World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - On The Prowl (Complete)

[Owns-The-Night]

{Saturday 23rd August. 15:13 }

"...so, ah, because of that fuck-up from our admin guys, I got a memo sayin' you was to be let go. Sorry about that, Declan." Fahquad's face was even sweatier than usual as he looked across the cheap pre-fab desk at the silent groundskeeper. He wished that his office was larger, and that his desk was wider. "By way of apology, I've managed to, heh, get you a dollar an hour raise. Cos, like, that was a sucky piece of news to get when a guy's laid up, ain't it?"

Declan knows the guy is lying. He can practically smell it. Rank fear mixes with unwashed ass and stale coffee breath. But whatever the reason, he still has his job and home. He'll find out later what prompted Fuckwad's generosity.

"Fine. I'll get to it then." He escapes the fug of the cramped underground office with nothing more to say to the guy, and as he emerges into the afternoon sunlight, he grins tightly.

Alright.

---------------------------------------------------------

{Sunday 24th August. 02:00 }

The dark wolf slinks through the night-time gloom of UCLA campus, reasserting his domain, making it safe from those who would despoil it.

A dealer waiting in a parking lot for a meet later describes how a "Big fuckin' dog damn near ripped my fuckin' tires off." to his friends, vowing to not go there again anytime soon.

A frat boy getting a little too frisky with a young female freshman needs to learn when "No" means "No". After feeling something grabbing the ankle of his pants and being dragged off the struggling girl and through the nearby bushes at a terrific speed, he finds himself face to face with a snarling, snapping nightmare. He doesn't tell anyone about the incident, because the fact that his guts let go and he screamed like a girl would be too embarassing. Remarkably, he gets away without anything more than a ripped pants leg and a stink of fear clinging to him.

Owns-The-Night padded out of the darkness around the large dorm building that was definitely on his to-visit list for a couple of reasons. Lupine nose near the floor, he drank in the scents surrounding the dorm. It was distracting work. The scent of Female was everywhere, and ever since his awakening to such things at the party and afterwards, he found those scents to be a distraction of a major sort. Morgan's scent in particular was troublesome to this werewolf with other business in mind. Funny how getting your first boner in company helps kick up the ol' sexual awareness a touch. he grumbled to himself as he tried to keep his mind on the job at hand. Not looking for too much trouble tonight, just evaluating a hunch... Hmmm, Morgan smells good. Maybe I should... No. Concentrate! Ahhhh, there you are.

Werewolf. Not loud, but clear enough. Female werewolf. Female werewolf in Kuruth.

Fuck. I like being right, but I hate this. There was no way the wounded Rahu was going to follow an enraged psychotically religious werewolf around. He wasn't looking for a fight in his condition. But she would be. She has no memory of these episodes. Wakes up naked and probably bloody. Poor kid. He felt a certain level of sympathy, but it was tempered with the need to bring this stray cub to heel, one way or the other. Well, best way to hunt is to wait where you know the prey is going to come by. With that in mind, Declan settled down to keep vigil, making sure to keep his weight off his wound.

Code:

Making a scent-based tracking roll: wits + survival
(hunting) + 4 for wolf form, -3 for faint scent 
= 7 dice

(Declan) rolls 7d10 and gets 6,3,7,7,10,10,3.
(Declan) rolls 2d10 and gets 4,10
(Declan) rolls 1d10 and gets 6.

3 successes on scent-based tracking roll

[Dave ST]

{Saturday 23rd August. 11:16pm }

Steam filled the dark locker room and as the haze drifted over the floor the running water echoed throughout the large dark room. The young athlete, Swara-Ann, had been coming here in the late hour where it was quiet and peaceful for several nights. The idea of sharing that small dorm shower with the other students creeped her out in ways that she couldn't imagine.

The track star's duffel bag dropped onto the bench outside her locker. Wrapped in a towel she rummaged within for her toothbrush, clothes and a pony tail scrunchy. She stopped for only a moment to look at her self in the small mirror of her locker.

Her fingers traced over her neckline, stroking a handmade necklace. A single moonstone pendant set with a pair red jaspers, one above it and the other below. Each held in place upon a simple carved wooden back and leather thong that tied in the back. It wasn't large or gaudy, just simplistically beautiful.

It was the only thing beautiful she saw in the locker mirror, the rest was just an ignorant hick girl whose faith in God had brought down on her the ridicule of her peers. She'd long been cast aside in the social hierarchy before classes even started. Most thought of her as a dumb blond and religious fanatic and took a great deal of pleasure in reminding her of those things.

Scowling once she saw who looked back at her she slammed the door and prepared to leave when a sudden pain surged through her muscles.

She watched in horror as her arm rippled and bulged. Clasping her wrist she squeezed and resisted whatever this urge was with everything she had. Her nails shaded black and grew long into jagged claws and her muscles threatened to burst right from her grip.

