Trial of Thunder by Storm

[wibblywobbly]

Jack sat once again at the entrance of his Box car, it's once red exterior was faded and the paint pealed that sat just on the edge of the Sacramento train station. One could occasionally hear the trains pull in out of the station, however at this point Jack had toned the sound out.

Tonight Jack would be meeting with Leroy Denizen ( MacMan ). Hopefully their meeting wouldn't be interrupted by something but he couldn't guarantee it.

Jack sat quietly eating a sandwich that he had gotten earlier with some of the change he had collected, watching the trains go by and waited for ether Leroy to show up, or some poor bastard who had broken bottle shoved into him or a poor junky who was ODing on some bad shit.

[MacMan]

Leroy had never been to this part of the city before, he hadn't particularly snubbed it, he just never had cause to come down here. He had received a text from Gallows, with directions to meet Jack at a certain place in the train yards. He was given details about a box car but from the looks of things most of the derelict train cars fit the description. I'm gonna try finding it without magic. I don't want to get to dependent on the Supernal. Best to use it only in emergencies. To make himself welcome he'd been to 7-11 before coming here, and purchased about a gallon of coffee, bringing as many creamers and sugars as he could. The man behind the counter had given him a dirty look as he left.

[wibblywobbly]

Jack could see the very lost looking Leroy wondering around the train yard, and chuckles a little to himself.

"You look lost kid!"

Jack Calls out to the Mastigos.

[MacMan]

Leroy turned and grinned like a little boy caught daydreaming in class. "As lost as a kitten in a hail storm, Jack. But, this kitten has brought you a gift, out of friendship and other reasons of course but we'll get to the price of the coffee later." Leroy's true intent is to help his fellow mage, but he didn't know how much pride Jack had so he tacked on the price idea to salvage the man's dignity. Hopefully Jack would be willing to teach Leroy what he knows about shamanist magic.

[wibblywobbly]

Jack sees the coffee and chuckles,

"Your a God damn life saver, you know that Leroy?"

Jack jumps down from his seat and walks over to the fellow Mage.

"Well, allow me to welcome you to the slums. It ain't much but it's home."

Jack says making a sweeping gesture to the train yard. There were some other homeless folks who had made camp, some because they had heard of Jack's little "private practice" and wanted to be close by. Most however, just were trying to find a nice dry spot so they can rest their feet for a moment before moving on.

Jack the gestures back to the box car,

"Take a seat, stay a while."

Jack was In an usually good mood today, he couldn't really explain it, maybe it was cause of the coffee, and the fact that for once someone that had come to visit wasn't bleeding out on him.

[MacMan]

"I see your practice is getting pretty successful, Jack," Leroy says looking at the faces of the derelicts, when hieroconis comes homelessness will be a thing of the past, he thought. Before turning back to Jack, "since neither of us likes to beat around the bush, let's get started with why we're here, can we talk freely here?"

[wibblywobbly]

"Yeah we can talk,"

Jack says with a grunt as he takes back his seat at the edge of the Box car.

"Most anyone here wouldn't really give a shit about what we would be talking about. Even if they did, do you really think anyone would listen to what a half crazed homeless man has to say?"

Jack says with an edge of dark humor.

"Now, what do you think you are here for?"

Jack asks in slight curiosity. He wasn't sure how much Gallows had told Leroy before he got here.

[MacMan]

"It ain't for a tea party, I'd say your the next proctor towards initiating me as a Ladder," putting some cockiness in his voice he adds, "so let's get to it so I can pass and get to the price for my coffee."
And, in a more humble tone, "Oh, incidentally if you have a customer while we're talking, I'm not squeamish about blood so I can help. Its the other human bodily fluids I have trouble with."

[wibblywobbly]

"Hm"

Jack grumbles thoughtfully.

"Your confident, that's a good sign."

Jack then folds his arms,

"So let's stop beating around the bush. Do you think humanity deserves awakening?"

Jack says getting right to the heart of the matter.

[MacMan]

For once tonight Leroy goes quiet as he thinks about Jack's question, its not as simple as yes or no. "Throughout history people have allowed fear and propaganda to sway us from one point of view to the next. We have feared death so many invented religion to tell ourselves, that even if the body ceases to function a part of ourselves will exist after we die. I am guilty of it even now, for despite all that I've seen in the past few months, I still believe in a divine power even greater than magic."

Leroy sips some of the coffee he brought as he lapses into silence before continuing his speech. "As it stands humanity does not deserve awakening at the moment, however I do believe that we will begin to understand the fundamental truths of reality. Those that embrace these truths will awaken or pass them on to future generations and those generations will awaken. Those that don't accept these truths will die out. I even think its starting to happen as we speak, there are some who are Asleep that have put forth the theory that the universe itself is alive. Not just alive, but intelligent far more so than people. Let me ask you doesn't that come very close to one of your major area's of expertise?" (Spirits and Life itself)

"I think we have a long way to go but we will get the the point of a great Awakening. So to answer your question, not yet."