Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 10: Heart to HeartStone

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia gave Sean a skeptical glance when she first dismounted, and again when she fell in beside her and Ravi. But as the student explained - and kept a good pace in the snow - she nodded. "I believe we're all in this together, Miss Cassidy," she offered, immediately regretting the choice of pronoun.

"If you feel up for a bit more riding, it's probably to your benefit. You'll burn calories at a brisk pace out here; best to conserve them when you can. Who knows; maybe you'll be encouraged to join the equestrian program when we return to Dalton."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"It could always be worse." Ravi said with a faint crooked grin, somehow managing to make sharp eyeteeth look engaging as well as menacing. Part of his outward appearance change was the fact that his teeth were definitely those of a carnivore, even in his two-legged shape. But the aristo-cat bore that change with grace and poise as well, making it work for him rather than detract from his charm. Sean wondered what it was that let him do that - some blue-blood thing, probably. Or a cat thing, come to that. Blue-blooded werepanthers in the English nobility: that was a story and a half, he felt sure. Obviously Ravi's forebears had worked out how not to freak out and eat the wrong person. Sean cocked a feminine eyebrow at the amused glint in the narrowed green eyes.

"Well, you could be a girl with no backside worth mentioning." Ravi suggested mildly, handsome lips quirking. "Then you'd have no padding at all. As it stands, Swan is plainly smitten, and Ryan's going to ask you to the Prom. I would ask you myself." Ravi continued blithely in the face of the growing glower on his friend's features. "Only I'm spoken for."

"Very frickin' funny." Sean growled.

"Oh, no. I'd never joke about that. They say Prom is a big night for a young lady." Ravi said disingenuously, his features a mask of sympathy over green slits of wicked humor. Sean briefly considered trying to put the arrogant bastard in a headlock and plow him into the snow, claws be damned, when Ravi smiled. "Seriously, I wouldn't miss this trip, even if I am walking. An alien world, a culture completely new to me? Peril lurking around every corner? An evil empire to fight? Warrior women in fur? I'm in heaven."

[Dawn OOC]

Ravi’s sentiment seemed to stick with the others all day. It wasn’t from the slightly sexist tone to it but from the realization that this was an adventure. Even the unfortunate gender-bent Sean couldn’t help but feel that.

The excitement was wearing a little thin by the time Yithaja called camp. Even those students who rode regularly found that all day in the saddle was tiring – chafing. Only Yithaja seemed unaffected, as she surely did this all the time. It made it really easy to hate her as she slid down to the ground, apparently unaffected by the long road. Quickly, Yithaja began to order them to set up camp – several to set up a fire using the packed timber they had brought, while another group started to set up tents.

Neither Sylvia nor Ravi were put to working on anything; instead, Yithaja set them down together, leaning close and piled furs around them. “Rest,” she murmured to the two exhausted weres before moving off to help with the set up. Within an hour, a fire was burning and tents were set up against the coming night. Snow was melting in a pot and Yithaja was setting aside frozen lumps of food to add to the pot for soup. Straightening, she glanced around the camp and nodded, satisfied.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan had remained mostly quiet during the trip, sitting by himself on his ambling beast as easily as if it were a stationary object. Anybody close by, however, could see that he was apparently concentrating on something, and routine sounds of frustration and aggravation were coming from him punctuated by bursts of cursing under his breath. When Yithaja called camp Ryan let out a shouted, "YES!!" He looked around and saw people staring at him and quickly realized what had happened, "I'm, uh ... glad we're ... uhhh .... stopping?" It wasn't entirely untrue, though he was much less uncomfortable with the riding than some of the others, he had spent the day trying, and largely failing, to move the displaced sphere of nothing Becor had held for him. Prodding him to move it, if only a little, as his first lesson and breakthrough in learning to fully utilize his burgeoning power. Ryan has finally pushed it away just as Yithaja had called stop, and the resultant cry of triumph was merely a circumstance of fortunate timing.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"Uh-huh," Sean said, eying Ryan skeptically. He still wasn't sure if Ryan was being exceptionally dense or was just goofing with him, recalling Ravi's tease about the Prom. He hasta be fuckin' with me - not even Ryan can be that oblivious.

Sean shifted on his impromptu seat of extra timber. Being a girl, if he had to choose between having no ass and a great ass, he supposed he'd take the great ass - even if he'd rarely see it - but despite the extra junk in the trunk, at the moment, all he was feeling was that there was more of it to be sore. Ravi and Ms. Dorn looked exhausted, but Sean still wondered if he'd be better off walking with them. On the other hand, the walking he had done had only served to remind him how unused to riding her was once he climbed back onto the rhynnorm.

Still. all in all, he was generally in a good mood. It did feel like an adventure and a bit like camping too, and he had a pretty girl sitting close to his side - even if he was one too - who was going to share his tent. He looked over his shoulder at his tent, leather armour creaking. His red dome tent looked very odd compared to the furred Chideran tents. It was made to handle snow and cold, but he was glad he had his thermal sleeping bag and just hope they didn't get dumped on during the night. It could handle snow, but he wouldn't want to test it against a full-on blizzard.

Sean noticed Yithaja looking around and wondered as he stood up, hefting one of the javelins. He had considered practicing with it, but something else occurred to him while he was handling the not-quite-familiar weapon.

"Uh, Yithaja, is the road to HeartStone, er, relatively safe? Do we have to, y'know, set watches or anything?"

[Dawn OOC]

Yithaja gave Sean a look that made him feel very dumb. "The day that we do not need to keep watches in this land is the day it is dead." She clapped some snow off her her clothing and said, "Ravi and Lucia will manage the first shift. Mari and Ryan the next..." On it went until everyone had to sacrifice some sleep to man the watches that night. Ravi and Sylvia were posted on either end of the watch rotation, so that their sleep wouldn't be shortened. Also, Yithaja notably posted people together who weren't too close, or likely to distract one another with chatter. That settled, their Chideran guide checked on Sylvia and Ravi both before heading into her tent.