"No...," She winced, a few tears forming through her extreme effort. "Not now, go away. "Leave me alone!" He cry echoed through the hollow locker room, a command that sounded like a fit of rage much as it did a shriek for salvation. The shift subsided and her arm slowly went back to normal.

Crying, her naked knees hit the floor where she mumbled silently. "Lord Jesus it is you who wakes me up every day, and I'm so thankful for your love, this is why I pray..."

{Saturday 23rd August. 11:56pm }

Swara-Ann, attempting to put the events of the night behind her skipped up the sidewalk and the steps to the dorm she shared with several other students who no doubt despised her. Odd thing was only her own room mate seemed to give her any respect at all but that was veiled with insults and a lack of desire to communicate with Swara-Ann at all.

"Fancy meeting you here." A sweet feminine voice rose up from no where.

Swara-Ann whipped around startled. She'd just stepped from that way and no one was there, the campus was empty tonight, which was odd in and of itself. "Holy cow, you just scared the crap out of me." She squinted for a moment to recognize her greeter. It was the young woman from Chinatown she met last week, the one who'd given her the pendant. "Oh, hey!"

A bit at ease now the blond country girl stepped down from the stairs and approached the shadow shrouded woman. "I never got the chance to thank you for the necklace, it's beautiful." she said, unable to focus on nothing but the woman's luminous jade eyes.

A smile broke the gloom that seemed to caress the woman's features. "Think nothing of it. A beautiful pendant, for a beautiful woman."

"Sh-yah, right," Swara rolled her eyes. "No one around here seems to think so. People around here think I'm an ignorant blond. I'm just one more date-rape victim waiting happen." She smiled, realizing how rude she was being. "It sure is nice of you to say though. Thank you."

"You're different Swara-Ann. That's all." The woman approached slowly, refusing to enter the light in which Swara-Ann stood. "People fear what they don't understand. But you, you keep everything inside, all your troubles, woes, anger. Why do you bottle it all up?"

Slowly the Iowan native stepped closer, lured by those enchanting eyes. From the light of the dorm's entry she slipped into the shadows just beyond. "The Bible has taught me to love my neighbors, regardless of how insanely flawed they may be." She made an attempt at a joke to to slow how increasingly uncomfortable she was beginning to feel.

"You are the problem Swara-Ann," She replied, extending a hand to the young woman. "You live in denial. You fear the world around you. You live in a dream filled fantasy where everything is sunshine and roses. For every good there are two evils Swara-Ann. You need to open your eyes and come to understand both side of the coin you refuse to flip."

Swara-Ann didn't notice her pendant's moonstone swirling hazily like it had been injected with red dye. "W-what are you talking about? I t-think I'm going to go now, you're sorta creeping me out."

"Feel free." She said plainly. "Run away Swara-Ann, like you always do. Be the outcast, the statistic, the girl on the lowest rung of the social ladder."

"And I suppose you can just wave a magic wand and make everything better for me? I'm not that naive." Rolling her eyes and scoffing she couldn't help but chuckle. "I mean, seriously."

"I can do one better." Her dark visitor replied. She leaned out and kissed Swara-Ann gently on the forehead. The girl had no idea why she didn't shirk away or resist, but she didn't, she let it happen. Perhaps a part of her was hoping that everything this woman said about her could be changed and she wouldn't be ignored and treated poorly any more.

Oh, God what's hapening? The student suddenly thought.

She couldn't see, couldn't speak, couldn't feel. All she could hear was the roar of the anger coiling up in her blood, a rampaging howl on inhuman rage and desire.

No, this isn't me. She cried on the inside. "What... what did you do?" She asked doubling over in pain as muscles shifted and contorted, filling the night air with ungodly sounds of popping and cracking.

"Something you should have done on your own a long time ago." The woman leaned down stroked her cheek. You'll thank me later. Welcome to the Real."

Swara growled, it rose up as the woman walked off, she wanted nothing more than to shred her flesh and snap her bones. Was that me just now? Oh God... oh God... please... please help me...

Fear. The worlds oldest and most primal of emotions. It's fear the gives us strength when he have nothing left to give, it's fear the makes the weak stand up and fight when they've nothing left to lose.

Her senses were filled with the sounds, the scents, and the sights of the world. In her fear she noticed every minute detail, thinking it, at any moment could heap more fear upon her. She resisted, fighting with everything she could and the pain and fear only got worse.

You live in denial. You fear the world around you. the woman's words echoed coldly in her mind. She was right, Swara was afraid. Of what was happening to her, that she might fail, that she might have to go back home to a place she hated... everything in her life scared the young woman.

So for once, she let go. She let The Change consume her completely. She grew strong, agile, and cunning. A rush of ecstasy washed through her and in her final human moment uttered a silent prayer for herself.

How did I hold it back for this long, she wondered. and God forgive me, why did I ever want to?

The red jaspers twinkled as her shift was completed, then the pendant sunk below her fur and flesh becoming a part of her. The Gauru werewolf's eyes glazed over red and insanity gripped her. Filled with nothing but the urge to kill Swara-Ann again, resisted it. Even in this state she knew it wasn't right.

