Wandering the Halls

Jason walk in the the halls, stoping at Works for Food and Carbon Boneshaker's memorial/tombs.  He kneels at each one for a moment and looks like he is praying.  After he does this he moves to the tunnel the Sly Ones were inspecting almost a year ago.  He smiles a little remember the little adventure they had.  He shoots off a couple texts before he shifts to wolf form and starts to move in to where they explored before.

The tunnels, at first orderly and reflecting one for each other tribes of the Nation, eventually become smaller and less organized as you push deeper to the north.

Once he gets to the last room they mapped he will shift back in the area large enough to, and pull the map he made last time he was here out of his pocket.  He pulls out a penlight and looks at it.  He will make his way to the Glasswalker tombs and sits there for a while and think, after a time he will move north.

Wishbone quietly pads through the tunnels, not too far behind, tracking Jason both by scent and gift.

Jason notices Wishbone after a while, "Hey WB...  I have a question for you...  Are we the only one from Those Guys left?"

" Both of you, wait up a second. " 

Echoes a familiar voice in the Glasswalker crypt.

Jason will pause, listening to the voice, trying to place it.

Jason does what he can to turn around quickly and head to the Glasswalker Crypt.  He yells to Wishbone, "Wish, did you hear that?!  That sounds like Case..."

Wishbone will follow, silent for the moment.

The Glasswalker crypt remains still, perfectly clean in shined marble, and utterly silent.

Jason will look around, seeing if there is something behind something.  "Wish, can you look across?  I know some of us can, but I can't."

<< One notes that unusual things happen within the Halls. >>

Wishbone turns his head this way and that, scenting.  (( OOC: See the Unseen, Sense the Unnatural, Sense Wyrm? ))

Across the thin Gauntlet here, it is easy for Wishbone to perceive the ancestor spirits who slumber here, and one who, vaguely absurdly, is standing in front of you and waving.  There stands the old Alpha's Ancestor spirit.

Wishbone blinks.  A Glasswalker ancestor spirit? 

In Lupus: << He is on the other side of the Gauntlet. >>

Stepping through.  Spending the mentals and the Primal Urge.  Don't have Gnosis to spare, at the moment.

Jason spend the gnosis and step across.

In the Umbra...

 " We do have them, " Casey observes, " We're just terrible at keeping track of them, and worse at remembering them.  I guess that's why nobody came looking for me after the ritual. "

He reflects, " Of course, nobody comes to visit Josh Davis either, he's probably going back into the pool soon... so maybe that's just the way things work. "

His voice seems distant, detached, lacking the emotional affection of a living Garou.  He is dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, though the details of these seem whispy if one focuses too hard on them.

<< One notes than one has observed in the past... >>

The lupus stops, shifts into Crinos, and continues.  For some things, lupine is an unsatisfactory language.

"Dammit, Casey, I told you running off on your own was gonna get you killed.  We NEEDED you."

He runs a paw through the scraggly fur on his brow.

"As for looking for your spirit...yeah, sorry about that.  With the attack on the Maid, things slipped through the cracks."

Jason seems to be ready to start crying again, tears pooling in already puffy eyes.  "Why Case...  Why..."  He seems to be getting angry.  "The Sept needs you... /I/ need you...  You have been like a dad to me since I got here... We had our problems, yea, but you were a better dad than mine..." By the time he stops he is yelling. "You were always telling me to not wander off alone, and that is what you do?!  You were my best friend, one of my only ones!"

To Wishbone: " Running ahead because you know best, while leaving the others in the dark... that's a great way to get yourself killed.  Good advice, maybe you should take it for yourself.  I know you push against the current Alpha telling you the same thing. "

He brightens slightly, though his affect remains surprisingly flat.

" A witty turnaround... I'm going to try to be dramatically vague with my next response.  I could be good at this. "



He shakes his head, seemingly unable to fully grasp Jason's strong emotions, " I'm... sorry.  I did the best I could.  I'm still here, for now.  Better than most folks get. "

Jason has tears rolling down his face, he looks like a kid with his oversized coat and clothes in Homid.

Wishbone holds up a finger.  "Hold on, now.  Fair's fair.  YOU put the rule in place: nobody goes off on their own.  I just had to take a member of my pack to task for just that.  Yeah, you're right, I've taken too much on myself, and that's why I put together Foundation.  I can't do it on my own.  You, on the other hand..."

He stops himself and shakes his head.  "You did what you thought was right, and arguing about it isn't going to change that."

In Spirit Speech: << We will honor your spirit and your memory...but I will miss you just the same. >>

"You and Those Guys are the only reason I stayed...  What about your family, your wife and kids...  What of Old Frank's line.. Who is going to protect them?  You were the only one who gave me directions I could understand, what am I going to do now.  You and Wishbone are really the only ones I think of as family I have left..."

Casey doesn't seem to be able to pick up Jason's non-verbal cues, he continues flatly...

" My children are going to be fine.  With me out of the way, the'll be able to live pretty normal lives.  I had good life insurance, and my wife will probably marry again.  All will be well with them, I am certain.  Jason, you have family too, you have the Sept, your tribe, Wishbone and the others.  They are your brothers, if you will let them help you with the load. "

"Jason, that's a really good question.  Who IS going to protect them?"  Wishbone turns to look at the Glass Walker.  "What do you think the answer should be?"

"What with Firewall at the helm?!  I walked in to his office earlier basically crying and asking for instruction, all he did was order me to find a pack!  We need a father as our Alpha, not a Drill Sargent!!!"

He takes a deep breath.  "Are any of Old Frank's line left?  It should be someone of their family who keeps an eye on them...  I would do it, but they don't know me, and how would it look...  Casey did your wife know what you were?"