The night settled and darkness fell. Those on watch were nervous at first, but those on watch quickly learned that it was boring. Renata and Sean were the height of the night, with the sliver of moon high overhead. There was an occasional noise in the night, but so far, nothing was happening. "So," Renata said, turning to look at Sean.

"What?" Sean asked, keeping his eyes on the dark woods.

"Tell me what it's like to become a woman, so I don't fall asleep," the dark-haired girl said, stifling a yawn.

Sean sighed. "I really would rather not talk about it."

"Come on! I'm passing out here." A soft noise ended the conversation. "Did... you hear something?"

"I think s-" Sean's agreement was cut off by a monster charging from the night, running eeriely with making a noise. It was charging for one of the ryhnnorms, clearly intent on an easy meal.

Everyone, give me inits in the combat thread. You have until the 3rd to do so; those who don't roll sleep through the fight.

[SalmonMax]

Renata doesn't even have time to curse...the creature moves with horrifying speed over the snowy ground. Her hand automatically falls to the Frisbee of Doom and yanks it free of the thongs holding it at her side. Holding it like one might a discus, she shouts at the top of her lungs, "EVERYBODY WAKE THE FUCK UP!!" and hurls the knife-edged pinwheel at the monster with everything she's got!

[Dawn OOC]

Yithaja shrieked and met the monster’s dash with one of her own. She charged at an angle to intercept the monster’s run, her massive Morningstar held in both hands. Screaming, she swung the weapon over her shoulder and into the monster’s head. The blow didn’t so much divert the creature’s charge as distract it from the ryhnnorm.

Swan took advantage of the creature refocusing on Yithaja. The kids got to see a trained fighter in action as the white-skinned woman dashed forward and simply slammed her sword into the side of the beast, burying to the hilt. She added a twist of the blade as the creature’s momentum wrenched the sword out of its body.

Sylvia is up – you have until Sunday evening to post.

Yithaja’s attack: 4 sux, 4 Lethal

- minus 2 to defense until next time

Swan’s attack: 7! sux, 7 Lethal

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia woke to the call of alarm, and was horrified at what she saw coming for her students. And yet, in the face of the terrifying scene a bizarrely calm rage built in reply.

What was closing in on the encampment was nothing less than monstrous.

Sometimes, it takes a monster to face a monster.

With a scream that shifted from human to feline even as it tore through the crisp night air, Sylvia changed... but not as she'd done before. Then, she'd become a panther - certainly not something one usually expects someone to turn into, but at least it was a relatively normal animal. Now, she was turning into something far larger, immensely muscled, savagely clawed, fit with a fang-filled maw that showed a hint of froth at the corners.

The massive war-beast that had been Sylvia a moment before turned, faced one of the otherworldly arthropods, and roared with all the raw and primal power of nature incarnate.

[Dawn OOC]

Ahvia was out of the tent in a burst of speed. She looked around for the barest of seconds; then she dashed toward the fire. The feathered woman snatched up a faggot from the fire and turned toward the beast, apparently ready to fight the monster with fire.

Sean is up; you have until Wednesday evening to post.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Though Sean had been expecting something like Renata question from someone, sometime, he still didn't know how to answer it, nor did he have time to before the super-sized bug-a-taur thing came scuttling through the camp like a freakish locomotive. "Jesus-Fucking-Christ!" he exclaimed in shocked surprise, his voice rising to a stupid-girl-in-horror-movie octave, spike-knuckled hands coming up to a guard position. "What the fuck is that thing?"

The other five women were smart enough not to bother with questions that didn't matter at the moment and being used to their feminine builds - having possessed them longer than a few hours - reacted immediately. Sean would have been able to react more swiftly had he been on a football field or in a boxing ring, but it took him a moment longer to shift gears in this situation - and it had nothing - okay, little - to do with recently joining Chickdom.

Yithaja smashed it with her morningstar, then Swan darted in adroitly, ramming the length of her sword into the thing up to hit. Ren Xena'ed it, and Lucia's feathered-headed friend went for fire while Ms. Dorn morphed into a sabre-toothed panther. With adrenaline coursing down his veins like nitrous oxide, Sean finally reacted, dashing in Swan's wake with a feminine roar, pummeling the thing in the side with a strong, dragon-clawed fist.

Seanette Smash!

Free Action: Activating Vigor 2 (+2 Strength for the scene), -1 Essence

Spending a point of Willpower for the attack

Punch: Strength + Brawl + Dragon Claws + Willpower - Defense

Punch: 6 + 5 +1 +3 - Defense (unknown, subtract dice starting from the left) = 14 dice

Amazonian Power Punch!: 14d10.hitsopen(8,10) = 3 successes

Essence: -1 | WP: -1 | HL: -0 | Defense: 3

[Dawn OOC]

The fist went in slowly, to Sean; she could almost feel the thing's resistance to being hurt. But hurt it he did; the monster threw back it's head and screamed in pain. It's headlong rush was over and it turned to face the two-legs attacking it.

Lucia and Ryan are up; for purposes of this fight, they are acting at the same time. You both have until Friday evening to post.

[z022]

Lucia flew from the tent, her bow grasped in her hands and her quiver hastily slung over her shoulder. One look at the chaos of the battle, though, and she knew she'd more likely hit a friend than the monster if she actually had the courage let an arrow fly. She took a breath and gathered the darkness that always attended her, pulling it from the shadows cast by the embers and the torches. She pulled at them, but nothing happened. The darkness defied her even as it caressed her arms and face. She stamped her foot in frustration and set herself to aiming; if she couldn't use her powers, she had to do something.

Shadow Roll

Malachite *rolls* 3d10: 5+1+4: 10

Hit and a miss!

Power points 9/10

She's gonna be aiming for the rest of her turn, and attack on the next one.

[Ryan Jackson]

"EVERYBODY WAKE THE FUCK UP!!"

"Jesus-Fucking-Christ!" .... "What the fuck is that thing?"

