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

[Astra D.]

As the door to the taxi shut, its lone passenger standing on the driver's side of the yellow death-trap, the driver couldn't resist a surreptitious glance. The way the worn, faded blue denim clung to her skin as she shifted from one booted foot to the other, shoving her hands in her pockets to look for more change, was enough to make his own trousers tighten uncomfortably. Grimacing, he shifted behind the wheel, hoping his assessment of her body wasn't as obvious as he feared.

MISS FORTUNE was embossed on the back of her belt, pale ivory lettering against the rich brown leather; the words rode as low on her hips as the threadbare jeans. He could see hints of black ink on her back and shoulders, peeking out from beneath the plain buff-coloured tank top she wore, and when she finally turned around to thrust some loose bills and coins into his hand, he came face-to-chest with a healthy pair of twenty-year-old breasts.

Discomfort turned into pain, and he looked upward.

She was better-looking than he'd expected, with dark eyes and black hair braided into two long plaits bound with leather cuffs. The ends curled a little, he noticed, just about where her ni-

She smiled at him, a crooked, knowing little quirk at the corner of her mouth. Caught you, the grin seemed to say. A pair of tiny green feathers dangling from the hoop in her left ear twitched in the breeze.

"Thanks for the ride," was all she said with a quick wave, before heading up the long driveway on Copa de Oro.

"Damn rich kids and their fuckin' parties," he grumbled, adjusting again before easing the cab out of park and into gear. As the sound of the engine faded, the persistent throb of a bass line caught her ear, pulling her forward and into the throng. Any large social gathering in or around L.A. was almost guaranteed to have some kind of supernatural activity, and if it surfaced, she was going to be there to deal with it...

One way or another.

[z-August Turner]

August had continued her circuit with Romeo, introducing him to people over and over again. His stack of business cards was shorter now, leaving him with the feeling of minor accomplishment. Of course, he was sure some of those cards would make it no further than pockets where they’d ride through the wash and be found as illegible wads of paper.

Fate is an unfortunate beast. Had August not seen her roommate with Lucien at that moment, things might have been very different. Grinning, she drew Romeo across the party to Oneca’s side – just in time to hear: “- you’ll just have to stay with me tonight.”

August’s face went slack with shock. She’d gotten very used to the idea that Oneca and Lucien weren’t going to get together, that this was one person she didn’t have to compete with for Lucien’s affections. And now Oneca was taking him, on the night August had planned to finally make her move. She stopped short of the couple; the pause was enough to alert Romeo, but not enough for Lucien to answer.

Oneca’s your friend. You owe her this much, and more. You can give her the guy you like. There are plenty more out there. Pasting on a smile, August stepped forward and said, “Oneca! Glad to see you out of your room.” She had been worried about her; she knew that Saja always caused problems for Oneca before these parties. “And I see you found Lucien. Look who I met. Romeo, this is Oneca, the hostess of the party. Oneca, Romeo.”

Stepping past the group to the table, August selected a heavy drink. I need to get good and plastered, now, she thought miserably.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

The hum of the wheels of her skateboard was faint under P.O.D.'s 'Alive' playing through the earbuds she had plugged into her iPhone. Kaitlin was beginning to regret sticking around Glendale Verdugo Skatepark until night fell. She tried telling herself she had left the monsters back in Vegas, but as the floodlights were shut off and the kids started heading home (or whatever they called home), she could all too readily imagine them closing in, waiting for her, hunting down at witness to their existence.

Her pads and helmet crammed into her small backpack, Kaitlin was passing through a nice part of town on the way back to what she called home at the moment. A 5' x 10' storage unit. Not what she planned, but she had expected to win some prize money at the X-games almost a week ago. Still troubled by what she learned went bump in the night and Madison's terrifyingly quick death, she had fucked up on the Skateboard Vert competition, tumbling from thirty feet in the air, bruising a leg and spraining an ankle. Despite the injury, she had still competed in Skateboard Street, her dominate field, but had only made fourth place.

Weaving through the tightly parked cars near one extensive residence, the light and music of the house party came as a godsend. Surrounded by people, she'd be able to snag some food and maybe even a place to crash for night. Maybe a few odds and ends these rich folks will never miss that I can hock too.

Slowing her pace to a crawl, she watched the people entering the party. Most looked college age, close enough since she just graduated high school two months ago, with a vague cowboy theme. Wish I had known about the party before, I love Westerns... Her packback and skateboard would be conspicuous, but fortunately the grounds were surrounded by verdant foliage and trees.

'Tubthumping' gave way to Ennio Morricone's 'Ecstasy of Gold.' Kaitlin waited for a car to pass by, then, with no one looking her way, hooked her skateboard on her backpack with a practiced motion, held tight with a convenient strap, and dashed forward, planting her foot against the wall surrounding the house, momentum boosting her up so she could catch her hands on the top. She peeked over the edge, finding the immediate area clear, then rolled over the top, landing softly in the brush, hidden behind some trees.

Kaitlin slipped off her pack, hiding it and her skateboard under a large, low-laying bush. Peeking through the foliage, gaze straying towards the scantily clad women, Kaitlin added her Offspring Band T-Shirt to her horde, revealing the azure triangles of her bikini top. Yay me! Reduced to wearing a bikini for underwear. I really have to do a laundry run, but it helps in this case. To complete her impromptu ensemble, she took off the kerchief holding back her honey-blond hair and retied it around her neck.

Ready, Kaitlin slipped out from the brush, and strutted into the party as if she had every right to be there, her worn Circa 205 Vulc Black and Hot Pink shoes whispering over the ground, a grin on her lips. Attitude was the best way to crash a party - if you looked like you belonged, few would bother challenging you, especially if they were having a good time. At least, that's how it was in Vegas, and she couldn't believe it would be any different in LA.

Kaitlin drew her fair share of looks, several guys wondering how they had missed the athletic hottie who would be hard pressed to claim she was of legal drinking age. Her low-riding, urban camouflage cargo shorts showed off a pair of shapely and extremely well toned legs - her left thigh showing faint yellow and brown mottling, a remnant of her tumble from the X-games. The blue strings of her bikini bottoms were visible, hooking over her hips. Her taut torso was on display, the vivid black curls of a tribal tattoo dancing down one flank, navel pierced by a silver bananabell, and her full and pert breasts sitting high and proud inside her azure bikini top.

