[hr][center][color=808B96][color=00BFFF][h2][b]T a f f y[/b][/h2][/color]Southeastern Mir [b]-[/b] Sculpture Copse, The Fall[/color][/center]
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During Taffy's time at the Medical Institute at Colosse, she had been taught to look out for signs of drug addiction, particularly the symptoms of Halocaine delirium - which was an all-too common ailment among soldiers who had been subjected to hasty treatment in the field by inexperienced field medics.  She had treated a few such patients during her practical exams at Colosse, though she had not advanced quite far enough to reach the point to be trained for long-term care of such victims of vice.  The young medical student had always felt a mixture of pity and disgust for addicts, and an underlying resentment against them for letting a drug get the better of them and thus require outside help.  She knew it was more complex than that, but not being an addict herself, she didn't understand how someone could let a substance take such control over their lives.

And yet, there were cases she had seen where it seemed almost like the drugs were the only things that kept demons at bay.  Not literal demons, or so she thought at the time, but merely the demons of the past for these tortured souls.  Taffy wondered how ethical it was to let such individuals suffer during treatment, which often required imprisonment and isolation, rather than just let them take the drug and remain a functional and productive member of society.

But when she saw those red eyes glinting at her from Xell's eye sockets, for the first time, she realized that demons weren't strictly metaphorical.  This wasn't some Codus manifestation, this was something far deeper...and more evil than she had ever thought possible.

She drew back, one arm protectively gripping the strap of her backpack as she tried to decide whether to run or to fight.  It was a very instinctive reaction that went past her usual responses; like seeing those red eyes triggered a deeper, more basic self-preservation routine that her more civilized persona thought not to exist, or at least buried under enough layers of evolution that it would never see the light of day again.  And in that critical moment, it was very possible that Xell might have attacked her, and what happened after that would have determined the fate of this small party before they had even made it to her uncle's cabin.

But it was Yonath who had stepped in, and while Taffy did not like the idea that the young boy was packing drugs, she realized that for the short-term, if they could suppress or contain whatever it was that resided inside Xell, it would be safest for all of them.

It was when Xell mentioned the others that Taffy finally broke her stare away from Xell, glanced around the small grove - and uttered a small but colorful swear under her breath.  [i]That idiot![/i] she thought, referring to Max.  [i]He just gave us the slip, didn't he?!  He heard that blind seer say that stuff about the pirate on his tail, and he must have decided to play hero by keeping away from the rest of us.  If the pirate doesn't know we've met, then that should protect the rest of us...blast that hedgehog![/i]

She didn't know why this made her so angry, but it did.  So she swore silently to herself a few more times, then realized that Max hadn't been the only one to leave; Nikki had slipped away, as well, after the brief exchange between her and Yonath.  [i]I hope she's okay - she didn't seem like the kind of customer who'd let anyone get the drop on her.  Blast them both, anyway![/i]

Then it hit her - she was angry because she knew that she couldn't wander all over the Fall to look for Max or Nikki.  [i]If I try to follow them, I could drag us all into one of the hazards of the forest, or run into a monster, or maybe that pirate...and I'd end up dragging the rest of these guys with me.  I don't really care that much about them, but I'll be darned if I'm not going to at least try to do the right thing by them and get as many of them to at least enough safety where they can make their own decisions on where they'll go after that.  I just have to hope that Max and Nikki can take care of themselves.[/i]

Then she realized that the bat-winged woman had been standing by all this time, and without thinking, Taffy walked back over to her and asked, "Hey, have you seen-"

And facepalmed as she realized what she was asking of a blind person.  It did not help that the woman smiled as if amused, and Taffy's cheeks burned with embarrassment.  [i]Brother, this is gonna be a long night, isn't it?[/i]

"Look, never mind," Taffy said with a snarl, breaking through the awkward pause as she faced.  "I'm taking these guys with me to my uncle's cabin.  I really don't know why you showed up and said the things you've said, but I don't care.  You should come with us, this is no place to be at this time of night."

Taffy's voice carried far into the night, so she was sure the others could hear her, but she was ready to move as soon as she got her answer from the mysterious night herald.  Come to think of it, she still didn't know her name, either...

"And if I guess right, you already know my name," Taffy blurted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.  "But what's yours?"