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8 yrs ago
It’s none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.
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Bio

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”
- Mark Twain

Most Recent Posts

Okay folks, just added Advancement Post for the Away Team, but here is the general rundown...

After attack, groups are heading back to Beast per initial protocol. Many are wounded or dead and a few missing.

Player Summary:

Sara Hawkins @vietmyke is currently searching (or at least I'd assume she would be since there has been no other post...) for Cassandra Atkov @Civetta who crashed somewhere in the jungle during recon.

MacKenzie Newton @Fuzzybootz and Edwards were cut off from Gurrera during an insect ambush, but their path is still relatively clear to head to the Beast. Agent Gurrera on the other hand has decided to stay behind to find Michael Smith @Heat since he'd gone missing.

Karen Anderson @Draken No idea, but assuming she is heading back to Beast (?)

Gavon TreVayne @Rawk and Amara Locke @Subject Zero and company made it back to Beast.

NPCs

Captain Bryenna Eccleson: After losing like a half dozen soldiers, made it back to Beast.

Lt. Rorq: Made it back to Beast.
[:: P2A-594 | Alpha Second Unit ::]
[:: Captain B. Eccleson Military Detachment Commander ::]


The Captain sat at the edge of one of the supply crates, listening in to the random comm chatter -at least what could be deciphered through the static- trying to take her mind off of the fact that her hand was still trembling. This was all so new to her, strange things happening on a planet she knew very little about, attacked by alien insects with the ability to melt humans on contact. This was not covered in basic training, nor in any textbooks she’d been forced to read through in her earlier years at the academy. But at the same time, why shouldn’t this have been any different than a “worst case scenario”? Foreigners landing a planet that hasn’t seen life in a very long time, picking and probing at things that didn’t belong to them, and then not expecting resistance?

Eccleson switched the comms off. She’d had enough of listening in on absolutely nothing. What she wanted was off the goddamned planet for good.

“Captain” One of the soldiers hustled across the clearing and to her side. “Reports show we lost six of our own, and another ten wounded, however the dead will be damned near impossible to retrieve as the insect population had grown almost doubled since our retreat.”

“Then we leave them, end of story.” She said after several seconds. “There’s no point in risking any more lives.”

“But Captain if we-”

“That’s an order soldier!” She stood to her feet, staring the young man in the face as though she were reprimanding her own child. “This isn’t our war. The orders issued by Chief TreVayne and myself were clear, and we need to stick to the plan if we’re to get the hell off this planet...”

“Very good sir.” He followed up with a salute to his commanding officer, swallowing his own opinions on the matter and moving on. “Also sir, one of our scouts is MIA, no communication as of yet.”

“They know to report back here, so we’ll hold off as long as we can…”

[:: P2A-594 | Delta First Unit ::]
[:: M. Newton | M. Smith | Agent S. Edwards | Agent T. Gurrera ::]


Gurrera swore under his breath at the shit luck they'd encountered en route to the Beast, suddenly being ambushed by more of the insects swarms as they cut off the path and separated him from the others. He was equally upset with the fact that one of “science geeks” -Michael- had somehow broken apart from their group as well and gone missing. Part of him hoped the idiot was taken down by the bugs for being so careless, but the other -slightly more humane- part knew he'd probably be the one going to find the guy and, of course, save the day. With Edwards and Kenzie somewhere on the other side of the electrofied insect barrier, he attempted to hail his partner on the comms knowing that their path was still open to head back to the Beast.

"Edwards, this is Gurrera, do you copy?" Static could be heard over the headset, but the signal should still make it through considering their position from one another. "You guys continue on to the Beast, I need to find Michael Smith. The dude got lost a ways back no doubt." The Agent had to hope his transmission went through as he started backtracking his steps to find the missing science assistant.

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

“Any units in sector…” Gurrera checked his helmet HUD for the coordinates. “Thirty-Two point Niner Alpha, please respond. We have a missing research assistant, Michael Smith, possibly wounded. Need immediate assistance and medic, copy.”

“Negative, Agent.” One of the military personnel spoke up. “Immediate attention in that area isn't possible at this time as that sector has a large convergence of insects making it impossible for our group to make it through without more casualties.”

“Shit!” He shouted, realizing the channel was still active. “So what’s our recourse? Do we leave the dude behind? How do we know he’ll even make it by the time-”

“Agent Gurrera.” The stern voice interrupted. “We're aware of the situation and it'll be handled, but dispatching another team at this time to find a single member is risking more lives that we can’t afford. Your best bet is to regroup at the Beast Command Vehicle, and await further instructions.”

“Understood.” He responded after a few moments of silence. “Gurrera out.”

He continued looking back along the path they'd originally taken through the thick brush, noticing off the path several dozen insects converging around something behind a few tall trees.

"That sure as shit better be him, and he better not be dead."

[:: P2A-594 | Alpha First Unit ::]
[:: Chief G. TreVayne | Agent F. Phillips | A. Locke ::]


“And I bet you thought this was going to be just another milk run, eh Chief?” Phillips spoke on a secure comm line to Gavon in passing as they trudged along the last leg of the return journey to the Beast, the Agent taking up the rear to ensure no other anomalies were inbound. He’d already been trying to shake off the fact that they’d just about seen the last of their days, outdone by a shit load of insects that were probably wondering why in the hell a group of foreigners were invading their territory. Or maybe they weren’t so surprised, considering whatever was on this planet must have been worth enough trouble to safeguard it with such highly efficient technology. Either way, Phillips continued to scan the area now that their equipment was fully functional now that they’d pulled away from the majority of the electromagnetic fields.

