone cracked and shifted. Short, bleached white fur barely longer than a quarter of an inch in length forced its way out from every pore on her skin. Her teeth elongated slightly giving her subtle fangs at the same time her nails elongated into minor claws. Probably the most unerving sight of the whole thing was how the petite young woman now stood in excess of seven feet in height! Almost as tall as most of her kin in their war-form! Her voice was still rather sweet and perky, considering how the wolf within was saturating it with guttural growls and predatory snarls that trickled up within her throat as she spoke to him. "Explain the logic in flinging insults at something that considers you 'prey'. You seem like a good talker, you've fifteen seconds to talk your way back onto my good side."

"And if you can't..." She offered him nothing but a white smirk upon black lips.

Swara is now in Dalu form.

For some one who seemed to be getting into harrowing situations, Jeremy seemed to be less than worried, or at least presenting it that way. A faint amused look was on his lips. "If I wanted a fight in the first place, I'd have shifted into something more appropriate. Besides, who would fight this close to the party? I think you wouldn't want attention either. Especially with excellent visages, we both have an interest in not letting things get out of hand. I mean, I don't want to be pillow stuffing, you deserve better than being a rug."

[z021]

Oneca blinked at Astra and then burst out laughing; she put a hand on Lucien's shoulder to steady herself. "We're not a couple, Astra. Just friends. Good friends." She gave Lucien an appraising look and a wink at Astra, "Although the collar might be fun. Or we could just clone him. One for every girl at the party that I like."

She took a sip of her drink and eyed the other woman with curiosity. She smiled and asked, "So, I don't think I've seen you around. What's your story?"

[Swara-Ann]

With a growl she flexed on him once more before suddenly shrinking (a lot) back into the lovely and perky blonde he was speaking to a moment before. Jeremy suddenly understood why her shorts were so loose and she decided to go with bathing suit instead of actual undergarments. They were pretty decent at getting into and out of in a pinch if she needed to change, and didn't tear easily. Swara giggled at Jeremy once she she was able to. "Oh, wow you should have so seen your face." She chuckled some more.

"So," she started by backing p a few steps, giving him his space. Her swung her arms at her sides, claping her hands softly once they came together. She meandered about looking at the sky. "I'm like, Uratha n' stuff. Big, powerful, spiritual, majestic and like a total symbol of like awesomeness." She nodded her rather modest introduction, smiling through pursed lips at this entirely awkward moment. "And you're a bird." She she nodded again, her pursed lips in a huge awkward grin. "That's, uh, pretty cool too." She added a shrug. "I guess."

"You're doing wonders for me ego," His reply was about as monotone and unenthusiastic as could be. "Have I mentioned that yet?"

"Sorry, but it's not like I've ever met another like me who was not like me." She threw her arms up on a combination shrug and admission of frustration. "If we're not supposed to like, fight n' stuff, what do we do? Talk?" She took a once over at his appearance and general state of dress. "Cuz seriously, don't think we have a lot in common. I know nothing about grunge music or weed pipes or any of that stuff. I just hunt stuff and go to school, y'know? I'm like the eator and yer the eatee, like wolf n' bird kinda thing."

[Ira Sagebrush]

"Hey," she called out to the guy once she was within something close to conversational range, "lemme guess. Not much of one for crowds either, huh?" She gave a lop-sided grin, and hoped for some interest. It wasn't the greatest of lines - or of grins.

Romeo turned, barely hearing her over the music and this thoughts. He plopped the cowboy hat on his head for a moment as he took off his riding jacket, releasing a wave of trapped heat. The hat was left on his head, if slightly adjusted and the coat was folded over one arm.

So fucking hot here. At least she's not twelve, but she's gotta be sixteen sheets to the wind if she's singling me out.

Romeo's posture took a defensive stance as he hardened himself emotionally and prepared for the drunken social assault, but leaving a sliver open to the off chance she wasn't a gibbering idiot. He put on his salesman smile as he made eye contact, something rare in conversations these days. "Depends on the crowd...I see you missed the memo on theme as much as I did. That, or you're hiding a bikini with rhinestones under there." he said, gesturing vaguely at her.

