Owner	Pose
Cael Becker	The first thing Cael is aware of as she begins to stir is the hard, cold, metal floor of the cage beneath her as she begins to stir. This awareness it followed by the images of the silver bars that surround her. She startles, sitting upright only to find she's- almost completely nude under the blanket that falls away from her, with only the tattered and burned remains of a 'Golden Warriors' shirt providing the most meager of covering to her body. She hastens to gather the blanket around herself, as she looks around the room to spot- "Jon?" she asks.     "Where's Agnes?" The rising panic in her voice is unmistakeable as she clutches to the blanket, holding it closed around her naked form. "Where's Agnes?"
Jonathan Sims	Jon is asleep, sitting on the floor outside the cage, head against the bars. He's covered in a blanket, but he can't be terribly comfortable. This might be why he wakes and sits up so quickly at the sound of Cael's voice, blinking clearily.     "Wh--Cael? Oh. Oh, hey, honey, it's okay." He turns to the cage, reaching through the bars to offer comfort, though he doesn't touch her. "Agnes is fine. Everyone's fine. She's in her old room. You're at the Midnight Mission, love." A pause, and they peer at her. Their face is tear-streaked and drawn. "How are you feeling?"
Cael Becker	As Jon reaches towards her, Cael shifts away from him - fear showing on her features. Not fear of Jon - but fear nonetheless.     "She's okay?" Cael questions - tears springing her eyes. "I- I told her to get out. I tried to- when I realized what was happening- Oh, God, Jon..." Tears start streaking down her cheeks, and she scoots away from him, until her back is pressed against the bars, and blanket still held closed around her body. "Fuck. What do we do? How do we...?"
Jonathan Sims	"Hey. Hey. It's okay." Jon's voice is as calm as he can manage. "Agnes... burned the hallway, but we'll clean it up. Tawaret warned Layla, and she warned us. I portaled over, Lydia and Marc and Layla flew. We stopped you before you could do any real damage."     Does he tell her about Bear? Ooof.     A deep breath. "Lydia thinks we can figure out how to control this, if not undo it. If I can figure out... it /has/ to be the werewolves we fought last full moon, right? Well, I realized the spells on their bodies... they're done in Elias' usual style. And I /know/ that style, and Lydia's better with ritual magic of this sort than almost anyone else in the world. We'll figure this out. Okay?"
Cael Becker	"How do we control this?" Cael shoots back. "How? I- Fuck, I attacked her, didn't I?" But she's okay? She's really okay? "I'm dangerous. I'm- we //killed/ these things a month ago, Jon! That's what I am, now!" A monster.     She hunches in tightly on herself - and even with the blanket still covering her, it's clear enough to see that she's hugging her knees to chest, and tucking her face in towards them, as well. "Everyone's okay, though? I didn't kill anyone? I can't //remember// it Jon. I can't- I don't... Fuck."
Jonathan Sims	"Nobody's dead. Nobody's even badly hurt. I mean..." Jon pauses, frowns. Sighs. "You hurt Bear, but I healed him. He's resting now. Lydia got beat up pretty badly, but she took a good chunk of my blood... really I got the worst of it, from that." A shaky laugh.     "I'm more worried about you. Fire, and silver, and whatever Lydia was doing. Agnes is worried about you, everyone's worried. I don't think anyone blames you. But, look, the spells the pack had, they're spells of binding and control. I /think/ it lets them control whatever the energy is that causes the change. And Lydia thinks that we could make you an amulet to control this, and possibly figure out how to undo it. So... we're going to. Okay? You won't stay like this."     He sighs, and gets up to go grab the clothing left for her, and hands it over through the cage. "Here. I'll turn around."
