(Insurgents) Bouncing the Barrens

[Wolven Pryde]

Russell walks along a lonely road, the lights of downtown Sacramento at his back, heading west. "The Barrens" of Sac appeared to be mostly agricultural land, which at least meant fewer buildings to search.

He feigns checking his phone to look inconspicuous. It's a cheap prepaid number available over the counter nearly anywhere nowadays, but at least he's figured out how to mute it and kill the backlight. The show was for potential prying eyes that might be lingering in the windows; the list of names, Kindred who had permission to be in the Barrens, had been transferred to a small card in his pocket. A card small enough to be destroyed before it could be seen by the wrong eyes. Provided he was forced into the situation, a few excuses hovered in the back of his mind to deflect authorities with.

"The newspaper said one of these properties was hiring a night watchman... I'm sure it was around here somewhere? Man, why didn't I bring that damn thing with me?"

He smiles a bit, thinking himself rather clever, as he slips the phone back into a change pocket, where it won't flop around. He is dressed for mobility and utility, a short sleeved Under Armour shirt and zip off cargo pants over soft-soled paratrooper boots. The zippers are open a few inches on the outside of his legs, the opening of each hovering over the butts of a pair of boot knives.

While his stride is the slow, graceful stalk of a predator, he isn't truly attempting to go unnoticed yet. Not until he gets a bit further away from the city.

Knives

OOC

Anyone who is confined to the Barrens in any form or fashion, or is perhaps sent here for this errand by an official, please jump on in!

[Dean]

To the East the lights and towers of the city proper are visible. But to the West, where Ethan walks, it's all ragged ruins dotting the landscape; overgrown lots, urban prairies, sinking homes and warehouses stripped to the bone. In the distance, a squat concrete sprawl of a motel looms beneath a flickering sign.

Amelita Cardoso, BP 1

A dark woman, dressed in faded jeans and a hoody sits inside a burnt out car on the side of a dirt road, watching and listening. She smirks as she clocks the knives and the way Russell pretends to check his phone.

Wits+Comp: 6 Sux

Amelita Cardoso rolls 8 to Perception (10 Again, Rote) 6, 5, 8, 10, 10, 9, 7, 10, 4, 1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 3, 8 6 successes

Nonchalant and inconspicuous, Tactical Ted, I get it. Why don't you just whistle like a cartoon who just dropped a Fabergé egg?

Amelita had been sent to observe as per her obligation to the Reeve's office. So far it'd been pretty boring. They didn't call it the Barrens because of the activity overflowing from it. She'd been toying with the idea of finding a place to hole up and play angry birds before she'd noticed Russell.

[Wolven Pryde]

Russell Snickers as his phone buzzes in low vibration the moment it's in his pocket. He slips it back out, punches a button and puts the phone to his ear. His rough voice carries easily.

"Russell."

He glances around briefly, not really expecting to see anyone yet, but you never knew. "Yeah, Wooding. Shoot."

2 suxx to Spot, awaiting contested/results

Ethan Russell rolls 6 to Perception (10 Again) 5, 9, 2, 1, 4, 10, 7 2 successes

[Dean]

Amelita Cardoso, BP 1

Amelita wondered what Russell was laughing at as she watched, silently.

3 Sux Resist

Amelita Cardoso rolls 7 to Stealth (10 Again) 7, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10, 7, 7 3 successes

As she listened to the conversation, she let the strange, bloodborne clarity seep into the way she watched and bit her lip as senses her throbbed past normality, picking up the overlapping resonance of emotions.

Aura Perception on Russell: 3 Sux

Amelita Cardoso rolls 9 to Int+Empathy+Auspex-3 (10 Again) 9, 8, 7, 8, 5, 6, 6, 7, 2 3 successes

[Wolven Pryde]

"Some. Like I said before, I'd like to know that the admission is worth the cover price." Russell continues, loping along.

His aura is a predominately placid light blue as he listens to the other end of the conversation. He's not yet reached a point where stealth was an issue, and he was fairly interested in what Chris had to say. He should be focused on the task at hand, but he'd barely even started, and this would only take a moment.

"Well, I summed my beliefs up pretty well for you, I think." There is a touch of humor in his voice here, as he remembers that first night in court.

But then, he stops, considering something. Considering whether or not to plow on. He is stock still for a moment as his aura flickers violet.

"But I'll add 'challenge' to that. I do love a good challenge."

[Dean]

Amelita Cardoso, BP 1

Amelita's eyebrows raised as she eavesdropped, breathlessly, amped senses catching the voice on the other line. Wooding was still courting the showboater from court, it seemed. Bogdana had tried to sell her on it at the '20s court. Clearly the Crone were trying to expand.

[Wolven Pryde]

"Well said." Comes Russell's coarse pass at an upbeat tone.

He is silent for even longer this time. With the way he stands so still and silent, it's as though he's frozen in time. Or, perhaps, frozen in his own thoughts.

"Speaking of Alliances, how good are your eyes?"

There is an emphasis to the last word, loaded with a meaning he couldn't say over the phone.

[Dean]

Amelita Cardoso, BP 1

Amelita listened patiently, thankful that she could turn her sense of smell off as required. She gripped her phone, preparing to relay everything to her taskmasters.

[Wolven Pryde]

"Yeah, well, another pair couldn't hurt. Uninvited guests in Mister Clarke's lower estate."

Of course, Russell hated the idea of having help. Sharing the load meant ease. It meant that he was not standing tall and proud and on his own. It meant that whatever status or favor were to be rewarded would be shared as well.

But then again, Greyson had suggested working with another... so in the light of playing his part and cooperating, it could go a long way still.

[Dean]

Amelita Cardoso, BP 1

Amelita was beginning to lose interest and drafted a text to the numbers she had for Flores, Greyson & Heinz to the effect of Wooding and Russell faking ghost poachers to scare pesky kids from bromance love-nest they keep smack in the middle of the Barrens.

It was a text she didn't dare send, bouncing it to drafts. Maybe it'd get a chuckle from Annie later on. She processed the new information, watching Russell closely, passively gauging his overall character.

Empathy: 6 Sux

Amelita Cardoso rolls 9 to Wits+Empathy (10 Again) 2, 5, 9, 10, 10, 4, 5, 9, 6, 8, 9 6 successes