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

[Adrian Moss]

Adrian walked into the room like a man entering a long lost childhood playroom. This place wasn't home, but it was a special kind of place that took whatever place home would have had in the young man's undead heart. Here he was someone not so special, because everyone here was special in their own, non-corny, way. He was looking for Oneca because ... because there was no one left he could talk to, save her. Sam was ... someone he couldn't assign a symbol to. She was friend ... sort of. She was a mentor, that he had to lie to. She was a mother, and brilliant, and so much like someone he would like to call friend. She was also not in the Know, and bringing her over to this Side wasn't doing her any favors.

'Great', he thought, 'some kind of drinking game. Now the time for a lame line, and a lamer lie.'

"Hey there. Hi Oneca. I'm just ... sorta ... you know ... stopping by."

'Oh great.'

"I got the invite. Sorry I'm late. Uhh ... nice to meet you all."

'Oh, yeah'.

"I'm Adrian," he added with great embarrassment, "I'm Adrian. Adrian Moss ... if ... ah ... for all of you that ... ah ... don't know me, that is."

'Wow, I sound like a total dumbass.'

"I'll just sit here ... over here ... and watch."

'Great, now I'm a creepy stalker.'

"I can't drink ... it's not good for me ... I mean like a really not good. I ... I get sick."

'Wow, maybe I need speech lessons.'

Now he was hoping that Oneca would save him.

[z-August Turner]

"Adrian!" August grinned and waved at him as if he were a long-lost friend just returned. "Come, sit down! Join the game!"

"Sorry, I can't drink-"

"Itsokay," August slurred with the joy of the drunk. "Siddown, have fun anyway. No, not all the way over there. Over here. At the table. You can help Kit- Khat- Kitten! You are now Kitten! She's the bitch of beers! Adian, you and be bitch in training!" The pretty girl's smile was just way too loopy to not smile at. Her friends were certainly getting plenty of blackmail material tonight.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

"Like, would you like to be on top first?"

"I like being on top first... " Kaitlin answered in a husky voice, inhaling with a hiss as Wakiki's fingers trailed up her hip to trace the curling tattoo running up her flank, well defined abdominals blooming into view as her stomach tightened, "... and last." Remembering she had answered one of his questions - and not regretting it in the least - Kaitlin grabbed someone else's drink on the table and took a sip, face screwing up in surprise at the taste - it really didn't go well with her Bloody Matador. She shook it off with a shudder, then snapped her teeth at Wakiki. "Hope you can keep up."

"Siddown, have fun anyway. No, not all the way over there. Over here. At the table. You can help Kit- Khat- Kitten! You are now Kitten! She's the bitch of beers! Adrian, you and be bitch in training!"

"Mrooowr!" Kaitlin meowed at August, clawing the air with a hand. It wasn't the first time she had been referred to as a kitten or cat - she rather liked the comparison. ... Like a cat in heat... She blushed - she mostly liked the comparison, remembering the first time Madison had gotten her into bed. "This kitty has claws and teeth, 'member that."

She gave Adrian an arch look - he was kinda pale for her taste, and anyway, she was planning on tasting some sexy Japanese DJ tonight - then nodded towards the kitchen. "Yo, Aaaaadrian," she sang in her best Stallonese. "Help a girl out? I've only got two hands and way too many drinks to pour and bring back."

[SalmonMax]

Triessa leaned towards August. "You know him?" she asked, nodding towards Adrian. "I mean, you know him well? For a long time?"

[z-August Turner]

"No!" August grinned drunkenly at Triessa from her slump against Lucien. "But it's a party, everyone can join and be my friend." She turned her head to include Adrian in her drunken smile. "Come be our friend, Ardian!"

[Adrian Moss]

Adrian peeled himself off the wall and made his way over to first August,

"I didn't expect to see you here, but it's a pleasant surprise, really."

He placed a gentle hand briefly on her shoulder.

The hand came off as he came around to Kaitlin,

"Nice to meet you. I'm Adrian ... but you already know that."

The way he looked at Kaitlin was probably not like anyone had looked at her before. The look really didn't seem to be sexual. He wasn't 'Kattish' as a jealous gay boi might have been. He was something else. In most ways it was the look one would expect if you were with him out on the rocky desert and he had just started to examine an exquisite piece of turquoise that appeared in his path. There was an inhuman detachment to it, along with a sense of ... appreciation for her potential, whatever that might be.

"So, I am yours to ... eh ... command?"

[Finn]

"It's um, un-good for me." She tensed up, shrugging her shoulders nearly to her ears as she tried to not to sound like a complete moron (which was a stretch). "Loss of control n' stuff. I might do something stupid like make out with a girl and it ends up the internet, or start nosing around in the trash, or totally end up having lots of really great sex with you."

Had she not had her back turned as she beat a hasty retreat from the premises, Swara-Ann probably would have laughed despite herself. The expression on Finn's face as he watched her go was, to quote those old credit card commercials, "priceless". He'd never had a woman (and a hot one at that!) say anything even remotely similar to him before and his brain was doing the mental equivalent of hydroplaning: all four wheels were spinning madly, but none of them seemed to be getting any traction.

*...make out with a girl... totally end up having lots of really great sex with you...* ((emphasis added entirely by Finn))

The words floated through the giant feral's mind like really great fantasies forcefully injected directly into his cerebellum (this didn't mean the fantasies any less pleasant, but it did mean they were much more shocking). Finn wasn’t sure if he should try and stop Swara from leaving, or go find something alcoholic for her first...

