If I only last a week, then I will be a week stronger for it. I think you are underestimating my determination though. I NEED to be tougher than oak.

"give me a test then, i WILL do it"

I was a soft little girl... and a week ago I... look where that got me. A demon, a necromancer possessing mother. I need to be tough. I need to survive whatever is thrown at me and having a master like that, a master like you will either give me the strength to push through... or break me. And if I break then so be it. Maybe someone can make something of the the pieces.

You're maybe right. Although I don't think i'm too soft or too young to get wasted, boned and... whatever. It takes its toll. I can find a more distinguished master. Although I'm not alien to pain, I've already had my cup for the last few months. Oh, and I don't see that your craft is in any way inferior... It's just not for me. On the other hand I don't think it is easy to find a more distinguished master to share his bits of hard work with me, I just have to try. I believe there are more painless and refined ways to mastery.

>>449169
"I want to be tough as steel and hard as oak. I need to be the way everybody thinks I'm no good. And I want to work hard anyway."

If weren't strong, I would not have survived the last week; and at times I barley did at that. You know what I face. If I'm to survive what is to come I will need to become stronger- harder than steel, tougher than oak. Bluntly, I cannot afford to be soft. If I cannot whether this, I'll be dead or worse before long anyways.

>>449169
All right, Tiffany, put some steel in your voice here. He might think we're too weak- but he hasn't turned us down, just recommended against it. Build up some fire and determination in your heart, and let him see it.

"Maybe you're right, and it doesn't look like I'll last. Maybe every indication is that I'll fail.

"But every indication is that I'll fail at restraining the Cimmerian. At not pissing off the Inquisitors so much that they tear my brain out or something. At stopping Alexander from causing some kind of apocalypse. At saving my mother... and getting her to forgive me. But I won't fail at those. Any of them. I can't.

"Everyone says your work is the absolute best. If you're going to build your apprentice the same way do your artifacts, then I know that if I make it, I'll come out as the best- and I can't afford to be anything less."

>>449169
I disagree with choosing him in the first place; don't expect me to help you convince him.

>>449224
I'm uncertain about him being our master, I think there are many benefits to it. What we would learn could be everything we would need, but on the other hand he make work us so hard that we never get to take part in the extra curricular activities involving a certain forbidden text. Unless he was involved in that too, and that is an even riskier idea.

But I do want this man as an ally, I want his respect and I want his advice going forward. We must make clear our purpose determination and ability. We will need his help because he's the only one who can really go over the heads of these politicos. And maybe if we hang out with him we can learn some tricks of his trade on the side.

One of Two Tiffany 2012/08/30(Thu)13:25 No. 449664 ID: c44286
File 134635833701.png - (62.30KB , 700x600 , 637.png )

"No."

>Cain: "What?"

"That's not what I need. And I haven't been a little girl since my brother died."

>Cain: "Now look here-"

"No, you look here. Maybe you're right, and I don't have what it takes. But if that's the case I don't have what it takes to contain the Cimmerian, or to beat Alexander. I can't afford that. I can't. I have to be tougher than oak, have to be harder than steel. So I'll take that bet. I'll last a week. Then you'll take me as your apprentice."

Two of Two Tiffany 2012/08/30(Thu)13:25 No. 449665 ID: c44286
File 134635835520.png - (138.54KB , 700x600 , 638.png )

Cain was silent for a moment.

>Cain: "Very well."

Cain extended his sinewy hand.

>Cain: "You got yourself a deal."

Tiffany grasped the offered hand.

"Although, maybe I can get a better offer in a week."

Cain looked stunned for a second, then broke off into exuberant laughter.

>Cain: "You got some guts, kid. You start tomorrow, five ay-em. Now scram."

And so Tiffany was ushered in to the corridor with no ceremony.

She breathed out.

Hell yes.

Five am? Can do.

I guess that means this is my last free day. What should I do with it?

Might be a good idea to let Dad know the lowdown.

>>449665
Get Joyce to teach you what she can today.

>>449665
Tell the people who matter to you about your arrangement. Dad, Mulder, Duncan, Gareth, Joyce. The Cimmerian too, I suppose.