Her honey-blond hair with near-white highlights fell in a wild mane above her shoulders, and the light glinted off the multiple piercings in her ears and the one through her eyebrow, burnished her clear and tanned complexion. Large, green-gold eyes surveyed the party like a banquet, which for her, it was. Food, drink, and people to keep the thoughts of monsters far away... Unless they were the monsters.

One pasty fucker, trying for goth-cowboy, made her freeze for a moment, before she snickered at herself. Riiiight, vampires dressing up like goths as a disguise. How original. As if they wouldn't've been found out decades ago.

A guy, with the lean, lanky build of a surfer, dressed in bermuda shorts and a cowboy hat, was the first to make his move, seeing the self-satisfied smile on the apparent freshman's - if that - lips, then glancing at the shadowy foliage she had emerged from. Young and easy. Score! Just need to add drunk for the trifecta!

"Hey, sweet-thang, I don't remember seeing you walk into this party. You don't look much like a cowgirl," he said, sidling up to Kaitlin, offering her a drink with a wide smile on his face. His slow and blatant once-over said he liked what he saw, however.

"That's 'cause I ain't," Kaitlin countered, pulling her up her kerchief to cover her nose and mouth, and pointing at him with a pair of finger-pistols. "I'm a bandit." She tugged the kerchief back down and took the drink, then nodded at the mechanical bull, a teasing light in her eyes. "Thanks for the drink, dude, but if you want any chance of riding this filly, yer gonna have prove you can ride the bull."

"Deal. I'll show you what you're in for..." he said, trailing off in an effort to get her to offer her name. All he got was a playful smirk, so he hustled around to pool to get to the bull.

As the guy left, Kaitlin snorted, dumping the drink into a decorative potted plant then slinked away, heading inside to see what there was to snack on and to get her own drink.

With a trace of embarrassed guilt - Madison had only died a week and a half ago and she didn't even know if her body had been found yet - Kaitlin caught herself surreptitiously eying the plethora of feminine flesh. A pair, one in daisy dukes and a green bikini, the other dressed in the latest of slutty cowgirl chic really caught her attention, when her eyes widened in surprise.

They were standing with the Lucien Hunt! She tried telling herself he was too much the pretty boy for her tastes, but it was lie. Fuck! He's hotter in real life than on a billboard in just his underwear.

Before she completely fangirled out - it wasn't like he was Tony Hawk or David Belle or something, someone with skillz, instead of just looking good - Kaitlin glided up to the food and drink tables, moving with an energetic and facile grace, her goal being something to eat for subsistence before deciding if there was someone she wanted to eat for fun.

It was lonely leaving her city and her friends behind. Leaving what she thought she knew of the world was behind.

[SalmonMax]

With both Dec and Jeremy gone, Triessa was left alone for a little while. If the word 'alone' applied to being at the epicenter of a human tsunami. She didn't mind. A lot of people were reluctant to talk to her, mistaking her for a less pleasant type of person. That was okay too. She had little in common with most of the people here. It was the fraction of a fraction of the people that she DID have things in common with that lured her.

She felt she'd witnessed something important between Jeremy and Dec, and felt rather honored to have been there. Two great souls clashing, then veering apart like particles smashing into each other at Fermilab. She wondered vaguely if there were 'frequencies' of magic that mages couldn't see, where sprays of color and power had screeched out from between the two as they'd nearly annihilated each other.

A few minutes later Triessa was contemplating looking for someone to dance with when a beautiful young woman hit the table and started pouring herself entirely too much of something entirely too strong. It didn't take much to see she was upset over something, and Triessa figured she'd take a shot in the dark.

"Man trouble?" she asked August with a sympathetic smile, then corrected herself, "No. Boy trouble?"

[z-August Turner]

“No. Brain trouble,” August said bluntly. She took a deep drink of what she’d just poured, swallowing hard against the burn. She hadn’t drunk like this since the epic Breakup Binge of 2007. Tonight, she had half a mind to make that binge look like a beer on Sunday afternoon. “I started thinking about something and forgot reality.”

Because it was reality that Lucien would go for Oneca before her. And why not? They were so similar. And August was sure that Oneca saw Lucien the guy, not Lucien the model. Even August couldn’t say that. Part of his allure to August was all the things he didn’t want a girl to see about him. If she had been given more time, she was sure she could get to know him and fall in love with Lucien the guy. But Oneca was already there.

She doesn’t hook up with people seriously, August told herself. After tonight, he’ll be in the wind again. Are you okay with sharing him with Oneca?

That was a damned good question. It was one August would have to think about for a while.

And she was ignoring both this girl and Romeo.

“Welcome to the party,” she told the girl. She didn’t really look like she belonged but that was pretty standard for Oneca’s parties. “I’m August.” She offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

[SalmonMax]

"Triessa," she replied. "And from some personal experience, if you're trying to remember reality now, what's in that cup's probably not going to help."

Instinctively she broke eye contact then and smiled, lightening the mood. "On the other hand, it's a nice warm night, and there's music and people everywhere having fun. This isn't such a bad place to be. A little island of happiness in a sea of troubles."

She picked up her own cup and held it out.

"We may have to sail that sea tomorrow, but for tonight, forgetting's not such a bad thing."

[Ira Sagebrush]

Romeo stopped himself as August halted and watched her look at Oneca & Lucien.

Aaahhh, okay. That makes sense.

Originally Posted By: August

“And I see you found Lucien. Look who I met. Romeo, this is Oneca, the hostess of the party. Oneca, Romeo.”

"Pleasure to meet you, Oneca. Hello again, Lucien..." Romeo greeted the pair, offering a hand to Oneca, but watching as August made her way for a drink.

College melodrama, oh how thou funds the brewers.

Romeo brought his attention quickly back to the pair, "So if you're the man of the hour," he pointed at Lucien, "and you threw the party," Romeo gestures to Oneca, "does that mean you two are a...?"

He gestured with the hat that was still in his hand, implying with the gesture, his tone and the look on his face that they were a couple.