Ryan snapped awake, sitting upright in a flash, "Fruit rapist!" It was still dark out, but the light from the fire hurt his eyes a little nonetheless so he kept them closed and relied instead on his mindsight. "Go go gadget Rydar," he mumbled, still mostly asleep. He yawned and reached for his backback, one hand fumbling around inside as the other grabbed his sweatshirt and started to crawl down the sleeve. At the bottom, under a pile of energy bars, candy, and jerky, he found what he was looking for. Withdrawing his hand he produced a cylinder of metal and deftly popped the plastic cover off with his thumb. "Fuckin' bugs," he mumbled as he set to spraying himself all over. Some of the acrid spray got into his mouth, " Aww sick," he coughed. Deep Woods Off didn't taste good by any measuring stick. He shook the can, it was mostly empty now, and then tossed it into the fire. That done, he laid back down, "Stupid girls. It's just a bug..."

[Jeremy]

Ray rolled up immediately, aware with experience as to what could happen when on patrol with Chiderans for Caramine raiders. When the giant beast started its charge, he held back, letting the more durable others engage the monster on multiple sides before staring down intently at a section of leg joint clearly open. This wasn't a conscious, sentient being that he shuddered inwardly at having to dispatch when the gore of a fight was over. This was a beast to be put down.

In a flurry of steps, Ray was at the exposed joint, swinging his arm and the downwardly-gripped combat knife he'd drawn.

OOC

Combat Knife:

Dex 3 + Weaponry 2 + Knife Specialty 1 + Knife 1 + WP 3 - Defense

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 8+5+6+6+9+2

2 sux.

HP 7/7, WP 3/4

[Dawn OOC]

The beast roared, the noise scaring the ryhnnorms. They bucked and tugged at their tethers, bawling and rolling their eyes. But the monster wasn't focused on them anymore; instead it's multi-eyed gaze fell on the humans attacking it. Putting its weight on its back two legs, it lashed out with the others. A leg snapped out, smashing into Swan and throwing her backwards. The Caramine tumbled away and disappeared into a snowdrift. Then another leg kicked at Sean's chest, but missed her when the young woman/man jerked back from the blow.

New round, Renata is up. I'll give four days because Max is on vacation.

[SalmonMax]

Renata scowled deeply at the minimal effect of her attempt, and concentrated. The oversized shuriken rose from the star-shaped hole in the snow it had fallen into and began to rotate in midair, gaining speed by the moment. When it was just a blur, like a pale, ghostly disc, it moved forward towards the bug at a fairly sedate pace. Sparks and chunks of chitin flew as Renata did not hurl the thing willy-nilly, but instead pressed it up against the monster's shell like the blade of a disc saw at full speed!

(SalmonMax *rolls* 9d10: 4+5+9+9+2+8+6+8+8: 59 - 5 successes )

[Dawn OOC]

The bug thing's cries changed; the shriek of the monster became a high-pitched shrill noise. For a moment, it seems like it might break and run; then the beast roared again and remained where it was. Yithaja snaked forward again, all beauty and blood as she struck at the creature again. It's blood arced into the night air as her morningstar split its caprice.

Swan, who was sitting up and looking dazed. Indigo blood dripped down her face, but she was pulled herself to her feet and dug her sword out of the snow.

Sylvia is up - you have until Monday evening to post.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Another roar tore lose from the throat of what Sylvia had become; there was no subtlety about what was about to happen. Even the insect-monster looked with multifaceted eyes in the direction of that primal challenge. At some point in the massive cat-creature's mind, all but buried under an instinct for fighting, she was hoping for exactly that. Focus on me.

The were-panther charged, brutally ripping through chitin with tooth and claw.

To retain control (Resolve + Composure):

6d10 → [5,5,1,3,5,9] = (28)

1 success; she holds control, barely

To attack (Strength + Brawl + Claws)

9d10 → [6,6,2,8,5,5,6,3,9] = (50)

2 Lethal

[Dawn OOC]

The creature screamed in anger as Sylvia's claws tore at skin and armor, ripping away swaths of muscle. The panther ducked a swipe of the monster's leg, then was bucked off when the creature leapt into the air and twisted.

When it came down, Ahvia was at its side; she thrust the fire brand into its face. The stink of singed meat and hair filled the air as the monster wailed again.

Sean is next - you have until next Sunday to post.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

The breath hissed between Sean's teeth as he swayed back, narrowly avoiding a lashing leg, almost defeated by the new thrust of his chest. Adjust! Adapt! And quick! Swan wasn't so lucky, but with azure ichor dripping down her face, she still got stubbornly back to her feet, holding her sword in a determined grip.

Sean's pretty face went red with fury. This giant bug thing was being pounded on by a group of girls - a group in which he had to include himself, currently - and pounded on hard, yet wouldn't go down. Swan was hurt, and if this kept going, more would be joining her on the injury list. His vision narrowed, edged in coruscating red, the sounds in his ears seeming to come slower, lower, than they should.

He hated seeing girls hurt; not so much from accidents playing sports and such - he liked athletic girls, and such was part and parcel with physical activity - but when someone - something - actively went out of their to hurt a girl. To him, it just felt... wrong.

Chideran adrenaline burning through his veins, Sean rolled forward with a high-pitched scream of rage, launching a flurry of spike-knuckled lefts into the monster's carapaced flank, hitting with loud cracking sounds. His jaw clenched tight, full lips peeled back in a fierce grimace, Renata's buzz-saw blade went nearly unnoticed by his elbow, all his limited focus intent on breaking through the bug-thing's shell so he could rip out its innards with his Dragon Claws.

"Go!" Crack! "The fuck!" Crack! "Down!" Crack!Crack!Crack!

Berserk!

Reflective Action - Entering Soul Fury (triggered from seeing a girl hurt; can't activate it at will, yet.) -1 Essence

All-Out Attack (+2 to attack, no Defense this turn)

Punch: Strength + Brawl + All-Out Attack + Dragon Claws - Defense

Punch: 8 + 5 + 2 + 1 - Defense (unknown, subtract dice starting from the left) = 16 dice

All-Out Flurry of Feminine Fury! (ie, Punch) 16d10.hitsopen(8,10) = 5 successes

Essence: -2 | Willpower: -1 | Health Levels: -0 | Defense: 2 (2 from Armour)

[Dawn OOC]

The monster began to back away from the fight. Its actions were mostly defensive now and its gutteral roars had changed timbre and volume, becoming rougher while being even louder.

