[Infirmary] Long Day (Iggy)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock scowled and looked up at him when he niggled her, not particularly liking his tone. If he wanted her to take a good look, fine, she'd... She frowned, blinking a bit and shaking her head to clear it. She had THOUGHT it was a woman that helped Mikey, but now she realized it had been the man walking next to her. She rubbed her eyes for a second, confused, and not sure why she was confused. "Ahh," she muttered, "aye. Sorry, Guv. Didn't... didn't realize it was yous." He was being so nice about it, too. Which just made her feel more guilty. Here she was snapping at him, and he was apologizing and being respectful, and complimenting her. She sighed and scratched the back of her head, pausing when she reached the door that led out of the infirmary. "Ain't no thing," she muttered. "Jus'... little biter needs someone, aye?" She shrugged. "An' 'e likes puppets, so..." She shrugged again, unsure how to even express what she was feeling, especially to a stranger, even if he was being kind and courteous. "'Ey's magic puppets," she said, always glad to talk about her work. "'Ere, see?" She fished Leth out of her pack again and stood him on top of it, bracing the backpack against her stomach with the puppet perched on top. With her free hand, she raised her fingers up, over the piece of glass embedded into the top of the puppet's head. The puppet stood, raising his arms up high. She waved her thumb and pinky finger to make the puppet pump his arms up and down, then wiggled her pinky to make him wave. She wasn't sure why she was showing the nurse man this. Maybe because she felt bad for snapping at him. Maybe because she just liked showing her work off.

[Ignotus Everto]

The wizard nodded politely to her, an understanding smile plastered on his face. "It's fine, I'm a little easy to miss, if you catch my drift." He fell silent after the jab at his height. Sometimes it was better to listen. Usually it was better to listen. When she trailed off though, he was more than happy to pick up for her, taking the opportunity to slip in a suggestion. "Might as well be you, right? You have plenty of time, after all..." Perhaps if he'd known her better, he'd have tried to go farther, but he didn't want to draw suspicion to himself, and really, why would he put a thought in her head if he wanted to learn something? Now that the moment of panic had passed, he was actually starting to enjoy himself. Tock posed a puzzle to him, albeit a very angry one, and one he thoroughly enjoyed trying to solve. Some people played music. Others made things with their hands, or drank. Still others told stories, or fished. Ignotus' hobby was this. The stakes here were higher than most other sports, and the rewards were sometimes to die for. The possibility of learning about a new discipline from this girl was one of them. A genuine grin split his features when Tock showed him the Leth puppet. He waved back at the little effigy, chuckling a little. "He's kind of cute..." The undead said, poking lightly at it with his index finger. He glanced up for a moment at the puppet's master. "What kind of magic are you using to control him? I don't think I've ever seen its like before..." The gem on its head escaped his notice, so he assumed the magic was coming from Tock, not the puppet. He'd have to search the library for books on telekinesis, he decided. Another time, though. Right now he was far too busy poring over this little miracle of engineering.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock blushed and lowered her eyes when the man said it might as well be her that took care of Mikey. She shrugged and didn't say anything, embarrassed at her connection to the little boy. She didn't know him that well, having only meet him a few days ago, but he reminded her of... her. Of the way she was when she was a kid, eager to learn. And she'd been sick once. So sick she'd almost died. She didn't voice any of this, though. She never told anyone about her past. She just stayed focused on the puppet. When the man poked it, she flicked her finger to make the puppet's hand come down and smack the finger away. "Dun be rude!" she told him, pouting. "'At's my baby!" She was unaware that, as she did this, another of her babies was making himself known. Handy, the wooden hand Automaton, crawled up her arm to perch on her shoulder. The little glass eyes on his wrist joint stared at Iggy, while the leather strap that made his tail waved back and forth slowly. "S'soul magic," she said with pride. "Animated. I done gave birth ta each one o' 'em myself. I gots a dozen babies. All mine, all made from me..." Of course, technically only their souls had come from her, she hadn't actually 'birthed' their bodies. But since she HAD sculpted each one by hand, each piece from scratch, then as far as she was concerned she was as connected to her babies as if she'd birthed them from between her legs.

