World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - Sheep's Clothing [FIN]

[Owns-The-Night]

05 October, 13:00

Let me see you stripped. | Let me see you stripped. | Let me hear you make decisions | Without your television...

Rammstein's heavy beat reverberated through the house, the vocalist's voice hard-pressed to match Dec's enthusiastic growling tones as he sang along. He was feeling energetic, upbeat; as well he should. His moon was in the sky, and Her light erased doubt, dispelled shadows, and let Her children see clearly.

The uratha stepped out of the shower and towelled off, appreciating the heavy bass of the new stereo system as he padded through his lounge to the kitchen, tying the towel around his waist. Pouring himself a large glassful of a self-made smoothie, he went back through into the lounge and flopped on his beanbag couch.

Taking a sip, he found his gaze once more returning to the notepad on his table next to the phone, and a phone number scrawled there.

*“Call me. I want to know more,” she whispered to him, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.*

"Yeah, frail. Maybe you deserve to know a little. At least enough to avoid trouble when it's chargin' your way." He said to no-one in particular.

After all, she saw me change form and didn't freak out. Maybe she's not vanilla human. Could be wolf-blooded, a mage, or somethin' else... If so, I'd better be careful. Though what are the chances of two green-eyed brunette mages with nice legs...? Ahh, to hell with it!

A click of a remote muted the stereo, and then the Rahu's fingers danced on the phone keys. It rang for maybe a few seconds, then someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was her, unmistakeably. Dec stared at the wall for a second before answering.

"It's Doc."

"Oh, um... Hey!" The werewolf heard some noise in the background, as though someone else was with her. "Hang on..." August voice went muffled and distant, as though she was talking quietly but urgently to someone with her hand over the receiver. Dec was just imagining her telling someone 'It's him! The werewolf guy!' when her voice came back. "Sorry about that - had to fend off my agent."

"Agent? Ah, yeah." He nodded to himself. Okay, now let's see how far Alice wants to stick her pretty neck into the rabbit hole. "Umm... Listen, you still want to meet up?"

Her response was immediate, and definite. "Yeah! I mean, yeah, I do." Dec paused to weigh his next words, trying to sound casual. "Okay. Lunch, dinner, or a drink?"

"Any of them are fine. Dinner would be a bit easier until this Saturday." August told him, then offered a one-word explanation. "Work."

"Dinner it is then." Hope she doesn't think she's on the menu. "You got a favorite place to eat?"

"Olive Garden, but I can do anything but sushi." was the reply. Dec gave a chuckle of relief. At least she didn't sound like she was a vegetarian.

"Yeah? I'll have to bear that in mind." For future dinner dates? Yeah, you're doing this purely for HER benefit... Shaddup and let me think... Where's an Olive Garden that ain't too close to here...? "Alright then. You know the one on the corner of Santa Monica and 26th? How's 19:00 hours tonight sound to you?" He cursed his slip into old terminology. "Uh, that's 7 pm, I meant."

"1900 it is." The girl told him, and did he imagine a note of something anticipatory in her voice? Hard for him to tell over the phone. Dec was definitely a face-to-face sort of person. "I'll see you there."

"Alright..." Ah yes, the hardest part about phone conversations... The goodbye. "See ya later, August."

"See ya, Doc."

Declan winced as he hung up the phone. He hated lying to someone that wasn't an enemy. Well, maybe he wouldn't need to after checking August out a little more thoroughly. The prospect of that didn't seem unpleasant.

The uratha rose from the beanbag and went to dress. He had a shift this afternoon, mowing the football field before their evening practice. He'd be done in plenty of time to get spruced up for the date.

Date? Well... yeah. Guess it is kinda a date. Though she's likely to be more interested in what you are than who. Just don't fuck up and tell your life story to a tape recorder. Before he dressed, he looked up the restaurant and made the booking.

* * * * *

05 October, 18:40

The parking lot outside Olive Garden was semi-full as Dec pulled into it, his motorcycle's engine a low rumbling snarl. His shoulder-length mane of dark brown hair blew in the wind coming down Santa Monica as he dismounted, opening his brown leather jacket and kneeling to fasten a heavy bike chain around his front tyre. Standing once more, he moved over to the restaurant, removing his jacket and slinging it over his shoulder.

Dec's hair was clean, if somewhat shaggy, and he had shaved before stepping out his evening, leaving just a dark shadow where his usual five o'clock growth would be. Silver eyes gleamed from an outdoors-tanned face, and his broad shoulders filled out a forest-green shirt he wore open at the collar. Faded blue jeans over brown suede boots topped off his ensemble. The uratha cut an impressive figure as he strode inside, radiating his usual not-so-subtle vitality that made him seem larger to those watching.

Propping himself up at the end of the bar nearest the door, Owns-The-Night ordered himself a beer and settled in to wait, half-facing the door and privately wondering if August would show alone. If he saw a T.V crew behind her, he was blowing this joint.

Through a window if necessary.

[z-August Turner]

"What am I paying you for, Wally?" August growled. Coming from the pretty girl in the short skirt, it was far less threatening than August wanted it to be.

