World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - Baby Steps [Complete]

[z-Amber Wren]

February 7, 2009, 6:00 p.m.

This was not going to be fun, but it had to be done. Amber was torn about what she was doing. Still, she'd promised Ariel, and she was trying very, very hard to approach Sarah with an open mind. It was hard; a large part of her was rebelling against the very idea. The rest of her had not lodged its vote yet.

The ground was eaten away beneath her four feet. She'd thought about driving, but it had been a while since she'd had a good run, and she'd need her wolf-throat when she got there, so she had decided to do it this way.

The neighborhood became steadily more affluent as she loped west-southwest. She stuck to alleys and back streets for the most part, and those who saw her pass shivered at the massive size of the fierce-looking "dog."

Before long, the houses were massive edifices, monuments to excess and greed. Amber slowed down and began to keep an eye out for trees and markers. She couldn't use her nose, not this time. As it was, without that key help, she overshot the barrier.

She entered Hombly Park before she knew she was there. Grumbling, she went back and took another look. After a frustrating half hour hunt, she finally found something that could only be a territorial marker. It was hard for that large part of her to think of it as Sarah's, but it certainly was. She was very careful to not violate the territory.

She took a long moment to collect herself. She wanted to do this right, for her pack's sake if no one else's. When Amber thought she was ready, she tilted her head back and sang the primordial song. Dead wolf! Respect-speak. Waiting near border.

Click to reveal..

Amber's Perception: 0 sux

1d10=4, 1d10=3, 1d10=3, 1d10=2, 1d10=4

Amber's Perception: 0 sux

1d10=7, 1d10=7, 1d10=2, 1d10=1, 1d10=3

Amber's Perception: 3 sux

1d10=1, 1d10=9, 1d10=8, 1d10=9, 1d10=7

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

For Sarah's part, the night had just begun. After pulling herself free from the comfort and safety of the soft soil beneath her favored oak, the Dead-Wolf had taken the shape of her namesake; it was the best way to make a meaningful patrol of her territory, absent the spirit-side efforts that her friend Declan had agreed to handle.

She was still grumbling to herself over her deficiency in that aspect when the unmistakable call of a fellow lupine cut through the night air. Sarah was not of the People, but she was certainly aware enough to recognize that this was not Declan's call. And the reference to 'respect-speak' was nothing short of intriguing; very few of her erstwhile relatives were willing to think of her as anything worthy of such thoughts. It could be Ariel, she realized, though why the reluctant Uratha would be calling her as a wolf was something of a mystery.

Drawing in the cool night air, Sarah let out a song of her own in the language of wolves. *Friend-wolf, honour-speak. Running, meeting you.* With no further delay, Sarah took off for her bounds in the direction of the howl.

As she ran, the Dead Wolf drew upon her gifts, making her nose sharper than even that of a wolf had any right to be. As always, the smells of the city washed over her, but after a moment, she sorted through the 'colours' and 'images' to find one that was uniquely of the People. And not, she noted. of Ariel. But definitely female. Kestra of the Topangas, maybe?

Whoever it was, the massive and unfamiliar wolf quickly hove into view - true to her word, on the borders of her territory. As Sarah slowed to a walk, then stopped a few yards short, she did as she almost always did with the People: her tail dropped to the ground, ears flattened, and indeed her entire body lowered somewhat as the Dead Wolf took the position of submission. With a series of quiet yips and barks, she said, *Here-speak. Honour-you. Two-leg for better speak?*

Click to reveal..

Picking up scent of visitor (Wits + Composure + Auspex):

(10:37:42) ChatBot: (Sarah_Dead-Wolf) rolls 7d10 and gets 1,9,6,3,2,6,7.

One success

Proper etiquette (Presence + Socialize w/ Pack Dynamics):

(10:45:38) ChatBot: (Sarah_Dead-Wolf) rolls 4d10 and gets 8,8,6,1.

Two successes

[z-Amber Wren]

She still, on some level hated this. But it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. While her gut was twisting in outrage, it was easy to keep it in check. And suddenly, she realized that the twisted wasn't just spiritual outrage at Sarah being before her; it was the knowledge that Sarah had what she needed. The urge to attack the Dead Wolf and take what she craved was strong, but Amber beat it back.

Amber whined softly, her entire posture and tone speaking of distress. There was nothing she could do but endure, so she shook it off and nodded to Sarah. Drawing a deep breath that expanded her chest, she shifted up.

"Hello, Sarah." There was a moment of awkward silence and Amber desperately filled it with, "How are you?"

Click to reveal..

Amber's Willpower (+2 dice): 2 sux

1d10=10, 1d10=5, 1d10=1, 1d10=4, 1d10=2, 1d10=9, 1d10=5

1d10=1

Amber is now at a +3 on her next check.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Sarah had begun her shift with the stranger's nod; by the time the shape of Amber became apparent, it was too late to stop (and to flee). She didn't quite go into a fully defensive stance... but then, the upright position of submission she took wasn't so very far from it, just a difference in the bend of the knees and a slightly more raised head and vision.