Cael Becker	Cael looks up, tears streaking down her cheeks, as Jon offers her the clothing. After everything Michael had done to her? She'd been hurt, sure - but she'd also been //angry.// But now? She looks so small, and frightened, hunched in on herself. Hesitantly, one hand reaches out to take the offered clothes, but there's no sound of rustling fabric for several long breaths, as Jon turns away from her. Eventually, though, she turns her back as well - shucking her ruined shirt to pull on the new one, and wiggling awkwardly into the pants as well, before wrapping herself in the blanket once again, as if it could somehow shield her and protect her from everything that was happening.     "Control the energy? To what- //cause// the change? Or //stop// it?" she finally asks in a soft voice. "Can we stop it from happening again? I don't want to- What if I kill someone, Jon? We can't let that happen. What if I'd killed //Agnes//?"     She's silent a moment before asking in a quiet voice, "I tried to kill Bear?"
Jonathan Sims	"I think Bear got between you and Agnes and you attacked him." Jon sighs, and gets up to go unlock the cage and come in, pulling the door shut behind him. He sits down on the floor near Cael and offers out his arms, if she wants to come in and have a hug.     "I'm sorry," he says, regardless of whether she accepts the hug or not. "I should have... it's so /obvious/ in hindsight. But... we can figure out how to stop the change. We can figure out how to get rid of it completely. In the meantime, when the moon is up, you can be in here if you need to be. Marc made this specifically to hold the werewolves."     He sighs. "I... Ma'at had to... get into your head, to stop you. And... and you were buried so deep I never would've been able to find you. It /exhausted/ her. And you were... there was this black ankh on your forehead, in the mental space. Sending you into a frenzy. But up above that? It was nothing but rage and hunger. You weren't in control, Cael. /You/ didn't /want/ to hurt Anges, or Bear, or Lydia, or me, or Layla. The thing in you, the infection or the spirit... that's what did this, really."
Cael Becker	As Jon goes for the lock, Cael is shaking her head - and backing away from the door. She doesn't move into the offered hug. She barely even looks at him, that fear still obvious in her expression, and in her huddled body posture. "Do we know... I'm safe in the meantime? Do we know nothing, or noone else will make me change? What if I leave here and it happens again?" she asks with quiet desperation.     "...we //killed// the other werewolves, Jon. I //killed// them." Because they were monsters. Because they were dangerous.
Jonathan Sims	With a sigh, Jon summons up a glowing lock with which he locks the cage--thus keeping Cael from getting out without him letting her out, but letting him get out if need be. "I know, love," he says softly. "Why do you think I've been... why do you think I hesitate to kill so many things? Even supposed monsters? What /is/ a monster, anyway? Just something we're afraid of, and don't understand."     He keeps holding out his arms. "You will not hurt me. If you change, Ma'at will come back, and leave the cage, and lock it behind her. Okay? I think for tonight, you stay here and see if you change again. You can even stay in here while the moon's up until Lydia and I can make you an amulet to control this, if you want. But I suspect... I /suspect/ it won't be much of a problem outside of the full moon."
Cael Becker	"I don't want to hurt anyone," Cael whispers - as if Jon didn't know that full well already. As if her body language wasn't communicating that clearly - with every cautious, frightened glance of her tear-streaked face, and small, huddled posture. "But I don't want to live... trapped in a cage. We'll- you really think we can fix this?" she asks. "You really think we can make this... safe?"
Jonathan Sims	Jon scoots over closer to Cael and reaches out to very firmly put one arm around her and pull her in close. "Yes," he says, firmly. "I don't just think so. I /know/ so. We are going to do this. We saved the entire fucking universe, we brought you back from the dead, we can /fix/ this. I promised not to give up on you, remember? And I won't. Whatever it takes, we'll /fix/ this."     He sighs and squeezes Cael closer. "You trusted me before, right? And I was right. Something was wrong, even if I didn't know what it was. So trust me now, please?"
Cael Becker	Little by little, Cael begins to relax against Jon, until she finally turns to press her face against their shoulders - wet eyes and runny nose making a mess of their shirt. "I'm scared," she admits in a whisper. "I trust you. I do. I just- I'm scared. Please don't let me hurt anyone... please."