And be sure to eat enough and get to sleep early. It's going to be a long week.

>>449665
Try asking someone about that whole introspection thing you did. It's probably not heresy, but we should try talking to a friend anyway. Joyce, I'd wager.

Tiffany 2012/08/31(Fri)13:04 No. 450096 ID: c44286
File 134644346330.png - (66.26KB , 700x600 , 639.png )

Tiffany dug around for her cell phone as she walked through the castle's corridors. Dad should be told.

"Dad?"

>Dad: "Hey sweetie. How are you? Sorry if I'm a bit groggy."

"Oh it's ok. I'm doing okay. I got plenty of company. How are you?"

>Dad: "Sleep a lot. It's probly the meds. They brought a radio up to my room. Can't wait to get back home, listen to some decent records."

"Dad, you burned the house. The records are gone."

>Dad: "Oh, right. I did didn't I? Sorry, I'm a bit-"

"Groggy, I know. Try to rest Dad."

>Dad: "I am. Not much else to do here except listen to daytime british radio. This surely is hell."

"... I'm really sorry, dad."

>Dad: "Oh shit I didn't mean- look, I'm fine. Really."

"Ok. I called to tell you that I have a shot at becoming Cain's apprentice. He's something of a big shot."

>Dad: "That's great, sweetie!"

"Though it does mean I'll be really busy for a while at least. I don't know when I can come visit next time."

>Dad: "Don't sweat it. I'll be out of here in no time at all."

"Ok. I'll call you again tomorrow when I know more about my schedule, ok?"

>Dad: "That's ok. Go get em."

"Ok! Bye!"

>Dad: "Bye."

As Tiffany ended the call, she felt something brush against her legs. A black and white cat was rubbing against her leg. Tiffany had a feeling she'd seen the cat around the castle before. She moved to pet it, but it slinked down the corrider as she reached down. Cats. She shrugged it off.

There were so many things that needed to be looked into, but her introspective trance in the hospital was at the forefront of Tiffany's mind. She'd just have to ask someone about it. Someone who knew more of the intuitive side of magic. Someone who she could trust. Joyce seemed like the best candidate.

Joyce's room was dark when Tiffany opened the door. The dull gray of a rainy day filtered in from the window. At first she thought she was alone in the room, until a tall shadow moved near the window.

>Joyce: "Tiffany. We need to talk."

>>450096
Sigh dejectedly
"You're breaking up with me?"
Shake your head when she doesn't laugh
"Sorry; I suppose it must be more soul-crushing bad news. What did I do wrong this ti- wait, I've been with master mages all day, I couldn't have screwed up or they would ha- OH GOD! IS IT MOM? WHAT HAPPENED?"
Panic seems a good choice to start this conversation.

Okay, just be like "hey", see what she wants to bring up.

>>450096
"Sure. I came up here to talk to you, actually... well, kind of obviously really, because otherwise why would I be here?"

>>450105
We really don't need to fuck with Joyce that badly.

>"Tiffany. We need to talk."
...she figured out the demon magic thing already, didn't she.

Well, whatever dire thing she has to talk about, let her lead. Don't offer suggestions.

Tiffany 2012/09/01(Sat)03:47 No. 450298 ID: c44286
File 134649642642.png - (41.48KB , 700x600 , 640.png )

"Umm, all right.

>Joyce: "Shut the door and come over here."

>Joyce: "Tiffany, I- How are you feeling?"

"All right I guess. Worried about my dad."

>Joyce: "Right, right. Look, there's something I'm really worried about, and I don't know how to tell you."

"Is it about mom?"

>Joyce: "No. It's about the daemon. And- and you."

"Oh?"

>Joyce: "Yes. Daemons are incredibly dangerous. Not only can they kill you with magic and sheer physical strength, but they're- shit I don't know. Toxic? Even a little bit of daemon stuff is enough to infect you."

Tiffany decided to keep her information to herself and feight ignorance. Or maybe it was the other Tiffany.

"Huh? What do you mean, infect?"

>Joyce: "A bit of daemonic essence can slowly turn you into something like a daemon. It's- it's transmitted by- shit this is hard. You may have been infected when you bound the daemon to yourself. Nobody knows for sure. Too early to tell."