The thing is clearly preparing to run. The next two PCs are Lucia and Ray - you both have until Sunday to post. Decide whether to finish it or let it go.

[Jeremy]

Ray had no intention of letting the skittering beast from fleeing to potentially strike again. Besides- his knife was stuck. Quite literally, as the tough sinew and flesh formed a suction that he had to exert all of his sweating force to break. Eliciting a hint of a howl from the monster, Ray continued and struck again, stabbing double-handed into the previous wound, trying to sever the leg... but he grunted as the muscles and bone just didn't quite break.

OOC

Combat Knife:

Dex 3 + Weaponry 2 + Knife Specialty 1 + Knife 1 + All Out Attack + 2 - Defense

Jeremy *rolls* 5d10: 8+9+2+4+2: 25

2 sux.

HP 7/7, WP 3/4

[z022]

Lucia aimed her bow as carefully as she could, trying to find a shot through the haze and madness of the fight. She moved herself around, trying to find a place where she could shoot without almost certainly hitting one of her companions.

Aiming

As stated before, she's aiming this turn, so not really doing much.

[Dawn OOC]

The monster backed off, easing through the trees before turning to flee. It's red blood stained the snow and weapons alike, especially Reneta's spinning blade of gruesomeness. It bellowed once more, as if warning them against following; then it was gone through the trees, leaving chaos and injured behind it.

If you want to follow and finish it, feel free. It is actively running right now, however. If you wish to follow, we'll break off into combat for just those choosing to fight.

Combat is over. Posting may resume.

[Jeremy]

Ray watched the beast run off. Perhaps it wouldn't come back after all. He took a breath, to collect his wits and resurvey the state of his allies. All were uninjured, save the clear case of the Caramine woman. Still, he'd learned healing injuries from the Chiderans and it was time to put the work forward. "How injured do you feel?"

"Very," was the quiet controlled response, and she let Ray take a look. It wasn't pleasing, the sheer darkness and extent of the bruising suggested that they were internal and more than likely bleeding. It would take a great deal of effort to help stabilize her, but he would try.

Patch Job

Stopping the bleeding... 5L of damage means 5 sux.

[Jeremy] 5:32 pm: Dex + Medicine (First Aid), 1 minute per roll

[Jeremy] 5:32 pm: #1

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 9+3+6+6+9+4: 2 sux

[Jeremy] 5:33 pm: #2

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 2+10+4+2+10+5: 2sux

Jeremy *rolls* 2d10: 5+7: 0 sux

[Jeremy] 5:33 pm: #3

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 7+5+1+7+3+8: 1 sux

3 minutes to stop the bleeding.

[Frida Ricci]

Though the fight had probably felt like an eternity to those fighting it, Frida was surprised at how quickly it had gone. It seemed like only moments since she'd heard Renata's scream, barely enough time to scramble up and stumble out of the tent, much less time to react to the madness of the fight.

Not that there's anything I could have done to help.. I'm utterly useless out here!

She shook her head and strained her eyes, trying to see in the darkness. She saw Swan - the milky white skin stood out in the darkness, with the moonlight reflecting off of it - and someone else hunched over, attending to her injuries.

"Is everyone else alright?

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

"What the hell's going on?"

The words were half-yawned as Ravi crawled out of his tentflap wearing only a long drawstring shirt and stood, stretching like a cat (naturally) before blinking sleep from his eyes and looking around the camp. He blinked again, slit-pupiled eyes widening in the flicker of the firelight as he smelled blood and saw his friends all standing around as though...

"Wait, were we just attacked?!" Chagrin mixed with annoyance on his face. "I cannot believe I just slept through that."

"Yeah. Nor can I, dude." Sean grumbled at him. "First time we actually have something we'd be frickin' happy for you to kill and you're snoozing."

"I must have been more tired than I thought." Ravi yawned again, glancing around once more. "Anyone injured?"

"Swan." Sean told him, watching as Ray tended to the wounded Caramine.

"Damn." Ravi said, obviously feeling a little worse about it.

"Yeah."

"Still, you drove it off?" he asked hopefully.

"It will not return." Yithaja replied. "It has been dealt grievous wounds, and may yet die from them."

"Oh, good." Ravi nodded, then turned to go back into his tent. "I'll see you all in the morning."

"Dude!" Sean's annoyed expostulation caused Ravi to stick his head back out into the frigid air, green eyes fixing on the tall brunette.

"Is Swan going to die?" he asked with an air of long-suffering patience.

"She's in a bad way... But I think she'll mend." Venkman replied as everyone looked at him, practiced hands still working to patch the Caramine woman up.

"Excellent. Next question: are we chasing down whatever attacked us?" Ravi asked matter-of-factly, looking from face to face. "No? Then there's nothing for me to do here. Goodnight, sleep tight, ecetera." With a smile and a whisk of the tent flap, the werecat disappeared once more.

[Sylvia Dorn]

A roar tore through the night, reminding everyone that there was, in fact, one monster still present. And as they looked, the massive cat-creature looked back at them with feral, angry eyes. But those eyes softened as it looked upon them; instead, the huge head with a fang-filled maw swung back around in the direction their enemy had gone. The thing which had been Sylvia let out one last roar, then tore off through the snow after its prey.

Trying to retain control: Resolve + Composoure:

6d10 → [10,4,10,3,8,6] = (41)

2d10 → [2,7] = (9)

Three successes. She can keep from attacking the PCs.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Still seething with the disturbingly exhilarating rage that had came over him, Sean was still intent on chasing down the monster to finish it for good - barely pausing to make sure Swan was still alive, when Ravi finally climbed out of his tent. The aristo-cat's nonchalant laissez-faire demeanor was like a splash of cold water in the face, his righteous fury bursting like a pricked bubble.