“I didn't really know what to expect on this trip considering, like many of us, I’d never been to another planet, let alone another galaxy.” Gavon continued monitoring their progress toward the command vehicle, noting that they had roughly a quarter mile to their destination. “But none of this should have happened.” He said with a grim expression.

“Too many lives were put at risk” Phillips chimed in as he continued his area scans. “And for what?...” He glanced over at the science team in front, who were still pretty shaken up by the events.

“Doesn't matter Agent. We didn't sign up for this line of work without expecting some resistance. You of all people should know that.”

Phillips snickered. “Yeah, but Mars didn't have to contend with killer bugs and ghost dogs.”

“Just everything else.” The Chief remarked, drawing his attention to the path ahead, which lead directly to their vehicle, and switching to localized group-wide communication.

“Alright folks, we're coming up to the Beast shortly. Stay in single file formation from here on as the brush becomes pretty dense in this sector. And please watch your footing for sinkholes and overgrown roots. We don't need any more injuries…”

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

The Command Vehicle was seeing plenty of activity as military and civilian personnel loaded through the rear ramp, many who had minor cuts were spot treated and others with more severe burns from the acidic liquid the insects secreted were rushed into the medbay. A fairly tight perimeter had been formed around the Beast, with both drones and foot soldiers keeping an eye out for any further enemy engagement. Gavon let out a sigh of relief to see many of his Agents back safely, and yet relative to the number of personnel who embarked on the journey to the planet, the returning count was still low.

“Amara” He turned to the young Locke who was following closely behind. “I suspect you’ll be needed in the medbay. Try to rally all the medical personnel you can for further inbound wounded. Phillips will accompany you and the science team.”

The Chief spotted Eccleson near the supply crates helping a few of the soldiers rummage through food and water to hand out as personnel made their way back. Science teams gathered together, a few tending to minor wounds, as others were sharing information of discoveries made, though most were still feeling disheartened by the earlier attacks. The same questions could be overheard as he headed through the cluster. Was this trip even worth it?

“Captain.” Gavon’s expression was, more or less neutral considering on the one hand he was glad to see she’d made it back, but on the other knew this was no celebratory reunion and keeping her mind on task was the only way to get through any of this. “Comms were down in our sector so my updates have been sparse. What’s the latest on the remaining groups?”

Eccleson briefly gazed up at the Chief while continuing to sort through the supplies as well as her datapad which was propped on the edge of the crate. “Chief”. She cracked a half smile as though to say she wasn’t quite sure what to say yet. “As far as I know, there are numerous dead and no way of making it back to them without inciting more attacks. I was recently made aware that at least one of our scouts is still missing, and a science assistant who was accompanying Delta Unit to the southwest.”

“That’s Gurrera & Edwards unit.”

The Captain nodded. “We advised them to head back here since one of your Agents was badly wounded…” She stayed silent for a moment before continuing. “I’m not even sure we can go back in there to extract the missing, Chief.”

Gavon understood the circumstances, and knew the decisions being made were not going to be easy for either of them. But he also knew those few who had gone missing and could still be alive needed time, which was already in short supply. He pulled up the tracking HUD on his visor and began a scan with very little success due to the blanket of EM interference in the dense forest.

“This is ridiculous.” He switched off the Nav. “All this tech at our disposal and it’s useless. But either way, I’m fairly certain that Delta Unit is one of the closer groups to our location, so there may be a chance depending on how quickly we can make it to them.”
Eccleson raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What are you planning?”

“Is there another R-52 Shriek available?...”
Michele, Nicolaus, Elizabeth, and more booze to take the edge off
collab between @Howler & @Rawk, leading up to “Lupine Breakers”

Elizabeth stood for a moment with her mouth agape, unsure of how to respond to the girl’s last comment, until the alcohol that had been streaming through her veins and rearranging her frontal cortex, decided for her. “Holy fuck you’re not a guy in drag at all!” Her voice started out a bit on the high side in the excitement, eventually leveling out. “In fact, you’re much better looking from this vantage point than over there. She motioned to the booth halfway across the room at the top of the stairway landing, her vampire companion preoccupied in a conversation with one of the waitresses.

“But...anyway, this isn’t so much a social call as it is...” Liz twisted up her lip and furrowed her brow as though she were in deep thought. “a ‘business proposition’, I suppose you could call it.” She reached for the second shot glass full of Cuervo and knocked it back before placing it down onto the bar top, her expression giving off a sour vibe as she swallowed the liquor.

“Actually...I’m not really sure what I’d call it and, in fact, I don’t even know what it’s all about.” She smirked as though amused at her own ignorance, suddenly catching herself on the barstool from almost falling, yet continuing her conversation without missing a beat. “But, what I do know is that my friend over there has a bit of news that might interest you.” The woman leaned in closer to Michele. “And your kind.” She whispered with a mocking wink and smile that said ”I’m as funny as a hat full of assholes”.

...yup. It was that time of night again. There came a point in every trip out where some drunk asshole would decide it was a good idea to poke fun at Michelle. She’d heard it all before at this point--this would make time, what, seven that she got called a dude?--but it never made it any less ha-ha-hilarious. Fortunately they were in one of the few locations that Michelle wasn’t allowed to deck someone and, admittedly, the someone happened to be attractive enough and drunk enough that there were better responses to be made. But no, it wasn’t a social call. It never was, but then again why would it be? Did she fucking look like a social person?