“Hey, wait!”, he managed to blurt out just before Swara-Ann reached the back door, but she didn’t even slow down or turn around as she called over her shoulder, “Gotta go! Bye!”, and then she was out the door and gone.

Finn thought about going after Swara, but in the end, he let her go. He didn't really want to. Sure, Swara had turned out to be one weird gal, but she'd also been extremely cute, adorable, and even charming in her offbeat, quirky, and (let's be honest) awkward kind of way. Plus she was smokin' (<-- hot). Most importantly, she'd shown a willingness to stand up to him and assert herself in a fairly aggressive manner (not in a skillful manner, necessarily, but aggressive at least). Finn was Xa'aidlatha - one of the Oceanborn whale-kin; his kind naturally formed into matriarchal societies, and that meant that a strong-willed woman was, for him, pretty much the ultimate aphrodisiac. Meanwhile, the part of him that was human, and had been born into a primarily male-dominated culture, found her obvious shyness and vulnerability very appealing. So the ditzy Uratha sex-bomb currently beating feet away from him was (unwittingly) hitting Finn from two sides, and with a vengeance.

But after a moment of extreme indecision, Finn decided to let it be. He realized this might have been one of those kooky situations where, even though Swara was pretty much fleeing his presence at speed, she actually wanted him to come after her, proving that she really was desirable and worth chasing and blah-blah-blah-all-females-are-utterly-insane...

But it didn’t matter one way or the other, because Finn already had his work cut out for him trying to keep his own personal beast under control, without becoming the sort of guy who chased girls half his size out into the night after they’d made it clear they wanted to be somewhere else - no matter how charmingly he did it - just because he was feeling horny and really wanted to get laid (whether his thinking might have been different if he’d known that Swara was only half his size in her current form was up for debate)! Yeah, it might all turn out fine this time, but what about the next time something like this happened? A part of Finn was an animal, sure – and he was even more in touch with that side of himself than many of his kind were – but a part of him was human as well – and he was just as in touch with that side of himself as he was the animal side – and that side of him knew that the human capacity to show respect for another’s desires even when that other person was (seemingly) weaker than oneself was one of humanity’s most admirable traits and one that he needed to cultivate in himself. Not toss to one side the first time a tasty-looking meal bolted in his presence.

So, after staring at the door that Swara’d just fled out of for another second or two, Finn one-shoulder-shrugged to himself with a disappointed expression on his face, and then turned around and headed back in the direction of the raucous-sounding crowd of merry-makers busily getting as drunk as possible. He had come here to party, after all, and there very clearly was one of those happening somewhere nearby, so there was still hope for the night!

Finn rounded a corner and came within view of the Circle of Death crew; "Hey guys!", he announced, his winning smile already back in place, "I'm back. Is there still room for one more?"

"Sure!", exclaimed half the female population in the room.

"Excellent!", Finn rejoined, "Because my jealous nature is really struggling with the fact that you are all obviously so much more drunk than I am right now!"

"We're playin' Circle've Death!", Kaitlin chimed in drunkenly, with an enormous and obviously inebriated grin. "It's basic'ly n'excuse to get wasted," she added in a tone that suggested she was imparting a wonderful secret to him (from across the table and loudly enough that people in the next room could probably hear her), "so yer in luck!"

"Fantastic!", Finn exclaimed with mock-excitement, "Your plan is brilliant!" And, sure enough, this little 'witticism' was met with way more giggles than it actually deserved. Finn wished people thought he was this funny all the time, and not just when they were torsido (as they called it in Bolivia), but he was not too proud to take his laughs where he could get them. Being the only sober guy in the room wasn't all bad.

Finn went to where a space was made for him and sat down with the beer he'd grabbed on his way back (hey, he was a man with simple tastes - at least when it came to alcohol), and debated whether or not to ask someone to explain the rules to him. If his plan was to get drunk it might just be more fun if he didn't even know about a rule until after he'd broken it!

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec nodded amiably to Astra, who was on his left, as he sat down between her and Aradia and resumed playing, downing his penalty shot without wincing even though the strong smell wrinkled his nose, then grinning at the newly-crowned beer bitch and asking for a bottle of J.D. He was quiet, but not ominously so, and when his turn came he reached out and pulled forth... The two of clubs. He grinned at Aradia.

"You." he told her bluntly. The acrobat sighed and drank from her glass, then smiled back at him.

"And you too." she said. "Lucien's rule! You pulled a numerical card. Astra gets to pick what you drink!"

"Well, Oneca's rule too." Dec replied without thinking. "You mentioned two names."

"And you mentioned one." Lucien said with a grin. Dec blinked, then cursed, shaking his head and smiling ruefully, rubbing at the back of his neck. He looked at Astra plaintively.

"Well, you decide what I'm drinkin' for His Nibs rule, but for the name thing I'm sticking to Jack Daniels."

"Another name!" said Oneca, giggling as she helped herself to another, even though it wasn't her turn to drink.

"Wait. You can't include drink names!" Declan protested, echoed by some of the other players.

"It's not!" Oneca said. "The drink is J.D. The person is Jack Daniels. It's a person's name, so there." she stuck her tongue out at Declan et al.

"Well, you're drinking too, then." Wakiki said with a sly chuckle. Oneca laughed and tossed her shot back as Declan took two names-worth of J.D, one after the other, then turned to Astra. He was about to speak when Adrian sat down, causing the Vargr to frown a little. Of course, he and the kid had an agreement, and this house wasn't technically Declan's turf anyways, but he still didn't like the fact that the vampire seemed to be on good terms with August's friend. He gave Adrian an understatedly hard look, but didn't play it any harder than that. This was a party, after all. And if the vampire did decide to hurt Declan's new friends, unlikely though that was from what he knew of the youth... Well, he'd deal with it. He glanced back at Astra.

