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World of Darkness: Attrition - Resurfacing


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"Not really." Swara-Ann shrugged. She figured she was in for one hell of a tongue lashing later, and not the cool 'we're in college so it's okay' kinda tongue lashing either. As always Amber got nothing from the girl, her Primal Urge didn't' so much as register her on the 'radar'. "Party is kinda, well, boring. Everyone's fighting or crying, and I think some dude blew chunks in the grill a second ago. Sarah was just confiding in me how much she sucks."

She tilted her head a bit. "I thought you were working tonight?"

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You didn't "end up" nowhere near me, her eyes accused him silently. You walked.

Even Amber's momentary interruption, stumbling into the middle of their argument didn't lift the pall of awkward silence that had fallen on the pair, and Morgan stood her ground in the face of Declan's rueful half-entreaties. The old saw about actions and words was ringing in her ears, and she couldn't help but feel if she'd really meant all that much, he'd have found a way, or she would've. That's not how it happened, and to her, his choice was clear... if they could even be said to have the power to actually make choices, something she was beginning to doubt. No matter how she played this, it was inevitable that she'd lose, so she might as well do so with some shred of dignity intact.

"You know," she said quietly, a hint of a quaver still audible in her voice, "it could've worked. But we all make decisions, and even if they're bad ones, we have to live with them. I know she's important to you, this girl you're at the party with tonight. You even tried to protect her from.. whatever you thought I was going to do." He got the hint of a smile for that, though it quickly faded. "That, is your decision. You can't have it both ways, Owns-the-Night," the Enchantress murmured, the silvery threads of her sweater fairly glowing in the pale light. "If you're expecting my approval, or asking me to be all right with it, you're going to be disappointed. I'm not, and I won't be. Not for a very long time." Her breath hitched as she inhaled, but her voice remained steady. "I'll bet she made it easy for you, didn't she? No demands, laughs at all your jokes, accepts you without question, makes you feel all warm and tingly. I'm sure it feels like she was made for you. I'll bet she loves it when you tell her that her kisses burn like silver, and she thinks your mark is the coolest thing ever. Well," she continued, straightening slightly and fixing him with a decidedly defiant glare. "I'm not her. If you want easy, you've got it. Just don't expect it from me." She paused for a moment, taking a quick drag off her clove and exhaling, leaving her dark hair haloed in a coil of smoke. "As far as I'm concerned, you're getting off light. There are a lot of my kind who'd plague you to the seventh generation for this. I'm not even asking for anything. You can take back your cloak, and your clasp, and anything else you think she'd like. The only thing I want you to leave me, Declan, is alone."

The last was uttered simply, plainly, and surprisingly without rancor. What was the use?

Morgan didn't wait for a reply; she had other things to do, and so did he. Turning, she made her way back into the party, searching for Lucien. It was going to be a hell of a night, and she needed a little bit of Black Death if she was going to have any kind of hope at keeping it together... since she'd done such a stellar job so far.

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Oneca had kept quiet through the entire affair, starting at the punch but no where near willing to get between the two of them. After Morgan had made her exit she finally moved, following after if only to keep an eye on the girl. When she moved passed Declan she gave him a somewhat sympathetic look, but murmured, "Word of advice if this ever comes up again: Don't give a girl a number. We really don't want to know."

She'd have liked have been able to have been more supportive of one of her few real friends outside of the Chantry, but between Morgan's version of things and Dec's own words, it seemed like he'd screwed up pretty bad. In a monogamous relationship or not, no girl likes to be told 'you're too special' and then find you fucking the next bimbo to cross your path.

Back in the blair of loud music and louder dancers, Oneca threaded her way through behind the Entrantress. She's wanted all the company earlier; now all she wanted was somewhere quieter and hopefully a hell of a lot less complicated.

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August giggled when she got the joke. “Cute,” she told him, “very cute.” Her remark could so be flirting, but it wasn’t. She was just trying to relax; the most time that went on, the more worried she became. She wasn’t going to show it, but there was doubt gnawing at her guts.

I’d like to have that tour, she told him, getting a bit better at controlling her thoughts and keeping out the random ‘burst-thoughts’ that were jumping into her mind. Like wondering if she’d still have a boyfriend after tonight. Noticing the way the light glinted off Lucian’s hair. Trying to decide if the drink in her hands was good or if everything was going to taste off until she knew what the outcome of tonight’s clusterfuck would be. And this is all interesting. Some of it is scary, but I’m having more and more fun as I learn stuff. And survive stuff.

“I know that some people handle being mediums well,” August said. “They combine their life effortlessly with the ghosts, and they live it every day.” I don’t want to. Haven’t wanted to. I have to for my job, but… She looked at Lucien, debating whether she should finish what she started. But there was a kindness in the mage, and she felt she could trust him. The first ghost I saw was my dead sister. We were twins. It was like seeing myself dead, as a ghost. She follows me still. She’s there when I’m in trouble or danger. I think- August looked into her drink and shivered. He doesn’t want to hear that, she thought to herself, but due to the nature of the beast, it was clear as the spoken word to the Magistos.