"What happens if I am infected?"

>Joyce: "You- you would be put down. I'm sorry. There's no going back if you do get infected. Tiffany, please, promise me something."

"What?"

>Joyce: "If you start feeling like... like you wanted to hurt someone. Hurt them real bad. I want you to run away from here. To somewhere where there's no people. Just... I can get you plane tickets to somewhere far away. Don't tell anyone, ok? Can you promise me that sweetie?"

"You're saying my response to becoming an inhuman avatar of destruction should be to run away from the only people who could possibly contain me? Sorry, no can do."

>>450298
Joyce is in dire need of a hug. Give her one.
"I promise. Err... Alexander doesn't count, right?"

Optionally? Also say "Thomas was right. About the clans having a common root, about me, about everything. There's so much I want to talk about, but everybody who could help would rather sweep things under the carpet than consider that some of their base assumptions are flawed. They've said as much, if not in so many words.
What you said, that it's too early to tell if I'm infected? That's wrong. That there's no going back if you're infected? That's wrong too. The damage an infection does might not be reversible, and I'm not sure of that yet, but the infection can be stopped. I inspected myself earlier; there was a demon seed mucking up my soul. I killed it.
I'm telling you this because I think I might be able to teach you how to do it. Then you could see for yourself how it works, and even if nobody will listen to you either, at least you'll be safer. Maybe you'd even be able to save somebody."

It isn't a practical plan anyway. Anywhere she can go on a plane, she can be followed to. It wouldn't take them long to figure out who helped her run away either. Then they would tear the knowledge from Joyce's mind and all that would have been accomplished is that more people that Tiffany cares about would have been hurt before she was executed.

Does Joyce know about the magical kill-switch Tiffany agreed to have put on her? Tiffany has already come to terms with facing death if the demon ever goes out of control. This is just a slightly different way of it happening.

No need to tell all the details, certainly. But it would be good to tell her just a bit. I think what it is definitely important to avoid is any implication of us eating it.

"...I already know about it. Don't worry, it's dead. It was making me angry, not like myself. It lasted only a moment. I circled it off in my own mind and destroyed it. Just another thing I've survived, I guess. Don't tell the others, I don't want them poking around in my head. They'll be waiting to see if I to fall into madness and there is no chance of it."

>>450303
>>450307
Damn, you're right.

Hug Joyce; she needs it more than I thought.
"Thank you, that means a lot to me... But that would have a monster escaping people who could stop it.
Besides, they're fitting me with a remote bomb, and even if they couldn't just kill me on a whim they'd rip where I went from your mind and punish you.
I promise I'd tell you."

Pause

"Joyce, it's ok, you can relax. I already found and killed the daemon seed. There's a little damage, but my personality seems to be ok so far.
I'd like to teach you how to do the same, if you'd be willing."

>>450298
"I wanted to hurt my Grandpa real from before the Cimmerian. You're going to have to give me more detail than that. By the way, is the reverse infectious? Is the Cimmarian more human now?"

My vote is on the "I wanted to kill Alexander before I met the Cimmerian" response. But Joyce certainly does need a hug.

>>450315
>I'd like to teach you how to do the same, if you'd be willing."
Eh? I'm not sure we need to do that as she isn't about to be binding any demons. Let's just say something about visualizing runes internally and leave it at that.

Also, hugs.

>>450397
I'd expect there are other ways to be infected, but that's not really the point.
If Tiffany can teach her then she can use that as leverage to get people to stop patronizing Tiffany.

OH! I KNOW!
"I'd like to get scores re-tested to see if anything has changed there. Can you give those tests, or would you like to come watch?"

Tiffany 2012/09/01(Sat)15:07 No. 450449 ID: c44286
File 134653725677.png - (75.28KB , 700x600 , 641.png )

Tiffany reached out and hugged Joyce. Joyce choked back a sniffle. Neither spoke for a moment.

"I can't do that. If I was going to turn into a monster, I can't run away and put people in danger. You're probably the only people who could stop me, and I'd want you to."

Joyce voice broke when she tried to speak. She tried again:

>Joyce: "I just hunt monsters. Big bad wreaking havoc, I put it down. That's that. I didn't sign up for this."