[z-August Turner]

“Forgetting isn’t,” August agreed, bumping her cup against the girl’s. “Come with me, I have some people to introduce you to.” Triessa nodded agreeably and followed August back over to the group she’d left.

Unwittingly, she’d interrupted before Lucien and Oneca could reply. “Romeo, Triessa, Lucien and Oneca,” she recited, pointing to each person as she did. “There, we all know one another now.” She gave the group a big smile and settled back on her heels, focusing on putting alcohol in her system.

[SalmonMax]

Triessa was polite smiles and handshakes until she saw Lucien. There she skipped a beat and stared at him, then burst into a huge grin that quickly faded to a satisfied sort of beaming smile.

"Very nice to meet you, sir," she said with a smidge more formality than she'd used with anyone else, and then went on to greet Oneca.

"Now, I believe I've heard your name, Oneca," she said, "as one of, or the, hostess? In which case, thank you very much for this." Then with a knowing smile at Lucien. "And if he's involved in putting this together, well that would explain a great deal as well."

[Lucien Hunt]

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled charmingly at the suddenly flushed woman. Lucein feigned modesty at Triessa's compliment. "Well, most of UCLA credits Oneca and with a knack for raising hell. We just like to focus that energy for everyone's enjoyment."

Quote:

Romeo brought his attention quickly back to the pair, "So if you're the man of the hour," he pointed at Lucien, "and you threw the party," Romeo gestures to Oneca, "does that mean you two are a...?"

"...couple of rogue spies working for Parliament?" Lucien finished his sentence with a bit of warm and fuzzy sarcasm courtesy of a bit too much liquid charisma. He looked to Oneca who was still latched to his arm and offered her a witty smirk. "Why do people always think that? Do you think it might be the car?"

"Or the lasers in our cellphones," She nodded emphatically go wholeheartedly with the joke. "Way to obvious."

In synch they both looked back at Romeo, grinning that witty grin. "Seriously though, no. Oneca and I are not together. We get that a lot though, and almost everyone here thinks were sleeping together, which utterly stupid because if I had this woman in bed, trust me, no sleeping would actually happen. The Kama Sutra perhaps, but sleep? Never. Even so, who cares right?" He shrugged casually, displaying that 'open book' demeanor he possessed. Truly Lucien was a shameless man and saw no reason why shouldn't be up front and honest about his dealings with people. "It's college and what's college without a ton of casual sex, drinking, and experimentation. Officially we're just friends, sans benefits."

[Jeremy]

After a minute or so in the breeze to recover his cool, Jeremy decided to search out some comely female company to enjoy the party with. It seemed like most of the girls were hanging on other boys or such. Then Jeremy found an unattached girl wandering in an intriguing fashion across the yard, as if she was on the prowl.

Of course her looks were intriguing enough as well.

He slipped over to the pig-tailed blond and smiled. "Hi. I could be mistaken but you seem to be looking for something. Can I help you?"

[Swara-Ann]

Her senses were jumbled mass of confusion and not in the usual 'hi I'm a sheltered blond from Alaska' kind of way she was used to. Something at this place roiled the rage within her. There was another predator at this place and it was Swara-Ann's sworn duty to eliminate it before it hurt someone.

This was the part of the hunt she hated. With so many different types of spirits, demons and assorted bump-in-the-nighties walking around looking like human beings, despite being vicious killers inside that it was hard to guess who was who. When she caught her reflection in the glass of a window she took a moment to consider her last thought. Sometimes, which was she?

Quote:

"Hi."

Startled by the greeting there was the soft, barely audible crunch of cartilage as it reformed into a more 'human' shape. Although mildly cosmetic, Mother Luna's blessing of the partial change left Swara's features mildly unsettling.

Suddenly all the scents of the party and it's people became dulled and 'normal' as the aspect of the wolf left her, leaving her senses on a more human level.

Quote:

"I could be mistaken but you seem to be looking for something. Can I help you?"

"Uh," She spun around from her reflection, her features as normal and lovely as one could expect. "Uh, help? Um, no. No, I'm good, just uh... lost, yeah, waaaay lost." Poor guy, he's going to get eaten, I know it. I've seen the movies, it's dark, I'm the heroine, he's the nice guy... then BAM Azlu sammich time. Oh, you poor, innocent fool. We didn't know each other very well, but I'll miss you.

"I'm uh, well, I was just wandering around and I kinda got lost." She sighed nervous chuckle as her eyes darted about in worry. "That's me," She smiled beautifully and bounced like a ditz. "Pretty lost girl."

Maybe if the demons and assorted night monsters knew there was an innocent young woman to eat instead of this guy, they'd go after her instead... maybe. At least, that was her plan.

[z021]

Oneca hailed the "casual sex, drinking, and experimentation' with a raised beer and a shouted, "Salut!" She gave Lucien a raised brow and devilish come-hither look, "And unofficially?"

She'd never really hit on Lucien before, not with any seriousness. He knew she'd been with Remy when they'd first met, and after Oneca's heart attack and Remy and her's breakup, they'd just been too good of friends. The subject of sex came up, but as juicy gossip and tips on how to snag someone else for a night or two. When Oneca crashed at Lucien's, she usually just crashed, spending most of her time on the couch or out walking the beach. Likewise when he crashed at her place (not counting parties), it was usually to get some distance from a clingy ex or papparazzi; hell, sometimes it was even just to study. After five years of college with classes in every department on campus, Oneca was a pretty passable tutor.

She held her pose, waiting for his answer with amused anticipation (and certainly not any nervousness).

****************

An unremarkable man (by LA standards, anyways) of somewhat tall height, slight build, and brown hair and eyes sidled up Kaitlin's position. Other than a black cowboy hat, he hadn't costumed for the party; he was wearing black jeans, boots, and a brown shirt that read 'Dumbledore's Army'. "He lasted all of a second and a half, if you care. And he probably has a sprained wrist, poor baby. He's screaming like someone cut his hand off. Here," he handed her a clear plastic cup with a red liquid in it. "Apple juice, lime juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice. You can add the alcohol if you want, and I suggest either vodka or rum, if you do."