"Look, Auggie, there just aren't that many roles available," Wally said, looking uncomfortable as he tugged on his bowtie. August waited, knowing that there was more, and that the fastest way to get him to talk was to stare at him until he broke. Finally, with a final jerk on the bow, he said, "Look, Auggie, this ghost thing doesn't help. It's not an acting gig. It's like you're not working."

"So get me another bit part," August said, her voice rising with agitation - and fear. This is exactly what she'd been afraid of, that doing this show would wreck her as an actress. But she desperately needed a regular paycheck to pay down her bills. Living the LA life was expensive and she had just about maxed her credit cards.

"I'm trying, doll!" Wally sighed, adjusting his Buddy Holly glasses. The petite man shifted his seat against the corner of her counter and added, "Just... let me talk to some people, ok?"

August sighed. She'd hoped that Johnathan would have pulled some strings by now. Her phone rang, and she checked it. Unlisted. It could be him, and she almost didn't answer. "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, and her gut knotted tight. "It's Doc."

August sagged with relief, as did Wally. He was aware of the situation, and she knew he worried. He didn't make money if she wasn't working. But Doc being on the phone brought up another issue, and August was sure that she had a guilty look on her face as she said, "Oh, um... Hey!" Wally was giving her an 'who is it' look. "Hang on..." August put her hand over the phone. "Wall, this is a guy... could you give me a moment?"

Wally rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. "I'll leave you and Johnathan alone."

"It isn't him," August said, blushing a little.

"August! You dirty girl!" Wally laughed. "I'll show myself out - don't have too much fun!"

When he had closed her apartment door behind him, she took her hand away. "Sorry about that - had to fend off my agent."

"Agent? Ah, yeah. Umm... Listen, you still want to meet up?"

"Yeah!" The second she said it, she realized she sounded too eager. "I mean, yeah, I do." The second part was more casual, but August knew she'd already been an overeager dork.

He sounded calm, almost casual as he asked, "Okay. Lunch, dinner, or a drink?"

"Any of them are fine. Dinner would be a bit easier until this Saturday." August realized he might think she had a date so she clarified. "Work." They were filming at an old monastery, but he didn't need to know that.

"Dinner it is then. You got a favorite place to eat?"

"Olive Garden, but I can do anything but sushi." For some reason that answer amused him, and August was left trying to figure out why that was funny.

"Yeah? I'll have to bear that in mind." He paused, then said, "Alright then. You know the one on the corner of Santa Monica and 26th? How's 19:00 hours tonight sound to you? Uh, that's 7 pm, I meant."

Military man? Stop prying. He doesn't trust you yet, and seeing ghosts doesn't equal being a werewolf. Like a wild animal - show him that you aren't going to hurt him. August wasn't sure the prep talk helped, but she managed not to inquire further. "1900 it is." Easy girl - men don't like an eager woman. "I'll see you there."

"Alright... See ya later, August."

August smiled a little at hearing him say her name. "See ya, Doc." She hung up and stood for a moment, thinking. She had a few hours, time to do a bit of prep work.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

August pulled her car into a spare spot and turned it off, checking herself in the mirror quickly. Makeup was in place, and her hair was fine. She got out of the car and headed for the door, the short skirt of her dress bouncing around her legs, which still had some scratches on them. They were healing, and she didn't think they were going to scar. She had tried not to get too dressy for this, but she was somewhat girly, and there weren't many clothes in her closet that weren't dressy.

Inside the door, she scanned the waiting area. She didn't see anyone familiar, so approached the greeter. "Hi, I'm supposed to meet my friend here. He's about this tall, big shoulders?" August doubted that 'naked' would be an appropriate description, or at least she hoped it wouldn't.

"Oh, I think he's in the bar," the greeter said, moving to the doorway and pointing into the room.

August looked at the clothed man; he was the right shape under the clothes. His hair was lighter than she remembered. He glanced at the doorway and she recognized his face. He also waved at her, and she thanked the greeter and went to join him. "Hi," she said, smiling. "You look different, dressed. Like this," she added for the benefit of the watching people.

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec had to grin at that, even as his eyes performed an evaluative sweep of her. She noticed his eyes linger on her legs before they met her gaze. "Yeah, well I thought I'd come in disguise. You're lookin' real nice yourself." The werewolf replied with a glint of good humour as he motioned towards the seating area. "Let's grab our table. I'm starved." He said this without any sense of irony, and without thinking what that statement might mean to a human. For someone trying to be somewhat secretive, 'Doc' was pretty bad at guile and sophistication.

A few minutes later, and the pair had been led to a corner booth next to a window. They settled in, Dec asking August what she wanted to drink and ordering that as well as another beer for himself. The waitress left the drinks with a pair of menus and went off to serve some other customers as the werewolf and the woman peered at their menus and each other. There was a minute or two of not totally uncomfortable silence, then Dec leaned forward slightly over his piece of laminated card.

"So... Just to set ya mind at rest: you can ask what you like. I might or might not answer, dependin'. And whatever happens, I ain't gonna eat ya." He smiled a little, as though amused at the thought. "Oh, and the meal's on me, in case you wondered."

[z-August Turner]

"Oh. Wow, thanks for dinner," August said easily. Her eyes caught the light and seemed a bit more blue as she puzzled over the man across the table. She was having trouble reading his signals; even the bit of research she did on wolf behavior this afternoon wasn't helping her much. After a pause, she leaned forward a bit and murmured, "A bit of advice?"

