From Subway to Sidewalk

**Dark Passenger** · Mar 18th, 2013 07:11 AM

While more than ever feeling alone, packless, as one of the Thihirtha Numea, Melissa wanders the streets of Southwestern Sacramento. Like the Herd, she ordered a strawberry milkshake at a nearby Subway. The sweet taste made her somewhat comfortable, because...

... there is so much to unsettle the Cahalith. She is trying to figure out the local borders and territories. Relatively far removed from downtown Sacramento, she walks on unclaimed land. Yet the border of the territory of The Sworn is dangerously close. If only she knew.

Of course, she is in Hishu form - she hopes to meet some other Uratha - and talking is best done wearing their human skin. Dressed in simple clothing, her eyes gaze through the streets. Several minutes past 5pm, the streets are busy with everyone going home from work. She expects to have at least a small chance. Passersby would without doubt declare her as having a cold, but by Mother Luna, she only tries to recognize the scent of her own kind.

Mar 18th, 2013 11:00 AM

And indeed, Melissa finds her own kind swiftly enough. The Crusaders territory may be further north of Melissa's position, but the thin neutral strips of land between pack territories that led up to the Tur, that was everyone's responsibility. Nick Munroe was on foot, wandering those areas. It was a strange scent - but on a primal level, it was something he knew.

The smell of the People.

He wore jeans and a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket on over it; it was the simple attire of a working man. Brown eyes scanned the source of the unfamiliar smell - a woman. "Hello." A nod and a slight smile as the muscular Rahu eyed up the unknown newcomer. It was not an exceptionally friendly smile, but it was polite enough.

**Dark Passenger** · Mar 18th, 2013 11:42 AM

A smile appears when she the smell of Uratha came closer. The source of the smell soon presented itself. Melissa dips her head slightly, greeting the man. Her smile is friendly, almost comforting.

'Hello.' She replies kindly. She scans the man's figure from top to toe. The rough type, not a rare kind among the People. She extends her hand, 'I believe we have seen each other before? I am Melissa Halliwell.' Her approach seems rather direct, yet with a clear purpose to get to know this man. Whether friend or foe, knowing each others name serves multiple purposes.

'I hope my presence here is not... inappropriate? Especially on such a beautifully clear day.' She looks down while emphasizing the 'here' as the very street she stands on.

Mar 18th, 2013 12:56 PM

Munroe shook the offered hand. His grip was firm enough without being crushing. "Nick Munroe. Yeah, I remember you," he said, looking like he was remembering something for a moment, and then he smiled. "Good to see you again." He nodded to her question. "No worries. You're okay here. Settling in well enough?" His fingers texted away on his phone for a moment, and he showed it to her without sending it. It was something typed into the Notepad app.

Territories are close by and the neutral strips between them are very narrow. Probably best to set up in South Sac for the moment; just keep an eye for markers and honour them.

Once she read it, he erased it.

**Dark Passenger** · Mar 18th, 2013 02:08 PM

Though her own grip is gentle, Melissa seems to handle the man's strength well enough. When Nick tells her she has no reason to worry a sense of relief fills the Cahalith.

'For the time being, I'm staying at a motel just out of town. Of course I hope I will soon be able to find something better.' She speaks matter-of-factly. Settling in is different for the People than it is for the Herd.

When Nick shows his phone, Melissa hardly moves her head, yet she can read it perfectly from a slight distance. Then slowly, she looks to her left, then to her right... as if checking for markers.

'Naturally, Nick.' Again a smile, 'Is it alright if I call you Nick?' From being a nurse she is used to call people by their first name, easily creating a personal bond.

Following those thoughts, she takes a business card from her pocket and hands it over. 'It is my old card, but so you see I'm hardly settled in at all.' Nick would soon see what she means with 'old card'. It reads "Stutter Solano Medical Center" in Vallejo. "M.C. Halliwell" and her contact information is on it. 'At least my cell phone number is the same.'

**Dale Hunt** · Mar 18th, 2013 02:11 PM

Dale had been handling some business down in South Sacramento, which happened to be one of the spots where his less-than-lawful buddies hung out at. Fortunately for him, it wasn't claimed territory by any of the packs. Sure, it was close to the turf that was claimed by the Sworn, but the Rahu honestly didn't give a fuck anyway. It wasn't like he was gonna march right into their territory without notice...unless it was to beat some sense into the lame excuse they had for an Alpha. Maybe some other time, he thought to himself as a smirk found its way to his lips.

Just as he turned around one corner, his nostrils flared slightly as he picked up on a scent that he recognized, and one that he did not. Huh. I wonder who Nicky is talking to? Following his instincts, Dale walked in the direction the scent had come from. It didn't take him long to spot the Iron Master talking with some girl, who happened to be real cute...and really unavailable. After all, the other scent he had picked up on had to be hers. Uratha Safal Thil Lu’u, he reminded himself as he approached the pair.

"Hey Nick," he said as he clapped the other Rahu's shoulder. "Who's your friend?"

Mar 19th, 2013 10:03 AM

Some people were willing to tar all the Sworn with the same brush.

Those people would have been very surprised to find an Irraka who was patrolling the boundaries of his pack's territory as if it were sacrosanct. Because it was. Because some people might be weak, but that didn't mean everyone was, or that everyone would make the same mistake given half a chance.

Victor could feel the comfortable weight of his sidearm at his hip. He didn't carry his rifle when he was walking around on foot, because what sort of numbnuts couldn't figure out that the coppers didn't like people who waved around high calibre sniper rifles, legally owned or not?

But the boundaries of his territory were close, so when he picked up the scent of Uratha nearby, he moved forwards in a steady, casual fashion.

"Nice night, fellas," the Irraka called, emerging from an alleyway where he'd taken a short cut. Short cuts in and out. All the exits covered.

**Dark Passenger** · Mar 21st, 2013 09:27 AM

48 hours...

Melissa stands there, with her self-assured smile, but just before things got awkward she extends her hand to Dale Hunt. 'I'm Melissa Halliwell, I arrived recently.'

'Hello.' She turns around to see who else joined them on the streets. As she feels surrounded, a panicked feeling rises for only a split second. These men are no enemies, I would have been dead already.

'Good evening,' Melissa nods and sips her strawberry milkshake as if it doesn't make her look a tiny bit childish. Then she offers a handshake to the third man to greet him.

Mar 21st, 2013 04:41 PM

It wasn't often that Alejandra found herself wandering amongst the crowds, as if she was just another one of the Herd. But there she was, donning a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and navy jacket. As a concession to the fact that accessories existed, the wild Irraka wore a simple steel chain. As a further indication that, for Sally's sake, Alejandra was trying to be more feminine, her nails had been coloured in dark blue varnish.

Sure, it was a little chipped by now, but she was trying.

Spotting a few familiar faces, Alejandra strode confidently toward toward the group of Uratha. Recognising the men, even if they didn't belong to her pack, she gave a quick-as-a-flash smile. To Melissa, her head jerked up in a more rapid greeting.

"Hey."

**Dale Hunt** · Mar 21st, 2013 06:36 PM

Dale extended his own hand to meet Melissa's handshake. "Dale Hunt," he said to the Cahalith, offering her a smile. "A pleasure to meet you." As he let go of her hand he turned to Nick Munroe for a moment. "What's wrong Nicky? Cat got your tongue?" he asked the other Rahu, letting out a soft chuckle before turning his attention back to the newcomer. "Well, welcome to Sacramento."

As Marcus and Alejandra approached, Dale turned to greet his fellow Blood Talons with a grin. "Hey you two," he said in a friendly tone to the pair of Irraka. "What's shakin'?"

From Subway to Sidewalk

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