World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - The View from Topanga [Fin]

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

[night of 11 Aug 2008]

"You know, just once I would like to run into a pack that doesn't have their territory at the top of a mountain, in the middle of a desert, in the middle of a forest, or otherwise at least ten miles past the last good road."

A bit of griping, Sarah felt, was in order. For three damned nights she had wound her way up into and through a tangle of ravines, ridges, thorn scrub, rock slides and other "charming" features of the Topanga State Park. Sticking to trails had ended when it became apparent that wherever this pack was, it wasn't anywhere near the state-maintained walkways that served as an escape from L.A. for those citizens who still believed that one could indeed walk farther than from door to driveway. Indeed, it was midway through the second night, after a quick hunt that bagged her a doe and a brief respite from her endless hunger, that she looked up and saw the first marker: almost a dozen feet up into a live oak that looked to have stood since long before William Mulholland had worked his aquatecture miracle that allowed a desert town to bloom.

Since then, all she had to show for her effort was knowledge of five more markers spaced out over nearly a dozen miles, several rips in her stolen clothes from any number of briars and thorns (one of which she was convinced was still lodged in her thigh somewhere), what she feared might be a loosening sole on her right boot, and a sneaking suspicion that the local denizens were watching her every move and laughing their furry asses off.

Tired and frustrated, she clambered up onto a stony outcropping - everything here, it seemed, required clambering of one sort or another - sat down, and tried to think of a plan that wouldn't get her killed (again).

Then she saw the view.

Despite her foul mood, all thoughts and worries were packed away, forgotten in the moment. Below her, the land rolled away in wilds all the way down to Pacific Palisades. The yellow-green smog that marked the churning heart of Los Angeles was out of sight and downwind to the east; under a starry sky and the silver glow of Luna growing pregnant overhead, the ocean absolutely gleamed, a million tiny sparkles carried by the tide and surf to crash upon the shore. The entire struggle of the past three nights became absolutely worth every bramble and stone, if only for the moment, just for this slice of beauty and wonder.

Tranquility was shattered by a shrill and entirely unnatural sound. Shaken from the moment of wonder, Sarah sighed and pulled a slender black thing from an inside jacket pocket. Flipping open the cellphone that Lucien had given her just over a week earlier, she hesitated a moment before spitting out, "What?"

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

"Hey you," came Lucian's smooth voice across the line. "I wanted to let you know that I'm jumping into a little chat session, and thought you might want to join in. Good way of getting to know people without some of your face-to-face problems getting in the way."

Sarah frowned. He's calling me way the hell up here to fuck around with the internet? "Lucien, I'm pretty much out in the middle of nowhere right now, and..."

He cut her off in that infuriatingly gentle fashion of his. "...and that means there's nobody around to give you trouble. C'mon, what can it hurt? Some of the people from the party are already on."

That got her attention. If the jumpy little I'll-bet-he-was-a-vampire guy logged on... "OK, what's the URL?"

A minute later, and chat lines were flying across the cellphone's tiny screen.

For the first few minutes, it was pretty much late-teen drivel. Complaints about various movies, dating rumors, the usual mix of reasons that, even when she had a computer, she avoided chat rooms like pink-eye. Brief mention was made by Lucien of her association with him, which brought a round of all-too human teasing. For whatever reason, Lucien also decided that the forum would be a great place to poke around for other "supernatural" people, and made a few pointed film and pop-culture references that fell entirely flat.

Then, amid a series of "were you so-and-so at the party questions," Mr. Jumped-A-Wall did indeed make himself known to her via a private message. A series of back and forth notes later, and Sarah learned that the guy was Adrian, young, and every bit as dead as she. They exchanged a few niceties - lineage and such - but in the end, there really wasn't much to say; aside from both being sunlight-challenged and on a liquid diet, there just didn't seem to be a lot in common. Still, Sarah did make note of his online handle. "You never know when a Shadow will come in handy," Old Juan had told her; if that was ever the case, at least she knew of one now.