Jonathan Sims	Jon closes their eyes for a moment. "We won't leave you alone. Okay? We'll make sure someone's with you at all times, someone who could survive an initial attack and call for help. Myself, or Lydia, or Layla, for now. Alright?"     He sighs. "I won't let you hurt anyone. I'll do everything I can to stop that. I promise."
Cael Becker	She finally goes from hugging herself, to hugging Jon, clinging to them tightly as the tears fall wordlessly. She can't shake the desperate, self-recriminating thoughts whirling in her head.     She's a monster. She's dangerous. They ought to hate her - to fear her. How could she ever really be safe to be around, again?     Could theey really fix this?     "I'm sorry," she finally manages. "I'm so sorry - for all of this. Fuck. I'm so sorry..."
Jonathan Sims	Jon just holds Cael for a long moment, quietly rubbing circles in her back. Finally they say, "It's not your fault. Not in any way. You didn't choose to get infected, and I didn't figure out what was wrong in time. You're /sick/, Cael. You're not a monster."     A pause, and then, softly, "And I'm not going anywhere. Whatever the source of what I can sense you feeling... it's the same feeling I have all the time. How can anyone stand to be around me when I'm such a monster? It's the thing that drives all my... self-doubt and recriminations and surety I've fucked something up somewhere. So I understand, okay? And I'm not leaving you alone."
Cael Becker	"I tried to kill Agnes!" Cael protests. "I tried to kill Bear, and Lydia - did I try to kill you?" God - she probably did, didn't she? "I am a monster. I am. Just- just like those werewolves we killed. I killed. I //killed// them." If they deserved to die... doesn't she?     "You're not a monster. I'm- I'm a monster."     But they're going to fix it. Can they fix it? Jon has the power of a God - they can fix it. ...can't they?
Jonathan Sims	"/Cael/!" Jon's voice snaps out sharply. "/You/ did not try to kill /anyone/. Do you want to kill me, Cael? Do you? Ever? Would you /ever/ willingly hurt Agnes, or Bear? /Ever/? No. I already know the answer. You would not. You love us."     He frowns down at her, holding her tightly despite the force of his words. "A monster wouldn't /care/ that they'd attacked their friends. A monster, a /true/ monster, would /revel/ in the power the change gave them. They'd be looking to go after people they hated and have an excuse to get away with it. They'd... I don't know. They wouldn't be crying in my arms about this."
Cael Becker	The abrupt sharpness of Jon's voice causes her to startle in their arms - but not to pull away. She still clings to them - and still cries. For a good while long, at least - but she has more than enough cause for the tears. Eventually, though, they start to run dry - and she cleans her face, and her snotty nose on the edge of the blanket still clutched around her.     "So, uhh... What do we do?" she asks. "What do we do next? How do we fix this? How- do we keep everyone safe? How long do I stay in here?"     She shifts uncomfortably before adding quietly, "...there's no bathroom in here." Does she have to shit in a bucket? Ugh. That doesn't leave her much dignity - does it?     "I don't want to be alone with Agnes. I don't know that I even want to be- ...unrestrained with Agnes. Fuck, can I even be alone with //Bear//?" What if she changes? What if she kills //Bear//?     "...how badly did I hurt him? I really didn't- I didn't even touch Agnes?"
Jonathan Sims	"I already said that we won't leave you alone with anyone who can't defend against a potential change. Now that you're awake, I am going to head to the Velvet Room and leave a message for the others to talk to Rien while I fix this. Then I draw everything I can remember about those hieroglyphs on the other werewolves, and maybe ask Layla and Marc to track another one down to get a better look at it."     He frowns. "I'll talk to Marc about the bathroom issue. I'm not sure he thought this through. But it's nowhere near moonrise; I can take you to a bathroom. And Bear's alright. You scratched him, but we couldn't help him right away and he was still okay. Agnes... threw fire at you. Instinctively, I think; it was a big enough blast that we're going to have to use some hefty magic on the hall to not lose our security deposit." He sighs.
