2020-12-19 In Deceit There Is Defense

In Deceit there is Defense
The Ratkin take care of their own!
IC Date	19th of December, 2020
Players	Harvey, Perfection, Gogh as Sleeping ST.
Location	The Shanty Village - Home of Ratkin!
Prp/Tp	One Shot Scene
Spheres	Ratkin
Theme Song	Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero

Gogh slept.

The wounds on her arm had been bandaged, the bindings changed, as her body chugged through the healing process. One claw clutched at the machete fiercely, holding it to her chest, her other knife tucked down at her side. She shivered under the blankets, muttering fitful, random nonsense in rodens, as the Ratkin recovered. No disease, no chance of that, but she was ... unconscious. Still, it could be worse.

She could have been alone.

The black rat that is Harvey had many projects he needed to see to. Many things he had to oversee. But it has been so long since he had another rat around in the little village in the middle of the city. So long since he had someone to talk to and be a Ratkin with! And now he has two. And one of them is injured. He has opted to stay and guard her as she heals. He has placed himself as high as he can, sitting on the edge and overlooking the area. Making sure nothing bad comes along; not even in a Ratkin stronghold like this can you ever be 100% safe.

"You'll never be alone," That's the promise of the Fat Rat. Perfection is not the Fat Rat, she is the Pale Rat (possibly not unlike a Pale Horse, which Death follows with), but she upholds the Fat Rat's promise, curled up on Gogh's head, only occasionally shifting for balance, sleeping as the wounded Deceit-mate sleeps. Waking occasionally and making sure nobody's et either of them. Right now, she's sitting up and sniffing in Harvey's direction. <<What do you see?>>

It's quiet out there. But there are smells, wafting across from the distant roads. Slowly, slipping through the scents of burnt wiring and the close by laundrey. The rich, dark smells of chocolate, cheese, drifting with the wind. There's a distant squeal of tires, and the tinkle of glass from there, from the same way

There is silence at first from the black rat up on the top of the .. well .. what is the highest point here? Most likely his RV, since he loves his RV. So, that is where he is sitting, watching. His head turning this way and that, <<Clear. All clear. Quiet.. quiet.>> he says, but this is said before the sounds come along. He silences, turning his head that way with his ears perking up and angling.

<<That's NOT quiet,>> Perfection warns, sitting protectively on Gogh's head. <<We should investigate? Maybe? Adventure. Daring. Keep-keep safe!>>

Gogh stirs a little underneath Perfection's perfect rodent butt. She doesn't even come close to shaking the pale rat off, though. No, there are angry sounds drifting on the wind, two voices yelling, the sound of metal crunching.

The black rat sits up to this and by the time the rat has finished sitting up, it has turned into a human. Into Harvey, "I agree. That is not nothing. It is something." he hammers out in that usual quick fire way of talking that he has. His voice somewhat in a nasal range. He reaches inside his jacket, pulling out his sawed-off shotgun, to then stand up on his lets on the roof of the RV, "Yes. Investigate." he agrees with the pale rat.

<<Disturbing Gogh's rest," Perfection agrees, skittering off the sleeping ratkin. Shifting, too, into human form, pulling on the Adibas pants and her pink hoodie, she begins stalking - barefoot - in the direction of the noise. "Investigate, chase off intruders. Protect our land," She concludes.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Dexterity + Stealth vs 7 for -1 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

Perfection slips on out, crouching and moving towards the interesting scents, the sounds of anger. She can see two cars hit one another - they're screaming they both sweved to avoid something. They're furious! Angry monkeys! But she's so intent on them, so focused as they complain their toys broke, she didn't notice the figure slipping behind her. No, the first she feels is a knife pressed to the small of her back, a hand wrapping around her throat from behind. And a dry, scathing voice. "You smell of the little thief" She hisses. A name crawls into memory. A-U-D-R-E-Y. Scratched into Perfection's mind by a thousand rats, boiling up in her blood "Take me to her, little one, and you'll be fine"

And none of it is seen by Harvey, yet. He's waiting for Perfection to come back with a report on what she sees, so he remains up on the RV for now. The shotgun still held in his hands, he crouches down by the edge of the roof. His right hand clenching the grip of the shotty, finger resting twitchily on the trigger. He is peering at the main entrance to the village. Waiting.