He leaned up against the wall, drinking his own fruity-smelling drink. "My name's Remy, by the way, and I do have a price for my not-just-trying-to-get-into-your-pants drink. Although they are quite nice pants, I did notice. I also noticed you noticing them." He pointed out to where August, Romeo, Triessa, Lucien, and Oneca were talking. "So, my price: of the ones there that you were eyeing like the last piece of cake at fat camp, which one do you really want? If you could talk to one of them, but only one, who would it be?"

"And if you don't want to answer," he finished, although the words almost a pout, "I'll take the drink back and no harm, no foul. The juices are in the kitchen; you could mix your own."

[Jeremy]

Jeremy knew something had been putting the girl on edge, though it could simply be the boys coming after her. Ditsy and good looking was not always the best combination around males, at least in crowds. Still he could have sworn her features looked different and heard shifting for a moment.

But he decided to leave it be. "Well, sorry about startling you then... can I ask your name?"

[Swara-Ann]

"Um, sure." She said with a smile followed by a long awkward pause and vacant stare.

After several moments Jeremy broke the silence. "Okay, so, what's your name?"

"Swara-Ann. Everyone just calls me Swara though, so it's stuck." She extended her hand and after a brief greeting between the two she backed up a step to where she stood before. She tingled all over and that little growl within her seemed to rise to the surface. It was close, she knew it. Whatever it was it was lurking nearby and if she wasn't careful this guy she'd just met was going to be sammich man in no time. "So uh, nice night n' all. Awfully dark n', uh, creepy n stuff. Maybe we should um, go find other people. You can tell me who you are and stuff while we walk, kay?"

[Jeremy]

"Sure, I'm Jeremy Noctis." Jeremy seemed perfectly unaware of any sort of danger, which heightened Swara's certainty that he would be 'nasty monster chow' quite a bit. Of course, while leading the way, inside he was wondering quite intently why her anxiety was so high.

"Noctis?" Swara-Ann asked confusedly. "That's... a foreign language isn't it?" Well, she certainly didn't seem too smart, now did she, Madam Obvious? "Latin." He replied, without a trace of apparent mockery or disbelief, as if she was asking something perfectly reasonable. "Latin. Means night. Changed my name when I moved here. Anyway, it's not that creepy out here. Certainly can't call it dark or creepy around the house."

[Swara-Ann]

"Oh," She seemed vulnerable and feigned weakness. "I dunno, a pretty young girl out in the dark away from the herd." Suddenly she seemed distracted. "And I'm not just saying that, personally I think I'm very pretty. Not like uber hot or anything, but I certainly have some very pretty-like qualities. I work out y'know."

"Great." The headache was already on its way, but somehow Jeremy endured.

"So, why did you change your name?" She asked now that she was distracted from how what pretty-like qualities she may or may not have possessed. "Are you like a fugitive or something? Run away from home and join a gang or something?"

She tugged Jeremy's jacket and lead him along away from their meeting place, hoping to make it back to the herd before whatever spirit was prowling the area made poor, defenseless Jeremy his snack. As they walked along she kept looking over her shoulder, making sure no one was following them.

[Lucien Hunt]

"Well, unofficially I don't think we've ever discussed." He smirked. "We may have tried once but I think I was to plastered on rum and coke to make out all the funny things people use in sentences these days."

"Oh," Oneca clutched her cup but pointed at him with an excited finger nonetheless. "Those, word things?"

"Yeah, those." He laughed. "Very tricky when your drunk, trust me. So, we have three students, a security consultant, and," He pointed to Triessa. "I'm not sure. All in all if we add 'walks into a bar' we have the start of a great ice breaker. So, Triessa, what do you do? You know all our dirty little secrets now, what're some of yours?"

[SalmonMax]

"I just moved here," Triessa said easily. "I've got a little trailer I brought up and I'm renting a spot for it while I look for work. I'm hoping to get involved with promoting organic and sustainable farming, and energy production...but really, right off the bat I'm not too picky. Maybe I'll see if any of you students want to buy herbal teas or supplements."

She shrugged. "That or I might see about being a student myself. I've got a lot of hands-on experience with plants and so on, but no degrees, which can make job hunting a bit of a headbanger."

[z021]

"Perhaps something to discuss later tonight. With less rum," Oneca murmured quietly to Lucien as Triessa spoke.

She smiled at the woman and nodded in approval of her ideas about involvement or school. "You can do either pretty easily. I've got a friend around here somewhere, Remy, who could hook you up with a whole network of people interested in organic teas, supplements, all of that sort of thing. I'll warn you, and so will he, not all of his work is strictly legal, but he'd steer you clear of anything you didn't want to get involved in and he really does know everyone or a friend of everyone." Her smile was genuine and only a few of her words had the soft edges of starting to slur.

"As for school, UCLA is awesome. I've been there five years, so I can give you a tour and put you in touch with the professors that have passions about gardening, sustainability, farming, eco-everything...you name it. Some of them might even have paid internships that earn you credits, too. Though they fill up fast, so you might have to wait until next year if you want to try for one." She leaned her head on Lucien's shoulder as the full effects of the alcohol she'd downed so quickly earlier finally hit, but she was still smiling. "What do you do for fun? Other than party, I mean?"

[SalmonMax]

Triessa grinned, a little tipsy herself, though she'd been pretty moderate in her consumption of the punch. One didn't want to lose TOO many inhibitions and start raving about imps in the punchbowl.

"I live," she answered, then laughed and added, "Which sounds like a total cop-out, but it's true! I try to have fun with everything I do. But to answer the question you were really asking, I'm coming here from a sort of remote-ish place where I had free run. I liked to look around, explore, sometimes spend days out by myself in the woods. I liked climbing up rocks, and down into caves, swimming and...I suppose proving to myself and the world that there was no place in it I wouldn't wiggle my way into somehow."

She waved a hand at the party, the house, the city beyond. "So this is a natural outgrowth of that. People like to separate the city from nature, but they don't do that for anthills...or beehives. We're not the only creature who re...reorganizes their environment. Holy shit, I think I've had more than I thought." Triessa laughed.

"ANYWAY. The point is, what do I do for fun? I find new places, and new things, and...I explore. That's what I'm doing right...now." She lifted her cup.

"To explorations. And...my last cup of that punch. Hoo."

