Denise stood upon the threshold of what appeared to be that of a back entrance into a city drastically more familiar to her than she would have preferred. Even though Rhy'Din city seemed to be her journey's end, she could not quell the expression of distaste that twisted her cowl shadowed features.

Like an extension of the very darkness that surrounded her, she moved forward silently, invisibly, hidden gaze of mercury flicking to the northwest, and back down. She trained her attentions to the second, albeit weak, concentration of yoki over her right shoulder and still some great distance behind her. Curiosity was a curious thing within itself and she thus found herself greatly amused by her presence there and peaked interest in the matter.

It had been some time since she left her cabin, with that woman still taking refuge there. She knew not what she was expecting of the physical embodiment of that child's 'best friend', however Katt had not lived up to such. Denise doubted that any creature had the ability to do so, and should she find herself in a situation where she must explain that, she would tell the woman not to take it personally.

As she slowly traversed the cobbled streets, she pondered the reasons why such dimwitted beings as Yoma would deem this place important or a location within which to settle down. From what she had seen of the surrounding area, there was, indeed, a greater choice of food sources for them. However, there were also those that would prove problematic with their supernatural knowledge and abilities.

Perhaps that was what drew them here. Humans may have become the proverbial 'tofu' option for their disgusting palettes. Where there was the supernatural, there was option. Not only could they sample a more diverse variety of food stuffs, but they could also, just as easily, blend in. In a realm that dealt with such on a daily basis, and found it normal to do so, it would not be so difficult.

It amused her more to find that she was trying to figure the beings out. When she had been naught but a small finger on one of the many hands of the Organization, it had not been her place to ask such questions. She did as instructed, or suffered the consequences. Denise found that being able to stretch her intellectual muscle was quite new and rewarding. Although, it was not like she hadn't done such previously, the lacking need to hide her thoughts was refreshing.

Following the trail of the northwestern Yoma, she soon came upon a large market square, dominated in the center by a bright fountain. She was not alone in the location. A tall figure whom she instantly recognized drew her attention from the luminous dance of the fountain's water. Slender digits worked beneath the folds of her cowl and she tossed it back, freeing long flaxen locks from their prison over her right shoulder.

It was then that she heard high pitched noises coming from the ground, as well as blows against her shins and ankles from something furry and solid.

"Hmph," one fluid bend later, and the pup was caught securely by the scruff of its fat neck. Denise once more assumed an authoritative stride and did not stop until she had shoved Gizmo up into the chest of his owner.

"Your dog, child. I trust you will keep a firmer grip upon him whilst I am in your presence."

With that, she let go, uncaring if the dog plummeted to the ground or was caught by the startled boy she now found herself looking upon.

"Denise.."

Rose pale lips split into a wry grin. "If I did not know any better, Toby, I would think you were displeased to see me."

Denise's player. Thanks!! ]

He sat on the fountain, his lemonade cup squished between his hands..they in turn being squished by his knees. His eyes were glued to his legs. He wouldn't move them anywhere else..or blink..

Denise had positioned herself right in front of him. He could feel the six ton weight of her gaze on his shoulders and the top of his head..pushing him down into the stone fountain like she was trying to drill him into the ground.

"If you do not choose to speak, I will start for you."

His jaw twitched. He was stuck either way..so he opted for silence.. Like he always did..

"Very well. What I found curious about that dead animal was how there were several lacerations that did not fit the norm for another animal, or a Yoma. They were thin, precise and very clean... as if produced by a sword, or a dagger."

Images blinked around in his head. He was in the cave, the entrance to his left..back pressed up against the wall so that he could feel its roughness through his t shirt.

He had been angry..so angry.. He wanted to hurt something, someone..maybe even kill them.. He had already accomplished one of those..

She continued to talk, her tone thoughtful. "Of course, even though most of the evidence is coincidental, I find it highly unlikely that you, child, were not involved. For it occurred in the very same cave within which I found you. It was, in fact, still stained with blood from both you, and the animal."

He should have known the cave had been occupied..it smelled funny.. There wasn't a moment between when the mountain lion saw him and when it was on him.. He had felt claws sink into his chest and thighs, tearing into him, smelled the rancid breath from the lion's open mouth as it lunged for his neck..

He had stabbed it right in its gut..held up his other knife to protect himself. Warm blood had gushed down over him from the lion's throat.. It smothered his face..got into his nose and mouth.. He threw the twitching animal off of him, snarling..bloody daggers raised..

Something was spilling out of the gash he had cut into its stomach.. It looked gooey..weird.. He didn't know why he was mesmerized by it..why he was reaching for it..or cutting at the animal so he could see more of it. It smelled like garbage. His eyes and stomach were burning, there was laughter in his head..along with the soft, light whispers that sounded like 'I told you I would.'