"Dunno wotcher talkin' 'bout mate, I dinnae see NUTHIN'!" Perfection protests, slipping into some devilish mixture of scots and scouse and cockney. An insult to anyone from the isles, certainly. None too worried about knives, she's the hero of this story after all. "Wazzat you?" Pointing at the humans arguing. "Did you make them squish their wheely-bins together?"

"Yep" The woman grins into Perfection's ear. She keeps the knife close, hissing as she starts to guide the Perfect Rodens back into the little village, shielding her with her own body. Keeping her own face, figure, hidden. Perfection can't see a thing of her. The knife pricks, directs, and the cuts burn. "Don't play coy, cousin. I'm not here for you. Take me in there" She hisses

It is quiet. Almost too quiet! Harvey crouches down a bit more, one hand moving to rest on the edge of the RV as he leans forward. He peers at the entrance. Very quiet. If it had been nothing, she should have returned. He looks left, he looks right. He needs to see what is happening. He puts the shotgun into his jacket, to then let himself slowly slide into his rodens form. And as the black rat, he leaps easily from the RV, landing on the ground.

"Or what, you're going to make me bleed, Audrey?" Perfection asks, the accent gone as quick as it came. "You can make me bleed. Maybe you can even kill me. But I don't respond well to threats. You have to make them treats, instead. What is in it for me? And it better be not getting stabbed. Also, this is my good hoodie, so if you make me get a new one I'll be cross," She notes. She IS, however, taking the woman in there - deliberately taking a path that will hopefully bring her into Harvey's line of sight from the RV. 'cuz it's not like she realised he's moved.

"Yep. You'll recover if I do" Audrey responds, her nails scratching along Audrey's neck. It's an oddly soothing motion, the scratches to a rat's ruff. "Like I said, not here for you. If you're smart, we can all get out of here, no blood, no one hurt" A crooning little sound, as she trots along, right into Harvey's sights

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Patchy Black Rat rolls Perception(6) + Alertness(2) (8 dice) vs 7 for 1 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

... ... out of here ... blood ... hurt ... comes the whisper to the Black Rat's ears

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Patchy Black Rat rolls Dexterity(6) + Stealth(2) (8 dice) vs 4 for 4 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

Voices. Blood? Hurt? Safety first! Hide first and ask questions perhaps later. The Black rat does not wait. It simply turns and bounds QUICKLY over the ground before he skids along the ground and disappears under a pile of junk. He's still near Gogh, though, not wanting to leave her side. He peers through the darkness at the entrance, watching.

"You might not BE here for me, but me is what you GOT!" Perfection protests, and with that there's a squeal and squealch and a ripping of flesh, an absorption of clothing into fur, and now a tiny rat is hanging onto the woman's hand, ready to get all bitey.

"IDIOT" Audrey snarls in shock, and twists at the hip - not to stab the suddenly-rat Perfection, but to fling her, end over end, into the little village!

<---======##============[ Initiative order for turn ]============##======--->
14 Perfection
13 Patchy Black Rat
9 Gogh

• Characters declare low to high (unless ST chooses high to low)
  
• Characters act high to low
  

<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Gogh rolls 4 + 4 vs 6 for 4 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Strength + Brawl vs 6 for 3 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Dexterity + Brawl vs 5 for 6 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Strength + 1 + 5 vs 5 for 3 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Gogh rolls 4 vs 6 for 0 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Patchy Black Rat rolls Dexterity(6) + Stealth(2) (8 dice) vs 4 for 4 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Gogh rolls 4 + 3 vs 6 for 4 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

Things are happening! The black rat looks to the left and right. Seeing no one, he darts out from his hiding place and begins to SCURRY as fast as he can towards the entrance to the village. Moving from cover to cover. Making sure to try to stay hidden. Reaching the entrance, he peers around to see what is happening.. seeing someone attacking Perfection!