"So," he asked with an air of resigned good humor, smiling lopsidedly at her. "What am I havin'?" He lounged back in his chair, silver eyes studying her face with a hint of challenge as he toyed with his shot glass.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

After getting the Mighty Finn into the Circle of Death, Kaitlin grabbed Adrian's arm and dragged him into the kitchen. In her pleasantly intoxicated haze, Kaitlin missed the oddity of his look, figuring he was just appreciative of her legs or abs or boobs, though she still moved with an easy and athletic grace. "You ain't drinking, but still at the party," Kaitlin said with a pout, which flipped into a grin, "so you get to be pama - permet - Co-Beer Bitch for the rest of the game, Aaay-dreee-eenn."

In the kitchen, Kaitlin and Adrian started gathering and mixing drinks, though in Kaitlin had a tendency to slosh the drinks a bit. Kaitlin growled as more and more orders kept being called out. "Slow down!" she shouted back. "You're going too fast and I can't carry all a' these. Adrian, keep pouring, I got an idea."

Kaitlin began searching through the cupboards. "So, Adrian, who do you know at the party, or did you just stumble onto it like I did?" she asked, balancing on the counter to peek into a high shelf. Finally finding what she was looking for, she pulled out a silver platter and raised it over her head in victory. "Perfect! We'll do this on one shot."

They loaded up the drinks onto the platter, Kaitlin carefully pouring Wakiki's glass of Chianti and placing it in the middle. She bent her knees, bounced on her toes, then slid the heavy tray onto her hand, staring at it with excessive concentration, as she balanced it over her head. Her arm shook slightly.

"Are you sure about this, Kaitlin?" Adrian asked, an avid light in his grey, pearlescent eyes.

"I got it, I got it," Kaitlin assured him, then admitted, "It's heavier than I thought." The drinks rattled slightly, then stilled as she firmed up her arm and strutted out of the kitchen, with extra sway to her hips. "Drinks! Drinks coming through!" she said, as she circled the table and handed out the beverages. "Here, here, here you go - I know, right! And I've never waitressed or bartended before or anything!"

With all the drinks handed out but one, Kaitlin placed the silver platter on a sideboard with a loud clatter, plucking up the wine glass before a single drop spilled. Then she swaggered over to Wakiki, and skipping over her chair, plopped down on his lap, one hand over his shoulders, the other presenting him his drink.

"Your fancy grape-juice , sir. A very fine hundred year-old Chianti from some French place probably, that tastes of whatever Chianti is supposed to taste like and an after-taste that brings to mind... uh... berries? Nutmeg? After-tasty type things. So screw me - I mean, sue me, sue me! - I don't drink much wine." Kaitlin gave him a loose grin, her lips only inches from his own. Wakiki could feel her firm ass flex and relax as she wriggled on his lap. "You won't hold that against me, will ya?"

[Adrian Moss]

Talk about a girl being ablative shield, Kaitlin was a shy man's dream. All he had to do was stand around looking slightly amused and keep out of her way. She didn't ask much, so he wasn't required offer much up.

"Oneca is a friend and she occassionally feels obliged to drag me out of the dark and into her light ... so to speak."

He looked down at his feet.

"So how do you ..."

The rest was lost as Kaitlin glided back to the party like some alcohol faerie dancing on the fumes of an intoxicated dream.

'Were did that come from?'

"Beer Bitch?"

'I've been called worse.'

The job seemed easy enough. Keep the beer and booze flowing until someone passed out. That probably meant he would have to keep an eye out for some becoming too ambitious with their drinks. Maybe he could even dragoon the were into helping him ... all in the name of keeping the leech in line, of course.

[z021]

Oneca had tried to muster herself to Adrian's defense. Honestly she had. Unfortunately, all that came out of her master plan of speech for the poor Mekhet was a flood of giggles with mumbled words about 'drinking problems'. The pyrokinetic was obviously well into her cups, enough that she didn't remember to order a drink (though Kaitlin brought her a new one anyways, kindly enough only a mimosa). Kaitlin's seating antics set off another round of giggles.

She pointed to the flirting duo, "Aw, look Lushien, pe'ple er hooking up. Sho cute!"

"And.....I am waaaaay too drunk fer litry...lutri....booksh!" She took her drink and waved at the new guy. Mmm. Remy should be here. He'd be in hot people heaven.

"Ad...Adrian, come shit...sit! sit!...fuck." Oneca took a breath and tried to focus. "Come sit nex' ta me. I ain't sheen you in like forever. Months. Sumtin' like that. Where you been? Erica gots all pouty when yous poofed."

The hostess blinked, blushed, and then took three more (smaller) drinks for breaking her own rule. "Ah, hell. Loshing m'own game," she grumbled with a grin.

[SalmonMax]

Meanwhile, on her side of the table, Triessa had quietly started making 'drinky motions' with an empty cup...cleverly chosen not to be see-through...whenever appropriate. Partly because she'd been way way drunk before, and nothing good came of it. Partly because Morning-Triessa was frowning at her. But mostly because she wanted to remember to get people's numbers, and being drunk, really drunk, was a surefire way to forget stuff like that.

Besides, once you'd partied with magic, there was no other kind of party anymore. Nothing else compared.