"Stop it.." he said, finally squeezing his lemonade cup too hard. Pink liquid shot up and out towards Denise. She fluidly sidestepped and he imagined her staring down as the lemonade splattered all over the street.

"Did you have a moment of weakness child? Did you ponder what exactly the entrails of another being would taste like, and wonder how one such as you were not attracted to such?"

He whimpered.. That wasn't it.. His head lowered, hiding his burning eyes. Moisture threaded his eyelashes and he dropped the lemonade cup to rub at them.

Why was she saying this.. Why the hell would she want to know..

"You do not seem to be denying me Toby. If that is not the case, why do you not speak. Such things only lead me to believe you are guilty."

He remembered, and wished that he didn't, how good that first bite tasted.. Like he was starving, kept away from food..and was finally able to gorge himself.. The lion's innards were warm..he didn't even have to chew.. They slid gloriously down his throat.. He was so..hungry..

"You fed upon that lion, didn't you." He could feel the disgust in her voice.. It crawled all over him like a centipede.

Denise jerked his hands away from his eyes, grabbed his face tightly so that her fingernails dimpled his skin..shoving his head back until he had no choice but to look at her.

"Answer me," she ordered in a loud voice. Tears ran out of the corners of his eyes, back into his hair. He couldn't make his mouth work beyond hissing breaths and sounds that wanted to be sobs.

She threw his face from her hand and he almost fell backward into the fountain. He was saved from doing that when the back of her fist crashed into his right cheekbone. It dented in immediately and he flew off the edge of the fountain, into the cobblestones.. Gizmo yipped frantically from his safe place halfway inside a nearby alley.

"You despicable wretch. You are much weaker than I thought. True that you lack the amount worthy of even being claimed a warrior, and the training that goes along with such a title... but never did I imagine that you would stoop so low as to allow your own taint to manifest to such an extent... that would cause you to eat flesh.

"You really are a fucking monster. If I had not seen the evidence for myself, I would never believe that there is anything still human left within you. There is no use for you in this world, but to be an eyesore for those that stand against ones such as you.."

He wanted to throw up.. The world wouldn't stop spinning. He tried to crawl, but gave up..pitched to his back, and leaned his head against the street. He panted, gripped his hands into fists..waiting to hear the sound of her sword, and getting ready to feel nothing..

Denise's player. Thanks!! ]

He made it back up to the fountain without very many problems, poking his face to test it..making sure he hadn't missed anything.. Gizmo waddled slowly out of his hiding place and curled up by his feet. Denise stood in front of him again.. It was still hard to look at her.

"Your friend, Katt, admitted to me that you had not yet shown her the parchment that details your time within the Organization."

He swallowed..shook his head, looked down more intently at his hands. He had them folded tightly. It had happened a while ago..but he still felt irritated that Denise found it, read it.. He hadn't been in a position to stop it from happening, but still..

"I feel it prudent to tell you that she knows it exists and she may ask you about it. So pretending that you do not know what she is speaking of will get you nowhere with her."

"Mmph.." He didn't want to talk about that, or Katt.. It made him remember things..think about other things.. He rubbed his forehead with his folded knuckles. It was hard to do.

"I have also been doing some serious thinking about you, child, your situation... and that which put you there in the first place."

He blinked, his head whipped around so fast his neck cracked..when she sat down next to him. She crossed her legs and the light of the fountain made her armor look shiny.. There were a few inches of white skin between where her high boots ended, and the body of the armor began.. He had seen Lisa wear the same thing.

"Since you do have the habit of staring at things, I shall disregard your interest in my legs." He grunted, looked away quickly. She sounded like she laughed. It was a hard, very angry sound though..

"Of all the things Habbor wrote down upon that parchment, he made it perfectly clear that you did not receive the standard amount of Yoma flesh one of our ranks would. You did not even receive half of that. You are, in layman's terms, seventh eighths human. This, of course, I assume you already know."

He licked his lips and nodded a couple times. His hands loosened enough to where he could rub his palms together. The small calluses on his hands made noise. He didn't know where she was going with this..but she didn't really seem like she wanted to hit him..anymore.. He dared turning his head in her direction..if only a little bit.

"It is fact that we were all once human, though through our training regimens, and things of that nature, such becomes a rather distant fact. Your friend claimed that that is how the Organization breaks us, though I professed to her that most warriors are already broken before they reach that point." Denise waved her hand, then settled it back down on top of her crossed knees.

"Such things are of no consequence. What I mean to say is that I have developed a theory as to why you act the way that you do. One moment you may be bawling your eyes out, and the next you are staring murder across the clearing with a blade in your hand, ready to battle. Mood swings are not something that I or, that I know of, any of my comrades experience, unless we are extremely riled. However such does not seem true for you."