Perfection can't really SEE Audrey here. She's too busy clinging on as the other ratkin flails and tries to slam her against a wall, teeth sinking into the exposed skin of the other Skulker's hand. Audrey, meanwhile, is stumbling around, still making a slow way into the village

Patchy Black Rat has rolled initiative: 19

Perfection has rolled initiative: 12

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Patchy Black Rat rolls Dexterity(6) + Stealth(2) (8 dice) vs 4 for 6 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Gogh rolls 4 + 3 vs 6 for 2 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

The black rat that is Harvey knows this situation. He has been in similar spots. He knows what he has to do! He watches Audrey move around with Perfection hanging from her hand and with this he suddenly bounds out from his hiding place. He rushes along the ground, fast fast! Moving around, behind..

Perfection angrily squeaks as her teeth dig into the fleshy bit between thumb hand, and she's digging her claws in to stay attached to the hand, continuing her nasty-nasty chewing, because really, how DARE this woman, this cousin, come here and threaten her with a knife! There must be punishment!

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Dexterity + Brawl vs 5 for 5 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Gogh rolls 4 + 4 vs 6 for 1 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Strength + 1 + 5 vs 5 for 2 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

Audrey, meanwhile ... still, her face a blur as she twists and yells and curses, suddenly, without warning ... vanishes, in a haze of ozone and Gnosis, simply darting through a hole in existance and leaving Perfection with the taste of blood in her mouth and a Very, Very Concerned Harvey wondering where his target went ...

He was already on his way to his human form! And he takes it, just about to aim that shotgun but instead aiming the shotgun at .. nothing. At the air! And he had a speech planned out in his head too! All ready to spout off a warning and threat and everything! "Noo! Where are you! GET BACK HERE YOU CRAPPY THING!" he shrieks out in that fast paced, nasal-y voice of his!

Well, it's a good thing there's no reflections nearby, because if there were the startled squeak from Perfection would surely be followed by a similar poof. Instead, she tumbles head over tail, landing bouncily on her paws, chittering up at Harvey. <<She wanted the Thief! Her name is Audrey! She's a cousin! I think the Thief is Gogh! We should ask Gogh about her!>> A beat. <<Did you see?! I nearly took her thumb off!>>

"Gogh..." Harvey replies, and before he says another word he simply turns to the entrance of the village and rushes back full speed. Crashing through any junk or garbage pile in his path! They were here to protect her and they left her and this foe disappeared! So it is to Gogh he is running now, to make sure they were not duped!

<<Yes! Gogh!>> And with that, Perfection also skitters along, rushing back to the sleeping Knife-Skulker. Admittedly, she's doing so because she's excited, not because she's worried.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Harvey rolls Strength(2) + Athletics(3) (5 dice) vs 6 for 0 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Perfection rolls Strength + Athletics vs 6 for 1 successes.
<-=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============->

When they round the corner, Gogh is there, curled up under the blanket. And there is a *curse* from a crouched figure who was pawing over the Knife Skulker - before once again, she vanishes.

And they never saw Audrey's face. But she's gone. And Gogh? Sleeps undisturbed.

Harvey is slower than Perfection is. He never were much for the moving fast option. He always preferred building things. So it's no surprise when the little rat rushes past him! He does have time to see the thing disappear again, though. But he does not stop until he's just by Gogh side.

<<THIEF!>> Perfection calls out, as Audrey slips away once more, the tiny rat barrelling after her, leaping onto Gogh's belly, protective now. <<YOU BETTER RUN! I WILL FIND YOU!>> She squeaks angrily, hissing and spitting and jumping around herself in anger and frustration. Then it occurs to her to see if anything is missing from Gogh's stash.

Three of Gogh's fingers had been peeled back. They are splashed with blood. The machete, though, is still clutched, and the little Skulker continues to slumber, even after the Pale Rat takes up her guard position once more.