But alright. Her kind, then. Why the fuck not.

Draining her own drink with the Elizabeth’s tequila breath in her ear, Michelle set the glass down with a clink of ice and stood wordlessly. In the same motion she wrapped an arm around the drunk gypsy’s waist and hauled her up as well, the werewolf pulling equal shifts walking her over and propping her up on the unceremonious way to the vampire in--Christ, how did they all manage to sit in the back of the room?

“You dropped this.” She was killing it on introductions today, depositing the arm candy opposite the Ventrue only to slide in next to her. A bony butt-bump later and she even had herself a bit of sitting room. “So what do you want?”

If there had ever been a time Nicolaus begged for the ability to simply “switch off” his acute sense of smell -and perhaps to a lesser extent, taste- it was certainly now, catching the raw odor that permeated off the Lupine even before she and Elizabeth made it to the foot of the stairway leading up to the booth. It was a scent that, in it’s subtle own way, was as repulsive as a wet dog who’d previously rolled around in it’s own excrement before waltzing into its master’s house, muddy paws and all. It had been almost a year since he was around another Garou, at least within enough of a radius to sense their presence, and yet the initial shock to the senses never seemed to fully diminish. Perhaps if the Ventrue hung around their Glasswalker counterparts more often, they’d come to appreciate the aroma...

The vampire masked his internal disgust with a friendly smile. “Thank you for joining us, Ms. Darrens.” He nodded. “And, of course, for escorting the lovely lady back to me.”

The Romani woman gave the Ventrue a sarcastic smirk in response, sliding closer to him only to lay her alcohol-heavy head onto his squared off shoulder, slowly allowing her eyes to close as her lover continued.

“Let me first ask...have you ever been aware that Sabbat anarchs were holding a sort of ‘fight club’ in various parts of the city, perhaps even the outskirts?”

“That’s my Thursday night you’re talking about.”

Oh look, another gorgeous vampire in more gorgeous clothes. Fucking Hollywood. Did they only turn people that were pretty, she wondered, or did they just turn pretty after they died? She was pretty convinced the ugly ones were a different species somehow, like cockroaches and butterflies both technically being insects, but that was besides the point. Breathing out and kneading the bridge of her nose, she tried to shake off the alcohol and the edge that was crawling back through her fingers and forearms and deal.

“No, I usually have bigger things to worry about than dead people beating the tar out of each other. What, you want a ringer or something?”

Her initial response pique his interest, slightly raising an eyebrow under the false hopes that the Garou participated in these beatings, and perhaps an easier entry into the next fight could be made. But, to his disappointment, her flavor and degree of sarcasm slipped under his radar when she’d concluded with the polar opposite. But perhaps…

“What if I told you that they recently acquired a few of your kind by means of a raid on tribal Caerns up in the Northwest.” Nico paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. “And from what I’ve been told, one of them is of a rare breed. So much so, that this enslaved Garou is slowly becoming their champion. A real boon for a bunch of Sabbat shits…”

Nicolaus allowed a bit of edginess to slip out in those last few words, his loathing for the twisted Sect ever in the forefront of his mind.

‘No man left behind’ meant a lot to a lot of people. It didn’t to Michelle, but that didn’t mean that she could just leave another Garou to play punching bag for a bunch of neck biting assholes. Michelle might not have been on the best terms with the Garou Nation but that didn’t mean she wasn’t wrist deep in their enemies half the time, and she knew well enough that there weren’t enough of without losing a few to the Sabbat. Besides, walking in and killing everyone until they killed you practically was Michelle’s Thursday night.

“I’d say point the way and get out of mine, but from the sound of it that’s already the plan.” She snorted wryly, leaning back to watch the pair of them. “So what do you want for it? Or is this out of the goodness of that heart of yours that probably dried up years ago?”

That was the inevitable question wasn’t it? And yet Nicolaus had already asked himself the same long before he’d decided on what to do with the vital information fed to him through his underground network. He struggled, in a sense, with whether or not there had to be any gain from this, and the answer did seem pretty obvious at first. Was he to aid the Camarilla in obtaining an ally who could very well be worth ten vampires? To bring this creature up to fight for a much worthier cause than that of the Sabbat and those who follow their dark path? Thereby increasing his Dignitas and resources within clan Ventrue as well? The deep-seated desires never went away, as there was always something to gain at the expense of others. But, the more the vampire contemplated the entirety of the situation, the less desirable any form of a “reward” felt. How different would he have been from his hated enemy? Nicolaus knew all too well what it was like to have everything taken away from him in one fell swoop, and to deny the Garou a fair shake had no semblance of honor. Of course, there was the matter of a debt spanning countless years that he’d hoped to one day pay in full...

“Simply the satisfaction of knowing that the Sabbat assholes and their confederates are struck a hard enough blow, that they’re reeling from the aftermath for a long while.” He said with a gleam in his cobalt eyes, and a wry grin that partially revealed fangs thirsty for the blood of his foes. “But ultimately, Ms. Darrens…” The vampire’s smile disappeared. “The decision is yours, as I am merely the messenger.”

“Can’t reel when you’re dead.” She pointed out, her voice flat and dull as she watched the vampire and his human companion. This was their world, all glass and nightclubs and elegant suits, and hers was out in the guts and gore. She had no illusions--she was doing someone else’s work for them, ashing some asshole leech because some other asshole leech didn’t like him. That’s how vamps liked to do things, even that liked to get their face bloody like him. She could tell from his smile, from the coiling tattoo at his neck worn with meaning instead of some dumb fad that lingered post-mortem.