Cael Becker	"Okay," Cael agrees, taking in a deep breath, and letting it out slowly. There were... next steps. Things that could be done. "We'll, uhhh... have to get a PlayStation down here or something," she suggests with a wry tone. "And... it would be nice to have my cellphone. You really think you can reverse this completely? That- ...that it can be undone?" she asks.     Not everything can be. She knows that. But the thought of //staying// like this - being a monster, who loses time, and loses complete control of herself. Becoming something that attacks children, and her own dog...     Her gaze flicks towards the door for a moment, then back to Jon before she adds wryly, "I'd really rather not pee all over this blanket."
Jonathan Sims	"I am going to find a way," Jon says firmly. "If... if you don't want to accept this, and figure out how to live with it? If you don't want us to find a way for you to control this and remember what you do and whatever else? Then I will tear the universe apart finding a way to get this undone. I swear to you, if I have to turn back time, I /will/ see this is undone."     There's a soft, subtle stirring of power, in the promise Jon makes, though it's just a continuination of promising not to give up.     After this is said, he squeezes Cael once more and stands, gesturing the lock gone. "Let's get you to the bathroom, and get you some food and coffee. I'll find your phone and get you... hmm. I think we should talk to Marc. Maybe you stay here in the Mission, and we retrofit one of the rooms to have wards or silvered bars or something, just in case. We'll figure out something more comfortable than this cage." A pause. "And anyway, we'll need this if we capture another one of them."
Cael Becker	Cael nods, letting Jon help her to her feet. She stays close to them - loathe to relinquish the comfort of their proximity. She stays tucked into their arm, ignoring the ache in her shoulder - where the cut of Marc's crescent-shaped weapon remains. It's hard to think of much else when you have to pee, anyways - though she does add quietly, once more, "I killed them. What if they were just- like me? They didn't realize, they couldn't control it, they didn't choose it... What if they were just... //people// - and I killed them?" she asks.     Murdered them.
Jonathan Sims	"Then you honor their memories, and do what you can to make things right. Find out who changed them. Stop them from hurting anyone else." Jon sighs. "You... think hard about your actions. I mean... you were defending yourself. Is that okay, in your mind? To kill someone like that in self-defense?"     He looks to Cael for a moment, brushes some hair from her cheek. "You help us figure out how to undo this, so we can save any who are left." He leans down to kiss her forehead, then focuses on helping her get to the bathroom.
Cael Becker	"I could have tried harder to- stop them. Without killing them," Cael answers. She lets out a sigh - but she's grateful for the gentle touches, and reassurances. She needed them so badly, right now.     She hesitates a moment before leaving the cage, her form stiffening as if she half-expected to start to change once more, the moment she left the confines. Her arm tightens around Jon, keeping them close as they walk to the bathroom - but she remains just outside it for a moment before adding quietly, "You'll tell Agnes I'm sorry?" she asks. "That she doesn't have to- It's okay if she's afraid of me, or doesn't want to see me, or- I understand. I just- ...I'm sorry."
Jonathan Sims	"She's worried about you," Jon says softly. "She made me promise to give you a hug and tell you that she doesn't blame you. I think she'll come down, when she's a little less... frazzled. It's funny, I think she's less upset about you attacking her than... she feels /awful/ that she hurt you."     He steps away, and gestures. "Pee, and then we'll find Marc and talk to him about what to do about accomodations until this is resolved."
Cael Becker	"When I... realized what was happening, I shouted for her to get out. It was, uhh... the only thing I could do. The only thing I had time to do. I did try to warn her, Jon." Cael takes a deep breath in, and lets it out slowly before adding, "And you'll have to hug Bear for me, too."     She parts from Jon reluctantly - but her need is urgent. She steps inside, locking the door behind her.