"I don't think you have to worry though. I'm not infected. Not anymore."

Joyce tensed up, but Tiffany kept talking before she could interrupt.

"I think I was, at first. I had a brief moment when I felt this overwhelming anger and bloodthirst, but I figured it out. I trapped and killed it before it could do any harm."

>Joyce: "I- I didn't even know that was possible. Do you feel ok?"

"I still want to hurt Alexander real bad, does that count?"

>Joyce: "No, I guess not. Look, we have to be sure it's all gone, ok?"

"I agree. Do you think taking another of Duncan's tests would help?"

>Joyce: "I don't know. Maybe? We'll try that, as soon as possible. Tell no-one, understand? No-one. If you're clean, nobody needs to know. If you're not... We'll figure something out."

"All right."

>Joyce: "I really hope you're ok. I- I can't say I like how the clan is handling this whole thing. We should be helping you, not- You know that guy Owen? I heard the Lady and your daemon talking. He's an inquisitor. Under orders to kill you if you let the daemon loose."

I believe this is the third time we've been informed Owen is an inquisitor. Not a well kept secret. :V

*Sigh* Yeah, he passed that along. Thanks for the warning.

Look, maybe the clan isn't handling this so great. But I've got friends here. We'll find a way to make things work.

>>450449
Tell her you know he's an inquisitor. The Cimmerian told you. He's been looking out for you, oddly enough, but you have no plans to let him do whatever he wants. He's your responsibility. You've known this since you bound him.

Anyway, now's a good time to maybe change the subject and ask her about meditation and interacting with your own Haftsusha.

>>450449
"I know. Don't think ill of Owen for it though; he's at least acted kindly towards me.
I can't even blame the stubborn old fools in charge; this is some ancient daemon from a place stricken from the records before their earliest records. If it decided to cause trouble it would be terrible.

Everything else is just them being huge buttheads though. When this is over I'm going to make a huge statue of Thomas with the words 'I told you so' on it in huge glowing letters."

"I've already been informed. Thanks though. By the way, I've been accepted to a trial apprenticeship. By Cain."

And now is a good time to communicate with your demon: "I can hide the presence of the Maw, right? If and when I need to prove that I'm not infected."

And on that theme, ask if Joyce is going keep watch over our demon. It seems wise, since we're going to be real busy and it's a bad idea to let him get too bored. Also ask if anyone has a black and white cat as a familiar.

>>450449
May as well tell her we know that. Owen's okay though, and it's a pretty reasonable step to take really.

>>450468
If she doesn't know about killing the demon taint she probably doesn't know about interacting directly with the haftsusha. Doesn't hurt to ask though.

Tiffany 2012/09/03(Mon)13:30 No. 451314 ID: c44286
File 134670421039.png - (82.48KB , 700x600 , 642.png )

"I know. The Cimmerian told me."

>Joyce: "Wait, what? How? The daemon's been locked up since it arrived. How could it possibly have told you anything?"

Oh. Shit.

>>451314
"It's been locked up since the others got to it. If it had been locked up since it showed up my dad wouldn't be in the hospital."

Uh... we can do a talking at a distance thing, the same way I can with Mulder. I mean, we're kind of tied together the same way.

>>451325
Go with that explanation.

"it's magic"

You just had to go with the most troublesome bit of those suggestions, didn't you?[/i]

Oh well. Nothing wrong with a bit of honesty between friends. A bit late not to be, anyway.

"We share telepathy. He's bound like a familiar, remember? It was the first thing he said to me like that actually, quite the surprise. He sorta warned me about the possible infection right then too, not that he helped to actually deal with it. He's a bit of a dick."

>>451325
>>451399
We can't go with that, it makes no sense.

>>451411
Sounds good.

>>451325
Except Owen wasn't assigned to us then. If we're gonna lie we need to be a whole lot less obvious about it.