[Jeremy]

"Oh, I left home earlier than most... but the name change felt right. The new name sounded cooler, at least to me." Jeremy grinned, but found the concern and surprisingly fervently tugging Swara-Ann pulling him along with fearful abandon. Somehow, he found a comment there. "I knew pretty girls couldn't get enough touching but-"

Swara-Ann continued tugging him while retorting "It's your jacket, not you..."

Jeremy sighed and pulled back, trying to get at the heart of her unease around the outdoors. "Swara-Ann, I like it out here, just you and me. There's nothing dangerous around here anyway, why are you jumping out of your skin? Let's stay."

Those last words were laded with a primal draw as Jeremy tried to work some natural magic on the girl. Not that he had decided to sleep with her quite yet (sure he was thinking about it), but the cute female company and the surroundings were better than the noisy crowds indoors.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Originally Posted By: Remy

"So, my price: of the ones there that you were eyeing like the last piece of cake at fat camp, which one do you really want? If you could talk to one of them, but only one, who would it be?"

At the guy's inquiry, Kaitlin instinctively turned from giving his offered drink a suspicious glance to follow his pointing finger. This time, she noticed the balding guy and the hippie, but Remy could see her lively gold-flecked green eyes linger on August, Oneca, and Lucien and the way her tongue flicked across her lip.

"Aww, only one?" Kaitlin muttered in a soft pout, which tightened in a scowl as she turned back to Remy, as if she believed he had tricked her, but her cheeks bloomed red. "I mean, I just... erm, broke up - Gimmee that!"

Kaitlin snatched the proffered plastic cup and added a liberal dash of SKYY 90 vodka. Well, well, well... Remy though, suppressing a smirk. He arched an amused brow as she took a large sip of her drink.

"Only one," he informed her with playful solemnity. "And you took a sip, now you have to answer."

"I was gonna," she protested. Kaitlin took another sip and another look. Okay, Lucien is gorgeous, he's famous, but... Her eyes drifted towards the bouncing pair of blue triangles and the crop-top that was almost too thin. Damn you Madison... She shot Remy a look of muted pleading. "No hints?"

"No hints."

"Fine." One of the girls was talking to the hippie - whose back was facing her, so she could tell if she was a cute hippie at least - her eyes so lively, and with a smile that made her tingle. Even with her time with Madison, Kaitlin wasn't fully comfortable with all desires, but she'd be damned if she would admit it to this guy. Her sharp chin tilted up stubbornly.

"The one wearing slutty cowgirl chic," Kaitlin admitted in a low voice that dared him to say anything about her choice, as she tilted her drink in Oneca's direction.

[Swara-Ann]

"Okay," Swara-Ann sighed, letting go of Jeremy's jacket. You wanna be bait herd-boy, be bait. My conscious is clear. but it's so hard to hunt with out the snout, this waiting thing sucks. "You wanna hang here we can hang here I guess."

Pouty lips and a index finger pointed index finger at him gave him a moment to pause. "But I'm going to warn you, I'm pretty sure I can kick your booty. Emo's aren't very renowned for their kung-fuage prowess. Try raping me or any other kind of uncoolness like that and you're waking up in a coma, got it?"

Was she at all worried about Jeremy? Certainly not. When one became a bleached behemoth of death, slaughter and savagery, one didn't tend to concern ones self with the buck-fifty dark n' broody emo guy trying to keep you in the shadows away from a crowd of people. Jeremy didn't register as a threat, she was positive that if he tried anything she'd stomp him into a form of textured paste, but for now he was behaving so she didn't mind the company. Especially if he could help her in the hunt and bring whatever was giving her the willies into the light.

"So, uh, whatcha wanna talk about?" She asked, slipping her hands into her back pockets which tugged the hips of her denim shorts down slightly exposing the pink bottoms of her swim suit. She definitely worked out, that was for sure. The girl looked like she was skin covered iron, every muscle perfectly detailed and toned. "I'm here, you're here. We're here... gotta be a topic amongst us, right?"

[Jeremy]

Jeremy grinned, trying to hide his appreciation of her form. "Well, I must say, I ain't emo and certainly not the rapist type." He tapped a finger to his chin and pondered for a moment. "Well, I came to this party as a freeloader. You a student? And if so, what are you studying?"

Slowly at this point his full pounding wild allure was beginning to get into her, building into an effect he hoped would soften her stance up a little. Still, he might very well leave her off the mating menu in the end...

He ran a hand through his deep black hair with a hand while his lips were coy and quirked...

Click to reveal..

Ok, officially focusing Feral Heart. Meant to give a +2 social bonus... but might have a different effect on Swara-Ann.

[Swara-Ann]

"I'm a student, yeah," She began, as cheery as one could be. She certainly was perky and full of boundless energy. "I'm here on an athletic scholarship. First of my people to go a good schoo-"

Then it hit her. The trickles up her spine and the low guttural growl from deep within that cried to the wolf within. Maybe it was they way she noticed the sudden sheen in his eyes, or the way they seemed to dart about instead of roving slowly, like a human's. Whatever it was, the Feral Heart of Jeremy tugged upon the strings of Swara's Primal Urge.

"Ah, crap." She said softly, pitched for Jeremy's ears alone. Swara was a predator, Jeremy was prey. It was just the natural order of things and in the pit of her dainty little stomach she felt the wolf within cry out to her. Were it not for Swara's strong connection to her human side, she might have shifted there and clamped down on Jeremy's throat. "It's you, isn't it? You're the tingly spirit-thing giving me the willies." She slapped her forehead and spun about in a full three-sixty. "Great, I'm so lame! Welcome to Lamesville, population Swara-Ann. I should have totally seen this coming, oh my God. Creepy guy, in the shadows, keeping the pretty girl away from the crowds. I seriously have to get on my game here."

She rested her hands on her hips and gave him 'the look'. "So, uh, what's the deal? This is the part where you tear out of your skin, make a ton of noise, claim how invincible you are and how I'll never defeat you, then I rip your throat out, bay at the moon and prolly wake up naked in the hedges later. C'mon, what're you waiting for, let's do this."