Sean shuddered and shook his head, his breasts swaying slightly in sympathy, calming down as Ravi slinked back into his tent. Moving over to kneel at Swan's side, Sean figured it was better not going after the monster anyway, especially after hearing Ms. Dorn's bestial roar before she chased after it. Remembering what Ravi had done as a panther, he didn't think the were-academic would have much trouble finishing what was left of the monster.

He cleaned his Dragon Claws off in the snow, then held her hand, feeling the limp strength in her fingers, and gave them a reassuring squeeze. Swan turned her head and gave him a weak smile, her face even paler than usual, but her black eyes were fierce. "It hurts, Sean, but I have suffered worse. I will recover."

"I bet you will," Sean agreed with a rueful twist to his feminine lips, remember how he, Ravi, and Ryan had found her. He glanced up at Ray. "She's gonna be okay, now, eh, Ray?"

"Well, the bleeding's stopped, at least. I think," Ray informed the strikingly pretty former-boy after a brief hesitation. "But she'll have to take it very easy the rest of the way to HearthStone or it can start again."

"I'll make sure of it," Sean said, missing Swan's nonplussed look. "C'mon, Swan, but your hands around my neck, and I'll carry you back to our tent."

Swan stubbornly debated getting there on her own two feet, but gave it up when she felt the stitch of pain in her ribs the instant she tried to sit up. A small smirk graced her lips as she put her arms around Sean's neck; she didn't find it onerous to be held in his/her arms. Still infused with the heady strength of the Chiderans, Sean easily and smoothly straightened under Swan's weight and carried her to their pop-tent.

He gently laid her down on the air mattress and wrapped the sleeping bag around her before working on the straps and buckles of his leather armor as Swan watched, again impressed by his new and appealing contours. He couldn't help but be aware of his new dimensions, but he also had an innocence about them as well, moving and shifting in ways natural women wouldn't, with interesting results.

Down to his boxers and rather tight shirt, the fading adrenaline of the battle and a night interrupted with guard duty leaving him drowsy, Sean began to curl up in his own sleeping bag, when Swan cleared her throat loudly.

"Hmm? If I'm jostling you, Swan, I'll leave you the mattress. I can figure something out with spare clothes and blankets for a few nights."

"No, it is not that, Sean. With my injury, I am cold. We should be sleeping close to share body heat. The lands of the Chiderans is a frigid one." Swan held up her sleeping bag invitingly.

A puzzled furrow creased his forehead, but Sean shrugged and shifted under the blankets, and his to hers. They had shared a sleeping bag already and muscles still twitching slightly under the after-effects of Soul Fury, Sean was too tired to be self-conscious about it. Soon he was asleep, his breaths deep and rhythmic.

Though weak and sore, Swan wasn't tired herself, instead smiling at the rise and fall of Sean's heavy breasts pressing against her side. It had been magnificent watching him battle the beast, and Sean was yet an unquickened Chideran. She looked forward to his growth, as both a Chideran and a woman, and planned on being a part of it.

[SalmonMax]

Renata yanked her hand back as if summoning a yo-yo back from its string, and the oversized shuriken, or chakram as she might have called it had her vocabulary been extensive enough, came whirring back to her...causing her to 'eep' and duck out of the way when she realized she was moving it really fast. It was okay though...letting it fall into the snow washed most of the yucky bug goo that it had gotten on it off. That's why she'd done it. Not because her heart was beating ten times the normal rate, and her blood was burning, and her brain felt like it was full of ants...and certainly not because for a second it looked like it had been going for Mari's cart...or wagon...or whatever the hell you called those things. Carriages? Shit!

"Mari!" she called as she dug the bladed wheel out of the snow and trotted over towards the caravan. "Mari, are you okay?"

[Dawn OOC]

There was silence after Sylvia ran off, followed by a chaos of its own. Yithaja went to the animals to quiet them, and Ahvia and Rosa followed a moment later to help her. Renata found a sleepy Mari stumbling out of her tent, still looking half-asleep. She had heard the ruckus, but hadn’t been able to get dressed in time to help. She accepted Renata’s scared hug with gentleness, soothing her upset friend. “Ravi?” she asked when Renata was calm.

“He’s fine,” Renata snorted. “He went right back to sleep.”

“Oh. Okay,” the petite teen murmured, looking a little… disappointed? But that was gone a second later as she took Ren’s arm. “I think it’s your turn to sleep.”

“It is.” Yithaja had approached them from behind so silently that neither girl heard. She ignored their starts of surprise. “Mari, Frida – it is your turn to watch.” She glanced around at the others. “The rest of you must sleep.”

“Uh, Yithaja… what about Sylvia?” Mari asked, voicing the question was everyone was thinking.

“She will return,” Yithaja replied. “Now, sleep or watch.” People went back to their tents; Yithaja waited long enough to make sure that everyone was doing as she said – Sean had already gone and taken the Caramine. Then she ducked into her tent and disappeared.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The great cat tore silently through the night. Aside from the initial roar, she moved with silent ease, leaping snowdrifts that the wounded beast had to plow through. Slowly, she gained on it, her heart thundering as she leapt onto a low branch and found it had stopped. It was wheezing, and she could smell the death on it.

Her feet wiggled to solidify her grip, her claws found purchase and for a moment, she was a frozen shadow – and thing of deadly beauty. Then she pounced and she was just deadly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ravi woke up as a cold hand pressed over his mouth. His green eyes snapped open, full of surprise and fury, only to soften when he saw who it was. “Hello, there,” he all but purred in a soft voice. Despite the shadows in his tent, he could tell which woman from their group was kneeling next to him in the dark; her outline was unmistakable. “Do you need something?” he murmured, playing the game the way she wanted.