But there he was, dropping little hints and nudging her along. Some people never could get away from the trappings. The muscles in her forearms were crawling under the skin, making the inky tattoos dance as they coiled--she leaned on her elbows and slid her hands over them. If she were anyone else, the gesture might have looked demure.

“You going to give me an address, or would that be a bit too hands on?”
During this weekend we're going to be moving on in a bid to finish up this away mission.


Yep, the Away Mission advancement is a WIP and while my goal is get it out by tomorrow, it's still tentative as the weekends are generally busier for me. Otherwise, it'll be early next week.

hint hint, nudge nudge to those of you still wanting to push a last minute post out...
Oh @cider, Gareth sounds like he'll be a fun chew toy for at least a few Garou ;)
GASP

Btw @Briza, where is Peter hiding these days?
Alrighty freaks, posted up Part 2 of the "Lupine Breakers" side story, which by this time it has most likely caught some attention from the upper echelons of LA's kindred society.

shakes fist in the air

Who can allow this injustice to go on?

;)
The “Lupine Breakers” Union - Pt 2
Vic Hëlix

Unchained.

The young Garou shook off the sustained effects of the silver-lined shackles that were removed, thick iron bracelets that had been the difference between her vampire captor’s survival or their bloody demise. It chipped away at the foundation of her will and strength, replacing the resistant beast with an otherwise huge lethargic dog, one of which they hoped to keep at arm's length for as long as possible. Her spiritual connection to the Umbra was unattainable in this state, as the silver took it’s course in the worst way among the Garou. While it didn’t cause the young girl physical damage -as her natural Metis breed resisted it’s wounding effects- the results were still debilitating on many levels. It had been one of the only ways the Sabbat anarchs could control the uncontrollable, to regulate her reactions, to remove any variables that would stand in the way of training such a species of violence. The vampires were afraid, and Vic knew this, or they would not have taken such measures to ensure their own safety.

Victoria winced at the harsh overhead spotlights that were switched on and beaming down into the arena, stinging her eyes, and all the while her heightened senses picking up the smallest of nuances within a wide radius. Past the stench and noise pollution of the raging crowd, the language of her kinfolk echoed through the darkened corridors, their cries of retribution piercing the young Furies’ rapidly beating heart, urging her to seek vengeance due her tribe and Nation. But it wasn't enough that the vile vampire Sect destroyed her world, they aimed higher than that, in an attempt to crumble the last vestiges of pride, hope, and the deep rooted spiritual connection to Gaia that fueled their very being. To top it off, the Black Spiral Dancers, those wolves most tainted and enslaved by the Wyrm, were employed to facilitate the Sabbat’s game of tearing down their Garou brethren and rebuilding in the image of their choosing.

For all intents and purposes, they were building an instrument of pure destruction...

“C’mon freak, get with the bloody program!” The snarls and barks of the three instigating Garou filled the fight ring with their native tongue, the raspy, bassy sounds bouncing off the walls and carrying to the ceiling high above. “These leech bastards are nothing but cannon fodder and you know we'll teach you what your true purpose is in this disgusting & wretched world!”

The hypocrisy of their words did not go unnoticed, as those involved with the Wyrm were the very reason for the “disgust” and “wretchedness” of the world, it was their passion to be greater than that of their creator, much like their vampire comrades. To have such selfish ambitions was not the Garou way, therefore, the young female only stared at them with fiery eyes, but pitied them as well for their foolishness. No doubt to them, it was all a matter of perspective.

“Fuck it!” One of them suddenly barked, breaking from the other two and launching itself at their larger opponent, whose initial reaction was still slowed, just nearly missing the brunt of the attack, but being left with a nasty claw across her face. Victoria roared something fierce, balling up massive hands into fists and hammering down onto the Hispo (Dire) wolf, causing it to yelp as it’s head cracked against the stone floor, only to be picked up by the neck and flung across the arena. The other two attacked as one, knocking the female Metis off balance enough to take her down, the Crinos wolf grappling her in a chokehold while the other -in Hispo form- locking down onto her massive thigh with it’s mighty teeth. She let out a terrifying howl from the sharp pain of the bite, doing her best to pull the culprit from her body, while struggling with the other’s grip on her neck. In a single pivoting move, Victoria twisted and contorted her body enough to break free of the flanking Crinos, raking her thick claws across it’s face, causing it to stumble back covering a bloodied eye.

The young Garou, with both hands free, wrapped it’s mighty fingers around the muzzle of the Hispo wolf still clamped down on her leg, and slowly pried apart the clenched jaw, it’s bone and cartilage cracking under the pressure of the beasts renewed strength. It's attempts to wriggle free fell short, as the female Metis let out a piercing howl that caused many of the vampire onlookers to wince, and vigorously pulled the muzzle apart, tearing through the Hispo’s thick skin, dislodging and snapping the bloodied jawbone off of the skull, only to jam the sharp tapered edge into the wolf's exposed eye, driving and turning it deep enough to penetrate the creature's brain tissue. It fell to the ground gurgling a pathetic whimper, followed by snarling and muscle spasms, incessant bleeding, and finally howling through its final last moments of life. A split-second decision later, Vic made a great leap across the arena, putting as much space as possible between her and the remaining two Spirals, one of which she noticed shape-shifting from Hispo form to that of Crinos, barely paying attention to its fallen brethren while rushing forward on all fours. Fortunately, Vic’s recovery was taking less time than she thought as the effects of the silver subsided and a surge of adrenaline was developing, knowing full well that the innate Rage within would soon unleash to empower and augment her vengeance.