Doc raised an eyebrow.

"If you want to make a... girl more comfortable about having dinner with a... man like you, don't mention that eating the girl was even an option." She flashed him a smile. "Not that I didn't consider it, but you had plenty of time for that up in the hills. So I assumed that me wasn't on the menu. Was I wrong?" She propped her chin on her hands and waited for his answer, her expression expectant - and maybe a bit playful?

[Owns-The-Night]

"You were pretty much dead on the money." Dec smiled, head tilting to one side as his eyes met hers. "Sorry about that comment, though. It was an attempt at a joke." He grinned slightly. "As you can probably guess, it's somethin' I imagine everyone who knows what I am thinks about at first. I'm not too good at the whole 'date' scene, and most humans can be downright hard to relate to sometimes." He lowered his voice and leaned closer, resting one elbow on the table.

"Of course, most humans can't even witness us shift shape without panickin', runnin', and later on swearing that they saw a bear, or a Sasquatch. You can, which makes you not 'most humans' in my book." He confided.

[z-August Turner]

"Well, folklore says you eat us," August said with a smile, feeling a bit proud that she'd pulled that fact out of her research from earlier. "So us thinking that isn't unfathomable."

She paused, assessing several of his statements. "First, I'm not sure how to take 'not most human'," she said, her voice dropping a bit. "I've spent most of my adult life trying to be normal, so to be called not normal..." She let her voice trail off and shrugged. "I mean, it's apparent one you know what I can do that I'm not. But I've tried."

It's not all bad. It's allowed you to connect with him. The thought made her smile a bit. "Anyway, I did have some questions."

The waitress came back at that moment, and they put in their orders for food. After she'd gone, August turned back to Doc. "Let me know when you're ready." At his nod, she started with a couple of easy ones. "What is taboo for me to do? I assume that since I don't hear about this openly, it's supposed to be a secret, but what else do I need to not do? Not wear silver jewelry? Forbidden words or terms? What should I not do to cause insult?"

[Owns-The-Night]

"Well, a good start is to remember that most of us don't eat the ol' long pork, if ya catch my drift." Declan said over his beer. "In fact, it's right near the top of our 'Thou Shalt Nots'. Jokin' aside, any of us that does chow down on one of you is sick in the head and put on the most-wanted list."

"As fer silver... well, it doesn't hurt us to touch it. Anyone thinkin' they're ready to take out one of us with a single silver bullet is in for one hell of a shock... and a short life. Silver just makes it so we don't heal as fast. It ain't poison or magical against us." He paused for a second, pondering as he took a second sip of beer. "Otherwise, it's pretty much common sense. A werewolf is a predatory creature with a human's smarts and an animal's senses. Don't play dominance games with one unless you're ready for it to get mean and physical. Dog jokes aren't a good idea unless you're very friendly." He smiled for a moment.

"We got a code of conduct, kinda. Most of us follow it to one degree or another. Top of the list is we don't murder each other. Death in combat is one thing, and it happens, but to kill a helpless one of your own kind is a surefire way to piss everyone off. Another big no-no for you is to insinuate that a male and female are doin' the nasty. We don't mate with each other, ever." He said firmly, if somewhat quietly. "Without goin' into too much depth, it'd be incest. And that goes for wolves too, only we consider that bestiality." He drained his beer, signalling for another.

[z-August Turner]

August stared at him, shocked beyond words for a moment. This was starting to sound way more complex than she'd thought it would be. Several questions ricocheted around in her brain, but one thought rose above the others: find out what qualified as dominance games.

Her eyes dropped to his shirt collar, and she pulled her hands closer to her body. She also licked her lips. From what she had found in her research today, it was as close as she could come to submissive behavior without a dog's body - or looking like a nut in public. "Ok, so if dominance games can set you guys off, what should I not do? I know the body language for non-dominance in humans, so what should I use here? Modified wolf? Human?"

She stopped, realizing that she was rambling on and on without letting him answer. But there were so many rules! Clearly, he knew the rules of her world. She needed to learn his, just for basic health and survival, if she continued to enter this secret domain of tooth and fur.

[Owns-The-Night]

"You don't need to go too far, at least around friends. Y'know, like me?" His voice was impressed under the humour. "That's pretty smart, though. You work with wildlife a lot, or you been doin' some prep? Either way, with a strange werewolf, that might save your ass." He smiled warmly.

"Modified wolf is a good start. Just act cool most of the time, just be you. But if you see one of us lookin' like he or she is feelin' their inner wolf, you feel yours too. I saw a non-werewolf save a college boy's ass from a major whuppin', courtesy of yours truly, just because she knew what I was and used the right defusin' tone of voice and body language."

[z-August Turner]

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but it's a role, you know?" August said as she relaxed and lifted her eyes again. "I'm an actress - it's knowing how to convey a message without words." She grinned, a little sardonically. "Though this is not what I imagined I'd be using my acting lessons for, to be honest. I kinda thought it'd be for, you know, a part in a movie. Something besides Three Rings of Death. Though it came in handy in Wings on Fire, I just didn't get to do much."