Blinded by rage, confused by her continued resistance of what she was, she leapt off into the shadows, a howl of agony echoing behind her.

{Sunday 24th August. 3:21am }

Back in her human guise Swara did an impossible leap, over the entire width car, and dashed for her dorm room. She was clothed, having stopped by the locker room to change, again.

Declan noticed her advance as well as the impossible leap. She was determined to get to the door of her dorm.

Quote:

I stole the phrases for Swara's change directly from the WW book, it was too delicious and fit too well. While I made a few slight variations, I just want it clear that my plagiarism was intentional.

[Owns-The-Night]

Declan lopes from the bushes, a dark streak of motion that flows across the ground at a speed few things two-legged can match. He is at the dorm doorway in a matter of moments, then turns and sits on the step as he awaits the onrushing young woman.

There is no menace or threat to his posture, no hint of danger about him. Sitting straight with his ears up and head tilted, he looked for all the world like Man's Best Friend being attentive, alert and helpful. The effect was somewhat offset by the size of him: few dogs look like a wolf to those that know the difference, but Declan hoped that the thick shaggy coat and harmless demeanour would help, even as he kicked himself for playing the "cute and fuzzy" card. Still, if this worked, he'd have to try it on Morgan sometime. He mentally crossed his fingers and prayed, not wanting a fight at all.

[Dave ST]

Almost there... her mind raced as she continued to the one thing that made her feel more free than anything in the world: run. Worry gripped her like a cold iron vice, the pressure and fear that were building within her seemed to just nip at her heels with ever long stride she took. When she ran, nothing could catch her, no one was faster than Swara-Ann Osborne.

When the large... German Shepherd(?) suddenly sprinted from nowhere and sat up on the dorm steps staring at her she halted as swiftly as her momentum allowed. The blank, clueless look on her face was priceless. Her brow was straight and her mouth slightly open in confusion. Without turning her head her eyes panned to the left, then right, then back on the 'dog'.

On any other night Swara-Ann may melted into a pool ooey-gooey pink clad ickyness known as 'annoyingly sweet', bathing the poor hound in "awwwws", "your so adorable"'s, and "aint you just the cutest" in all manner of nauseating baby talk, but tonight had been far to messed up.

She sighed and slowly stepped forward. "Hey there," Still several feet away, she moved her head to the side and inspected Declan's equipment. The native Iowan, born and raised on a farm, had very few misgivings about checking a dog for it's gender. "Little guy. You lost?"

She stopped and took around the campus for the owner. "An... anybody lose a dog?" She said, her voice raised slightly. Looking back at Declan she stood there for a second. "Sorry, no pets allowed. So could you like..." she nodded her head to the side indicating for the animal to move. "You know... move, so I can get inside?"

[Owns-The-Night]

So far, so good. The werewolf fought the urge to grin at the look on Swara's face. He got up off his haunches and, still with head high and ears up, nosed at her fingers, making a soft whining noise in the back of his throat. She was upset, smelled tense and fearful. He followed up the nosing with ducking his head under her hand, asking to be petted in a shameless display of canine affection.

Girl needs a friend. So sue me. He told his more macho instincts. Somehow, he doubted outright confrontation would serve any purpose than to kill one or both of them. Perhaps by relaxing the girl, by calming her down, he could try to find a way to let her know she wasn't alone in having a 'time of the month'.

[Dave ST]

The dog begged for attention and Swara-Ann slowly felt her heart melting, but was resolved to get home and get some sleep. "You're cute, okay, I get it." Sh knelt down and pressed her forehead against his scratching behind his ears.

Declan could smell the blood on her breath that rich irony vapor mingled with her flavored lip gloss. For a moment he was lost in a tempest of feminine scents, her body wash, the matching body lotion and shampoo. Had blood not been there, Declan may have found himself totally enamored. "It's really late Poochy and I have classes in about six hours, plus I'm starving. You're really cute, but I need to go."

She gently kissed him on the forehead betwixt his eyes. He knew the scent of the lip gloss would haunt him for a day or more. "So, be good okay?"

Her smile was radiant, soft and sincere. A killing machine was sleeping soundly within her and Declan, for a moment, thought it a bit sad that such a harmless, loving, and innocent woman should have to ear such a burden like being one of "The People."

She walked for the door, leaving the German Shepherd behind.

[Owns-The-Night]

He watched her go, studying her scent, learning it well. One thing was certain, though. He would be swinging by Morgan's dorm more often at night-time.

Fuck. I need to tell her, too. "Hey, Morgan. Your room-mate, the flakey religious fluffy one? Yeah, she's fluffy all right. And runs around naked at night. In Gauru form. Try to be nice to her, mmkay?" The Declan-wolf made a grumbling noise in the back of its throat as it trotted away. I need to tell the ladies too. Amber and Ariel will need to help me bring Swara into line if we can't gentle her into doing it.