To Wishbone:
" Old Frank's line sired a dozen Garou.  Most of them have been moving away or centralizing since the old man died.  My own family will do the same, my wife knew to get out of here when something took me down.  I was prepared, anybody with a family should do the same. "

To Jason:
" I don't know.  Garou need strong leaders, but they need more than that.  Your new alpha will be wanting to show he is in control, that he can handle it.  I would not go to him for emotional succor until he is more comfortable in his position. "

Beat pause.

" I pity him. "

His flat tone makes it difficult to tell if he's joking.

"So do I.  Alpha of this Sept is not a forgiving job."

Wishbone turns to Jason.  "Jason, look: I'm not good at this, either.  I'm a lupus.  I grew up with the understanding that if a member of your pack dies, you accept it and move on."  He sighs.  "Thing is, I've seen a lot of death since then.  My mate.  My cubs.  My first pack.  My second pack, except for you.  I've had to bury almost two entire Septs.  So...yeah.  It's hard.  But I've also found that when I howl out my grief to the night sky, the night sky doesn't answer.  And then I get up, and I go on, because what other choice is there?"

" You are incorrect, Wishbone.  Gaia weeps for every death.  She shelters us the best she can, holding onto as many wounded souls as she can through the cycles, 'till the world be mended.   When the time comes to drink from the waters of Lethe, that bring forgetfullness, we only forget what we must so that she may carry us through unmarred to the final battle. "

"I will get in touch with her and see what she wants to do, it would be easier if I can speak plainly with her about what happened.  Casey, my friend... Pops..., what should I do?  Should I join a pack, or start a new one and try and do what I tried to do with the Sly Ones?"  He seems ready to cry again.  "Wish, you have to grieve, you have to move on, but you need to try and work out what to do..."   After a moment he starts to yell "Gah!!  Why can't I just fucking listen to myself!?!?"

He hesitates, looking off into the middle distance for a moment, " At least that's what they told me at Ancestor Spirit orientation. "

To Jason, " Just live kid, the pain will fade, but it'll never really stop.  That's what being a Garou is; learning to deal with the pain.  That doesn't mean it doesn't suck right now. "

Jason snorts and laughs slightly, "Orientation?" 


"Did they say if those of us that miss you can shake your hand?"

Wishbone nods.  "Yeah.  You answered your own question, Jason.  Eventually, everyone has to stop turning to their parents for answers and start turning to that inner voice.  And if your parents did a good job, well, that inner voice has a lot of them in it."

" My hands were burned and consumed by a great fire, Jason.  I am only that which was eternal in him. "

He nods in agreement with Wishbone

He snorts " 'You're a useless waste of space, Ragabash....  Your mother should have had you under a full moon.  I should have tossed you out the window before your first change...'  Great fucking inner voice... ". He bows he head and wipes his tears.  "Casey...  I love you man, you were the Dad I should have had, a hero, not a rat bastard.... "

His voice, completely flat for the entire conversation, suddenly gains a hint of inflection... anger.

 " You're quite right.  The rats are bastards. "

Jason looks at Wish sideways. "How long do you think you will be here before we lose you, Case?"

Wishbone leans forward, suddenly intent, lapsing back into Spirit Speech.  << Casey, how did they bind the Unraveler?  And do you know anything more about their plans? >>

Aaaand, back to flatness...

" Quite the opposite.  You've only lost me while I remain here; the Nation needs all the Garou is can have.  A suitable body is all I'm waiting for.  Ugh, do the dead really have to use passive voice all the time? "

To Wishbone,

<<No, I'm only supposed to be here to impart wisdom and teach rites and such, not supposed to get involved in current events.  That said, they played me for a fool, and I walked right into it... they had a dozen spirits they had prepared shoved into me... the whole thing didn't make a lot of sense, like an opium dream... but I do know they needed a Garou because they can't make fetishes themselves.  Also, I know spirit speech now.  Huh.>>

Wishbone nods and sighs.  "Well, crap.  I suppose I could go ask them."  A pause.  "Somehow, I think that would be a bad idea."

Hey, did Wishbone just try to make a funny?

Jason looks sidelong at Wish, "Dude, jokes are my thing... Case, are there any rites you can teach"

" Sure, I seem to know all the Philadox rites now, punishment, things like that. "

"Would it be looked down on it you taught me some of those, for either of us?"

"Yeah, well, can't blame a guy for trying."  He turns to Casey again.  "You know what's going on here.  You knew what I knew about the Ten, at least up to the point where you went to Allegany.  I don't know how much you know now, but...how the hell are we supposed to deal with a group of Incarna that are ready to fight for their lives?"

To Wishbone:

 " Hang on, I need to be cryptic... spirit thing : The same way you fight a giant stone Abraham Lincoln... you'll need a giant stone John Wilkes Booth. "

To Jason:

" Same deal, spirit stuff.  I need you to...  steal Chases Car's bathrobe and bring it here without getting caught.  I'll teach you some basic rite, seems like a fair trade. "

"Umm Case?  Wouldn't that be in violation of territory?"

Wishbone squints incredulously.

"I'm not sure what's scarier.  The fact that you just gave me spiritual advice from a cartoon, or the fact that I think I actually get it."

" I think I may have been a Ragabash in most of my past lives.  Okay folks, I'm getting worn out by this, think this old man's about done for the night. "

Jason laughs again, "I could see that being true.  How can I get a hold of you to learn that stuff?"

" I'm not going anywhere, kid.  That's how this works. "

He begins to fade.

" Wishbone... umm.. This is where I say something vague that turns out to be helpful after the fact. "

He disappears.

" Love you guys. "

In the Umbra, the faint forms of the slumbering elders can be seen, but otherwise all is still.

"So.  Does this help at all, Jason?"