August sighed, lost for a moment in consideration of her limited and somewhat sad career before she turned back to him, trying to get her thoughts in order. "So you were born a human, and infected? Is that part right, that you can make someone a werewolf just with a bite, or exchanging body fluids?" If so, Doc had better have laid in a warehouse full of condoms. And even then, August wasn't sure he had any kind of chance with her, not if he could infect her with werewolfism. August had enough problems without having to worry about random bouts of furriness.

[Owns-The-Night]

Her answer was a laugh, low and husky. "Yeah, that's the funniest part of the BS around us: the bite, it bein' some sort of disease or curse." He thanked the waitress as she brought their orders over, and waited for the smiling girl to reach a safe distance before he continued, idly forking over his meatballs as he talked.

"We're born like this. But we don't know it usually till we Change for the first time. The year leadin' up to First Change can be pretty bad. Like some sorta mystical puberty. We think we're goin' nuts." He took a bite of his food, chewed once and swallowed as he deliberated over something, then looked at her frankly. "I used to be a soldier. Ranger, spec ops, the whole barrel. I was in Afghanistan when my pre-Change year started. Nearly got myself and others killed, so they cashed me out and sent me home on a psycho check. I believed I was a vet with a broken head and PTSD... until I changed." He shrugged. "If a bite, or bodily fluids, were all it took, there'd be a fuckload more of us than there are."

[z-August Turner]

"I'm sorry," August said when he was done talking. "That must have been awful, thinking you were... broken." If only it were that simple for me, to just one day learn all of this were some supernatural gift coming to me. Who knows, maybe I will.

"So... it's just fate?" August asked. "Your genetics twist to the left instead of to the right?" She was genuinely curious, and it showed in her voice. "And then one day they manifest? Was your mother or father a werewolf? And your children would or will be? Is there any way to tell if someone will become a werewolf?"

He wouldn't make her a werewolf by accident, which was a relief. She wondered if she was going to become one, but was pretty sure there was no werewolfism in her family. They had other, just as shady issues, she reflected to herself bluntly.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Way it was explained to me, it's genes crossed with some mystic shit." Dec replied with a shrug and another mouthful of pasta. "The gene lies dormant in most carriers, folks that are for all intents and purposes completely normal. Some are a little bit more, and we call 'em wolf-blooded. They're human, but they have just enough werewolf in 'em to not be instinctively shit-scared of us. Those of us that Change... Well, we're a spiritual type of folk, and we believe that it's kinda bein' chosen."

"Me? My father was a wolf-blood. Mom was werewolf." There was a strange wistful regret in his voice. "Never knew them, though. They died before I was more 'n a month or two old. Died well, too, lovin' each other and standin' against their enemies." Pride mixed with the wistfulness, and Dec smiled faintly. "Could be worse."

"As for my kids? They might be werewolf, might not be. There's some mystic stuff come of our kind can do that supposedly can tell while they're babies. That's why my uncle, another wolf-blood, raised me. He knew what I was and tried to keep me safe."

"See, a lot of will-be-werewolves are hyper little kids by human standards. And these days, the human response in the so-called civilised West is to stuff 'em full of ritalin and leave them with a therapist, who has no fuckin' clue what he's really doin', and then you get some mixed-up kids. They're made to feel bad because of how alive they feel, made to feel awkward because they don't play schoolyard bullshit games the same way as the other kids. They end up bein' laughed at and called 'Psycho' or 'Crazy'..." A growl was entering his voice, and his lips twitched in an almost reflexive snarl, which he caught and clamped down to a thin line. He looked down at his plate and poked at the food in a strange mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Sorry." he murmured after a few moments had passed. "You get the idea, though."

[z-August Turner]

"Yeah, I got it," August said, pushing her lasagna around a bit. She'd decided to indulge a bit and have her favorite dish, but it wasn't that appetizing anymore.

"Could be worse."

He was right. It could be a lot worse, and for a moment, August recalled when it was worse, for her. Swallowing a piece of her meal, she focused on pushing the dark thoughts away. He didn't know her well enough for her to start dropping the 'my father is a clumsy murder and my mother a nutcase' on him. "Sounds like a good way to go," she said idly, not sure if he caught her sudden switch back to an earlier statement.

"I received my share of taunting too," she said, shrugging. "It's easier if the kids can find something to easily pick on you for, but that won't stop them. Seeing... what I can see, well... you can guess that the kids had a lot of fun with that, when I was dumb and talked about it with them. Having the Ghostbuster song shouted at me, with my name inserted was the least unkind thing the other kids did."

"Who ya gonna call?! Tilly Turner! She ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

August ate another bite, berating herself for bringing up family. It's either bad for you or for him, or both. "So, the mystic stuff sounds really intrinsic. Can you explain some of that? If it's allowed, I mean," she said, hoping that religion and werewolf hocus pocus wouldn't be as difficult to discuss as family.

[Owns-The-Night]

"We're the descendants of Luna and Father Wolf, by which I mean the Moon and THE Wolf, the First Wolf, the ideal of wolves, however you want to see it. Our duty is t'guard this world from the spirit world and the other way around. That's it in a nutshell." Dec made a wavering motion with his hand and shrugged. "There's a shitload of lore behind it, but that's why I was huntin' that spider spirit. It slipped across the boundary and was looking to make a home here. That ain't allowed."