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"Quite the contrary August," He set his feet firmly on the floor and leaned into where she was sitting. His glare hypnotic but his expression was concerining. "I'd very much like to know. Hiding your fears from the world, keeping them bottled in never solves anything. I offer the same invitation I do to all my fellow partners in crime," he grinned at the quip. "I'm always here to listen and help should you so desire me to. Sincerely, we're all together in this."

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Dec stepped back to the rail as the girls left, resting his hands on it and looking out over the yard. He was aware of some of the other kids watching from a safe distance and looked at them for a long moment. It wasn't quite a full-on 'Crazy Perault' glare: his heart wasn't really in it; but it was sufficient to make a cluster of college-age kids decide that it was time to go back inside. He saw Amber, Sarah and Swara talking quietly at the far end of the deck and almost moved to join them before deciding that right now, company was the last thing he wanted.

Instead he kicked off his sneakers and socks and stepped down onto the lawn, walking away from the lights and feeling the grass in between his toes. Murmurs from the shadows betrayed a few couples who'd decided that making out under the stars was a good idea, but Owns-The-Night didn't really pay them any attention as he found an isolated bench at the furthest corner of Oneca's yard and lay back on it, staring upwards sightlessly, his thoughts and feelings hidden behind the unfocused silver gaze.

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"Lucien."

Morgan studiously ignored the dark-haired woman he was chatting with, tapping the Mastigos on the shoulder to get his attention. It hadn't taken much effort to find him; it had taken a lot more effort not to turn around and go back outside. What else could I have said? she wondered, wincing inwardly and reflexively clenching and unclenching her still-stinging hand. The only reasonable answer was, "nothing." There wasn't anything else to say, because so much between them had already been left unsaid. That was the reason, probably, that he'd ended up with whoever-she-was. She'd have plenty of time to think it over later, when she was alone, anyway.

"We're- Oneca and I, are- headed out for coffee, and thought you might like to come. Y'know, take a break from all the excitement." She fidgeted with her clove, tapping the ashes out in a nearby ashtray, and offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry about earlier, by the way. Drama llama is stabled."

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"Hm, stay with the frat boys or go in he company of two gorgeous women." He offered a half hearted eyebrow in contemplation. "You know to force a man to face some tough decisions."

He placed a gentle hand on August's knee, "I do apologize, but I must cut this short. Morgan and I have some official business to attend to. I must admit it's been a pleasure, and I hope you and I can get together sometime and finish this conversation. I do so hate to leave things unfinished."

He stood up and nodded at her. "If you'll excuse me. Again, it's been a pleasure August."

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Back by the fence, Sarah wondered if it had actually been her quick look around before that had somehow summoned her cousin. That wonder was stricken with something that cut close to her heart when Swara said, "Sarah was just confiding in me how much she sucks." That was a comment that came with a whole slew of double meanings and bad jokes when it came to Sarah, and she was suddenly something close to embarrassed to be in Amber's presence.

Still, she toughed it through. Turning tail yet again tonight would be too much to stomach.

"Good to see you too, Amber. Um, Ariel's wanting a get-together at Declan's tomorrow afternoon, around four. Well, around four for the five of you; I'll have to come in about an hour later. But yeah, she'd like you all to be there, plus me."

Sarah tried to phrase it in such a way as to carefully avoid overtly grouping herself with the werewolves; the last thing she needed was a fist in her face for daring to say "us".

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"I guess I'll see you there, then," Amber said, but it was clear that she had no desire for that to pass.

"Theo gave me some time off," Amber said, nodding to Swara. "Hey, if the party's so bad, why don't we head off to a club or something? I bet if we hit frat row, we can find a party to crash." She grinned slyly. "There's no way they'd turn away three foxy babes."

She was trying. It was evident that this wasn't usual Amber, but she seemed to not be 1) beating the shit out of anyone or 2) screaming/ranting. She was either in a good mood of the likes that had never been seen in her before, or she was attempting to change. Either way, it was a little creepy; Amber didn't do cheerful well.

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August was poised on the brink of telling someone the one thing she'd never been able to admit before. But Morgan's arrival stopped her thoughts. As Lucien stood, August nodded. "Of course," she said, forcing her voice to be casual. "Thank you for keeping me company."

Part of her wondered if she should say anything to Morgan, but part of her, the part that liked people and wanted to be friends with them, almost demanded it. So she said to the other woman softly, "I'm sorry we couldn't meet in better circumstances."

The moment gave her another chance to look at the woman. This Morgan did look a lot like her, and August wondered if that was a sign of Dec's type or something less flattering. She pressed her lips together and tried not to think about it.

