The girls strutted through City Market as if they owned the popular tourist venue.  Their laughter carried through the market; perhaps the laughter held a mocking edge?  They stopped in front of an upscale cafe called Tappas.

Buffy saw the pretty "leader" guide them toward a lone teenager who'd been hanging out alone.  The boy was probably 15 or 16, fairly non-descript.  Nobody she'd pay attention to even once, much less twice.  The pretty black girls slowly circled the boy as they teased him with flirty remarks.

At first, the boy was somewhat wary of the unexpected attention.  Then, wariness was replaced by incredulousness.  Anyone watching saw pretty girls competing for the attention of an average boy.  Casual observers also saw astonished, immeasurable gratitude and excitement on his face.

This carried on for several minutes.  Eventually, the lead girl stood in unison with her peers.  They began walking away, and the boy's face fell so hard that Buffy thought it might crack the market square.  However, as the girls left, their leader crooked a beckoning finger at the boy--who hastily followed.

Soon, they all headed south on Jefferson Street and out of Buffy's sight...

Melba didn't look up until she'd finished the pizza and noticed the girls disappearing with a boy even Melba would barely have looked at once.  She blushed for no reason anybody could discern (unless they were telepathic) and wiped sauce from the corner of her mouth, frowning slightly.

Darius pays the scene little mind. He'd had his own fair share in such emotional-games that the popular kids like to play at times, and assumed the girls were just off to have a laugh at his expense now that they'd egged him on so dramatically. There was a reason he avoided knowing kids like that.

So rather than remark or even consider interceding, Darius continues chowing down on the pizza, silently slurping his soda, and maintaining small-talk with the lovely ladies at his own table.

Chan had a little more experience with this sort of thing than her brother did. Sure she'd had to put up with the occasional teasing and such, but things never really got too far out of hand. Some of her friends weren't nearly so lucky, and she'd seen first hand what sort of cruel fun those sorts of girls could have.

She still wasn't sure about what exactly it was that she'd seen, but it seemed to reason that it meant something bad was about to happen. Most likely to the boy that was sure to be their entertainment. "Something really bad is going to happen to that guy. Those girls are like a pack of Hyena's looking for the weakest Gazelle to torture for their amusement." Her appetite was ruined anyways, so she may as well step in. She doubted that the girls would do anything too terrible with a witness. Pushing her plate away she got up and followed the group of girls. She strongly suspected that Darius would follow, as he was that sort of guy.

Something bad, yeah that was it.  Melba wobbled to her feet.  "I need exercise after that", she said and moved after Chan.  "Coming Garrett?" she threw the words over her shoulder.

Darius watches his sister rush off to the young mans rescue, then as Melba leaps to join he realizes that his little sister has started a movement... and one that was likely to spread as wildfire through the small crew. "Crap. Looks like a Goonies moment." He laughs at his own bad analogy, as he pulls out his wallet and throws down sufficient cash plus tip to cover their orders. "May as well get a good deed out of the way. Ladies?" He asks/invites Buffy and Gracie as he stands up with intent to shadow behind his sister. He had every intention of following his little sister, despite firm belief that she was more than capable of handeling the situation... even if she might doubt it herself.

Gracie had not really watched the girls, they were beneath her. She had finished her pizza and was just sipping her drink when everyone started getting up. She sighed, it was just like Chan to do something like this, what was the worst that could happen.

"Sure, I will tag along. What could happen" she got up and walked with Darius. She didn't mind a little walk, it wasn't like they had any better plans.

Buffy shook her head as the others got up and began to move. She didn't like this one bit. Sighing, she stretched and followed after the others, looking around for some kind of weapon. She was less than enthused by the boy's willing response to such a strange ploy, but hey, she supposed that was any desperate guy.

Without a word, still looking for improvisable weapons, Buffy followed the others.