"Way I understand it, the spirit world is the soul of this one, and this world is the flesh of the spirit world. We can cross the boundary, and so can other things, but there has to be a balance to it. Problem is, spirits don't understand balance any more than most humans do." He realised something. "Oh, and by spirits I don't mean ghosts. There's spirits of all kinds, from animal and plant spirits to weird shit like spirits of electricity and so on, and they belong over there, not over here. That's what we try to stop. We're like fuzzy Men In Black." He grinned wryly. "And that's about the best I can do without waxin' poetic and recounting old tales from the dawn of time. That's more second date stuff."

[z-August Turner]

This was almost too much. August stared at him, her eyes getting wider and wider as he spoke. Despite having the rare ability to see ghosts, August was a modern girl. There was one world, and it didn't have werewolves, or spirits - ghosts, yes, but those had always been around, and they were a part of her life. This was not - it was wholly alien, and August felt a little dizzy as she felt, for the first time, that the man in front of her wasn't a man. The changing from the wolf had been a movie trick, but the matter-of-fact way that he spoke, spinning this out without pausing or missing a beat was just unreal.

Or he was an accomplished liar, the best she'd ever seen.

There was one way to test if he was a liar. "This soul to our world, this spirit place - can I see it?" August watched him carefully for markers of deceit or deflection. If he said she couldn't, she'd have to be wary.

But part of her was thrilled at the second use of the word 'date', and a slight flush crept up her cheeks, warmed by that thought.

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec took a deep breath and pondered that, his eyes never leaving her face. Technically, he could show her, but...

"I can take you across the barrier." he nodded slowly but firmly. "But it's not easy. Even for us, it takes somethin' special. There's places where the barrier is weaker, and we can cross there, and even take others. In a city, it's a pain in the ass. Takin' a human along... well, it's harder still. So we might not succeed first time." He shrugged and took a mouthful of meatball. "That ain't the biggest problem, though.

"It's dangerous over there for your kind. I'll scout out a good spot, a safe place to take you over. But there's rules. Common sense stuff, mainly. Don't run off, don't mess with anythin', and be real careful." He smiled wryly. "Kinda like a field trip to a nuclear reactor. And once you've had a look, I'll bring you back. It's not a place for humans to be, any more than I'd allow a spider spirit to come over here."

He looked August in the eye, smiling. "Sound like a deal to you?"

[z-August Turner]

At first it sounded like he was going to blow her off. August had seen this before; perfectly interesting men who had to make something up because they lacked faith in themselves. But as he continued, she realized that he'd just been setting up a preamble. "Yes!" she said, her eyes wide. "That's fine!" She calmed a little and said softly, "I've never been to another world. This'll be exciting."

She pushed her food around a bit, then said, "You know, I've gotten to ask a lot of questions. Do you have anything you'd like to know about me?" She gave him an encouraging smile, mulling around in the back of her head how she should open up the topic of werewolf courtship. It seemed forward, but that was his fault; he'd said 'date' twice now when she hadn't been sure, so she needed to know the rules of werewolf dating. She really hoped it didn't involve sniffing butts, but since he's said that they mated - what an odd word for her to attach to a relationship - with humans, she assumed it wouldn't involve many wolf habits.

[Owns-The-Night]

He grinned and relaxed a little. "Yeah, there's some stuff I'm curious about. Did you land the ghost huntin' gig because of your gift? You mentioned some movie work: I gather that means the TV stuff is just filler till you get goin', then. Bet it's tough tryin' to break in, huh?" He leaned closer over the table, creating an intimate space between them as his head tilted to one side, a smile playing around his lips. "You go to actin' school for that, I'm guessin'. So how long you been in the business?"

[z-August Turner]

"Well, I started out of high school with a friend of my father's," August said, "working on the other side of the camera." She smiled fondly as she recalled Nina Gaultiero, the technician who had given her a chance. "I put in a few years there, then one day they needed a druggie when the girl they'd hired showed up high." She giggled a little at the irony. "It was only four lines on some crime drama, but it was enough to hook me. And I got to see what a bit of makeup could do."

She caught his look and backed up. "I used to dress really poorly, until I saw how nice I could look. My aunt never used makeup, and Mom wasn't able to teach me." She stopped suddenly, realizing that she'd opened a door she wasn't ready to deal with yet, and she quickly went on.

"So I got acting lessons, learned how to look like an emerging starlet, and have been trying ever since. My current job isn't really good for my career. It's not an acting job, really," she said, sighing. "I can work a camera and be expressive - and have nice legs. I'm the T&A, honestly, and it pays the bills. I want more, ya know? I want to be as famous as Demi Moore or Megan Fox. So I'll need something more, something to get my face and name out there."

Her face fell a bit as she admitted, "And I got the job... well, not on my own merit. While we were trying out for it, one of the guys locked me in a cell - we were at a haunted prison - with the ghost of a serial murderer and rapist. He offered me up as a prize - it's a new thing in ghost hunting. You provoke the ghosts, trying to get a response. Anyway, the ghost attacked me, and the studio gave me the job so I wouldn't sue them or blab to the media. Though they thought Tristan had beaten me up to get the job." She sounded nonchalant about it, as if she'd heard of people doing worse to get a job in Hollywood. Focused on her food, she finished with, "They didn't get it on film, thankfully. I looked pretty bad, bruised and dirty."