She pushed off the edge of the fountain and began to slowly pace in front of him. Her black cloak shifted and dusted her ankles.

"I am sure you do not remember such, but I have met you previously... even before I was tasked with your elimination. You were naught but a small child and you were miles scared of both myself and Lisa, with whom I was conversing.

"I see that child still within you, Toby. Moreso than I do the taint which caused you to grow and your features to change. You are no different now than when I first laid eyes upon you. So you should not act so."

He frowned softly, leaned back to look up at Denise. He felt weird..that she remembered something he didn't.. He always did..when that happened..

"I don't understand.."

"You are, in fact, mostly human. You are not saddled with being a mere half, but you are almost a full fledged human being. Your body was implemented with a foreign substance, in an amount small enough to cause drastic change, yes, but also not quite enough at the same time. Therefore your human side is far more dominant, though it does face its resistance from the taint."

He swallowed..frowning a little more. "You're..saying that I'm different..because I don't have as much as you.." he said it in a tone that suggested he had already figured that out. Denise nodded once, gestured to him with her hand, then continued her slow pace.

"Indeed. And that is why I have deduced that this is the reason, and have thus deemed you emotionally constipated. Your human side, as I recall, was rather... flamboyant. Your emotions were easily read, you scared quickly, and so on. You, as a being, and an identity, have not changed. You still carry such traits within you. However, they are stunted severely by that one eighth of your body, and mind, that is not human."

He started thinking about it..for, really, the first time.. He hadn't done it much, had always just accepted how he was..and tried to forget what made him that way. It made sense though..a little..

He was..like a Claymore in a lot of ways..and also not like them.. He chewed on his bottom lip a little bit.

"I am not you, and I thus cannot assume what you may be feeling at any given time. However, you seem to go between the two extremes of feeling strong emotions and then not fairly often, and I cannot believe that such is any bit healthy for you.

"Which brings to me to my second theory, and one that you may find interesting."

He blinked and looked up at her. She was holding two of her fingers up.

"I have also begun to assume that most of your issue comes from you and not your taint," she said lightly, her hand lowering and curling back around her hip. That..confused him worse.. He knew he looked like he still didn't understand.

She sighed, but didn't roll her eyes. "You have a preconceived notion of what Yoma and warriors are, how they act and such... And once you found out that you were part of that, even moreso than you could have imagined, you thus began acting accordingly."

He shook his head..ran his fingers back through his hair. "That's..not it.. I was like this..before I knew.. I think I was worse..I don't know.. I didn't really care..how I became like I was.. I just lived.."

"Hmph... Then perhaps that assessment of mine is incorrect. Though, I feel it only supports my earlier claim that you are, in fact, emotionally stunted by this change of yours. If such was part of the 'lesson' that Habbor had deemed you ready to learn, I am not certain. However, I do not think we should rule that out."

His head shook again, he rubbed at his face..then weakly lifted his hands into the air. "Why are you telling me this.. It doesn't make sense.."

Her silver eyes narrowed a little. "As I have stated previously... I will not allow that which I and my comrades were deemed expendable for to be a pathetic failure. You are learning, I shall give you that, but you are still far too weak of body and mind. The date on that parchment stated that this happened to you nigh on two years ago. However you are still wandering about like you have just been implanted."

She stepped in front of him and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at her again. It wasn't as hard as she had done it before..but it was enough to where he couldn't ignore it.

"I will give you some advice that has proved indispensable throughout my own years... The Yoma flesh inside of you is just that, inside of you. You are not inside of it. And therefore you are the master of it, and you must act accordingly to that fact, do you understand?"

He blinked, swallowed..nodding into her hand. She didn't let go.

"I do not care how good it feels when you let it take over you. I do not care if such seems impossible for you. You will," she shook him hard enough to make his eyes start watering again, "become the master of this, as I have done, and as have many that have come before you.

"Keep in mind that you are no different than when you started your life. You may no longer be human, but you are still Toby. It is not what you are, it is who you are."

His breath caught in his throat.. He stared up at Denise like he hadn't seen her before, his jaw completely relaxing in her grip. He had heard that before..from Katt.. So many times..

It didn't help the tears in his eyes. He squeezed them shut, his chest suddenly feeling very heavy.. Denise..understood it too.. She used to be a Claymore, like Lisa.. And it was the same with Katt..

It made him feel..guilty..

Denise let go of his chin and patted him on the top of his head awkwardly. He tried to cover is whole head with his hands, curling down into his knees until his forehead touched them. "You will understand someday. And for your sake, child, I hope it is sooner rather than later."

He heard her walk away, but he didn't know where she was going.. She'd said there were Yoma here..and that more were coming.. The Organization was watching him too..weren't they.. Wouldn't she get in trouble..

He hugged his knees tightly, sniffing..and didn't look up from the ground for a while.