Buffy trailed her newfound friends, undoubtedly as worried for their safety as for the hapless geek picked up by the girl-gang.  Chan left first, followed by Melba and Garrett, trailed by a concerned Darius and Gracie Lynn.  People milled happily through the City Market.

Night now fully fallen, Savannah suddenly seemed a little less romantic.  The night air held an undertone of acidic gases from the city buses and cars.  A slight humidity hinted at what torture lay ahead in the summer.  The laughter of the girls ahead held a subtle, sinister edge to it.

Along the way, Buffy saw wooden benches lining the market.  The back supports were thick planks, but nothing even a beginning Slayer couldn't rip off as an improvised weapon.  A crude stake was there for Buffy's taking.

The girls led the boy away from City Market, hitting the less-bustling Montgomery Steet...

Melba noticed Buffy lagging back a little but had no idea why.  She lagged back herself and said to Buffy, "I think it's only his pride at stake, but watch out for snakes.  Something killed the jock in the school."

Despite the concern for his sister, and by proxy the hapless uy being pulled onwards by the small gaggle of women, Darius is pretty easy going on the walk. He always enjoyed the cooler temperatures of night, and found the moonlight to be more to his liking than that of the glaring sun. He always preformed better at night games to boot.

With Buffy having fallen back a bit, Darius continues small talk with Gracie as he maintains a pace that keeps Chan in sight. The small chat is fluent, and not forced... but the rhythm with which he tries to keep talking against any impending silences is just another indication of his attraction towards the cheerleader walking next him.

Gracie walks along, not really paying attention to the girls, thinking its not like they will do much to the poor smuck. Its his stupid fault for going along with them. She pays attention to Darius, talking to him about what ever come to mind.  She knows as long as he is there, they are safe, who in their right mind would fool with him.

Buffy nodded to Melba, hearing her. She didn't like the way this night had taken an ominous turn. It was creepy, and she had been hoping to avoid this kind of stuff.

Really.

"Hey...'scuse me one sec..."

Buffy made her way over to one of the benches. She felt it was time to grab that weapon...

Chan kept the same pace as she followed the girls and their fun. She hoped that nothing to bad would happen to the guy before they caught up. Maybe some humiliation of some sort or another, or a beating from one of the boyfriends, but nothing much more serious than that.

Buffy easily outraced her new friends through City Market.  The Slayer discreetly one-punched a slat on a bench.  Voila, instant stake!  Using the crowd for cover, Buffy sped toward the alleys.

The Slayer arrived first, finding the girls crowding around their "catch".  Darius led the group and wasn't far behind Buffy.  However, he nearly took them left, when they should have gone right.  Only Chan's last-second hunch steered them in the right direction.

Soon, they caught up with Buffy.  What they saw confused them at first.  The girl-pack circled the boy they'd picked up.  The young man whimpered piteously, his eyes closed tight, his breath coming in short and rapid huffs.

The confident girl who'd led her "gang" hovered over him.  Her head was bent low, as if kissing his neck.  However, when she pulled away, what she left wasn't a hickey.  Blood smeared her lips, obviously drawn from the dribbling punctures on the boy's neck.

Her head swiveled, turning to see who'd interrupted her snack.  Baleful yellow eyes nearly shone in the dark.  A furrowed brow made deep by unnatural ridges glared hotly.  Her throat rumbled in a growl no human throat should have ever made.

"You've stepped into the wrong alley, white girl," she said to Buffy, clearly ignoring the others.  "Walk away now if you don't want your lily-white ass dredged from the river!"

Buffy narrowed her eyes, pulling her makeshift stake from behind her back. She had been praying to avoid this. She didn't want to fight vampires or things that went bump in the night. She wanted to worry about being popular, about who would ask her to the prom...

C'est la vie.

"That is really inappropriate, you know? Especially for someone who's about to be dust."

Buffy brandished the weapon and looked around her, also hoping she could successfully take on this chick and her little posse.

"Oooh.  You're fronting pretty hard for a cheerleader with a stick."  The vampire flashed a tooth grin at Buffy.  "Oh.  I get it.