The vampire was more or less prepared to be attacked when Amber spoke her name - and that hit her like a brick. For months now, during their infrequent and generally hostile encounters, Amber had refused to utter those two syllables.

Was Declan right? Was there hope on some level that Sarah's cousin may reach a point where she did not despise her undead relative?

In a voice that betrayed surprise, Sarah managed to reply. "I'm fine... Amber. How're you?"

[z-Amber Wren]

"Been, uh.... been better." She looked around nervously, straightening the nice suit she wore and tried not to look completely out of her element. This was the last place on earth she wanted to be, almost. There was probably a place she wanted to be less, but it wasn't coming to her at the moment. Add in the churning hunger pangs, and Amber's mood was not very good.

"Hrm. Can we talk? Like somewhere not on the edge of the park? Somewhere more private?"

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Sarah had seen Amber in a broad variety of moods. Angry. Disgruntled. Furious. Drunk and pissed off. Even seething. This was the first time she'd seen her nervous. And for the life of her, the Dead Wolf didn't know what to make of a nervous Amber.

Thankfully, the full-moon killing machine gave her an option by asking to move this little family reunion somewhere a bit more secluded.

"Um, sure. C'mon, you're one of Declan's Rangers. He and his have permission. I know a good spot."

With that, Sarah shifted back to the wolf and led Amber up along the eastern edge of her bounds, passing the fence of the massive country club to the east and skirting a few back yards until they were in a dense wood set far behind a well-secluded manor. The trickle of what sounded like a spring could be heard just beyond a small fence, but the pair were otherwise left to the sound of wind in the pines and oaks and the distant traffic of L.A.

Once there, she yipped quietly, *Safe-here*, and shifted back to a human form once more, waiting for her cousin to do likewise.

[z-Amber Wren]

Amber rolled her eyes when Sarah mentioned "Declan's Rangers." To her, it was one more mark of the unfortunate way that Sarah viewed Declan. It was an illusion that would have to be removed. Later, once they weren't running around as wolves.

But there were other issues when they arrived, too. Before Sarah had even stopped running, Amber's hackles rose in a signature way. No way, she thought, confused, then realized what house they were behind. Oh, boy. Talk about your interesting locus...

She didn't shift back immediately. Her senses tingling, Amber swung her head around. Her nose moved, but she wasn't actually smelling what she sought. It was more like a sensation. Her eyes ended up looking through the fence, her nose pointed at the sound of the water.

Her eyes narrowed, and Amber made a poor attempt to peer through the Gauntlet. She saw, as if through filmed glass, the vague form of something broad and fence-like, but mobile, and behind it, forms that moved together, continually touching and rolling together. After a moment she realized what was happening.

"God damnit," she grumbled as she shifted up to human. "Even the fucking spirits are getting more than I do."

Click to reveal..

Amber's attempt to find the direction of the locus: 1 sux

1d10=8

Dual Senses Roll: 2 sux

1d10=3, 1d10=10, 1d10=2

1d10.open(10)=10,7

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

An eyebrow crept up Sarah's pale forehead at Amber's comment. "The spirits are what?" Shaking her head in partial confusion as well as to try to get back to the issue at hand, she looked back at her cousin with curious eyes. For Amber to come to her about... well, anything really was something of a stretch. Whatever this was, it had to be damned important.

"OK, we're safe to talk here," she said, completely unaware of the locus not a dozen feet away. "What's up?"

[z-Amber Wren]

"First, a couple of things you should know," Amber said, shaking her head. Sarah's gut tensed up. When Amber prefaced her comments like this, nothing good came of it. But for once, she was wrong. "You have a locus, just over that fence. Means you have bigger issues that I thought, and that my spirit spy may not be doing a good job since it didn't tell me this." She looked pissed at that.

"Second, we ain't 'Declan's Rangers.' That would imply that Declan formed the pack, and he didn't, or that he owns it, which he doesn't. We did, together," Amber said, looking irritated. "But I thought you should be told that isn't the name.

"Now, why I'm here." Amber swallowed hard and set her jaw. "On Valentine's, there's a party here. And there will be a guest at that party that I need to kill. I'd like your permission to enter... your. Territory. To kill him. I may need to drive him out into the park, too, I need to ask. About. That."

Amber's talent for speaking legibly through gritted teeth was probably legendary. But despite that, she was clearly trying to do this right.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Sarah listened carefully, absorbing what her cousin said. Each point was a new surprise, and she was silent for a moment afterward as she considered the rammifications.