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Was this actually happening? Did Amber actually just invite me to go clubbing? The Dead-Wolf actually blinked a few times before stuttering out an answer. "S-sure? I mean, sure. That actually sounds OK. Lemme just let Lucien know I'm cutting out."

It wasn't going to be face-to-face, not the way that he'd spoken about her last. Sarah wasn't entirely sure how she'd handle the Mastigos going cold and snide on her there in front of everyone. Instead, she pulled out her cell phone and started tapping away on the keys; better than just walking away again, she thought, trying to get something out of what Jeremy had told her.

Click to reveal..
"Lucien, the party's falling apart, so I'm going to go try this girl-clubbing thing. With Swara and Amber. Yeah, I can't figure it out, either. Maybe she's stopped hating me. I have a meeting first thing tomorrow night. Can I come by afterward? We probably need to figure stuff out."
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Foxy... babes...? Swara-Ann's confused expression -the one she had when she more confused than usual- seemed to say it all, but she decided to open her mouth anyway. "Um, if the aliens that abducted the real Amber can hear me... keep her. We like this Amber look-alike robot you've left in her place better."

"Although," She looked at Sarah and her eye lit up like a child with a story to tell. "Coming out of Target the other day, she totally grabbed this guys junk and squeezed until he apologized for smacking my butt as we walked past him. It was so funny, totally worth the hand print in my opinion!"

She laughed at the memory one more time. "Uh, man... that was rich." She got a twinkle in her eye, something that could have been mistaken for a thought. "Well, I don't think it's just this party. Hosnetly, I've just not felt up to doing much at all lately. I don't feel drepressed," She looked at Amber, remembering how well the woman tolerated her these past weeks as she recovered. In fairness Swara-Ann was just as difficult to deal wit has Amber was at times, and probably deserved a medal for not strangling the ditzy blonde by now. "I just really feel kinda... blah."

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong though, I'd totally like to hang out with you guys. Just not sure how well I'll do at prowling on Frat Row, stale beer and grunting... ooohhhh, stop, I'm getting all hot." She mockingly waved her hands in the air to fend off the imaginary influx of sexual desire.

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Sarah's reaction to her offer was completely expected. Swara's a little less so, but that was only because Amber wasn't expecting wit out of the blond. But that smile faded as Swara spoke. You feel blah because you won't balance your wolf with yourself, you dumb shit. Amber kept her opinion off her face and shrugged. "Then let's hit church and hang with the nuns."

At the looks on their faces, Amber lost it and broke into a laugh. "That was a joke, you two. Sheesh. Alright, if the party blows, and partying doesn't appeal, then what do you want to do?"

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"So am I," Morgan replied, rather more tersely than she'd intended. For a moment, she seemed about to say more, but simply nodded instead and turned to leave with Lucien and Oneca. It was a conflict in which there could be no victors, and though turbulent emotions roiled in her eyes and in her heart, she was too tired to give them voice. Instead, she forced her thoughts forward, thinking ahead to the conversation she and the Mastigos would have, and mentally preparing herself for the backlash.

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"No wolves." She said softly. "Please, can I just get through one night with no one becoming a wolf? There's more to life than wolves, for crying out loud." Her words came off a bit more panicked and ruder than she intended.

"I-I'm sorry," She said, lowering her head before raising it suddenly with an idea. "I know. Look, I know it sounds dumb, but can we just hit a Denny's or something and just talk? Amber, I never see you hardly. Ever since all this happened I've really no chance to actually sit down and learn anything, but I have to go to this Pup Rally tomorrow at Declan's house."

"Look, I know I'm a bit slow at times, but I'm seriously unarmed this time around." She tried to not look like a complete third wheel, and certainly didn't feel like sweating after a run in the humid Los Angeles night. "C'mon, Amber you can get a triple beefy death burger, I'll get a salad, Sarah can chug on the cook or something. I'd wouldn't mind getting to know the people who saved my life. One second I don't know you guys from Adam and the next I'm crashing at your place..."

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"We can go to Denny's," Amber said, "but we ain't fuckin' talkin' business in a public place or in front of a non-werewolf." She managed to keep the growl out of her voice, but not quite the irritation. With an angry sigh, she crouched and rubbed her face, already worn out by her attempt to be not-herself. "Sorry, Sarah, but this is the way it works. Swara, if you want to include Sarah, we'll need to pick something else to do. You and I can talk before the meeting, not a problem. I'll tell you whatever you want." Not like I haven't been fuckin' doing just that for the last few weeks.

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August sat alone a minute longer, wishing Lucien hadn't had to leave. With him there, it was a good way to not think about what might be happening with her relationship. She knew she'd have to do a lot of thinking about that in the days to come, and she wasn't up to it tonight. She was just going to sit here and not think about anything-

"Hey," the guy said, sitting down on the bench. "I'm Riley."