Adrian was interesting though...a vampire at a drinking game. She knew that darkened aura...she'd been taught exactly what it meant. A soul in a dead body. The body's aura was black, and it partially blotted out the soul's. Another friend of Oneca's. It was interesting that Oneca seemed to be one of the only 'normal' folks here. But for a normal person, she sure had a lot of paranormal friends. Triessa couldn't rule out the possibility of masking magic that hid her true aura. Oneca would bear watching.

[Adrian Moss]

"Erica," he mused, a dream-like smile ghosting across his face. His left hand came up and touched his lips, remembering that kiss.

"Yeah, I really need to catch up with her again."

Then,

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was a bit pissed with me for not being around for so long."

Still, he kept smiling. Erica was one of those woman that inspired a man (vampire) to keep living (sort of).

"Is she around tonight? I mean, I can't settle for being Beer-bitch forever."

[Thomas Gabriel Morrison]

The arrival of the vampire was a slight surprise to him, the dark aura of the being left it clear he wasn't human, but then, many folks at this table were supernatural on one level of another, a mix of a number of different beings, though there were a few humans here too. Overall, it worried him a bit, and he had gone quiet letting the others go around the table, and get drunker and drunker, without doing more then taking a sip or two of his own drink as a number of members of the party became more and more, inebriated. He didn't say much, just watched and waited, the game couldn't go on much longer, for there were folks at the table who were very, very drunk.

It wasn't that he had more tolerance then them, he'd just joined the game late, and hadn't drunk as much, though he was starting to feel the effects a bit, a light headed, but not quite buzzing yet, and he reached out to turn over a joker. "Well, that's interesting.. I believe that means the card is whatever I say it is, right?" He waited for a yes from folks then he thought about a moment. "New rule, anyone who asks or answers a question has to take a drink."

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

“Actually, I plan to use it as an excuse to hold it against as much as I can,” the mage solemnly assured her. Kaitlin blinked at him and Wakiki gave her a lazy smile as he clarified, “Well, something against you. Or other various combinations of you and prepositions. Over… under…” He let his voice trail off as his hand came to rest on her lower back. His fingers toyed with her smooth, bare flesh, enjoying when he found a spot that made her shiver. He needed to turn the tables a bit; she was driving him nuts and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could sit here and drink casually. He wanted to grab her, swing her over a shoulder and slake the thirst of his body on hers.

But Imriel knew the answer to ‘how long?’ He’d stay here as long as he decided to stay; his search for pleasure didn’t control him. Of course, denying his selfish desires was a different kind of pleasure for him; every moment he didn’t match the stereotypical Mastigos was a victory over his mother. Childish, perhaps, but it made him happy.

With Kaitlin capturing so much of his attention, it was a wonder that he saw the tattoo at all. But when Astra moved her right hand, caught a flash of the nine crossed arrows over the sigil. “Nice ink,” he told her, “on your wrist. I’ve seen one like that before, on a friend of mine who lived in Seattle.”

[z021]

Oneca shook her head at Adrian and nearly fell out of her seat, "Nah, sheee hazta work on summin. Deadline...." She shook her head again, more gently this time, and fought down giggles. "I'mma too drunk fer drinkin' anymore. Sah..sorry guyss."

She stood up carefully, using the table to help her balance. "Everyon' can spend de night. In fact, dey should. Plenty o' couches and a guessh...guest room fer whoeve' gets it firsht. Sheet's in the hall closhet." She seemed to think very hard for several seconds, "'Cept Adrian, 'cause he iddn't drinking here, but ya' can sh..stay as long as you like."

She wobbled a few steps away and glanced back, "Thanksh for commin over, guys. It was fun. After the copsh and all." She slowly began making her way back to her room, leaning against walls for support and the nice cool feeling against her hot skin.

[Adrian Moss]

Adrian stood up and moved to Oneca's side.

"Please," he said looking at her with those soulful (or was that soulless, she thought) eyes, "let me help you to your room. No harm will come to you while you are in my arms, I swear."

He eased one arm around her and pulled her into his surprisingly cold frame. It was that whole 'room temperature' thing. He began guiding her up then stopped, perhaps expecting some resistance.

"Ah ... were do I go?"

[z021]

The dark-haired beauty seemed to have no reservations about leaning (re: nearly falling, but mostly just letting him be her support) on the vampire. "Thanksh...I'mma pretty washted, huh? Feet...far 'way."

It took her a moment to either remember or register his question (probably both...) and then another long moment of hazy thought before she pointed down one of the hallways off the living room and waved vaguely. "Thatta'way. Shecon' door onna left afta tha 'all endsh."

"Youra cold," she mused, while covering one of his room-temperature hands with both of her alcohol-hot hands. "Warm ya' up. Yep."

[Adrian Moss]

Adrian looked down at those warm, so warm, hands. He smiled shyly.

"You've drunken way too much, that's for sure."

It was nice to have someone make him feel warm once more ... without having to use them for his own needs. Somewhere inside something wanted more. It always did, but there was no winning for it tonight. Tonight was about ... being alive ... feeling alive and being human, if not totally human.

'Second door on the left ... after ... what?'

He led her down the hall, warming up slightly with every step, her warm, both in her cuddled body and pressing hands, until he became confused.

"What was the last part of that again, Oneca? Second door on the left after the ... "

'after the hall ends. Gotchya.'

He made his way to what he prayed was the right one, opened the door and felt around with his one free hand for the light.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

Listening to the teasing cadence of Wakiki's words, and imagining the various combinations he proposed, Kaitlin almost missed Oneca's drunken good night and exhortation to stay the night. Belatedly, through the alcoholic haze, Kaitlin realized what Oneca had just offered and her head snapped around with an unfocused accusatory glare.