“This ends now bitch!” The charging Crinos barked and spat in the Garou tongue, as it came low toward Victoria's legs and quickly circled around behind her for a sharp bite along the side of her torso. She retaliated by slamming down her large elbow several times against the attackers head, and all the while ignoring the sharp teeth digging into her ribcage. The other Crinos -enraged at this point by not only seeing his other kin lying dead, but by being humiliated as well by the young female werewolf- charged full on, ramming the Metis into one of the four support beams, despite his partner still latched on tightly. The ceiling above cracked and crumbled slightly as it’s load bearing support took a solid hit, sending large stone fragments and rock dust down onto the combatants. The Crinos relentlessly wailed onto it’s target, slashing curved claws wildly across various body parts, even as the other held firm with it’s teeth locked onto the beast’s side, keeping her in place while the beatings commenced. Victoria’s size and weight allowed for longer survivability, her wounds healing at an accelerated rate, and corded muscles protecting many vital organs from the irreparable damage of tooth and nail.

An attack of opportunity presented itself, as a large enough piece of ceiling stone came crashing down onto the attacking wolf’s head, stunning it long enough for Victoria to pivot to the side, and bash the back of the wolf’s head, sending it into the steel beam. Another swift elbow shot to the other Crinos finally hit hard enough to cause it to release its muzzle grip, allowing Vic to spin and free herself from being sandwiched in between the two Spirals. She took off on all fours, circling the perimeter of the arena as the crowd booed and hissed at her assumed cowardice. Yet, her goal was to bide time, enough so that she didn’t feel as handicapped as her captors would like. A Garou never backs down from a fight, fair or otherwise, but they also know when to hold or when to fold in hopes of fighting at another time. In this case, the Sabbat want to control her, yet you can’t control something you don’t fully understand, and she’d hoped that a change in tactics would confuse the lot of them as well as allow for recovery.

“Send in the scraps!” A raspy, heavily accented voice from somewhere shouted, eliciting yet another round of cheering from the crowd, as two figures were shoved in through the narrow gate leading into the arena, one a barefoot young man dressed in a dirty t-shirt and jeans, and another much shorter figure, with long hair, whose thin frame and facial appearance was that of a…

...child. No!...

Victoria growled in heated anger as she saw the little girl emerge, her clothing nothing but a tattered pink floral-patterned pajama nightgown that hung down just below the knees, her face soiled with dirt, dried blood, and whatever else this place had done to her. Wide eyes full of fear, and countless tears streamed down her red cheeks as she remained pressed up against the gate, murmuring something to the man next to her, as he too had nothing but fear in his watered eyes, a guarded arm covering the little girl even as he tried to be brave himself. Vic’s muscles clenched as she snarled at her Sabbat captors. She then turned her attention toward the sobbing human girl who couldn’t have been any more than ten years old, her still developing heart beating at a rapid pace, and a terrified expression mixed with confusion and a severe lack of understanding the situation she had been thrown into. Several times, her tiny voice pushed out the words ”Please! I want to go home! I want my mommy and daddy!…”, yet each time her futile cries were quickly drowned out by the heckling crowd, their sarcastic and vile remarks toward the two humans, knowing full well that entertainment would be had at the expense of one of the lowest species on the food chain.

The two Black Spiral Dancers were roughly equal distance from the humans, as they too began stalking them, playing a game of “hound and fox”, paying less attention to the real threat across the arena and allowing their own thirst for flesh to get the better of them. Vic seethed in hatred as the predictable scene unfolded, both Crinos morphing simultaneously into their Hispo form and pumping their legs to run toward their newly given prey with a gleam in their eye.

Their mistake.

The female Metis charged as her powerful legs pushed the boundaries of innate supernatural speed & reflex, carrying her massive bulk from one side of the arena to the other in what could only be described from an onlookers perspective as a “large blurred shadow”, eyes illuminating more intensely, breathing heavily with each long stride and push-off from her hind legs, and thick, hardened claws ready to carve up it’s prey. The Rage she’d longed for since captivity surged through her blood, fueled every part of her physical makeup, and healed lingering wounds, restitching and sealing tissue as easily as wiping away a stain. The Spirals could feel a change within the young wolf, as one of them stopped short, hoping to intercept their charging opponent, but it had little effect, as the simple laws of physics took over and the defending Spiral was easily knocked to it’s side with a strong, swift stroke of the Garou’s horned head. The other, within just a few feet of the humans, was quickly intercepted by a thick, clawed hand that hooked onto the Spiral’s neck, and broadsided the beast, slamming it into the adjacent wall.

An intensely quick and violent struggle of power persisted, as Victoria unleashed a flurry of tooth and claw attacks that tore through the thick hide of her target, fragments of skin, black fur, flesh, and sinew scattered about, blood splattered against the brick and steel walls, and the shrieks and snarls of the wolf pinned under the mass of its attacker filling the arena. The female Garou was relentless as her resolve grew with each deadly strike, fueled not only by the hatred for the Black Spiral Dancers, the Sabbat, and this whole ordeal of slavery to the Wyrm, but her instincts to guard the two humans who were pulled into a game they should have never been part of. What followed, however, caught the young Fury off guard as her physical structure began to reform, breaking down from its massive Crinos form to that of a much smaller human-like shape, it's wolf head changing to a monstrous and scarred version of a human face, as fur shortened in areas, and dark skin surfaced, along with long locks of thick, wild, black dreaded hair. The mythical “hollywood” she-wolf manifested itself...not quite wolf or human.