But then, a quartet of lines caught her attention:

(22:04:23) (Frank): Hmmm okay... that was weird

(22:04:37) (Ariel): You know nothing of weird, my friend.

(22:05:14) (Frank): And you do?

(22:07:56) (Ariel): Actually, yeah, I do know weird.

No, it's too easy. She was tempted to move on, but a long minute went by with no further elaboration. Her curiousity perked, Sarah looked up the command for a private comment and painstakingly began tapping out a message on the tiny keypad.

(22:09:11) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) ok, i'm game. what qualifies as 'weird'?

Less than a minute later, she had a reply.

(22:09:56) (Ariel): (whispers) Heh. You'd never believe me. And I realize how trite that is for me to say.

And down the rabbit hole we go, Sarah thought with a sigh, and pushed into what became one hell of a little private conversation in the midst of the chatroom.

(22:10:33) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) you'd be surprised what i might or might not believe.

(22:14:50) (Ariel): (whispers) I might...but I've seen some serious shit.

(22:31:16) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) so, what is some of this crazy shit you've seen?

(22:33:47) (Ariel): (whispers) Heh. I wouldn't even know where to start. And it's not even just police stuff you know? You see weird shit, but it's human shit. It's...normal, in its own way.

(22:34:08) (Ariel): (whispers) There's things out there that aren't normal, in any way...

(22:34:22) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) you're telling me.

(22:34:44) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) seen stuff on the road that'd curl your hair

(22:36:49) (Ariel): (whispers) Hah! All of it? ...okay, that must have made no sense...

(22:37:22) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) depends how much hair you got, and where.

(22:37:47) (Ariel): (whispers) Yeah, well...that's the $258,000 question isn't it...

(22:38:29) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) ???

(22:39:51) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) sorry, might have come across wrong. but yeah, i've seen stuff that is outside the bounds.

(22:40:05) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) as have you, from the sound of it.

(22:41:04) (Ariel): (whispers) Hang on

(22:41:34) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) hanging on

(22:42:57) (Ariel): (whispers) Okay, sorry...got several whispers going at once. So yeah. What have you seen then?

(22:43:28) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) Things that Man was Not Meant to Know.

(22:43:43) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) eh, sorry. couldn't resist.

(22:44:23) (Ariel): (whispers) Heh. No worries. I'm not a man.

(22:44:45) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) but have you ever seen the movie Beetlejuice? Where the kid says, "Most people can't see the strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual?" that's me. weirdness magnet.

(22:46:08) (Ariel): (whispers) Huh. So what weirdness?

(22:46:30) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) you first

(22:47:54) (Ariel): (whispers) I can't really say...believe me I want to. I'm going crazy with no one to talk to about it...

(22:48:05) (Ariel): (whispers) But I made a promise...

(22:48:41) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) ...not to tell normal people. Sounds familiar.

(22:49:01) (Ariel): (whispers) What, seriously? Familiar?

(22:49:54) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) you made a promise. a solemn one. like an oath. and part of it was that you can't tell people. am i close?

(22:52:10) (Ariel): (whispers) Okay, I don't know what to say to that.

(22:52:27) (Ariel): (whispers) Did you do it too? Did it happen to you too?

(22:52:59) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) if what it sounds like... hmmm...

(22:53:20) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) tell me this: who is your promise to? does it start with "L"?

(22:53:43) (Ariel): (whispers) Hahaha...this is getting silly now. You obviously know exactly what's going on.

(22:54:18) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) not trying to be silly, just careful

(22:55:13) (Ariel): (whispers) Okay, I can relate to that. I'm being careful too...I'm not sure what I'm more worried about in fact. That you're in on the whole thing, or that you might not be.

(22:56:07) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) please just say it. you can't tell others, but there's no rule against naming who you made the oath to.

(22:56:16) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) i need to be sure.

(22:57:17) (Ariel): (whispers) Look...this is a computer. It's not secure, and I...this is just not something I can deal with right now. I'm sorry to lead you on like this.

(22:57:36) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) fair point.