[Jeremy]

"Honestly? Ravens are hunters. Except our eatees are on the smaller side. And I can be a rather badass bird when fighting comes." Jeremy replied, knowing what the response was going to be like.

Swara-Ann's face was confused, given what she'd seen so far. "Uhh, huh." Jeremy sighed and decided to use an analogy. "You know how your Uratha can go into regular wolf form?" "Yeah..." Swara definitely wasn't connecting the dots, so Jeremy continued, "That's my version. Now you werewolves can go into more deadly forms? I can do that too." Letting her exaggerate it in her own mind would be best. Jeremy figured.

"Anyway, I don't smoke or any of that. I hunt, I guard my territory, I go out into nature when I feel like it. I make a living. I have fun. I do as I please, and luxuriate while the sun still shines on Earth. And of course, those who cause trouble for Nature... I trouble them too. We Changing Folk have none of this spiritual thing. We're human and animal in one."

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

The bikini comment elicited a surprised look and actual laugh - a rare thing for Sarah in the past few years.

"No, no bikini, with or without rhinestones," she managed at the end of the laugh. "Just knew that there was a party, and figured I'd give it a try." Shrugging, she added, "I'm just not the mingle-flirty-pool-diving type, I guess."

With a raised brow, she asked, "And what has you wandering away?" A look at his jacket later, she amended her question. "To a bike, from the look of it?"

[SalmonMax]

Oneca blinked at Astra and then burst out laughing; she put a hand on Lucien's shoulder to steady herself. "We're not a couple, Astra. Just friends. Good friends." She gave Lucien an appraising look and a wink at Astra, "Although the collar might be fun. Or we could just clone him. One for every girl at the party that I like."

She took a sip of her drink and eyed the other woman with curiosity. She smiled and asked, "So, I don't think I've seen you around. What's your story?"

"Clone?" Triessa asked with a delighted grin as she tagged along after Oneca. "Can I have one? I know we just met, but I'm super nice. And I need someone to do the cooking and washing and all that. A Lucien clone would be awesome."

She smiled at Astra and waved. "Hi. I'm Triessa. Not sure if I'm a friend yet...more of a hanger-on. Possibly a vague annoyance. We'll see how long I last." Triessa gave Oneca a wink, then looked back at Astra to let her tell said story.

[Owns-The-Night]

August sighed as he departed. She turned to Dec, her expression rueful. She didn't say it, but the mood had been destroyed by Remy's stare. "Beer and wings?" she asked softly.

"Beer and wings." Dec replied with a shrug and a 'what the hell, it's a party' smile. He was feeling remarkably laid-back, considering he was remarkably un-laid. But the flirting and the brief, sparking kiss had been fun, and there was a nagging part of his admittedly urge-driven consciousness that believed sleeping with August could be complicated, especially as the poor chick already had issues by the binder-load regarding wolves, aggressive men, and whatever else. Seeing as hence far in his new life, and remarkably, August was virtually the only person he could actually talk with without feeling his teeth itch, Dec was in no rush to 'complicate' matters, i.e. have wild, sweaty and mutually-enjoyable sex, then deal with her regretting said wild sex the following day the way that (he'd heard) women did. Or something. Fuck, it wasn't like he was an expert. He bounced off the bed, coming to his feet in a fluidly graceful move, and sauntered over to August, still smiling. "You've got to introduce me to your pals, anyway." he suggested, then shot her a lopsided grin. "You can keep the hat on, if ya like."

"Okay." August smiled and went to pull her boots back on, feeling silver eyes tracing her movements and the lines of her body as she bent over. Sure enough, when she peeked back over one shoulder, Dec was leaning up against the wall beside the door, his attitude one of contemplation. She caught his eye and he just grinned, making her blush once more and face forward, focusing on the other boot. "Lets go." she said, straightening up. Dec nodded and opened the door for her, then followed her downstairs.