There was an awkward pause after her rant subsided, made even more uncomfortable by the fact that she kept staring at him expectantly with big blue eyes. "Well, come on!" she urged him impatiently, waving one hand. "Shed the skin already, I have registration tomorrow, gotta be up early. There's no phone booth, so forget the Clark Kent quick-change and let's just get this over with!"

[Jeremy]

Despite her threats (and the kind of package these threats were coming from), Jeremy remained impassively amused, from her rant and taking advantage of that rant to put the pieces together. Moon-Callers he had only heard stories about, but their reputation did not match up with the girl he saw and heard here. At least the mistaking their 'inferior relations' to some inhuman foe was accurate.

"Swara, Swara, Swara." He began, looking like a teacher lecturing a young, but honestly mistaken student. "I'm no enemy of yours and perfectly well of this Earth. As evidenced-" Darting his head around like a bird to ensure no one would notice, he changed. His clothes melted into his flesh, and began to change. Swara instinctively was about to began her own shifting when Jeremy continued shrinking- shrinking?

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'?

[Owns-The-Night]

Near the pool was a small arbor, a low wall festooned with flowers encircling the bench, beams with flowering vines crawling up their sturdy length forming a framework and lattice overhead. It was a perfect spot for a couple to slink into and canoodle, and several pair-offs had had the same thought, only to find that the nook was already occupied. Silver eyes would stare levelly at the 'intruders' until they decided to go elsewhere, and Dec resumed his pacing.

He moved back and forth slowly before the bench, grumbling under his breath, the sound like one continuous low growl. The problem with getting riled up was that it was hard for him to get his hackles smoothed back down again afterwards. Empty bluster wasn't his nature - had never been his nature. For a moment there, he'd seriously wanted to hurt that kid, or anyone for that matter. The urge to assert his dominance in a direct, scar-causing way had been nearly overpowering, worse than it was with his boss or others he'd crossed swords with.

"Got to get a fuckin' grip. Kid was an asshole, but he didn't warrant a faceful of teeth. The fuck is wrong with you, Dec?" Talking to himself was probably not a good sign, but if he was frank the Vargr knew that he had no-one else to talk to, not really. Lise had told him learning to handle the instincts and drives of the wolf was going to be a handful and then some, but flush with the dazzling array of senses and physical power, Dec had only paid nominal attention to her. Now he realised what she was talking about. He stopped and took a pull of his beer, having paced off the majority of his bad mood.

Fuck this hiding in the garden. I came to have fun. he decided abruptly, then turned on his heel and exited the nook, tilting his hat back on his head once more as he passed the pool area and re-entered the house. As he stepped into the massive, wide-open lounge area he glanced around, silver eyes glimmering as they scanned the crowd for a familiar face. August should be here somewhere, and seeing as the girl'd invited him it would be polite to say 'Hi', at the very least. Besides, she might have hot friends with her. Even though Dec had the idea that August was happy with the 'just friends' arrangement, that didn't necessarily extend to her friends, now did it?

So he paced the fringes of the room, looking for a familiar face (or ass - he wasn't a damn monk, after all), whilst chewing idly on a chicken wing he snagged from an unattended plate.

[z021]

Remy grinned wider at the "only one?" complaint and laughed at "slutty coygirl chic". "I think she'll like that one."

He watched the unusually brightly clad woman leaning on Lucien, then sighed in contentment at his still-unnamed companion. "Slutty coygirl chic? "Ah, the lovely Oneca Bahaar. One of the two hosts, the other being Lucien Hunt there at her side. This is her home." He slid the girl next to him a sideways glance, "But then, you knew that, right?"

He didn't give her a chance to get defensive (or think), before he too her free hand in his and briskly made his way over to the chatting cluster. "Pardon the interruption everyone, but I do believe I have found an Oneca Bahaar party virgin." His grip on her hand wasn't painful, but it was firm enough to keep her in place; just like his smile was wicked without being malicious. "I haven't gotten to a name yet, but she seems quite appreciative of your...costume...'Neca and I thought perhaps a party favor from the hostess could break the ice."

Remy and Oneca watched each other for several heartbeats, a second silent conversation taking place that ended with a thorough once-over of the unknown girl and a laugh in Remy's direction. "A party favor request. From you. You're sure she wants one?"

"Oh, she told me so herself," he answered gallantly.

"Uh huh. You're entirely incorrigible, you know that?" Still smiling, Oneca disentangled herself from Lucien and handed him her beer. She nodded to the others with a mock-serious, "Just a moment please, everyone. Duties of a host, y'know."

She stepped up to the girl and gave her a second look, this one slower and far more intimate. Remy's cup of bribery was passed to him so both girls' hands were free; Oneca slipped an arm around the girl's waist, pulling her close, and brushed her fingertips just under the hem of shirt to play at the skin there. Her other arm slid up, her hand brushing over the girl's cheek and tilting her head just enough to make the kiss easier. Kaitlin could taste expensive beer, the mint and lime of mojito from about an hour ago, and a surprisingly strong cherry flavor that she realized was lip gloss instead of alcohol.

It started out innocent. Well, as innocent as Oneca really got, but Kaitlin was a fairly good kisser and Oneca had learned never to waist a good opportunity for pleasure. So it didn't stay particularly innocent for very long...and it kept going. And going. Catcalls started directly around them, but Oneca was still bestowing her 'party favor' well after (mostly) guys had come in from the pool or the impromptu nighttime game of drunken football that had started out on the lawn behind the house.

Through it all Remy just leaned against a wall, flashing Lucien a 'Best idea EVER!' grin.

[z-August Turner]

August slipped away during Oneca’s show. She’d had enough of watching her best friend hit on her crush; it was time to find a distraction. And it wasn’t all bitterness. August knew that Oneca suffered quite a bit. She’d been there when Oneca had landed in the hospital and they all thought she might die. August had watched her deal with this strange thing with her sister. And God knows Oneca had been better than a friend to August. If Oneca wanted Lucien to make her happy, August was going to be a good friend and let that happen.

But that didn’t mean she wanted to watch it happen.

She’d only gotten halfway to the doors when she saw a familiar face. “Dec!” she called, breaking into a smile. August ignored the looks she got from the students who recognized her and the groundskeeper; their expressions wondered why any woman would grin at him like a friend. Those expressions deepened when she gave the big man a hug. “I’m glad to see you made it. And that you’ve found the beer, already.” August’s beaming smile would have hid her upset to a human; she was doing a decent job of distracting herself by acting happy. “Having fun?”