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus' eyes widened when his hand was smacked away, but not from pain. The swat stung more than he expected from a puppet, but that wasn't what frightened him. What frightened him was the possibility that she'd notice how cold his hands were and start asking questions. It had a bit of her soul in it after all, what if she could feel what they felt too? He muttered a hasty "Sorry!" before turning inward. "She won't notice... She can't notice... It was only half a second, and she's already talking about her baby... Her baby?" That was new... Ignotus felt proud of his power, certainly, but to consider a creation a baby? It was strange, but what could one expect from a wizard? Especially one so obviously amateurish, at least in Ignotus' mind. It was around that same time that he realized he'd forgotten to keep breathing and blinking, and batted his eyes three times in quick succession to compensate, fidgeting with his hands a little. Still... What she was saying about soul magic and animating objects... He knew that he owed his existence to Animation, though he was never quite clear on what it was exactly. Now that he was seeing it in action, it was... Perfect... He just had to learn how to do it. Knowing there was only one right answer to the crazy automaton lady, he offered Tock and Handy a warm smile. "Really? Well, the one's I've seen have been just grand! Couldn't have more beautiful children if they were made of flesh... The kind of dedication it must've taken to make them... And afterwards!" He tilted his head thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a bony finger. "Making sure they behave, keeping them clean..." He shook his head longingly. "I envy you, I really do. All I can do is make a few sparks fly out of my hands." The Nuit said ruefully. It was almost pitiable, really. Like he was missing out on one of life's great joys. Which, of course, was exactly what Ignotus wanted her to think.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock grinned wide, her face beaming with maternal pride. He liked her babies! Hardly anyone ever complimented her babies! She felt warm in her chest as she nodded eagerly and said, "Aye, aye! Ain't done gots ta squeeze 'em out 'tween my legs fer ta 'as 'em been real! Slimy, crawly, noisy lil buggers." She gave a shudder at the very thought. She never wanted to have a baby that way! The man, whose name she realized she didn't know (or, couldn't remember), was stroking her ego and praising her beloved babies so much that she could almost have kissed him! She was giddy with pride. "Aye, 'ey's my perfect lil angels," she said, kissing the puppet and tucking him away. "An' ya should meet 'Andy... where is 'e...?" She rummaged through her bag for a moment, frowning in concern. Then she felt him tap her shoulder, and turned to look, not having realized he was there. He waved at her, and she giggled and grinned. "Oy, was yous 'idin' from Mommy?" she asked him, speaking in a baby voice. "Was ya? Yes ya was! Yes ya was!" Giggling, she nuzzled his fingers with her nose and then kissed him adoringly. He stroked her cheek with his wooden fingers, then started stroking her hair when she turned back to the nurse. "'As ya gots any kids?" she asked him conversationally. Of course, she figured if he DID, they were most likely the... fleshy sort. But who knew?

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus simply smiled and nodded when it was appropriate as he watched Tock skip off to Golem Land. Laughter pealed out in the confines of his mind. Was everyone this simple? It couldn't have been more than fifteen chimes, and in fifteen more he could probably have her helping dispose of a corpse! This was just too easy... There wasn't much left to do but broach the question, until Tock decided to break the ice by asking her own. "'As ya gots any kids?" That was... Odd. He'd honestly never thought about children before, even when he could have them. They never seemed particularly important. After all, who needed progeny when they were plotting immortality? Now he was just plain infertile. Corpses can't have children. No one had ever brought it up until now, either. He blinked a couple of times before shaking his head forlornly. "No, I never really had time when I was younger, and I didn't know the ones you have were possible..."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock shrugged and said, "Yer loss, mate! Most bestest day o' my life what were when I done made Bitey. 'E's my baby spider," she nodded, smiling with pride. "What were when I became a mother. Ain't nothin' what's better inna world what 'en knowin' as you's brought life inta the world, sculpted it wit'cher own 'ands. Though my brother made the eyes..." She missed her babies. She wished she could take every one of them with her every time she went anywhere. But unfortunately, it just wasn't practical. Though Grippy, Handy, and Boxy came with her everywhere. Partially because they were simply the smallest and easiest to carry around with her, whatever she was doing. Her heart yearned for her babies, and she wanted to be with them. Unaware that the man before her had anything in mind other than small talk, she flashed up a friendly smile and said, "Well, gots fer ta git 'ome ta the newborn. 'E's only three days old... dun wanna leaves 'im 'ome alone all night, aye?" Thinking that was it, she headed out the door.