[z-August Turner]

August was very aware of the guy at her back; it was hard to miss him. There was also the lingering feel of his lips on hers, a ghost of a touch. They came down the stairs into a crowd; the keg in the house was surrounded. August took his hand - so as not to lose him, naturally - as she wound her way through the house. Once outside, she headed for where she’d last seen Oneca. She made a detour by a partially-hidden cooler to dig out two beers for them. “My secret stash,” she stage-whispered as she handed one to Dec.

Thankfully, she hadn’t wandered far from where August had left her. She was still glued to Lucien’s side, which caused a slight hitch in August’s advance – but only a slight one. She was going to be a good friend to Oneca, just as Oneca had been to her.

“Hey,” she said, sidling up to the group. “Look who I found. Everyone, this is Declan.” The big man didn’t miss the looks of interest from the girl hanging on Lucien; August had mentioned him to Oneca and Aradia. “Declan, this is Tree, Lucien, my roommate Oneca and…. I’m sorry, I’ve not met you before.” The last was said to Astra, with a friendly smile. “I’m August.”

[Astra D.]

At Oneca's admission that she and Lucien weren't a couple, Astra mentally breathed a sigh of relief... and then promptly kicked herself for being conceited enough to pair herself, even only in her imagination, with someone that attractive. Despite the pleasant surprise that Oneca apparently had both looks and a sense of humor, Astra knew when she was outclassed; it wasn't a self-esteem issue, really, just a matter of practicality in a city as reliant on physical beauty as Los Angeles. It was an ugly fact of life in a world fixated on aesthetics. She supposed there might be something to the reverse of that, as well, judging someone on their heightened attractiveness as if it were a negative thing, but that was waxing a trifle philosophical for a rich college kid's party when it was still early enough in the evening to be satisfied with a cold Mexican beer.

With a mental shake, the tattooed young Enchanter brought her attention back to the present. Astra had almost immediately decided she liked Oneca, and Triessa seemed to share their hostess's lack of pretension, which was both refreshing and amazingly uncommon. She was used to working on intuition; having the opportunity to mull over an issue or course of action was a luxury she could rarely afford. Thinking too deeply about anything was usually just an invitation to trouble, anyway, muddling up facts with reality as if they were the same thing. If they genuinely wanted to know, she didn't have a problem telling them.... Well, telling them most of it. She took one last swallow of beer, her decision made.

No prevarication... Her attempts to deflect Lucien's questions with humor had blown up in her face, and the party environment didn't really allow for in-depth conversation, so they'd have to settle for the short version.

"Well, my story's simple. I was born in Santa Monica, and-" She paused for a beat and nodded her head at the two newest arrivals, absently noting the prevalence of dark hair and greenish eyes in the current group of women. "Hi," she continued with a polite smile, switching tracks quickly. "My name's Astra, nice to meet you. Looks like you guys get the short-short version for now," she added with an apologetic grin. Everyone seemed nice enough, but beneath the familiar warmth of a very mild buzz, still in its infancy and sure to swiftly fade, was a faint tickling at the back of her brain. It crept down the nape of her neck, snaking across her shoulder-blades and prickling along her spine.

Magic.

She felt a thrill then, the anticipation of a secret revealed for good or ill, and casually scanned the faces of those present. Her inquisitive gaze lingered for a moment on the silvery eyes of the big man standing next to August- Declan, she'd called him- before moving affably on. Whatever the source, she intended to discover it before the night was over.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Hey." Dec said by way of greeting, noting the curious stare from Astra and returning it with a faint tilt of his head until her gaze moved on, then smiling politely at the others. Tree he remembered - she'd seen his little face-off with that Jeremy kid - but she didn't seem unduly nervous despite that. She was watching him, though, her expression somewhere between pleasant interest and watchfulness. He gave her a slight nod meant to be reassuring, a 'we be cool' gesture, and smiled a little more warmly. "We met already. You havin' fun?"

"Oh yes, it's a great party." Triessa smiled back. Declan held out his hand to the host and hostess next.

"Call me Dec." he offered with a lopsided grin as he took in Oneca's outfit, then nodded with cordial warmth to Lucien. He remembered August's fiery defence of Hunt, and despite himself couldn't see anything about the guy to actively dislike on first meeting. So what the hell - he'd try to play nice. "August's told me a bunch about how awesome you guys are."