(22:57:45) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) same problem i'm having

(22:58:44) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) short answer is - if it is to who i think it is, someone i mentioned earlier in this chat, then yeah, i know what you are. i'm related.

(23:00:37) (Ariel): (whispers) You know what I am. I don't even know that. Actually, I do. I'm a police detective.

(23:00:54) (Ariel): (whispers) Whatever else there may or may not be...there's that.

(23:01:13) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) lemme put it this way. have you changed?

(23:02:09) (Ariel): (whispers) I can't talk about this kind of thing here.

(23:02:39) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) ok.

(23:02:56) (Ariel): (whispers) Sorry, I know it's my own fault. I'm the one that brought it up.

(23:03:12) (Ariel): (whispers) I wasn't expecting anyone to actually pursue it.

(23:03:25) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) if you do want to talk, how and where? i'm seriously up in the hills right now, so not best time to meet.

(23:04:13) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) not really the best person to guide you through this, but can at least tell you what i know, maybe hook you up with someone better.

(23:04:49) (Ariel): (whispers) Well, you could give me your cellphone, if you're trusting. And, I'll be honest...there was someone who explained some things to me already.

She hesitated. Cellphones could, she knew, be traced. And this was a cop. That said, it was a cop who had effectively made very, very clear that she was probably something very near and dear to Sarah.

With no small amount of trepidation, she tapped out.

(23:05:20) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) trust is kinda rare, you know.

(23:05:48) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) but yeah. 213-385-7624

(23:06:34) (Ariel): (whispers) ...huh. Thanks.

(23:06:55) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) no problem

(23:08:15) (Ariel): (whispers) So wait. Does this mean Lucian slept with...uh...one of us?

(23:08:25) (Ariel): (whispers) Does he -know-?

(23:10:09) (Sarah): (whispers to (Ariel)) Complicated story.

(23:10:20) (Ariel): (whispers) Hehe. Ok.

Logging out of the chatroom, Sarah sat there beneath the stars and bright moon, waiting for Ariel's call. She didn't have long to wait.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

When the phone rang, the vampire didn't even have time to throw out her usual "What?" before the voice on the other end of the line cut in.

"Is this Sarah?" "Yup. Ariel?" "Yeah."

She gave a brief chuckle, then got straight to business. "Fair enough. So, let's try this again. Who did you make a promise to?"

There was a brief pause, then: "It feels stupid to say. The moon. Luna. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Relief and excitement mingled in Sarah's dead heart. "That is indeed what I wanted to here. And yeah, I'm related to you. You had your first change, didn't you?" That same blend of emotions was reflected in Ariel's voice. "Jesus...okay, yeah. I guess I did. So...I guess that makes you, what? One of the other ones living in town?"

The question gave Sarah a moment of pause of her own. It wasn't something she really wanted to dive into, not on the phone. "Not quite. I'm related, but not the same. Grew up around it; a lot of my relatives changed. But my path was a little different. Still know a fair bit about it, though. And about the oath of the moon. The herd shall not know."

"Yeah. That. I can't pretend to be a fan of the wording on that, even though I understand the intent."

"Yeah, subtle isn't exactly in the werewolf vocabulary."

There was a crackle, and then dead silence, without even the slight hiss of the background connection. Confused, Sarah looked at the phone, only to discover that the connection had been lost. Shit. Shit, shit shit. How does one of those dial-back things work? She thought for a moment, then tried *69 and hoped.

The first ring hadn't finished when Ariel answered.

"Heh. Lost you there for a sec. Guess you really are in the mountains."

"Crappy signal up here, yeah," Sarah muttered.

Ariel dived right back in. "So...meeting family?" Another awkward question, and Sarah deflected.

"The best bet for you would probably to be to talk to another of your actual kind. There's a groundskeeper that works for UCLA. An army vet named Declan. He'd be a good starting point."

"I've actually already talked to him a bit." Sarah wasn't sure if she should be surprised or amused. Either Declan got around, or his reputation as a crazy Wolverine-type was preceeding him in the local werewolf population.