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus smiled sadly as Tock gushed about her beautiful babies, though he also raised an intrigued eyebrow at her mention of a brother, and a pet spider. Was he just as insane? Was the spider alive or mechanical? He knew one could animate corpses: Or at the very least, he was fairly certain of it. He knew where his kind came from, and they were all bodies. "Aye... I never really had much of a chance to create much my self, but what I have made... Nothing has made me prouder." He wasn't really lying. He never made an automaton or even a sculpture, but he created other things, if one was willing to be a bit abstract... The thought occurred to him that subtlety wasn't the best tool for this girl. She certainly had big emotions, and big emotions seemed to have the best effect on her. He realized he didn't have time for any other option than asking when he heard Tock say"Well, gots fer ta git 'ome ta the newborn. 'E's only three days old... dun wanna leaves 'im 'ome alone all night, aye?" There wasn't time to do much more than return the smile, clasping his hands behind his back. "Of course..." He bit his lip and finally said. "Say... You don't think you could teach me how to make my own, could you?" Ignotus would have to hope the question wouldn't set her off again.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock paused and looked back at the man, arching a slender eyebrow. He wanted to learn how to make Automatons? She considered that for a long moment, biting her lip. She had never taught anyone Animation before. She had taught Kaeson how to build Automatons, but he had already known the magic. He'd been a bit more experienced at it than her, in fact, when they'd first met. He just needed training in the physical crafting of the bodies, and that she had been more than willing to teach. But teaching someone Animation... In a weird way, it would feel like having sex with him. It was such an intimate and personal experience. She'd worked with people during Animations before. She'd used other people as a Source, but that was just them sitting there, while she did all the work. Actually working with someone, letting them see into her soul, touch it and guide it... Now she understood why old Archimaneus had been so hesitant to teach her. "Ahh..." she scratched her head, thinking it over. He seemed like a nice guy. He really did. "I unno... ain't never done 'at 'fore. 'Ey gots classes at the Uni..." Of course, her experience in Animation classes hadn't been one of 'initiation.' That had been the academic side. Learning the principles of forming Directives, how to best transfer the Djed, and so forth. Just like it would be one thing sitting in a class learning that this part inserted into that part, but that was a whole different story from taking someone home with you and trying it out. She was indecisive, digging her toe into the ground uncertainly. She wasn't sure what to say.

[Ignotus Everto]

The Nuit's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She was... Actually thinking it over? He knew if anyone had asked him to teach them Hypnotism, he'd kill them. Then again, that was different. This magic was breathing life into things. Very visible, blatant even. Hypnotism, on the other hand, practically required secrecy to function. Of course, he also didn't trust anyone to have that kind of power other than himself, but that was secondary, really. At any rate, it was time to get to work. When Tock mentioned the University, he just looked at her with his cold, dead puppy eyes, clasping his hands together just under and in front of his chin like a little beggar. Looking directly into them would spark a little extra sympathy. Just to be safe. "Aye, but my schedule is so full, and it would be so much nicer to learn from someone as brilliant as you... You'd be a perfect teacher, I just know it. You can spare a bit of your time, can't you? I'm sure you can..." In case buttering her up wasn't enough, there was one more thing he could do. Since she was having so much trouble deciding, why not ease her anxiety and decide for her? Really, he was doing her a favor... "Please?" Ignotus asked in a diminutive tone. At the same time, the thought popped into Tock's head: "Why not?"