There was a moment of silence, then she leaned over and her mouth pressed to his. His hands sought her body in the dark and found she was already naked. No wonder her hands had been cold, he mused as he pulled her under his furs. I’ll just have to warm her up… What followed required no thought at all.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The morning dawned with a nastily bright sun. Sylvia was back, huddling in furs in her tent. She’d shredded her clothing last night. Yithaja, ever aware of their needs, had already found spares for her to borrow, but she was covered in dried blood. There were no shower facilities, and the snow that Yithaja had melted for her was literally just a pot’s worth. Ray and Ryan had shared the last watch, and they blearily watched the other kids rise and go for the food. Yithaja had been up early, cooking some grains in a pot. It made something like porridge, and was just as enjoyable. The bland food stuck to the ribs, and those who weren’t careful about how much they ate found themselves with the feeling that a brick was lodged in their guts.

Camp was broken with effectiveness and the group started out again. Once more, Sylvia and Ravi were forced to walk again, trailing in the beasts’ wakes. It was slow going, and Yithaja kept a sharp eye out for them, dropping off her beast occasionally to walk with them for a time. They could tell she was concerned about them.

The sun reflecting off the snow was painful, but that pain faded as the clouds gathered. They were light at first, but by their next stop at lunch, the clouds were a deep gray color. Yithaja peered at them, muttered to herself and then pulled Ravi and Sylvia aside. “Strip,” she ordered them without preamble. With the other kids watching curiously, she added, “And change. You need to change.”

“We can’t!” Sylvia snapped. She was already tired and they still had hours to go. Her clothing fit but was borrowed and she felt stupid in blue jeans with sequins and a pink shirt with some anime character on it. “I can only change when there’s danger to the kids.”

“I would if I could as well,” Ravi told Yithaja. “I seem to react to… insult.”

“Then use those,” Yithaja ordered. Her voice was hard, almost cruel, “or you will die. You will die and leave your children behind, Sylvia. And you will die, Ravi, and everyone will know you are weak.”

“Yithaja-” Mari had approached, but she swallowed her next words as the Chideran pointed at her and snarled, “You stay out of this. This is your mate I’m trying to save, and you will help or you will stay out of it.” She turned her green, green eyes back to them, concern warring with anger. “Find a way to trigger your own changes, or you will force your companions to bury you in the snow. The winter storm coming tonight will bring more snow and if you try to survive that, you’ll die.” Her announcement delivered, she went to be sure everyone was eating.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Ravi stared at Sylvia, then at Mari, then at Yithaja's retreating back, his expression one of embarrassment mingled with anger. If it was that damn easy, I'd already have shifted by myself! he thought bitterly, though the tired young man held back from voicing the protestation: it would be undignified to whine. Instead he sat down on a fallen tree, grateful for the rest. Even with his inhuman recovery from fatigue poisons, he was well-worn down after slogging through the snow. Mari came a little closer, her eyes soft and wide, and laid a hand on his arm.

"You can do this." she encouraged softly, her voice filled with confidence in him as she grinned a little. "You're Ravi FitzCoventry, and you've got too much self-respect to fail."

"Or too much self-importance, which is easy to mistake for self-respect in a poor light." Sylvia muttered tartly. Ravi heard the mutter clearly, though, and grinned toothily at the older woman.

"Something the matter with having a regard for one's self, Ms Dorn?" he said aloud, his eyes gleaming in the half-light.

"Not in the least, though an acknowledgement that one's self is not the most important thing in the universe could be considered healthy." she retorted. Both werepanthers were tired, and there was little heat in their sniping at each other, the venom more of the irritating than burning sort.

"If there's something more important than me around, I want it caught and killed." the young man said with an incorrigible smile that seemed to irritate Sylvia all the more.

"It seems to me that your primary interest lies with killing only that with which you can't mate" The housemother KNEW she was getting out of line, but part of her didn't care. Something about this young male irritated the holy hell out of her in ways that even Ryan at his most feckless couldn't manage.

"Vile calumny. I don't try to kill Ryan. Or the buffacorns. Or you." Ravi yawned, stifling it with a hand. "S'cuse me." Mari, sitting next to him, kept her hand on his arm, a gentle pressure to keep him from getting too angry. But an angry call from the direction of the fire where the others were eating made it obvious that Yithaja wanted her over there, rather than trying to pour oil on troubled waters. With a sigh, she kissed Ravi on the cheek and, blushing, hurried back over to the fire. Ravi watched her go, then sighed himself and turned an emerald stare on Sylvia. "Is there a point to this verbal abuse, or are you simply entertaining yourself." he asked acidly.

"Most mammals have what is called a "flight or fight" instinct. You on the other hand appear to have a "fuck or fight" instinct. You're like James Kirk with fur." she said waspishly. Damn him for being a male of her species. Damn him for being one of 'her kids'. Damn him for having emerged from his tent this morning with female scent all over him.

"Oh, stop. I'm blushing." Ravi drawled with a sly grin. Sylvia turned and stalked away, plainly meaning to put a cooling distance between her and the object of her anger. Ravi watched her go, his smile fading as he looked down at the snowy ground. As entertaining as baiting Sylvia had been, it didn't get him closer to controlling his shapeshifting. He stood and began pacing, his mind turning over the problem.

Anger, he thought. Anger is the key. I changed when I got angry, when I felt insulted... as though an offense had been done to me. Sylvia changes when 'her kids' are in danger. Anger, outrage... Right, that's something I can work with. He loosened his leather jerkin and pulled it up over his head, heedless of any eyes that might be watching as he turned his attention inward and likewise shucked his shirt. The cold air kissed his caramel-coloured skin and the exotic young man shivered. "Fuck, that's cold." he muttered, focusing on seeking that elusive switch inside. Remember how you felt at breakfast yesterday, when Sean started preaching at you and you felt dogpiled. Remember when you saw your room, all your personal possessions strewn around by a careless vandal. Remember how it angers you every time Sylvia tries to pull rank. Remember seeing Frida (YOUR Frida) under threat from Pritchard. Remember seeing Selih violate Mari with that unwanted kiss. He felt glimmers of red rage swimming through the darkness of his mind and rumbled, deep in his chest. Picture them when you die of exposure, all your friends. Grieving, yes, but ultimately they'll tell themselves that 'poor Ravi' wasn't up to the challenge. The growl deepened, a bass rumble growing and filling the air around him as he moved. He could feel the rage now, feel the primal animal as a solid presence under the flowing currents of his consciousness.