"Hey! You say - said I could havvit! Havvit? Haaaave... it!" Kaitlin protested, squirming on Wakiki's lap as she twisted around to face him, lips inches away from his, her sweet breath washing over him. "C'mon, Immi! First ones there're the first ones there!"

Kaitlin rolled backward, planting her hands against the floor and flipping off Wakiki. It would have been a beautiful maneuver... if at that moment, the floor hadn't decided to sway, causing a chair to stumble into her. The blonde athlete tumbled into a heap, but popped instantly back to her feet, a cross grin on her face and pulling Wakiki off his chair..

"That totally wasn't my fault, the floor dips here - you should get that checked," Kaitlin explained, truthful through intoxicated misconception. She grinned up at Wakiki and began tugging him toward the guest room, giving the room a wave. ""kay, bye, g'night guys! Let's go see if the bed dips too, Immiriel."

[z-August Turner]

August leaned against Lucien and watched Oneca leave. Her impulse was to rise and help, and she started to - only to sway and thump right back into her seat. "Fuck. I'm drunk." Her statement was delivered with the gravity of a doctor announcing cancer to a patient. Her need to move changed when she saw that Oneca's friend Adrian was helping her. With a happy smile, August folded herself forward until her head and shoulders rested on the table. Her green eyes focused blearily on Lucien. "Hi," she murmured cutely and drunkenly.

"Hi," he replied, grinning.

Further conversation was forestalled by Kaitlin's antics, and by the time it was done, August had forgotten her short conversation with Lucien.

"Your turn," Aradia said, grinning at her and interrupting her reverie. "If you can manage."

"'Kay," August said and reached for another card. Her fingers weren't graceful and table appeared between two cards. Shouts and groans rang over the table as August dramatically cried, "Nooooooooooooo!!!"

"Yeeeeeesss!" Aradia giggled, taking the glass from the center of the ring. She put the glass in front of August, who stared at it like a snake. Finally, with cheers urging her on, August snapped the drink back. It burned all the way down and August almost choked. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck," she wheezed. "Guys, ish no' funny ta ma'e me drin' paint thinker!"

[Astra D.]

"So," he asked with an air of resigned good humor, smiling lopsidedly at her. "What am I havin'?" He lounged back in his chair, silver eyes studying her face with a hint of challenge as he toyed with his shot glass.

It was amazing how quickly a bunch of college-kids could get completely plastered, and how eagerly. It was also amazing that they were so occupied with their own pursuit of inebriation, she'd managed to completely avoid having drawn a card, or taken more than a few exaggerated sips of her drink. Astra actually envied them that, a little, but since joining the Arrow, she'd been more focused on the purpose she'd been given than enjoying life. She wasn't a real college student, any more than the big-boobed athlete chick was probably a real blonde, but she wanted to be. She wanted to kick back, laugh, and let herself get completely hammered listening to dub-step in somebody else's McMansion.

Could she really stay objective if she never let her guard down? Would she be able to honestly look after the people on campus if she didn't know them? A tiny voice in the back of her mind called her a coward; how could she help them if she never got close?

Getting close meant someone else could... would get hurt.

Desire warred with obligation, and she tugged at one of her dark braids thoughtfully, curling the ends around her finger. Maybe, if it was just for a short time, like an experiment, it would be all right. Right? And if it didn't work, or went too far, or she didn't like it, she only had to go back, to remember... The idea appealed to something fey buried deep inside the young enchantress, and with the speed of thought, it was done. She might as well have sealed an oath with herself.

Before she could change her mind, she pushed all thought to the periphery and stood up. "Be right back," she smiled boldly at the silver-eyed man who was still waiting for her to decide on his penalty drink. He looked like he was up for a challenge, and she wasn't yet drunk enough to be desperate for company, but it might be fun to see how far he'd go. The kitchen was a wreck of cups, bottles, and half-eaten plates of snacks, but it didn't take long to find the basic ingredients. Somewhat impatiently, she cleared the bowls of chips and other assorted detritus from one of the buffet tables; at least, she cleared it enough to give herself some room. This was supposed to be a normal college-party occurrence, and the prospect was, admittedly, enticing. She took one last, long drink from her cup before returning to the table.

"You won't need a glass," she grinned, a hint of suggestiveness in her voice as she tugged her tank top upwards slightly, revealing the small indentation of her navel and a pleasantly smooth (and surprisingly tattoo-free) midriff. Armed with a shot glass filled with vodka, a packet of sugar, and a wedge of lemon, she beckoned Declan over to the mostly-cleared snack table. "I'm guessing you've had a lemon drop before," Astra said conversationally as she bounced slightly, hopping into a seated position on the edge of the table.

"Like the candy."

"Mm-hmm." Her smile was slow, the tilt of her head simultaneously curious and appraising as she looked him over. There was definitely something interesting about him, she decided, and not solely because she was practically vibrating on a cellular level at the prospect of his mouth being on her skin. It was almost like a scent she couldn't quite identify, more noticeable a little farther away from the cluster of people but still indefinable over the smells of alcohol and party food. Whatever it was, if Axe could bottle it, the men of the world would be drowning in girls. Che sera, sera, she quipped mentally, and swung herself around, reclining on the table. She bit her lip in concentration, leaning up on one elbow to sprinkle a thin line of sugar up one side of her abdomen. The vodka was somewhat trickier, and more than once it overflowed her navel to pool in the little hollow around it. (The hardest part was not laughing and being forced to start over.)

Maybe Fate had been screwing with her all this time, and maybe it was waiting on her to do something about it.