"Dec's been keeping an eye on the spirit-side of my territory for me," she finally said, "part of a deal we worked out a while ago. Didn't mention the locus, but I'll try an' keep a better eye on what happens on this side of it. Well, other than the usual makeout sessions; that gurgle over there is Hef's infamous grotto."

She was a little miffed, but figured that Declan must have had his reasons for not mentioning the locus. It may have been to keep her from going nuts trying to defend something she couldn't even perceive. Still, it would have been nice if he'd given her some kind of indication... and had corrected her on the pack name, too.

"Didn't know about the pack name; he's never corrected me when I called it that. Maybe he want's to keep the name secret. Which is fine."

It's not fine. And it's not fine that I'm not a part of it either. Declan's pack and her lack of membership thereof was a continual sore spot for the Dead Wolf. That Amber - the cause for her rejection - was sitting her asking a favor was damned annoying, truth be told. But, she reminded herself, I did tell her that if she ever needed anything, she could ask. Well, now she's asking. It'd be pretty shitty for me to say no now. But there was information missing, information she needed before she could in good conscience agree.

"This someone you need to kill an' might have to kill here. What're we talking about here? Herd in the know? Or something else?"

[z-Amber Wren]

"He's a... diva named Dylan Byrons - which is so retarded it's probably fake. He's after my employer. Apparently, diva vampires are big party-goers and he scored an invite to Hef's big V-day party," Amber said, finding it easier to focus on the details instead on what she was really asking here.

"He's a mean fuck. Got himself in trouble once because he was messy with feeding, then after he got paroled started killing my boss' people." Amber cleared her throat. "Then he set a trap for me and put me in a world of hurt, so I'm rather eager to see him permanently removed from the gen- er, blood? Blood pool."

She sighed and gazed over the fence, almost longingly at the invisible locus. To sup of the essence over there might offer sexual release - or incredible lust. She was willing to test it, but only because she was so, so lonely. She sighed and pulled her mind back on the task.

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

"A fucking leech is planning to go to Hef's place in a week?"

Sarah's hackles started to rise, and Amber could tell that something had her well and truly pissed off. From the sheer invective that filled her first few words, it wasn't hard to tell what.

"That," she spat, thrusting her finger at the Playboy Mansion, "is in my territory. The fucking leeches have been warned to stay out. If this shit-for-brains Daeva thinks he's just gonna walk in here...." For a second, Amber was half convinced that Sarah was going to go into a Death Rage, or whatever it was the vampires did when they lost their cool. But the Dead Wolf kept it together, and her next words were a deadly calm.

"You've absolutely got my permission to turn Mister Dylan Not-Fucking-Long-For-This-World Byrons into a nice pile of ash. Full run of my territory. And use of the locus, if you want. But I want in. I'm sick and tired of these tresspassing leeches."

Click to reveal..

Resisting Frenzy:

(14:24:57) ChatBot: (Sarah_Dead-Wolf) rolls 5d10 and gets 3,10,10,2,1.

(14:25:03) ChatBot: (Sarah_Dead-Wolf) rolls 2d10 and gets 5,7.

Two successes.

[z-Amber Wren]

Amber tried not to grind her teeth in irritation. She'd wanted to keep this simple and quiet. But when you came onto another's territory, you had to follow their rules, at least to a point. "Ok, but it's my call on the operation and how it goes down. Or whomever is war alpha." She wasn't sure that she trusted herself to make the right call. It was hard enough to control her sick addiction with she was talking to vampires she liked. How much harder would it be when she was chasing one that she didn't like in the heat of battle?

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

Sarah nodded eagerly. "That'll work fine for me. So who all's in on this hunt? Just me and your pack? Or is it gonna include some of the folks from this bug-hunt that Dec's putting together for tomorrow night?"

[z-Amber Wren]

Amber shrugged. "That's Dec's call; he put the assault together. He's inviting others. I'm sure you'll be along." She paused, glanced around and said, "If we're done, I should go. I'll be back on the 13th to case the area." She paused again. "Are we done?"

[Sarah Dead-Wolf]

"I think so." It was a lie. There were entire volumes that Sarah wanted to discuss with her cousin. And a multitude of questions she wanted to ask. How bad was the situation with this leech she had as a boss? How was Antoine? Was she really OK? But anything - anything at all - would be pushing, and if there was one thing that Sarah O'Neally knew for certain, it was that Amber Wren was not one to push.

"I'll catch up with you when it's time. I need to get back on patrol. If, um, you wanna use the locus," she jerked a thumb in the direction of the grotto, "be my guest. Later."

With nothing more to say, the Dead Wolf shifted once more into the wolf - noting that she'd have to rid the park of a few extra squirrels tonight to make up for all this extra shapeshifting - and padded off to the south, leaving Amber to herself.

[z-Amber Wren]

Amber blew air out through her lips, considering what she had just done. Man, I hope I get used to this... Shaking her head, she shifted down and made her way home.