West

The western part of the city is often home to the poorer residents. Here there is a grunginess that permeates the town from the graffiti on the once cleaned brick buildings to the broken and unmaintained architecture. Crime runs high within the western half of town, making it the home of supernatural gangs of illicit activities. Such activities are rarely reported, however, and most residents are distrustful of individual's of authorities, and often let the powerful supernatural beings sort things out amongst themselves. Be careful wandering the Western streets after the sun falls.

What You'll Find Here

Black Market
Cull & Pistol
Noah's Ark
Syn

raise me up and count me among thy Saints


Posted on March 05, 2022 by Ashling Brannagh O'Malley
West



The darkness that seemed to have given way for the teenager now shifted its cadence. Her striking coloring was being noticed now amongst the men now forming that ring, she had been able to hide in plain sight before -- untouchable and ethereal amongst the dark colors. There was a feral pulse behind the flashes of teeth that were too white in the dim light, too sharp or too elongated but others just sparkled with pure malice. The lights were too bright in her eyes as they shone down from the ceiling, she hadn't quite adjusted yet before she's spinning in a circle, summer-blue eyes scanning the faces around her as if searching for a familiar face, anyone, but the faces were too dark.

She still held the clutch in her hand, unwilling to let it go for the moment even as she twisted to survey the room again, that dazed look still flickering across her features. It was only when she finally turned towards the center of the circle did she wish she had done so sooner. The burly man had advanced, one hand lifting to backhand her across the face. He probably thought that would be the end of it, she looked small as her body hit the ground, one shoulder absorbing the impact with a sudden cracking noise -- the crowd loved it, they went wild for even the barest hint of blood and shredded skin. The noise seemed more amplified in her ears, a ringing that spun the crowd in her vision as she shook her head. She licks her lips as a voice rings clear through the crowd, that dazed look fading from her eyes as she looks to the pair of boots in front of her. A blink. A second one. Finally a third one before they traveled up to the face that it belonged to. Her mouth opened as if to say something but her lips curved into a tight, painful smile instead. The big guy behind her only grunted, beating his chest as if he had already won, until the youth moved.

Ash shifted her body, pressing off the ground, one shoulder raw from where she hit the ground, arm dangling useless at her side. Her eyes glance towards it, assessing before she toes off her heels. She seems more comfortable this way, the way she crouches, the black dress riding up her thighs as the men jeered but with her heart pounding in her chest she lifts her good hand and wipes away the blood from her split lip before her hand dips into her clutch left discarded near her shoes. She palms a silver object into her hand but even she wasn't stupid enough to face the man alone.

She draws a shaky breath in between her swollen lips before she turns and bounds towards the edge of the ring. A thrumming went through her as she neared it, pain filtering into her eyes before she reached a hand through and jerkily but tightly latched onto the familiar leather of Brennan's coat and gave a tug."How about--" she manages to get out through gritted teeth, "--you...you do it...for me?"Pain sears through her even as she tilts her head back to look into those extremely familiar eyes and quickly away towards the brute who has now shifted into some half-bear complete with teeth and claws and looking at the pair as if they were his next meal. For the second time that night her lips part to mutter, "Fuck."


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