He kicked off his boots, the hard pads on the soles of his feet equally protective as he unfastened his pants and dropped them too, all the time poking his Beast with images of failure, defeat, humiliation. It's every time you were roughly handled by other kids. It's every time someone bumped into you. It's all those little annoyances and the greater trespasses. You are better than that. You aren't going to fail here, because you are Ravi FitzCoventry, and pride is your vice, your virtue and your birthright.

He Changed.

One minute he was the youth: beautiful, sleek skin over toned muscles as he paced back and forth... Then he was the panther, midnight-black with the weak sun throwing blue shimmering highlights on his fur. It was hard to say when the boy had become the cat - fur and muscles sprouted smoothly and swiftly, so swiftly that he changed between one step and the next. Then he stopped and looked at himself before chuffing, a pleased sound deep in his throat. As big as a large lion, he padded over to the fire, long tail swishing gracefully as the powerful muscles bunched and flowed under his velvety coat. His eyes were the least changed feature - still the same iridescent green-gold, and scintillating in the firelight as he narrowed them against it's glare.

The panther regarded his friends with that inscrutable half-lidded cat's gaze, then yawned widely, showing a pink tongue and lots of white, large and above all sharp teeth. Then he sat down, intelligent eyes looking around at them all as if to say 'Well?'

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia was fuming as she stalked away. Damn him. Damn him and his overfunded, oversexed, overimportant self. As she stormed, she began shedding clothing, one item after another dropped behind her in the snow, an inner heat keeping her from freezing as she did so. And damn his nonchalant attitude about being a goddamned werepanther!

The trail of jettisoned clothing continued until Sylvia stood, a good distance from the group, bare naked in knee-deep snow. The burning anger shifted to a consuming worry.

Oh god, I left him back there. And I can't hear the other children. And....

With one smooth flowing action, Sylvia turned, shifted as she did so into the massive ebony cat that was part of her soul, and bounded through the drifts back to the camp... to find Ravi already there, and somehow just as smug as ever.

Huge paws carried her forward over the snow until she paced between her fellow cat-shifter and the rest of her wards, a look levied at him and a low growl that said, in no uncertain terms, *I'm watching you."

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

Cats are good at looking insouciant: Ravi was good at it even for a cat.

He sighed at Sylvia's protective stance and got to his feet, pacing past her and approaching Mari where she sat next to Renata. The girl's eyes lit up, her smile equal parts delight and nervousness as the great head butted at her with a light, playful shove, making her giggle and hook an arm around Ravi's powerful neck. The panther rubbed his cheek and jowl against the girl's cheek, his purr like quiet thunder, then stepped slightly to the left and gave Renata a similarly playful shove with his head. At Mari's urging, Ren likewise rested a hand on the panther's neck, feeling the vibration of his purr under her fingers, but she stopped short of actually petting Ravi. No way in hell was that gonna happen.

Then he moved away from them and walked slowly around the others, close enough that he was brushing against them where they sat; close enough that, if they wanted to, they could touch him as he passed them. Sean got a playful nuzzle regardless, as did Yithaja, Frida, Autumn and Ryan. The message Ravi was sending was clear enough for those with the eye and wit to perceive it. Finally he finished his circuit to sit beside Mari once more, and turned to face Sylvia, who'd pacing him like a softly-growling chaperone the whole time. And he yawned once more, jaws agape and tongue on display, communicating his feelings on the whole soap opera louder than words.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean scowled as Ravi butted his whiskered cheek against his leather clad chest, shoving his head away with hand. "I know what you're doin', Ravi. Just 'cuz you're a cat don't mean you can cop a feel."

The Ravi-cat settled on his haunches, staring at his with huge, gold-green eyes, head tilted slightly, radiating an arrogant level of false indignation. A bright pink tongue licked his lips. Fuckin' cats...

"Fuck you, Ravi," Sean said in the face of insouciant, feline pleading, but he still reached over and scratched him behind his pointed ears. At least he - and Ms. Dorn - seemed to be able to cat-ify on purpose now. He had been getting a little worried about them walking at the back of the column, and hopefully this meant they had better control over when they cat-ified and what they did when all panthery. "I guess you deserve a little treat. But this is as much of a hand-job as you're gettin' from me."

It had been disconcerting waking up to a hand on his breast, a thumb grazing the stiff tip tenting his shirt, and not at all unpleasant. His face had been pink as he had begun strapping himself back into his leathers, thankful Swan had been just beginning to stir awake. Her small smiles left him feeling conflicted, enjoying the interest from a pretty and athletic - if very exotic - woman, and knowing - or at least believing he knew - that her interest had perked up with him losing his cock and sprouting a nice pair of tits.

Said nice tits were disconcerting in their own way, and maybe even a little frightening. Two nights - just two nights! - and already he could feel himself getting used to their weight and the way they moved on his chest, though looking down, he was always surprised at how far they stuck out. Were before there had only been hard slabs of muscle, there now rested two full mounds of undoubtedly feminine flesh, possessed of an incredible blend of firmness and softness.

The rage that had come over him at seeing Swan hurt had been frightening and exhilarating too. Power and speed soaring through his limbs, it had been like being in the zone on the football field, everything seeming to slow down and knowing no one of the other team could stop him... And then he had almost abandoned the injured Swan to chase after the retreating monster. Just thinking about it still made him feel ashamed.

If that was part of being a Chideran, he hoped whatever he was going to do at HearthStone, he learned to control that. When if had worn off, he had felt drained, empty without the Chideran-adrenaline coursing through him, yet he had woken up feeling as healthy and vigorous as ever. There was a bit of a worry that it could grow into something like a drug-addiction and he had seen someone suffer 'roid rage before.