You think you're a Vampire Slayer.  Oh, that's funny!"  She chuckled softly, her undead cronies joining in the titters.

"Skinny lil' bitch think she a Slayer!"

The lead vampire thrust the boy away from her like a package of Charmin toilet paper.  "Here.  The doctor says I need more Iron in my diet!"  The lithe vampire began circling Buffy with tooth and claw, the Slayer's new friends watching in confusion...

Buffy shook her head.

"Unfortunately for you, fang face, I don't think. I am."

Ugh, she'd been fighting SO HARD to avoid this! Why was she rushing headlong into it, now? Buffy whirled the stake in her hand and gestured at Gabrielle.

"Bring it."

She couldn't help it, her high school self would not allow this woman to taunt her the way she was...

Melba began, at least mentally, taking notes.  In her head, she erased the words 'giant snakes' and added in its place, 'vampires'.  She smiled as the mystery solved itself, and her smile widened at the two-for-one solution of the Buffy mystery.

'Vampire Slayer' she half muttered, half whispered to Garrett.  'kewl'.

Gracie ran right behind Darius and looked at the scene in front of her. What the heck is going on? What are those girls doing? What do they mean vampires and killers? "WHATS GOING ON?" she is disgusted and scared to hell. She is thinking she should turn and run but can't leave Darius or Chin.

Darius looks at the scene with more confusion than he's ever felt in his life. A man of action, who can juke, spin, sprint, or pass without thinking when men twice his size are heading at him full kilt... hesitates.

At least, comparatively. To the others, it likely looks like he doesn't pause in the least before rushing forward to stand beside Buffy. He doesn't have a stake, or even know that these girls are anything other than psycho-meth-b*tches.

"Back off. I'm not keen on hitting girls, but so help me... you're done hurting that boy." He promises.

Buffy was kind of glad for Darius' stand with her, as she heard the others catch up in the background, but...these were vamps. Buffy looked sideways at Darius.

"Darius, be very careful...these aren't ordinary crazy chicks..."

Buffy whirled the stake again anxiously, waiting to see what Gabrielle was going to do. She just wanted to dust this bitch and get on with her night...

Melba considered rushing in in mock outrage, and throwing her not-inconsiderable weight around for as many as three nanoseconds.  After rejecting that option, she observed carefully, making sure that next time, she would know how to kill vampires and as far as practicable, be prepared.

11:48, Today: Melba Ellenberger rolled 14 using 1d10+6. Perception + notice how to fight vamps.

Gracie walks up beside Darius. She stood in her cheerleader pose. She was ready to back up Darius if she had too.

The leader chuckled in a soft laugh that seemed perversely pleasant coming from that monstrous face.  "Oooh, look, girls.  The Slayer's got some Slayerettes!"  Her baleful yellow eyes swept the group with a mirthful gleam.

"I don't know, Gabrielle, but DAMN if she don't run with one fine young brother!"  A round of approving whoops accompanied the "appraisal" of Darius.  The girl gang looked at Darius as if he were something good to eat.

"Yes.  I wouldn't mind a date with that one!  I'll share the fat white chick and keep him for myself!"  Then, they REALLY looked at Melba as if she were something good to eat!  Not unlike the way a fox might eyeball a hen.

"There's one piece of business we need to take care of first, ladies.  Slayers are fabled to live extraordinarily short lives.  Why don't we see about helping this one reach her expiration date?"

At that point, the one called Gabrielle reached behind her neck. She pulled a knife seemingly from out of nowhere that looked less like "knife" and more like "short sword".

"Let's dance, Slayer!"  Then, the vampire called "Gabrielle" rushed Buffy with an expert sword thrust!

OOC:

It's RUMBLE TIME!  Buffy, don't forget your rolls!

Gabrielle first, then Buffy, followed by She-Vamps & Darius for Initiative!  Everyone else last!  :p