>>451348
Probably best to just say this. It's essentially the truth, and it's something that won't surprise anyone with a deep enough understanding of magic, since it's actually the result of stuff that's publicly known. There's not really any reason to keep it secret here; it might make Joyce more worried about the infection thing and she'll probably tell us not to listen to the Cimmerian, but honestly this is nothing compared to having told her we were infected in the first place.
Besides, we're trusting her and so far she's shown herself to be entirely deserving of our trust. We may as well be honest when there's no reason not to, considering we've already been honest about things that would be better off as secrets.

>>451422
Okay, you've convinced me.

Tiffany 2012/09/04(Tue)09:52 No. 451648 ID: c44286
File 134677753765.png - (216.88KB , 700x600 , 643.png )

"We can talk over distances. Like I do with Mulder. Isn't that normal for familiars?"

>Joyce: "Well, yes. But- Well. To be honest, we don't know much about binding daemons to people. For all I know, that could be normal. We need Duncan for this."

"... Does he need to know?"

>Joyce: "YES. I mean, I at least would feel a lot better if he knew. He'd know more about this sort of thing. But for now, you need to stop talking with the daemon. Can you block him out?"

"I think so."

>Joyce: "Do that then. You can't trust anything it says."

Like hell.

"All right. I wasn't just taking his word for it, by the way. Me and Owen ran across someone at the hospital, and I figured out he was one from how they talked. Besides, it wasn't such a stretch."

>Joyce: "Look, really, I know you think you can trust him, but you can't. Seriously."

"I don't trust people easily these days."

>Joyce: "... All right."

"We'll go and see Duncan. If he think's I'm ok, will you keep all this to yourself? I really don't need anything else to make me stick out. I don't want to put the clan in danger by withholding information, but I don't really want to be put down either."

>Joyce: "I- All right. If he clears you, and you go in for a checkup once a week or so for a while, I'll pretend I know nothing about this."

"Thank you. Really. It means a lot to have someone I can count on."

>Joyce: "Yeah. I haven't really spent a lot of time here. I always heard stories there was a lot of scheming on this island. I guess I never just believed it. I- I don't know what to think about all this. C'mon, let's get to Duncan."

Joyce lit a candle and led the way into the gloomy corridors.

"Cain accepted me as his apprentice. We'll, on a trial basis anyway."

>Joyce: "Seriously?"

"Yup."

>Joyce: "That's amazing! I don't think he's ever taken anyone as an apprentice. How'd you do it?"

"Not sure. Guts, maybe?"

>Joyce: "Nice. SO what's the trial like?"

"Last a week."

>Joyce: "Well, I hope you do. Becoming his apprentice would take a lot of pressure off you. And I he's a master artificier, you could learn loads off him. If there's anything I can help you with, lemme know all right?"

"I think I'm supposed to do it by myself."

>Joyce: "Well, it's your call."

"So... When I was in the hospital I went into this trance-meditationy thing. I was able to visualize my haftsusha, among other things."

>Joyce: "Oh? Who taught you how to do that?"

"Nobody. I just kinda did it."

>Joyce: "That's actually kinda impressive. I've only managed that a few times."

"So it's normal?"

>Joyce: "Yeah. Well, possible at least. It was all kinda vague for me. Supposedly, mastering the soul trance is a path into clearer communication between different parts of your soul."

"Can it actually show you stuff?"

>Joyce: "So the story goes. The haftsusha doesn't see things like us, though. It sees things in broader strokes, I suppose. What's important to us might be completely inconsequential to us, and vice versa. Communication is always a bit sketchy."

>>451648
Nice. Alright, tell her that it wanted to bring you in close but it was really hot and you weren't sure if it was safe so you got it to back off by showing it runes. Is it safe? If it is, we're totally gonna do it again, and see what it has to say.

>>451648
"You've gotten the test before too, right? How did you do?"

>>451648
We could ask how she knows Duncan. We know him basically because he was friends with Thomas, but I didn't know he was prominent enough as a scholar to be the go-to man on this sort of issue. Or does Joyce know him from somewhere else?

Who did Joyce apprentice under, anyway? She seems young... how long has she been a full-fledged hunter on her own?

>>451648
What does communication between the parts of the soul mean? It seems like better communication with the haftsusha would boost all the stuff Duncan measures, but what about the hanku?
It would be good to know about increased unity with the Maw too, but don't ask Joyce about that, telling her we have it will only freak her out.