Wrapping one arm under her breasts to squeeze them together, Astra wedged the slice of lemon between them and looked up at Declan expectantly. "You can take the other shot first, if you want," she added, glancing at the whiskey in his hand.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Other shot?" the silver eyes were practically incandescent as a slow grin curled one corner of his mouth. I take back every gripe about livin' in L.A. I love this town. "Oh, this other shot." Declan looked at the glass in his hand as though surprised. "I dunno, the glass looks kinda boring to me. Maybe later I'll find somethin' better to drink it out of." he said as he set the shot glass down and moved to the edge of the table by Astra's hip, smiling down at her.

"Maybe you will." she replied with a hint of challenge in her eyes as she returned his gaze. "Now drink up before the bar closes."

Dec chuckled, a deep-throated sound, as he leaned over the reclining girl with almost predatory slowness, his eyes leaving hers to travel down the length of her torso. A thrill of arousal, tinged with fear, went through the magus as a well-muscled arm arched over her body, Declan placing a hand either side of her to steady himself. She could feel the faint electric prickle of bare skin nearly brushing her waist and forced herself to remain still as the shaggy head dipped lower and lower, giving her a final flash of silver eyes and white-toothed grin before he bent to drink.

The vargr started teasingly, flicking out a long pink tongue that agilely danced along the surface of Astra's abdomen to taste the few streams of spilled vodka before sweeping round and up along the line of sugar. Here the teasing became a strong, insistent lick, making first one then two strong passes with the tongue before the refined sweet was licked clean from her skin. His lips hadn't yet made contact with her skin, but Astra was finding that she couldn't wait.

Declan was having a little trouble himself. The girl's skin tasted good under the sugar and vodka, and this close to her the keen nose he'd been blessed with was practically tasting the arousal rising from her heated skin as keenly as his tongue was. He'd done bodyshots before, two years and another existence ago, but everything was so much more heightened now. Every sense, every instinct was a dozen times stronger than he remembered, as though he was remembering some other guy's life he'd been told about. When he came to the edge of the dip in Astra's trim stomach that led down to the navel brimming over with strong spirit, he couldn't help it - he gave a tiny, short growl before diving in and drinking. His lips pressed against her pale skin, sucking as his tongue lapped up any stray vodka that tried to escape as Astra's flesh quivered slightly under the sensual assault. Holding most of the vodka still in his mouth, he moved up along her body, the solidity of his chest through the t-shirt brushing across her hips as his mouth dipped into her cleavage. Astra felt the faint rasp of stubble along with tongue and lips fishing the slice of lemon out as Declan looked up at her, then his head rose and he sucked hard on the lemon before drinking, never breaking the heated eye contact.

He still didn't break eye contact as he turned his face slightly to the side and spat the lemon slice accurately into an all-but-empty bowl of cashews, then grinned at her.

"I think I got it all." he said in a voice that contained a touch of husky growl, still leaning over her. Silver eyes swept down her body, then back up to her face. "Best drink I've had in a while, gotta say."

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

Astra must not have heard him, but Wakiki couldn’t blame the other woman. This was a party and she was distracted, much in the same way that he was now distracted. Grinning at Kaitlin’s drunken antics, he allowed himself to be pulled out of his seat. “I think I’m leaving for the evening,” he told the group wryly as he was guided out of the room. “Thanks for letting me join!”

Before he was tugged away completely, he managed to make eye contact with the girl he was bound to know better. The young Japanese man gave her a quick smile before he disappeared into the hallway.

“Imriel!” The cry from Triessa slowed their hasty retreat. Imriel turned, his hand tight around Kaitlin’s in a possessive gesture – and to let her know this was a temporary delay. “I wanted to talk… but you look like you’re busy.”

“I am, or I’m going to be,” Imriel vowed, “but get me pen and paper and I’ll give you my number so we can catch up later.” Tree found both while Kaitlin waited impatiently; Imriel barely had scrawled his number for Triessa before Kaitlin was pulling him away again. “Later!” the young man called to his fellow mage, then put Triessa from his mind completely.

[Kaitlin Vandussen]

It wasn't hard to put the other mage from his mind, Imriel's 'date' for the evening was a rambunctious beauty with eager lips and questing hands, green-gold eyes alight with booze and fire. By the time they stumbled into the guest, Kaitlin had lost her bikini top, though neither of them could have said where or how.

Not yet used to the set-up, the only light the moon shining in through the window, and their arms tangled with each other, Kaitlin stubbed on the dresser and Imriel cracked his shin on the edge of the bedframe before they managed to tumble onto the mattress, but it hardly mattered. True to her earlier boast, Kaitlin wrangled her way on top, her solid weight straddling him; though slender and wiry, she had a very toned and firm build. With aggressive arousal, she ripped off his shirt, cutely snarling when his jeans and her daisy dukes didn't come as easily as she wanted, impeded by Imriel's teasing hands and fingers

A strong, calloused hand clasped tight around his hard length, holding it close, her eyes bright and tanned flesh burnished a deep bronze under the moonlight, Kaitlin tangled her other hand in Imriel's hair, holding herself with poised stillness, above him... Then slumped back down on his thighs, brow furrowing in deep concentration.

"Waitamunite! Rubberbers!" Kristin slurred.

Imriel groaned at the delay, then twisted over, scrambling at his pants, and pulled a condom from his wallet. With greedy desire, Kaitlin snatched it from him, ripping the wrapper with her teeth, then slid the rubber down his length with deft fingers, making Imriel groan again. She wriggled up once more, holding herself above him...

"What's your name?" she demanded with sudden, drunken insight, her sweet breath rolling over him.