[Owns-The-Night]

"He... did what?" Three simple words, very human in and of themselves. An expression of outrage, disbelief, and sympathy, totally understandable. What made August look up in surprise from her food was the voice.

There was nothing human in that voice. A deep-throated snarl underscored the words and rumbled on past them, vibrating through the table her hands rested on. The look in Doc's eye was no less feral as he bared his teeth, sitting bolt upright with his head lowered, his silver eyes nearly glowing. If he'd had hackles, they'd have been raised. There was a crash from a table ten feet away as a waiter, startled by that sound of primordial menace, let out a stifled yelp and dropped a plate. People were starting to look around, wide-eyed and frightened, trying to spot the pissed-off animal in the room.

[z-August Turner]

"Doc," August said softly, fear trickling down her spine. She'd never imagined he'd take so much offense at it. Some, yes. But this went beyond simple empathy right to vengeance; she could see the anger in Doc's eyes. She couldn't think of what to do to calm him; then she recalled his earlier comments about another woman who calmed him down.

She tucked her hands in close again and dropped her eyes to his collar. "Doc," she said softly, "he's not here, and he got his due punishment. He won't work in the business unless he learns to speak Hindi and moves to India.

"He didn't know," she added, keeping her voice low and soft. "Most people don't know how dangerous they can be, that they can really hurt people." Her eyes had gotten very green, and she looked up quickly, trying to see how much effect her words were having.

[Owns-The-Night]

The low rumble of fury died away as August's words reached him at a point somewhere between anger and mayhem, and Dec relaxed, deliberately forcing his hand to loosen it's death-grip on the fork, where his fingers' reflexive clench had bent it at an unsavory angle. He dropped his gaze down and to the side and closed his eyes for a moment. When he looked up, he seemed calmer.

"Yeah... You're right." He took a deep breath, absently straightening his cutlery, the growl almost completely gone. "Sorry 'bout that. Somethin' about shit like that really sets me off." He gave her a crooked smile, obviously a little abashed. "Probably cause you're female. I'm not much of a 21st Century modern man in that respect." He shrugged, noting that the waitress was showing no inclination to come over anytime soon. "And I'm sorry for fuckin' up the mood."

[z-August Turner]

August started to brush it off as she let her eyes come up again. "Sure," she said to the apology. "I'll have to remember that you're... protective." Dear god, never tell him about that one producer - he might go after him right now. The man had been a letch, and August had gotten away from him without giving him more than she wanted, but it had still been pretty bad.

Honestly, Doc's reaction wouldn't have been so awful save that it had been in public. Quietly, she wished that it had happened in private; she didn't have men rising to her defense like that often. Usually, they wanted something from her, not for her.

"Do you want to go?" she asked, glancing around the room. "We can box up dinner and hit a park or somewhere with fewer people. You can get all growly there, if you're so moved."

[Owns-The-Night]

That got a laugh. "Yeah, I think some open air and less people might be nice. And I'll try not to be too growly." He signaled the waitress, who came with a curious mixture of reluctance and haste. "We'll get this to go, please." She nodded and, taking the plates, headed away with some relief evident on her face.

Ten minutes later, and the two of them were meandering through Douglas Park a couple of blocks away. The moon slowly completed her rise, hanging full and heavy over the Los Angeles skyline, and Dec took a deep breath, sighing as he looked up at the sky. Luna's light was reflected in his silver eyes, and the werewolf's handsome face took on an almost blissful aspect for a moment. Then he glanced at August and smiled.

"Don't worry, I won't start howlin'." He grinned.

[z-August Turner]

"I don't know," August said with a slightly teasing grin, "I like to listen to my, to guys sing." She wondered if he'd catch the near-slip but didn't really give him time to capitalize on it. "You mentioned moon-signs - what's that mean? Is it related to the phase the moon is in? Does it being full like this affect you at all?"

She was still playing around with how to approach the white elephant in the room. He was not giving her any of the 'usual' signals, but he'd been raised to become what he was, and not to be a human.

Not human. There was one thing she'd never considered as a possibility on LA's dating scene. That kind of joke was more appropriate for New York, but worked in LA, too. She snuck another glance at him, watching him covertly. Would she be making such an effort if he wasn't so handsome? Of course not. It didn't make her feel great about herself, but she acknowledged that she liked her men to be physically attractive. And he fit that bill.

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec grinned at her, a white flash of teeth that nevertheless conveyed good humor rather than menace, his eyes dancing. "Oh, yeah. When She's like this, I'm at my best." He took another deep breath and hummed a little in the back his throat, as though he could hear distant music.

"I changed the first time under the full moon. That makes this my sign. We're the frontline warriors, the ones with the most fire and urge to fight." He laughed faintly and stepped around behind her to her other side, his shoulders brushing hers as he made the curiously dancelike, flowing move. He looked sideways at her with a playful grin, head cocked.

"So other than listening to your men sing, what else do you like, August?"