*crack*

The sound had come from somewhere behind her, the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping. Oh hell... Quickly, Sarah moved to end the call.

"Look, I probably need to go. If you need anything, give me a call, any time of the night. Nights only, though. It's complicated."

There was humor tinged with concern in Ariel's reply. "Given what we've been talking about, I'm sure you know how that sounds."

"Yeah, I do. Take care." Sarah closed the phone, slowly stood as she returned it to her jacket pocket, then turned around to face the music.

[Dave ST]

Nothing.

[sarah, Wits+Survival, Failure]

Only darkness as the lush pines swayed in the early night's breeze. The awkward quiet that told Sarah that something was indeed out there. No insects chirping, no owl search for a meal in the chilled night air. Whatever was stalking Sarah it was close.

She had fallen for it. The old snap the twig from behind, move someone in from the front trick, and as Sarah turned around and saw nothing she realized her mistake too late.

She could 'feel' whatever was behind her, several feet away, but she knew it was there and her back was exposed.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

In the movies, there are about a hundred fancy moves that the hero makes when someone or something is right behind them. Roundhouse kicks, firing guns between their legs, kicking into a dash, etc., etc. They all look great on screen. And damned few have any practical application in the really-real world, as Sarah preferred to think of things.

The move she made wasn't usually the hero's choice on screen. She slowly raised her hands and turned around.

[Dave ST]

Sarah's vampiric vision saw him clear as day and he was massive. Nearly seven feet of pure muscle stared silently back at her and Asian heritage was apparent.

Long black hair swept back tapering to a perfect trimmed point just an inch or so above the "man's" hips. He wore no shirt and appeared not an ounce of body fat and the Dalu's dark jade eyes glared at he silently.

[sarah, Intelligence+Brawl, Success]

His black pants were flowing and loose and a pair of slippers on his feet marked him as a possible practitioner of the martial arts.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Well, he hasn't torn my head off of my shoulders yet, so this might be survivable.

Survivable was, of course, a relative thing. In a fight, this monster would gleefully rip out her spine and show it to her for the couple of seconds or so before she fell into a pile of ash. No, the hope here was that Jackie Chan would be willing to have a nice polite conversation, one unnatural creature of the night to another.

The trick here was to be as properly respectful as possible. Part of that was a matter of twenty-two years of serving the damned things. The other part, however, was quite literally in her blood. Expending a precious bit, she focused on trying to get her point across to the killing machine in front of her.

In as even a tone as she could muster, Sarah said, "I take it you're a member of the Topanga Pack? I'm Sarah, last affiliated with Lawson's Pride out of Barstow. I'm a Dead Wolf, and I'm just here to talk, if that's OK."

[sarah, Manip+Persuasion+Sublunario, 2 successes]

[Dave ST]

He just stood there, glaring at the woman. As she spoke she noticed nothing in his expression that hinted towards him caring one iota about who she was, where she came from, or what she was here for.

The silence was uncomfortable as the pale moon shone down through the trees, Luna herself seemed to watch in anticipation for what may transpire next in Nature's realm.

Slowly the Dalu moved on arm, one finger extending out, point to the distance. Sarah quickly caught on that she was not being directed anywhere more comfortable to talk.

She was being told to leave.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Sarah shrugged. It was far from the first time that a pack had decided that they didn't want to deal with some walking dead thing, no matter what distant tie it may have had to them somewhere in the past. Experience had taught her that digging in her heels only gave her erstwhile cousins a more solid surface to punch. When a werewolf tells you to leave, there's pretty much only one thing to do.

But as she turned to leave, she did dare to do one last thing. Pulling out a scrap of paper and a much-chewed pencil, she scrawled a number down. Looking back at the huge 'man', she carefully set the paper on the ground. "My phone number," she said, loud enough for those that she knew must be watching their packmate to hear, "in case someone decides later on that they're willing to talk to me. I'll leave your territory, but I'm not leaving L.A." With that, she began making the long, disappointing hike out of the wilderness, saying a silent goodbye to her best shot at finding Amber, and to the view from Topanga.