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

Imriel blinked up at her, startled into stillness. “What?” he finally managed to ask, when his brain remembered how to do anything other than fuck, grope or kiss.

“What. Is. Your. Name?” Kaitlin asked again. “Your real name. The one your parents gave you.”

Wakiki stared at her. “Now. You want to know this now?”

“Yeah!” Kaitlin giggled, her hand tightening enough to draw a deep groan from him. “I’ll forget later.”

“I think,” Wakiki murmured as he slipped his hand between her legs to start stroking, “you’re going to forget before that.”

“Enah, nooo, I won’t…” Kaitlin whispered, but her breathing was soft and uneven with lust.

“Oh, yes, I think so,” Wakiki told her with a wicked grin, sitting up to give her a probing kiss. The movement put her right where he wanted her anyway; a firm push on her hips ended their discussion for the rest of the night.

[SalmonMax]

"Which reminds me," Triessa said briskly, "Since things are starting to break up...I'd like to get everyone's numbers if I could. Tonight was really fun, and I'd like to keep in touch. Quick, before you're all too drunk to speak."

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia watched people as they began to stumble away from the game, one by one. First Oneca, and that friend of hers that Aradia hadn't seen before. Then Kaitlin left too, practically dragging the hot Asian DJ after her, although before he left he'd made a point to turn and look directly at her, making sure he caught her gaze before departing. She'd watched him go, looking a bit puzzled at the silent exchange since they'd barely interacted the rest of the evening.

But then he, too, was gone, and Aradia turned back to the remaining players.

"...and then there were eight. Well, guess that makes it my turn again. I think."

Aradia pulled out another card, glancing at it briefly before she tossed it out onto the table.

"King of Spades. Let's up the ante, shall we?"

August blinked hazily at her roommate, too drunk to process the mischievous tone in the acrobat's voice.

"Wh..whaddya mean, 'Radi?"

"Kings are Rulemasters, remember? So, the new rule is... Double Jeopardy. Anyone who has to take a drink takes two instead.. starting with you, Auggie - you said my name, after all."

"Aw, shhh - Radi, tha's not.. well.. I mean - well, you too, then!"

Aradia blinked slightly, realizing through the steady buzz that she hadn't said anything to exclude herself from the rule.

"Oh damnit. Guess so. Okay then."

She had forgotten somewhere along the way that she was avoiding the hard stuff, and instead of picking up another beer, she grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured both her and August a double shot, and then shot the other girl a wicked grin.

"You first."

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia watched people as they began to stumble away from the game, one by one. First Oneca, and that friend of hers that Aradia hadn't seen before. Then Kaitlin left too, practically dragging the hot Asian DJ after her, although before he left he'd made a point to turn and look directly at her, making sure he caught her gaze before departing. She'd watched him go, looking a bit puzzled at the silent exchange since they'd barely interacted the rest of the evening.

But then he, too, was gone, and Aradia turned back to the remaining players.

"...and then there were eight. Well, guess that makes it my turn again. I think."

Aradia pulled out another card, glancing at it briefly before she tossed it out onto the table.

"King of Spades. Let's up the ante, shall we?"

August blinked hazily at her roommate, too drunk to process the mischievous tone in the acrobat's voice.

"Wh..whaddya mean, 'Radi?"

"Kings are Rulemasters, remember? So, the new rule is... Double Jeopardy. Anyone who has to take a drink takes two instead. That outta make this a quick second round."

Aradia realized belatedly that she'd been too drunk to forgotten to exclude herself from this particular rule, and sent up a small prayer to the cosmos that she'd get lucky this round and not fall victim to her own idiocy. One good round or two ought to take out a good chunk of her competition at this point anyway, and Aradia was drunk enough now where some of her more primitive instincts were starting to show - including, apparently, a fierce competitive streak.

[Astra D.]

He still didn't break eye contact as he turned his face slightly to the side and spat the lemon slice accurately into an all-but-empty bowl of cashews, then grinned at her.

"I think I got it all." he said in a voice that contained a touch of husky growl, still leaning over her. Silver eyes swept down her body, then back up to her face. "Best drink I've had in a while, gotta say."

"Easy, cowboy," she replied, more as a warning to herself than to him, hoping the trembling shiver running through her body didn't quite reach her voice. She'd never been particularly good at resisting temptation, especially when it was so thrillingly packaged, and when every fiber of her being was practically screaming at her to quench the fire he'd stoked in her. "The West wasn't tamed in a single shot."

As she slowly rose, the Vargr leisurely followed suit, her breath pleasantly warm against his neck. She could see the others at the table over his shoulder, continuing the game, but this close, she was all but drowning in the faintly woodsy, distinctively male scent of him. Her cheek brushed his as he shifted to let her get up, and she bit down hard on the urge to follow the faint, rasping line of stubble on his jaw with her lips.

"Game's still on," she smiled at him somewhat hazily, nearly dizzy with desire. It was only sheer willpower that got her off the table, driven by her purpose for even coming to this party: to make sure no one else was preyed upon by the things that went bump in the night.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Yeah, it is." Dec replied as, with a gentlemanly gesture that would have surprised those that thought they knew 'Crazy' Perault, he extended a hand to help Astra rise and slip from the table she'd been reclining on. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the drinking game, noting the thinning crowd of players as people started pairing off: skater girl with Imariel (or whateverthefuck he was called) and Adrian sneaking off with Oneca. He narrowed his eyes a little at that - sure, she knew him, but how well really? Did she know he was a god-damned vampire? Was the little shit-tick actually putting the bite on her? Okay, so Dec didn't know Oneca from Eve and she'd certainly been happy to see Adrian... but a lingering sense of civic duty merged with his distaste for vampires meant that he wanted to stick his muzzle in, at least far enough to know what the deal really was.