"Hi," August said, smiling at him politely.

"So I noticed that idiot ditching you for that skank, and I thought you might like some company," Riley pseudo-offered.

"Actually, thanks, but no," August said, still giving him that tight 'leave me alone' smile.

"A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be alone," he said, grinning at her.

"Ya know, I think I'm going to be going," August said, standing and walking before she was done talking. She tossed over her shoulder, "Nice meeting you," before heading for the door.

Outside, she whipped out her cell. She quickly typed a text to Declan, deciding that since he hadn't come back he wanted to be alone. That wasn't all it could mean, but if she let herself think the worse, she'd work herself into a frenzy that would end at the bottom of a bucket of ice cream.

Quote:
Going home, party's a drag. Call me when ur ready.

She typed her customary XOXO at the message, then paused. Licking her lips, she swallowed hard and erased them, then sent it before she could start the argument with herself.

She stopped at her car and remembered that she had driven. "Fuck!" she said with feeling, then sent another message.

Quote:
Nevermind I have keys. Waiting @ car, no rush.

"Fuck, this is going to be awkward," she sighed, letting herself in and then locking the doors again. With a sigh, she settled in to wait.

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The electronic beep dragged Declan's attention back from the night sky, and he fished the phone August had bought him out of his pocket. He knew it was her before he even checked the screen: she was the only person who even knew he had a mobile phone, let alone having the number. She poked gentle fun at him about his technological indifference. "Maybe you howl instead of text." she'd said with a grin as he'd unwrapped the present and looked at her quizzically. "But I can't." He smiled at that memory as he looked at the message.

Quote:
Going home, party's a drag. Call me when ur ready.

Shit. he thought to himself. I owe the girl an explanation. Can't do that if she assumes the worst and runs off! He jerked himself upright and set off across the yard again to the house at a jog. He nodded to Amber and the others as he scooped up his shoes, then paused as another beep sounded.

Quote:
Nevermind I have keys. Waiting @ car, no rush.

Well... At least she's not pissed enough to drive off and leave me stranded. He pondered that for a second then, because of his state of mind, mentally added Yet.

* * * * *

He saw August spot his approach, the large blue-green eyes a mixture of wariness and... some other emotions he couldn't define. She unlocked the car as he reached it, then started the engine as soon as he'd climbed in. The air wasn't frosty, per se, but there was an awkward silence between them. Well, that's not going to do either of us any good. He half-turned in his seat, looking straight at her.

"You deserve an explanation, deserve to know what the hell that was about. You might even need to, though that's up to you to decide. First though, I'd like to say sorry for leaving you with Hunt. I didn't expect to see her there tonight." He studied her face, similar yet different to the other brunette's. "Right now, I'd like to talk to you, if you want to."

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"Alright then," Sarah said through a forced smile. "Denny's, no shop talk, got it. Amber, I think your truck is the only vehicle between the three of us; I'll take the back." And not crowd you in with a leech in the cab. Cripes, I don't know what Ariel expects for tomorrow night, but there's no way in hell Amber's gonna bend about me.

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Oneca followed the two mages outside, not even bothering to tell people that the party was pretty much over or lock the door. It was starting to wind down anyways, people were either passed out somewhere in the house or stating to wander back towards beds or bars that were still open.

She grinned at Lucien as they walked, "So, can I drive again?"

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August was quiet for a moment, mulling over the possible topics that a conversation like that could cover. She had to work tomorrow night, so she needed to push herself and stay up late so she could sleep in anyway. She'd planned to do that with Dec, but not quite in the way that was shaping up.

"Thanks," she said to his apology, smiling but not looking at him. "It wasn't so bad. You were right, Lucien's a really great guy. He kept me entertained until... he had to go." She laughed, a touch tensely. "I told him about the ghosts."

It was a sign of the trust she had in Declan, that the topic tripped off her tongue so easily. She might have been unwise to give him that much trust, that fast. The thought made her chest hurt, and she quickly blinked, before she did something dumb like cry. "I do want to talk," she told him, "but not in a car."

"My house isn't far," he said.

She glanced at him, and he looked pensive. "Good," she said, despite welcoming the idea of delaying. "Sounds good." She nodded and turned for the house, her gut twisting on itself with dread.

Continued in Topics of Interest

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"Oh, sure," Morgan sighed, rolling her eyes. "She gets to drive, and I get the stick. I see where this is going." There was a fleeting echo of what might've been levity in her voice, but it faded as quickly as the smirk that crossed her lips. She took one last look at the party that had already begun to dissolve, and arranged herself as comfortably as possible on Lucien's lap.

"You never let me drive this thing," she said petulantly, regarding the Mastigos with a reproachful glare as she draped one arm around his shoulders to steady herself. He simply laughed as she sulked, and the three of them sped away into the LA night.

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