Civilian/Synopsis

## Civilian

The sun is setting behind an apartment complex in the city of Walker's Point. Inside at one of the apartments, Sean's father is standing behind the slightly open door with an unfriendly look on his face. He's saying no to whoever is standing outside. Trying to be reasonable, Joe tells Sean's father he just wants to know where Sean is. The man rudely answers that he'd heard him, then he goes to close the door in Joe's face. Getting aggravated at the man's obstinacy, Joe rushes the door, telling Sean's father that's not cool. Openly hostile and calling him boy, the man tells Joe to step away from the door. He says if he wanted his kid hanging out with people like Joe, he'd─ He doesn't get to finish what he's saying because Joe interrupts him, daring him to say what he'd do. Joe's anger allows the chains to slip on his inner chimera, and it rises to the surface. Frightened by what he's seen, the man pulls back stammering. Holding himself back, Joe mutters, "Don't. Just don't." Joe turns and marches off, getting away from the man, saying he could find Sean himself.─────────────────────

A woman's voice intones, "Blood and bone." Holding the bloody cloth in her hand, the basement butcher amends that by adding, "Well, blood anyway." The three women who live in the Victorian manor, all barefoot and wearing brown monk's robes and possibly nothing else, are gathered together around a brazier that's burning with a green flame. The room they're in bears a resemblance to a hospital ward. The high school student tells the others that she's pretty sure even someone as oblivious as Gomez would have noticed if she had removed a bone. While the young woman is speaking, the butcher drops the cloth into the fire. The culvert witch acknowledges that they could all do better, but in the meantime, she wants to see what they're actually working with. The women take each others hands and they begin. Drawing the smoke deep into their lungs, each recites their part of the ritual with their eyes closed.

The butcher recites, "By blood and bone…"

Next is the culvert witch, "By fire and flesh…"

Last is the student, "Let what was unseen…" her violet-ringed eyes snap open, "… be seen."

A vision forms in the smoke. It shows first Corkindale and Jaeger of the Order of the White Wolf, then Kagan and Sienna … and finally, Ralabast. The vision ends and the smoke dissipates. The women break the circle, letting go of each others hands.

The connection created by the spell lingers, causing the women to finish each others sentences. The eldest reacts first, saying "He's…", then the one called Mother jumps in, saying, "Ralabast, the first and the strongest. His power … it's…", then the youngest speaking last, husks breathily, "Endless."─────────────────────

Walking along, Joe is eating something messy wrapped in paper, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Pushing through the door of a convenience store, Joe tosses the empty and crumpled wrapper into a nearby trash can. A particularly inquisitive squirrel watches Joe from the rim of that trash can. Standing by the end cap of a snacks display rack, Joe comments that this is kind of depressing, and he tells Sean that he hopes it pays well. Not looking away from the product he's stocking, Sean replies that it doesn't.

Getting to the point, Joe tells Sean he knows he's mad about─ Sean interrupts, saying he protected Joe. Bewildered, Joe stammers, but Sean isn't done. He says he protected Joe from everyone. He was always there, every time. Joe and Sean. They were a team, right? Then Sean accuses Joe of lying to him. Joe tells him he didn't lie, he just … didn't tell him. Sean asks if that's supposed to be an excuse, and Joe answers it was supposed to be an apology. Not cutting Joe any slack, Sean tells him he's not doing great. Putting his hand on his face, admits he knows, that he didn't mean to… You never do, Sean tells him. You understand even before this, they had to adjust everything around you. Not entirely grateful, Joe reminds Sean that he didn't ask him to do that. Sean says he knows, but that's how it is for Joe. The world bends around him and he doesn't even notice. Sean tells him he certainly didn't appreciate it. Joe points out that's not fair, and Sean admits that may be, then he adds lots of things aren't.

Sean carries on, saying they could have been killed. What if those things decided to attack them when Joe wasn't around? Joe says he didn't think of that. Finally unbending a little, Sean says he thought they were tight. He tells Joe he thought Joe trusted him. He admits to knowing he shouldn't be mad about it, but he claims he can't help it. Joe says he's sorry, that he didn't know how to deal with this, so he kinda didn't. Joe tells him he thought he was keeping them safe, all of them, but he can't do this alone. Sean tells him he won't have to.

Then Sean asks if they can do something less emotional now, because all this feeling stuff is killing him. Joe offers to kick his ass in Super Smash Bros. You know, the usual. Sean scoffs at that, and tells him to quit spamming Snake and he'll think about it. Joe lets Sean get back to work, and he leaves the store.

The squirrel is still there watching from the trash can. The squirrel leaves the can and scampers up a nearby tree to a branch with clothing hanging off a branch. The squirrel struggles to get between the clothing and the branch, her tail suddenly much larger. In silhouette, the clothing rises up as a girl appears under it on hands and knees on the branch. Sunlight filtering through leaves lights up Sienna as she straddles the branch where a squirrel was moments before.