The First Change had finally come…

Victoria’s body screamed in pain as the sheer mass of her natural Crinos form disappeared, bones, cartilage, and muscle tissue transforming at a rapid pace, and the Glabro form taking its place, a somewhat cruel joke it seemed considering she was now at a physical disadvantage. Although with the Hispo still pinned under her weight, mauled and worn out, it eventually slowed its struggle while bleeding profusely through countless open wounds that failed to heal properly. It’s partner, however, back on all fours and shapeshifting into the “war-form” Crinos, leaped at the newly changed female Glabro, catching her off balance, and causing her to tumble over on her back as the massive attacking wolf straddled her torso and followed up with a series of bites and claws to her face and neck, opening new wounds on her shoulder and blinding one eye as blood seeped from her brow.

“The tables are turned little pup!” The Spiral snarled, barked, and drooled in Vic’s face while thrashing the smaller, weaker creature relative to his Crinos form.

The two humans, fearing for their lives as the vicious and bloody scene unfolded, thought to run to the other end of the arena, wanting to put enough space between them and the “giant dogs”. The sobbing little girl hid her face, unable to move on her own, all the while shaking her head in disbelief as she begged for the monsters and the noise to stop, to disappear so she could wake up from the nightmare that her mind trapped her in. The young man lifted her up and ran as fast as his tired legs could carry them both telling her it would “be okay” over and over again, even though he scarcely believed it himself. The crowd continued to heckle the humans, shouting out vulgarities and chanting “death to the blood bags!”, cheering louder as four Sabbat “enforcers” entered the cage dressed in SWAT issue body armor and wielded crude spears tipped with long silver heads that tapered to a fine point.

Meanwhile the quick and powerful struggles of both werewolves on the other side of the arena continued, with Victoria managing a swift strike that gouged her attacker’s eye, momentarily giving her the opportunity to wriggle free from under the Spiral, roll out and come to a stop on hands and knees. Panting heavily, broken, and still reeling from her sudden and unexpected transformation, she turned her attention to the fleeing humans, as well as the armored Sabbat, one of which quickly swung his spear wide, knocking the young man in the back of the head, causing him to fall and the little girl to go flying from his arms and land hard onto the ground. The crowd’s cheering and laughter once again filled the large space, their mocking echoes carrying throughout the entire building as the demand for a blood sacrifice was on the lips of every vampire present. Victoria tried to run, hoping to help the humans, but was caught from behind by the remaining Spiral, it’s strength superseding that of her own, enough that she was held in a choke hold.

“NO!” Vic growled, her new form lending itself to a slight human language. “I’ll...kill...you...all!” Struggling to break free, she watched the vampires lift the young man to his feet, cut the clothes from his body, and push him out into the center of the arena, cold, naked, and fearing for his life as well as the life of the little girl. He tried to run to her, but was immediately intercepted and held by one of the vampires, a knife put up to his throat and slowly slid across his skin as the thick lifeblood of the human poured down his bare chest like a waterfall. The little girl screamed to the top of her lungs, as she too was being held by a vampire and forced to watch as the man collapsed in a pool of his own blood. The female werewolf continued to struggle, clawing and biting at the arm of the Spiral that firmly held her, the Rage within that called her to explode and tear apart every Wyrm-tainted mother fucker in the entire building was subsiding. Where had her strength gone? Had her spirit animal vanished? Where was her revenge? Another pang of fiery agony surged through her body, as one of the Sabbat thrust a silver-tipped spear through her torso, and another after that, and a third from a different direction, eliciting a piercing scream mixed with the yelping of a wolf.

“Let her go, mongrel!” One of the vampires demanded of the Spiral, causing it to release his grip on Victoria, as she fell to her knees, holding onto the spears that protruded from her body.

The effects of the silver coupled with continued blood loss began to wear her down greatly, yet she wanted to ignore the pain, to lash out, to kill. But she could not. Her amber eyes stared across the arena, the sounds of the raging crowd, the snarling Spiral behind her, and the mocking vampires were suddenly pushed away as her mind focused solely on the little girl. The little girl whose hope had dwindled as she looked upon the bloodied and bruised corpse of the young man, a little girl who had no idea what was going on, and no recourse but to bury her face into her hands. Victoria felt a single tear form and slowly run down her furry face, as she reached out an arm wanting to hold the child, to comfort her, and take her away from all of this evil...

“Fuck this shit, just kill the little girl already!” One of the vampires yelled.

“No! Not just yet.” Another retorted, walking over to Victoria with a shovel in his hand and a smug expression. “We have plans…”

The shovel came swift and hard, knocking Vic along the side of the head, and causing everything to go dark.
@Draken I'm a math ed major and so I gotta use it sometime, right?


