Bad Moon Season Two

Episode One: Serenity

Session Eighteen: 4/15/2015

Christmas

Stella and Jarod Jalo spend a quiet Christmas together. Stella's somewhat impatient curiosity about Jarod's extended presence in Astoria is answered when Jarod tells her that he applied for the open librarian position at the University of Astoria. Stella is flummoxed, questioning the abandonment of his career and girlfriend in Michigan (?). Jarod explains that he hasn't been satisfied by his work in a while, and his girlfriend turned out to not be a good choice. He also drops the bomb that not only did he apply for the position, it's already been offered to him and accepted. Unable to come up with any plausible objections, Stella reluctantly acquiesces.
Warner Pelt's Christmas at home in La Pine is made uncomfortable by tensions between his parents, which aren't hidden so well from Warner's prying wolf senses. A distraction from the situation in the form of two glowing creeper werewolf eyes outside his bedroom window soon presents itself. The situation turns out to be no less tense, however, when Warner investigates and discovers an old boy scout compatriot Will Galdwin. Will is immediately confrontational over territory, but two more mature werewolves, a woman named Ivy Morse and a man soon revealed as La Pine's alpha, Cosgrove, soon intercede to prevent any violence. Cosgrove tells Warner that he's welcome to visit his family, of course, but he can't use his powers while in the La Pine territory. He even offers to have his pack keep an eye on Warner's family for him.
Thomas Michael Craig is also home with the family for Christmas, with an experience more unsettling than Warner's. Thomas's dad becomes hyperfocused on his computer, probably starting flame war after flame war, while his mom ruins the kitchen trying out her mother's old recipes. Thomas's grandfather barely sleeps, starting and abandoning home projects left and right. They all demand Thomas's attention despite his attempts at isolation, and he is miserable suspecting that somehow his strange experiences following Alice's bite have something to do with all of this.
Miles Brovik is alone on campus for his first Christmas in Astoria, but Desmond Lancaster and Vanya Simonson ask him to join them for a small pack Christmas. Miles is enrolling at UofA for the spring semester and has a new job with security under Desmond. Desmond warns Miles that the situation at UofA is likely to get messy soon.
Dr. Elaine Litchfield spends Christmas back in New Hampshire at her family's estate. She and her parents spend most of their time in their separate spheres, which suits Elaine's obsessiveness just fine, especially when she hears cawing in the attic one night. Following the now familiar sound of her insanity, she finds an old crate stashed in the attic containing an old book and a pair of human skulls. She no doubt left these here as a child and is now ready to harvest. However, the packing slip in the crate indicates otherwise, identifying the crate's origin as the Egyptology department of the British Royal Museum in her great-grandfather's name, Elijah Dunning. The book turns out to be a collection of poetry written by Elaine's great-grandmother Elizabeth Dunning heavily featuring death themes, especially death as a beautiful garden. Norse and corvid imagery is a common motif running throughout. Of course, it's no news to anyone that insanity is often genetic.
Jace Evans spends an almost idyllic Christmas with Davis Monk at the cabin. They're snuggling naked in front of the fire when Jace hears Harris Clayton approaching. Jace doesn't bother to get dressed for his old cam buddy, but Harris is there to because he overheard Volk Yuriev planning to "get rid of" Jace and Davis before the pack heads off somewhere else in the state. Although Harris doesn't know exactly what Volk meant, he's concerned enough to give Jace a map to get out of the area and back to Astoria. Harris refuses Jace's suggestion that he come with them, but Jace tells him that he can still keep in touch through the website.

December 28th, The Oak Moon

Stella and Miles are patrolling the pack territory on the morning of the full moon. Miles say very little, but Stella is naturally chatty and nurturing toward him as she concerns herself with how Miles is settling into Astoria. Miles seems to have some sort of complex around this, as he warms rather quickly to her mothering ways.
Jace and Davis get out of a semi nearby, having hitchhiked their way back to Astoria. They're near the House of Running Water and start walking the final distance back only to be intercepted by the faux mother/son patrol. Stella is elated to find the missing students, but she's surprised when Jace dismisses his time in Volk's pack as relatively pleasant with very little torture involved.
The four return to the house, where much of the pack is hanging out. They question Jace about what's happened to him, but he has very little to tell. Stella settles Davis into a chair to ease the stress on his prosthetic. Finally, Jace, having seen Henry's Harley outside, asks where he is, since Jace has been carrying Henry's keys around since the hospital raid. Stella drops the bomb as gently as possible that Henry died the night of the raid. Jace is at first outraged that he's spent the last month among Henry's killers. Warner takes the brunt of his rage when he reveals that he was with Henry when he died and couldn't save him, but despite Jace's demands, he doesn't know exactly who put Henry down, though he knows Miranda Barnes and Gabe Gerhardt were a part of the fight. Jace quickly retreats to a private room. Uncertain what the reaction might be, Davis follows to comfort Jace, who breaks down into tears as soon as Davis touches him. The pack is stunned.
Thomas and Jerome Tate arrive at the house to the pervasive awkwardness left in the wake of this scene. Stella shares the news that her son will be staying at the UofA, and the pack is surprised that she is mostly opposed to it. She explains that she doesn't want to have the pressure of hiding her new life from Jarod, and he's already pried because of her fight with Volk last semester. The pack discusses whether she should tell him the truth or further her deception concerning Volk, perhaps by claiming drug problems of some degree to explain the circumstances. Thomas reasons that giving Jarod a simple explanation will throw him off the track of finding out anything closer to the truth. The pack is further surprised to find out the Stella hasn't been with a man since her husband, which derails the conversation, especially when Jace emerges from his room to suggest that she might have a little something with a certain childhood friend/drug dealer of her acquaintance. A few notice her hastily concealed embarrassment at this mention in front of Desmond.

x The 2013 ATO Rushes