[z-August Turner]

His little near-dance was like a dog bouncing around a human, and just a little off-putting in a date. He caught my slip! she moaned to herself, feeling a slight flush creep up her face. But August forgot that when she looked up into silver eyes, a grin jumping to her face in answer to his smile. "I like traveling to new places," she confessed, "driving, or flying or walking. I like to watch scary movies, so that I can hide my face against my man's shoulder. I like new things, interesting and fun experiences to share with someone. I like live theater and concerts, and someone to be awed with, or to dance with. I like things and men that are warm and alive," she finished, not adding that it was all because she wanted to get away from the darkness and death that surrounded her. So much of her life dealt with the dead or the night; it was good to do other things.

Sensing his rising playfulness, she let herself bump into him, giving him a sly smile to let him know she'd done it on purpose. He was heavy and strong, not unlike a dog, which was more muscle than fat, like most people she knew. She wondered if wolves were that way, too - solid and heavy. She guessed that they were, and wondered if she should make determinations about wolves based on what he was like as a wolf. "When you're changed, when you're a wolf - are you completely a wolf? Mind, soul and heart?"

[Owns-The-Night]

"No." Declan smiled back at her. "Still the same guy driving. Y'see, we're not humans that change into wolves or wolves that change into humans, not really. We're something else: a combination with extras. So I'm the same 'me' in any form... well, apart from that war form. And even then, it's not like I'm a completely different person. Just... more primal, more focused on the hunt and kill." Something occurred to him.

"My senses are sharper as a wolf, so sometimes I'll react to stuff differently. Smells that are bad to humans aren't bad to wolves, just different. Physically when I change I'm completely wolfen. So I have to skip caffeine, complex sugars, chocolate and so on. They could make me have a seizure as a wolf." He shrugged. "Not like I really need pick-me-ups anymore, anyway. I'd need to run a couple marathons before I get worn out, and that's in my two-legged shape. And I can't eat too much salad or green stuff... which is no problem. We need the protein of meat to stay healthy."

"I like travellin' too. Been around the world a little before my change. Scary movies? Hmm... Never really watched them. Concerts are great. Went to see Psychedelic Mordor last summer. I like strong music with a good beat." He told her with a wide smile. "I like to feel alive too. I like to run and work out. I like exertin' myself, tryin' to find my limits."

[z-August Turner]

August grinned as they found common ground. "Wow, a man finding a reason to eat more meat and avoid salads. Why am I not surprised?" She laughed, an easy, light sound. Emboldened, she moved her leftovers to her other hand, and took his larger one. She wondered if he would push her away or apologize for giving her the wrong signals, but he'd been playful, and he'd said 'date' twice.

"What else did you want to know about me?" she asked easily, feeling his warm hand in hers. It felt good, warm and masculine, in her own grip. "Or do you want me to ask? Is it my turn?" she added with a mischievous smile.

[Owns-The-Night]

He smiled back, enjoying August's presence, her scent, as much as he was enjoying the sight of her. His hand tightened a little, a reassuring pressure on hers.

"Think it's my turn." he smiled... well, wolfishly. The adjective was too easy to apply to him, even if one didn't know what he was. "Other than warmth and vitality... oh, and a shoulder that's comfy to hide your face in," he nudged her playfully "What else do you like in your men? Any taboos, do-nots or turnoffs?"

[z-August Turner]

August was quiet for a moment. She knew what was in her heart, but was afraid that speaking of it would be too much, too soon. She stopped and Doc stopped with her, and she looked up at him, studying him. How much should she share?

A compromise is what she finally decided. "No mixing nuts and chocolate," she said, smiling a little as she started light. "I don't like gifts that are tools for the guy, like a set of wrenches you know I'll never use, but that you'll use happily. Don't laugh when you learn what my first name was." She saw the spark of curiosity at that but kept going. "Be stable. Don't... change on me, without warning." She stopped before she added weird stuff. Someday, she'd tell him about her father, and how afraid she was to find a warm, loving man, only to have him go completely insane and kill her.

She saw the look on his face and laughed, her dark mood shifting a little. "Not shifting. I mean here." She touched his chest, feeling his heart pounding against her hand. "Don't become another person. I think I can handle some fur sprouting. I mean, I see ghosts, so I don't have a lot of room to judge. But I need a man whose heart remains consistent."

[Owns-The-Night]

Dec nodded his understanding... and empathy, the girl realised. "Yeah, I can understand that. When you live a crazy life with intense shit happenin', you need someone or somethin' that's constant." He smiled down at her, his pupils wide. "For most of us, it's our pack. Hell, a werewolf without a pack is a werewolf two steps from crazy. There's not many human friends we can turn to and talk about the real shit in our lives. The Herd Must Not Know is a rule that I've broken a lot with you. But you're different, maybe even a wolfblood." He placed his hand over hers where it touched his chest, keeping it in place.

"Whatever the reason, you can stand to know what I am and it don't freak you out. Most people couldn't handle that. It's a big deal to me. And as for my heart remainin' consistent?" He gave her a wry smile. "When someone's my friend, I'll fight and die for them. Whether they're werewolf or human." Or vampire, or mage. he didn't say. Time for the expanded reality check later, perhaps. "The same heart beats in this chest no matter what shape I take."

[z-August Turner]

It was exactly what she wanted to hear, and he could see some of the tension ease away from her. But a little voice whispered in her head that he had anger issues. Then it reminded her that her father had been loving and caring until he had snapped, too. She pushed the thoughts away. Not all men were her father, and she needed to accept that.