He huddled around the small fire, eating, Swan at his side, resting her head against his shoulder, her injury leaving her weak - they had switching positions on the buffacorn, Swan sitting in front so he could support her with his arms. Sean looked around at the others with hooded, deep blue eyes, wondering what was going through everyone else's heads. All of them were changing, in ways none of them could have expected.

[Frida Ricci]

As Ravi passed by her, nudging her shoulder gently but playfully, he felt her fingers twine in his fur and stroke it softly, fingertips running along his spine the way one would stroke an insolent house cat as it strode past you while you were distracted. Whereas Mari had radiated delight and nervousness, from Frida he felt pride. She murmured softly as he moved back to the others, for like always, Frida sat slightly away from the group.. or perhaps the group sat slightly away from her, it was hard to tell with such things.

"Well done, Ravi."

Frida's face flushed slightly, as she realized the others were looking at her, and that her caress might have been too personal. It felt personal, but then, most things involving Ravi did to her, mostly (she assumed) due to her physical attraction to him. The were-panther practically oozed sensuality, whether he was in human or feline form, and Frida couldn't help the feeling of warmth and desire that his attention stirred in her. She pulled her hand back, trying to act as if her touch had been meant as a form of casual encouragement.

"And Ms. Dorn. Hopefully this will make the journey easier for you both."

Yithaja's eyes fell on the girl. She spoke so seldom, unlike many of the others, who she could tell were unaccustomed to silence. Then again, that seemed common with Daltonites - most of them seemed to need the social connections, and difficult tasks, like the long ride - were made less difficult by quiet conversations or witty comments. But Frida was unlike most Daltonites in that way, and so when she did speak, it drew the attention of the others, whether she intended it to or not. The Amazonian guide motioned sharply to her, gesturing her closer to the fire, and showing a bit of impatience with either her avoidance of her fellows, or their avoidance of her.

"Get closer - get warm. We are leaving soon."

Frida hesitated, glancing back down at the sketchbook she had been paging through since finishing her food. Then she nodded, standing up and walking over, surprisingly, to where Yithaja herself had sat down. She sat down next to her, and spoke quietly to the Chideran woman.

"I was drawing last night during watch, to keep myself alert. I meant to draw the trees in the moonlight, but instead I drew these. I normally only draw things that I observe, so I'm not sure where I got the inspiration. You don't... do you know any of these people? They look like your people. Like Chiderans."

She handed the sketchpad over to Yithaja, and the barbarian woman began to flip through them - idly at first, and then a little slower, her expression becoming a bit startled. There were several drawings, remarkably lifelike in their accuracy, which was something that she had never really experienced before. There were some Chiderans who knew how to shape stone into lifelike representation of the physical figure, but no one who could put paint pigments to stone in this accurate of a manner. But more than the clarity of the drawings, it was the subject matter that caught her.

A Midnight Ice scout lay bleeding in the snow, mauled by a pack of lyrvin, a creature that to the Daltonites would resemble something between a jackal and a porcupine. They weren't large, but like Frida had depicted in the drawing, they were dangerous in numbers.

Three Chideran women fought against two Caramines, while several more of both lay dead around them. It was drawn from the ground up, as if captured from the perspective of one of the dying combatants.

A broken-hearted DoorHold warrior clutching the hand of her mate, screaming angrily and sobbing, as her mate lay dying from a wound that had been meant for her. She was torn open from hip to sternum, her insides held in her body by little more than the desperate press of the warrior's cloak against the wound.

A simple, unadorned servant's pyre burning brightly, surrounded by mostly human (and a few of the non-human) males. One or two Chideran women were present, indicating that this was one of the more loyal servants, perhaps one that had been captured at a young age and had served the clans with dedication and willingness for most of his life.

Yithaja knew that the wound had been meant for the warrior because she had been present when the DoorHold woman had had been injured, and she knew the Midnight Ice was a scout because she remembered when her body had been brought back. There were others, several that she didn't recognize. But each and every one of them depicted the death of a Chideran, or someone who had died on this side of the doors.

[Ryan Jackson]

"Yes! I get it! Push the sphere!" Ryan yelled out. He sat at the edge of the camp, alone, as he had since he had woken to do watch in the wee hours. "I get it, for fucks sake I'm trying!" His back was to the camp and not a man or woman was within a half dozen yards of the log he was perched on. Perched was the accurate word, he was balance on the round bole of a fallen tree, only the balls of his feet resting upon the smooth bark, like that of a birch back home, in a crouch that had him folded up with his legs and arms pulled in against his chest. His head snapped to the left, "Yeah, I'm slow. I get it. A child could do stuff like this. Fine! Maybe I'm just a retard!" He looked over his shoulder at the camp and then shook his head before ducking it down again, apparently intent on something in front of him. A muffled string of grumbles and curses continued, but at a reduced volume, his apparent argument with himself taking on a more private tone.

[z022]

Rosa looked like a kid on Christmas morning when Ravi came by, taking the chance to scratch him behind the ears and run her fingers through the fur of his coat. Ravi's purr certainly didn't dissuade her. Ahvia watched curiously, then reached out to copy Rosa's actions. She grinned at Lucia and the strange feel of warm fur, something that simply didn't exist on her world and that was even more exotic than hair, the dark girl rolled her eyes.

She patted Ravi on the head, like one might a toddler, and jibed, "Good kitty. Are you going to roll over so they can rub your tummy, too?"

In utter defiance of her snide tone and rude behavior, one of the black threads that wrapped around her arms slithered down her hand and flicked over Ravi's ear. Lucia flushed and pulled her hand back, folding her arms together and trying to look like nothing had happened.

[Jeremy]

Ray looked quietly on with pursed lips. Whatever he might feel about the implied tendencies of Ravi, there wasn't much to overtly complain about as long as those instincts didn't cause true trouble for them all. After all, the other boy was new to him as well, and vice versa with the lack of approach from the Ravi-cat. He still had no interest whatsoever in petting the giant cat. On the bright side, Ms. Dorn and Ravi shouldn't be at weather-risk now.

And you better listen to that, Lady Luck.