And on the other hand... He turned back to meet Astra's heated gaze, the scent of her body rising up between them in their close proximity. Adrian wasn't a killer, by his own admission and by Dec's observation. He certainly wasn't going to kill the hostess of a party upstairs when everyone had seen him head up with her. Perhaps he could talk to August at some point soon about Adrian, about how much of a buddy he was, that sort of thing. Scout things out. Yeah, he mused as he gave Astra a lopsided grin. Leave Count Chocula alone for tonight. Let's party.

"Game's still on for now, anyways." he said as he escorted Astra back to the table and into her seat, plonking himself down on the chair between her and Aradia. "What with the new rule, I reckon we'll see people droppin' like flies soon." His grin broadened. "Then we'll have ta think of somethin' else to do."

[z021]

The light switch, one of the ones that was more of a rocking plate than a switch, bathed room in bright light at Adrian's touch. Unlike the sumptuous, elegantly decorated house, this room was Spartan-bare and much smaller than he would have expected. A queen-sized bed took up most of the room, the sheets neatly made; the deep red of the blankets and pillows were the most color the room had. The beige walls lacked any sort of adornment and the light fixture was a bland frosted glass bowl attached to the ceiling. The two other pieces of furniture, a small Wal-Mart special nightstand with a cheap alarm clock and a matching dresser on the other side of the bed, completed everything that was to be found in the room. It looked about as personal as a boarding room in a Catholic hostel, sans the gratuitous crucifix.

Adrian took in the sudden change of venue while moving to the bed and pulling the blanket down in an impressive one-handed move while still hanging on to the near insensate hostess. He poured her into bed and tucked the blanket around her, thinking far enough ahead to grab a cup and water from the bathroom across the hall and leave it on the nightstand for Oneca's inevitable hangover the next morning. She was already sound asleep, snoring rather adorably for one that cultivated a aura of nihilistic ennui when she wasn't drunk off her ass.

[Adrian Moss]

He looked down at the sleeping form for only a second. A vampire leaning over a sleeping girl was way too Stalker-Creepy. It was time to go and he did so quietly. Adrian swept silently down the hallway to look in on the remaining party guests. To him, it was important that no one thought he was taking advantage of his friend. It would save people from going down and checking on her ... or maybe it wouldn't. He had to make the attempt though. He gave a vague nodded and headed for the front door.

Adrian had come hoping for a talk, but he knew that everyone had to blow off some pressure from time to time. Maybe next time he could talk with ... a peer, perhaps a friend.

[Astra D.]

"Game's still on for now, anyways." he said as he escorted Astra back to the table and into her seat, plonking himself down on the chair between her and Aradia. "What with the new rule, I reckon we'll see people droppin' like flies soon." His grin broadened. "Then we'll have ta think of somethin' else to do."

"Well," she replied dryly, a mischievous glint in her eye, "since I don't know most of the rules anyway, we might get to that part sooner, rather than later." Carefully, she drew a card from the shrinking remainder of those still on the table: a 9. "Nine was... rhyme?" she asked uncertainly, moments before she remembered questions were forbidden. "Oh, fuck me," she grumbled, taking a drink from her cup.

"No way," the girl with white streaks threaded through her hair (Aradia? she thought she'd heard) crowed gleefully. "You have to take two! Double jeopardy rule!"

Pursing her lips, Astra conceded with a grin and took another swallow of her dressed-up rum and coke, enjoying the faint aftertaste of lime. She was beginning to feel a little warm, though whether it was from the alcohol or Declan's proximity, she couldn't say. Either way, it was decidedly not an unpleasant sensation. "Fuck me, it is, then. Let's hear what you guys've got."

As if an afterthought, Triessa's request suddenly registered, and she scribbled down her cell phone number on the corner of a napkin as the young Thyrsus handed her a pen.

[Owns-The-Night]

'Fuck me'? Well, there's only one answer to that...

"Yes please." Dec said with a sly grin.

"That's not a rhyme!" three voices chorused, with a staccato of agreement from others. August pointed an accusing finger at him. "You've gotsh... got to take a drink."

"Two drinks!" Aradia said with a laugh as she filled two shot glasses with bourbon.

"Wait a minute." Dec protested. "It rhymed!"

"Nuh-uh!" Lucien told him, blinking owlishly. The others agreed, and after taking a quick poll of them Dec shrugged and gave Astra a sheepish grin.

"Well, I'd accept it." she told him with a playful tilt of her chin.

"The rhyme or the sentiment?" Dec asked, his grin turning from sheepish to wolfish.

"Definitely one, maybe both." Astra told him as she tried not to think about the way the sleek lines of his neck flowed into the muscle of his shoulders. Across from them, Lucien started laughing.

"You asked and answered a question, guys! Two more drinks each!"

"Fuck!" Dec cursed at the same time Astra muttered "Shit." She laughed ruefully and took two more gulps of her drink, reflecting that the hot guys really were always trouble. Dec just rubbed at the back of his neck and shook his head.

"Down the hatch!" Aradia placed the two glasses in front of him. Dec tossed back first one, then the other shot of J.D without further complaint, refilled them, knocked those shots back, then drew a card. He flipped it over with a laugh that, finally, was starting to sound like the booze was getting to his unnatural constitution.

"Jack o' Clubsh. Everyone'sh drinkin'!" he announced with a huge grin as everyone groaned and reached for their glasses.

[Owns-The-Night]

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