August spread her fingers under his and let herself feel that heart. He was warm and alive, both points in his favor - and he was handsome, which didn't hurt, either. "Good," she said softly, smiling at him.

She was quiet for a moment, enjoying that the night was warm and that she was in good company. Finally, she asked softly, "What about you? What are your no-nos?" She wondered if she could guess some of them before he said them.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Well..." he took in a deep breath, tasting her scent on the air as he regarded her seriously. "My no-nos are girls that think a guy has a right to hit them, and don't kick his nuts off for it before reportin' him to the cops. Drugs are all the way out, too." He smiled then, his playful demeanour returning somewhat.

"Strong perfume is bad. Vegetarians are very bad. Lets face it, that's just incompatible right there." he grinned at her. "As for anything else, I can't think of anything." He shrugged. "Most of my encounters with women in the past haven't really been anythin' other than physical. Couldn't really share anythin' more meaningful with them. The big secret was always there between me and them." He paused for a moment, eyes meeting hers.

"Oh, and my human name's Declan. Most that know me call me Dec." he told her quietly.

[z-August Turner]

August began to run down her list of perfumes to not wear anymore. She didn't mind meat; that was one Hollywood fad that had failed to take with her, though she did eat more salads than meat, just because she had to watch her waistline. And drugs could ruin her body, while an abusive boyfriend would be too much like her father. And she was hoping to avoid men like her father.

As she was about to declare her ability to handle all of that, he surprised her again. Her eyes widened as he gave her his real name, and she realized how close the one he'd given her previously was. She didn't have anything to give him back that was equal. Then she realized she did.

Nodding, she said, "Thank you, Dec. I'm glad you seem to trust me enough for that." She took a deep breath and said, "I was given the name Tilly when I was born." Her lips twitched. "You see why I changed it?"

[Owns-The-Night]

"It's a name." Dec smiled, but didn't laugh as he nodded. "August is better, though." He took her hand in his and resumed their idle walking through the block-sized park. "Tilly sounds like a kid's name. Y'know, glittery and tinkly." He made a face, then grinned. "Doesn't suit ya. You're not blonde and dressed compulsively in pink."

He was enjoying himself, but he also couldn't help but draw comparisons between this moonlit walk and the first time he'd met Morgan. August seemed different from the Enchantress, though. Not so messed-up, not so mercurial. And yet...

The answerphone message she'd left some months ago had pretty much torn his heart out, combined with her refusal to talk to him. It had been a bad time for him. He still wasn't too sure what he'd done that was so wrong: it wasn't as though they were dating, and he was pretty fucking certain she wasn't living like a nun. So he'd screwed a few college girls in an air of sexual exploration. Big deal. None of them were friends, had shed blood and tears with him. If she hadn't been running hot and cold on him all the time...

He slammed the door on his train of thought and focused on August, a faint smile curving his mouth.

"So, there's one thing I don't know about you." He said with a sly glint in his eye. "Do you have any fur allergies?"

[z-August Turner]

August laughed. "Not cats or dogs," she said, "or lions or horses. Those I've touched, and know for sure that they don't give me hives or anything. Really, overall, I'm pretty healthy." She grinned at him. "And I'm sure that being a creature that traditionally represents the vitality of nature and the Wild, you're in prime physical shape."

There had been something coming over him for a moment, but August ignored it. He'd share it if he wanted to, and if he didn't, well, some pain was private. She did rub her fingers back and forth a bit on his chest, offering a comfort she wasn't sure was wanted or even needed.

"So no chocolate, caffeine, silver, salads, abusive boyfriends or talking badly about anyone I don't want dismantled - anything else I should avoid around you?" She asked it in a light-hearted, joking manner, not sure there wasn't something more but pretty sure that if he had too many more restrictions, she'd have to start rethinking her conception of werewolves.

[Owns-The-Night]

"Well, you can talk badly about someone. It's just if they mistreat you my first thought will be to kick their ass so hard that they'll wear it as a hat." He grinned at her. "I usually have time for second thoughts, though." Her fingers felt good through his shirt, and he pressed against them, leaning his weight a fraction against her hand. "But I think we've pretty much run down the list of bad stuff, don't you?"

August's eyes were still that curious mix of green and blue in the silver light of the moon, her scent was warm and feminine, and her nearness was welcome. He reached out, calloused fingers lightly touching her cheek and brushing a lock of hair back. His breathing deepened a little as silver eyes studied her face, his head cocked to one side. A low rumble thrummed under her hand, deep in his chest.

"What would ya like to do now?" The question was softly spoken, his voice deep and quiet, and the words were as much invitation as they were curiousity.

[z-August Turner]

OK, now this was really starting to feel like a date. August felt her blood pick up and begin to pulse through her veins; her heartbeat became a pounding drum in her ears. She felt a little dizzy, but in a good way.

His question didn't help with her pleasant vertigo. She swayed a little, closing the distance between them slightly. What didn't she want to do with him? Well, there were things, realistically, that she wouldn't want to do with him, not now. She'd give it some time; there was no rush, not in her mind. Then she had an idea, and she gave him a sweet smile.

"I have a request. I'd like you to take me to your favorite place in LA," she said softly. August's eyes sparkled with excitement as she added, "And there, I'd like you to kiss me."