[i]Table of Contents of "For What It's Worth":[/i] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257262707/0/0][/url] [i]Previously, in this series:[/i] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257260309/0/0][/url] [i]Life is a farce, but no less reality. Escape is always next door, should you find yourself there. Had you been inside the helm, well, it went something like this: [/i] I bedrudger behind a mask slowly made his way to Zavala.. No one could say who was who, as they dragged a chain to an old anchor away.. right behind him.. With a 10-parsec stare in to the Traveler, under a captain's hat and full regalia, Zavala slammed his fist on the guard-rail. [i]"AVAST!"[/i], he commanded. His stalker slumped in his shadow, who just lost a bet trying to spook him. Though, he wasn't so short-handed. [i]"Hey, man, I found your wallet from the 80's."[/i] Zavala turned to meet him, "and my grail!" With on hand on his heroic hip, he patted his would-be assailant's head, which was shaped like the Traveler. Just then, [i]'The Tall Tale[/i], backfired in from stage left, halting in front of them. [i]*kttshhhh*[/i] [i]'The Tall Tale'[/i] hatched open, with a cloud of smoke billowing from the cockpit. The spook gasped, [i]"Holy shit?"[/i] Zavala turned to meet the steel wing, resting just beside his guardrail. He was a bit more upset. [i]"-blam!--ly shit, gaurdian."[/i] [spoiler]play the media, here.[/spoiler] As awkward as it was stepping up and out of the cockpit, I was relieved, walking down the wing.. [i]..Merciless blazing in my right.[/i] With one step on to the port-side jump-drive, and one foot on the guardrail.. ..[i]'The Tall Tale'[/i] sank from the sky, decending down the wall. They both stood frozen in front of me, as if they had seen a ghost. I heard [i]'The Tall Tales'[/i] slow demise, all the leagues below, to Davy Jones' locker. I took this time of silence to mourn my loss. A flask in my other front pocket was plucked from its home, straight down the house. [i]"That wasn't supposed to happen."[/i] I pipe, with a nod of the head, burdened by my belongings. Zavala scowled, and interrogated a question to me quite seriously, with a hook in my face. [i]"Have you been drinking?"[/i] [i]Here, Cayde would have chimed in, "Don't worry, let me do the talking." but I'm ready.. batter-up, chief.[/i] [i]"Shh, shh"[/i], I emplored, [i]"Please, my ghost just fell asleep.. ..I wouldn't want to wake him. But now that you mention it.. .. I haven't had a beer all day."[/i] I reach inside a chest pocket and extend it to Zavala, palm down. [i]"Here hold this,"[/i] He obliged, and held my Vanguard badge, dropped in to his hand. [i]"Guardian, I.."[/i] Before he could say any more, I finished his sentence as he said it, [i]"don't know the meaning of this."[/i] We looked at each other, eye-to-eye, and I continued, [i]"Neither do I, Commander. It should be obvious to you that I'll always fight the good fight. but I'm no good for your whiteboard, your paperwork, or leading as an example for Vangaurd standards."[/i] I took a long breath. [i]"This isn't my first rodeo, Zavala, turning in an old badge. I'm calling it early. I was set up from the start, then.. ..and I'm here, now, to tell you it ain't easy going 7 different ways to get to Sunday."[/i] [i]"What?"[/i] Z furrowed his brow. [i]"I am a fool, a foul one, at that; everyone needs a fall guy, right?"[/i] The flask gestured his way, but came back to my face. [i]"Ahh,"[/i], I rasp, through great scotch. [i]"but you can't kill the rooster."[/i] I stared off, to the open port-hole of his armory, and scanned the courtyard, surveying to speak my peace, with all of my gear. [i]"You really shouldn't, either, because without 'em, [b]no one's[/b] waking up in the morning."[/i] A warlock near-by was looking at his watch, waiting for business with the commander. [i]"I'd probably sleep better with a certain -blam- out of my way. It's afternoon, already."[/i] Ikora stepped in, seemingly from no-where, her words smooth as the fifth pumpkin spice coffee she had today in her hands. How she gets in and out of line, at this time of day, is beyond light. [i]"You're dismissed, Warlock."[/i] [i]"I'm gonna catch the line."[/i] he half-saluted, at-ease, walking off to chow. She turned back to me, with a mask half-over her face. Nodding a mug in my direction. Ikora's costume this year was a taken sun, her shoulders ablaze with darkness, her back an explosion of elegant ebon wings. [i]"Please continue, while you have our attention."[/i] π π π π π π π π π [i]Next post in the series:[/i] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257262868/0/0][/url]