[SalmonMax]

Triessa watched the spectacle as avidly as she'd watched the other antics of the party. She wasn't entirely sure if the girls were kissing because they were into girls, or because they knew it would titillate the guys. And really, it didn't matter. This too was part of the party; the surrender of logic and intellect to instinct.

She noticed August slipping away and wondered why the poor girl was so sad on such a nice night as this. She was tempted to follow, but decided against it. She didn't want to stalk poor August Turner. Maybe all she needed was some time.

[Owns-The-Night]

The two girls kissing caused enough of a stir that it attracted Dec's attention, too, and he was honest enough with himself to enjoy the sight of two pretty women playing tonsil hockey, even if one of them did look like she should have had a curfew. Or would be getting picked up by her mom at midnight 'and no later young lady'. Still, she wasn't so young-looking that Dec didn't thoroughly appreciate the view. California has a lot of downsides, but babes in bikini's ain't one of them.

And speaking of which, here came a girl dressed to kill via heart failure, in a wickedly short pair of shorts that hugged her hips hard enough that they made Declan's hands envious. Add to that a green string bikini top barely satisfying decency, and Dec was definitely put in the right frame of mind for saddling up. He was trying to catch a glimpse of the face under the black hat when she caught sight of him, grinned, and changed course immediately.

"August." he said with an answering smile, trying (and mostly succeeding) to keep his eyes on her face. Though when she hugged him, he did sneak a little glance downwards, on the principle that he'd kick himself in the nuts later if he didn't. Holy shit. Life is good. Even if I get slapped in the next five seconds, life is good right now. "Lookin' damn good, girl." he told her bluntly, one corner of his mouth crooking up in a half-grin. "You out to break hearts or collect 'em tonight?"

[Ira Sagebrush]

Romeo was just shy of a slack-jawed gape as the girls embraced. He felt both turned on and uncomfortable at the same time, taking the time to glance about at other's reactions before returning his gaze to the pair.

That is awesome.

Romeo shifted his weight and backed up a step to give a clearer view and to give the girls room. His hands & hat casually dropped down in front him, not that much was revealed with his well tailored Kenneth Cole jeans. He inwardly felt somewhat ashamed of watching them, like they deserved privacy. But the devil on his shoulder did quite the convincing job of rationalizing the benefits of his continued audience.

More for the mental playback device later.

There were so many people openly staring at the two lip-locked girls that Romeo almost stopped being embarrassed, but the flush feeling and the burning in his ears falsified the logic with which he argued.

Its like living a porno.

[z-August Turner]

The good thing about his question was that it distracted her from possibly noticing his too-friendly assessment of her outfit. The downside was that it stole the smile off of her face and the sparkle from her eyes. It was only a moment, but Declan saw it before she put on a rueful smile. “The plan was to collect them,” she sighed, “or one anyway. But he’s already collected, so I did a lot of primping for nothing.”

“There are a lot of guys here. One of ‘em would appreciate your efforts,” Dec told her honestly. He sure as hell appreciated it and he was just looking at her.

“Yeah, and I may pick someone up,” August said with a tight smile. “I’m just not feeling the vibe right now.” She perked up a little. “If you wanna distract me-” Dec’s mind managed to get several fantasies crammed into his head in the pause between that word and the next. “-you can come up to my room and I can show you the video of you. If you want,” she added self-consciously. “I’m sure you came here not looking to watch a dull video of yourself. It’s all technical and crap, but I think it came out well.” She felt a little dumb asking – surely he would rather be cruising the party.

[Owns-The-Night]

She's hung up on some other guy who is apparently off the market. Typical. Dec thought as he looked at the the sparkle-less green eyes. And I'm firmly in the friend zone, or some shit like that. So it's probably best not to assume she's asking me up to her room to film the uncut version of Dec Gone Wild. Heh. 'Gone Wild'. If she only knew. I kill myself sometimes...

"I'd like that, sure." Dec said with a smile and a shrug, pausing and giving a lazily predatory smile to a babe with Latin good looks who bounced past in a white bikini, giving him a lingering eyemeet before swirling off into the throng. "It's a little noisy down here." he explained. "This is the first party I've been to since... well, in a long time." he finished diffidently. Dec didn't do diffident very well, and covered for that by raising his hat slightly to her and grinning. "Lead on, ma'am." he said with exaggerated courtesy.

"This way." August told him, leading him to and up the staircase. The party hadn't yet spread upstairs, mercifully, and the din faded away a little behind them as they walked along the hallway to August's room, Dec half a step behind her left shoulder.

"Like your pendant, by the by." he couldn't help but say. He'd gotten a good look at it despite being distracted by her breasts. "Souvenir, gift, or conscious choice?"

[SalmonMax]

After a moment the girl-kiss was no longer enough to hold Triessa's attention, and she looked at the most interesting thing there; Lucien. She wasn't really noticing his good looks or killer bod though. She was gazing at the undulating aura of light around him. Unlike everyone else she'd looked at over the evening, his was shot through with dozens of starbursts that randomly appeared, flared, and disappeared again. She knew what that was. Supernal energy leaking into his soul through his sympathetic link to his Watchtower. Mana. The mark of the Magi.

Now though she also realized what she wasn't seeing, which was just as interesting. Lucien had not a scrap of magic tied to his aura. No burning ocular lenses of a Mage Sight spell. No burning halo of one of the many variations of a physical shield. Though physically clothed, Lucien was metaphysically naked as a newborn baby, and pretty close to as vulnerable. Why?

Her first thought was that the party itself was shielded and warded...but a quick inspection disproved that. He could rely on bodyguards...except no other Awakened souls were anywhere in vision. Maybe he was a big man in the local council, and his lack of protection was kind of like a Monarch Butterfly, who showed themselves off in all their glory as if to cry, Here I am, world! Eat me if you want, but I promise you'll regret it!

No, that made no sense. Really, only one thing did, though it boggled her mind that the LA mages would be so slipshod.

"Lucien?" she asked, trying to pull his attention away from Oneca. "Could I ask you something privately? Perhaps while refilling? It won't take long."