Yes @LegionPothIX, thank you for the footnotes, esp to those of us who are allergic to math :)

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

So my current post is a bit of insight into the other TreVayne half. Part 2 will include a collab with @Peaceless


[:: Natalie TreVayne ::]

( Part 1 of 2 )

The sulfuric stench assaulted her senses ten fold, as the tightly strapped gas mask was torn from her face, exposing lungs to the permeating radioactive chemicals her system hadn’t become accustomed to. Not like those who lived here in the rot and wastes of what was once the Russian capital. They’d developed an almost inhuman way of dealing with the constant threats of poisoning, the fallout from a war long passed, but the scars and massive devastation never went away no matter how hard you scrubbed. It was in that moment that her mind desperately wanted to leave her body, as the cold steel of the high caliber handguns muzzle was pressed firmly against her temple, the awful sweaty stench of the Brotherhood terrorist and his sadistic words in her ear, and the lone man they fought against. Natalie's heart pounded, her head hurt like hell, and the only thing keeping her alive at the moment was the supposed cooperation of a man she'd never met. A man who'd once been one of them. Shots suddenly fired, and the woman was sure she was dead, until the one who held her at gunpoint staggered from a hit, giving her the opportunity to grab his weapon and shoot her captor point blank in the head. She quickly scanned the room and yet saw nothing, her mysterious savior vanished. Natalie had been through this already and she knew it, once for real, and in countless recurring nightmares. But what changed? Where is he? Something told her to turn her attention back to the bloodied man on the floor….

No!


“Gavon!”

Emerald eyes shot open, startled from her own voice and the nightmarish sequence that had repeated itself during her sleeping hours as though it were on a relentless loop. The sights, smells, and momentary feeling of helplessness were all there, tangible even. It was over ten years ago when that scenario had been real, her life hanging in the balance, one trigger pull away from never knowing what the future held, never moving on in her career, never falling in love and marrying the man who saved her fragile life.

Just a single bullet is all it would have taken…

Natalie -realizing she’d fallen asleep in her quarters- looked over instinctively, hoping that her husband would be there, back home and safe, but the empty bed and unruffled pillow said otherwise. She sat up and pivoted herself on the bed until her feet touched the floor, noticing then she was still in uniform from her long shift hours ago. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, as sleep -uninterrupted or otherwise- just came when it did, and a few hours was better than none at all. She placed both hands on either side of her forehead, attempting to massage away the tension built up, and the migraine that she felt developing like a sleeping giant waiting to emerge. It was only the icing on the cake as far as she was concerned, as even her muscles ached and neck felt stiff from a day of work-related stress, but moreso her anxiety of Gavon’s mission. She thought it silly that she'd miss him so soon, less than twenty-four hours if she recalled, and yet a nagging feeling in the back of her mind didn't want to let it go. Had something happened? Should she contact the Admiral for more information? A series of questions surfaced, but eventually she snapped herself out of foolish and paranoid thoughts, and resolved to head to the refresher, clean herself up, and relax both physically and mentally.

The ambient lighting, followed by flickering-turned-solid illumination of the large vanity mirror over the sink, came to life as she entered the refresher station, wincing at the stark contrast. “Dim lights fifty percent.” She finally said, not wanting to contend with the artificial overhead and wall lights, that slowly and subtly dimmed to a more bearable level as her vision readjusted accordingly.

“You look like shit, Nat.” She mused at the sight of herself in the mirror: disheveled short, dark hair, tired eyes, and streaks of black mascara that had run down her cheeks while she slept, caused by tears that welled up and had no other direction to go than down the sides of her smooth visage. Her eyes closed momentarily as she took a deep breath in through her nose and out her mouth, doing her best to clear the shit from her head, as she reopened only to stare back at the same person she’d seen moments ago. The medicine cabinet directly under the mirror slid open at the touch of a button, and Natalie reached for the aspirin bottle, pausing for a moment as her eyes shifted to the smaller bottle of painkillers prescribed to “G. TreVayne” which were slightly hidden behind a few other personal hygiene products. Gavon had never been one for taking medicine, especially indicated by the nearly full bottle of pills, and he hadn’t needed those since a training injuring six months ago, resulting in massive shoulder pain for a week. Yet, considering his stubborn streak and putting his position and crew first, he’d continued doing his job for that time period, with or without the narcotic.

“Fuck it.” Natalie said plainly, needing something stronger than the over-the-counter pain reliever.

She opened the bottle and poured out two of the round white tablets, double the prescribed dosage, and popped them in her mouth, chasing them down with a couple of handfuls of water. “Shower temp one-oh-five degrees Fahrenheit”. The stainless steel head opened up, as water gently cascaded into the empty shower stall, giving it time to warm up while she peeled off the layers of her Ark Sec uniform. Natalie was never particularly fond of uniforms, even though she'd been wearing them most of her life, even through various private Catholic schools as a child. Although, in retrospect, that may have been the cause of her aversion. She turned to the taller mirror and examined her naked body, running a free hand down to her torso where the scar tissue remained, just below her belly button, from a surgery years ago that would remind her of just how broken she was. Four months into her pregnancy, she lost the child that she'd never even had a chance to know. Both she and Gavon had names picked out for either gender, and only on that terrible day did they find out that their little girl developed a cancerous anomaly that caused irreparable damage to the fetus, killing the unborn within days after. Her index finger traced the edge of the eight inch long partially-faded scar, yet she hadn't cried this time, knowing their child was safe from ever having to endure the universe as they currently knew it.

Why would anyone want to be born during a time such as this?

Natalie stepped into the warm, steam filled shower and stood there with her head bowed and eyes closed, allowing the water to run down her body and hopefully wash away the emotions that never seem to disappear no matter how hard she tried to repress them. The heat slowly began relaxing away the day’s tension, her neck and shoulder pains dulling, and soon enough the pain killers would do the rest. Yet thoughts and memories spanning years in the past continued to flood in all at once and she wished in this instance that her brain could be switched off for the rest of the day so she didn’t have to think or feel.