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Kaitlin stiffened, smooth muscle tightening, as Oneca's arms went around her and her lips pressed against her own, but she refused to pull away. Madison had been her only girlfriend and she was actually still coming to terms with her... expanded sexuality, but she didn't want anyone to think she was embarrassed, especially because she was, at least a little.

Buck-up, Kat, you've had thousands watch you at the X-games, what's a few dozen watching you kiss? It's not the same! The only girl I've ever been with is Madison. You know you... Oooh!

Oneca's gifted tongue and smooth fingers did a good job of cutting through the teen's tenseness. Kaitlin's firm tautness loosened under the rising tide desire. Madison was dead - and she was sad about that, and furious - but she wasn't. A refrain from a song started playing through her head. I Kissed a Girl, And I Liked It...

Fuck it! Let them watch! Really getting into it, Kaitlin kissed back, her own tongue darting, a hand reaching around to give Oneca's ass a coy squeeze. Conversely, her other hand was tentative in caressing a breast, until Oneca twisted slightly, pressing against her hand, then a thumb brushed the stiffening nipple in aroused wonder.

Finally, the exuberant kiss ended and Kaitlin settled back down on her heels with a sigh, swollen lips curving into a surprised - and pleased! - grin. She tried to feign a cool nonchalance - as if making out with a hot chick in public was an everyday thing - but her reddened cheeks gave her away. She snatched back her drink and took a long pull.

Kaitlin now became aware of the others standing nearby and gave them a shrug and a small wave. The hippie chick is cute. Wonder if she has access to some good pot? "So, yeah, hey, everybody. I'm Kaitlin. Kaitlin Vandussen," she said, her bright eyes on Oneca, head tilted at a coquettish angle.

"Wish I had heard of your parties last time I was in LA. Maybe I be around more since I've just moved here from Vegas. Well... sort of moved, I'm still looking for a place..." And a job, and whatever the hell I'm gonna do with my life now...

"Oh? And if it wasn't for me, why did you decide to move from Vegas?" Oneca teased, taking a sip of her drink.

"I..." I saw a werewolf and a vampire killing each and they killed my girlfriend as if she was no more than a ant. Kaitlin shot Oneca a rueful grin, but her shoulders hunched defensively. "Er... it was family problem, y'know?" Kaitlin said, her tone pleading with them not to ask more, though probably not for the reason they believed. "It's not too bad, really. I was probably gonna move here sometime anyway. The X-games are here and there's some great climbing too. I compete, some."

Kaitlin finished her drink and worked her cup in both hands as she glanced at Oneca through dark lashes. "So, what do you do, Oneca, other than throw awesome parties and hang out with underwear models?" She green-gold eyes cut to Lucien and she raised her shoulders in a wry shrug, as if to say, 'Sorry dude, but that's all I know of you.'

[z-August Turner]

“Choice,” August said as she pulled her room key out of her back pocket – such as it was after her trimming job. “I found it at a Ren Faire when I was in high school and just had to have it.” Her aunt had thrown a fit when she found out how much it had cost; August had spent the summer playing the friend she’d borrowed the money from back. “Wolves are kinda my animal of choice.” As Dec pondered those words, bemused by the irony, she said, “Which means I adore your belt buckle.”

,,

“Why wolves?” Dec asked as the door swung open to a sedate room. A desk was against the far wall, under a large window and held an expensive looking computer; a cabinet next to it had a coil of wire sticking out the door, implying it wasn’t used for clothing. A queen sized bed was shoved against one wall, leaving an open area. It was also clean, though it was the kind of clean that suggested that a guest shouldn’t look under the bed or in the closet. There were also some candles set up on the bedside table, though unlit. It was a little sad to see the care she’d taken, knowing that it was for naught now.

,,

The girl had moved to the cabinet, opening it to reveal organized chaos. Despite the mass of equipment and gear inside, she plucked a DVD disc right out and moved to the computer. Leaning over her chair, she jiggled the mouse to wake up the machine. She wasn’t really thinking about the view she was presenting to Dec as she leaned over, inserting the disk and clicking through menus. “One saved my life when I was a kid,” August said. Her statement wasn’t just firm; it was daring. She shot him a glance, as if she expected him to dispute her words. “Since then, they’ve been my guardian angel of sorts. Not that I have needed them since that time.”

,,

“Sounds like an interesting story,” Dec said, moving to the bed and taking a seat.

August glanced at him again, her expression wary. “Most people don’t believe it.”

“Try me,” Declan offered, leaning back and resting on his elbows. August stared at him for a moment, suddenly very aware of his masculinity in his easy, lounging stance. She turned away from him long enough to spin her computer chair around and sit down in it. The girl took off her hat and dropped it on the floor as she crossed her legs, rotating her foot idly in the air.

“Alright. My father used to like to hit us,” she said, long practice making the words come out almost casually. “It got worse the older we got and when we were ten – my sister and I – he went too far. He killed my sister and came after me. A wolf attacked him before he could get to me. He killed my father, then led me back to Tyla’s body.” She sighed as she said, “No one believes that story because wolves just don’t do that. He might have been rabid, but he would have gone for me, too. Anyway, that’s why I think I have guardian wolves. So... your turn. Gift, souvenir or choice?” She gestured to the buckle, visible with the Vargr stretched out and relaxed.

[Lucien Hunt]

Nothing spiced up a party like two-girls making out. Lucien raised his cup to Remy and gave him the 'well played' nod and silent toast. A kiss was more than just lips pressed against lips. Lucien saw the way their hands explored each other as their bodies writhed in a desire to be closer but could never get close enough. Wow, they're really into it.

Quote:

"Lucien?" she asked, trying to pull his attention away from Oneca. "Could I ask you something privately? Perhaps while refilling? It won't take long."

"Uh, yeah," He couldn't tear his eyes away from the erotic scene, even after he'd taken a few steps away his neck was still twisted in their direction. "Sure."

"So, what's up?" The handsome man asked as he poured a few more drinks and tossed a vodka bottle across the kitchen where it was deftly caught by a second-year jock who wandered off wit it. "Ask away, I'm at your disposal."

[SalmonMax]

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?"