Gavon. She felt his strong hands caressing her bare skin, his warm kiss on the back of her neck that made her spine tingle, and could hear the right words whispered in her ear that brought a smile to her face...but she knew he wasn’t really there. Instead, he’d been a series of memory flashes, those times when she needed his comfort, his voice, his scent, his touch. Those moments when she couldn’t be strong on her own and she needed him there, with her, for her. “Dammit Gav.” Was all she could muster up under her breath, as though she were blaming him for abandoning her. But this wasn’t the case at all, as she was well aware of his responsibilities to the ship and the mission, but it didn’t change the fact that she’d worried about him. But why shouldn’t she as his wife? Wouldn’t it be more alarming not to worry about someone you love?

By this time, as with any mind-altering narcotic, the inevitable wave of euphoria was creeping its way into her system, and the relentless flood of thoughts seemed to become more absurd as impaired judgement became a slow burn. Natalie washed, and let her mind wander, knowing she will most likely not get much sleep in the next few hours, but rather needed a distraction from all the nonsense rolling around in her head. There were a handful of girlfriends she could call, some who were less judgemental than others, but still good company nonetheless. But, company isn’t exactly what she wanted, but rather ambience. A slight grin formed on the corner of her lips as she thought of the one place where there was plenty of that…

The Hub.

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

Along with a half dozen citizens, most appearing to be ending their work day, Natalie sat and waited at one of the countless transit system’s stopping points within the Ark, deciding she’d take the public routes to her destination rather than the usual, and more efficient, “Security Access” which ran on a different set of lines and were for official use only, cutting down on unnecessary people traffic and delays. Dressed in her dark gray workout sweats, running shoes, and a faded maroon “Texas A&M” hoodie, she did her best to simply blend in for the evening, not even bothering with the fuss of makeup and simply securing her short hair with a few small clips and a black band. It was, for all intents and purposes, an attempt at putting her position and title aside for a break from an otherwise strictly professional life. Most of the patrolling Agents wouldn't recognize her anyway, as they didn't generally work within the same department or sector, but Natalie was fine with that as she wasn't comfortable in the spotlight if it could be helped.

A low hum followed by the slight high pitched tone from hydraulic brakes of the standard thoroughfare transport snapped her out of the drug induced reverie she'd fallen into as the painkillers continued to numb just about everything. A wry grin formed as the transport’s double doors opened and she noticed one of the Sec Agents posted near the rear.

“Well this should be interesting.” She mumbled under her breath, musing at the thought of essentially being high while riding public transportation, a misdemeanor that could land one in a holding cell for at least twenty-four hours, as well as incur a hefty penalty. So she did what any upstanding citizen, currently under the influence, would have done. Played it cool until something stupid happened, and fortunately, Natalie could hold quite the poker face.

The ride had been, for the most part, relaxing and uneventful, slipping down into the cushioned seats, she let her body go limp and her eyes focused on the various static advertisements that flashed on the viewing screens while she waited. There were several stops, residential districts mostly as people loaded and unloaded along the way, until one of the last stops of the circuit -The Hub- came up, and Natalie had completely zoned out by that time, unaware she was the only passenger left and was about to miss her intended destination. The transport continued on, rounding the bend that would bring it up to it’s final stop before looping back to the start of its journey. Natalie’s head turned to gaze out of the side window, watching as the familiar sights of the neon-lit restaurants, pubs, and smaller shops were left behind, and only a moment or two after the fact did she realize her blunder.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, standing up from her seat and noticing that she had, in fact, missed the Hub. The Security Agent standing in the far corner turned his attention to the woman in the maroon hoodie, watching curiously as she pulled the “all stop” lever, causing the transport to slow rather abruptly, which resulted in her stumbling face first into the hard plastic arm of the adjacent seat.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” The Agent rushed over to help the woman, pulling a small First Aid kit from the leg pocket of his cargo pants when he’d noticed a bit of blood running from her nostril to her lip. “Hold tight miss, let me grab some gauze for that.”

“For what?” Natalie slurred, as she instinctively touched her lip and noticed blood on her fingertip. “Ooohhh...that…”

The Sec Agent placed the gauze against her nose, wiping up the blood that escaped, and holding it there for a moment. “Ma’am, tilt your head back until the bleeding has stopped.”

“I know, I know.” She managed to sound less intoxicated as she leaned her head back against the nearby seat. “Just...give me a minute.”

“While you wait, I’ll call in a medi-droid for you, it should-”

“No!” She quickly perked up, her eyes widened at the Agent’s words. “I mean, that won’t be necessary. I’m fine really. Just help me up, please?”

“Ma’am, I’d advise that you-”

“Agent!” She said in a sharp tone, staring into the young man’s eyes for a moment, and quickly letting her guard down, realizing he was doing his job perfectly and she was simply being a bitch. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’ll be fine, it’s just a little nose bleed. I can get off here…no problem.”

Natalie hoisted herself up, with aid from the on-duty guard, and took a moment to orient herself before heading to the exit in a somewhat hazy perspective, turning her head around slightly to focus attention on the other. “Thank you, by the way. And, um...nice work Agent.” She concluded with a coerced smile, as she stepped out onto the main walkway, the doors closing behind her and the transport continuing along it’s path. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was not far from the entrance to Eden, a place she probably needed more than her original idea. She checked for any more bleeding, and when it seemed to have stopped, shoved the gauze into her pocket and headed toward the inviting entryway to the massive “outdoor” green space.
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