Since he'd gone to sleep much earlier, even though he hadn't slept well, TJ found himself waking early, the sun's light only barely peeking over the horizon. He stumbled out of his room, and there waiting for him was Stanton.
"I'm sorry about last night." The old cowboy said. "I never thought that cowpie given life would pull the shit he did. You didn't deserve that."
TJ shrugged. "Maybe I didn't. Maybe I did. Even after sleeping it off, I don't want to deal with anyone else."
"That's your right. You want to go get breakfast?"
"I guess I've gotta."
"Great. Let's go."
Stanton spoke with an easy certainty, and TJ felt that, just as with Farid, he had a true friend in this old man. They walked in companionable silence out of the house, and TJ felt some measure of movement further down the road. Someone he didn't recognize in time rushed into the general store, though TJ couldn't bring himself to care too deeply. Then, while they continued to walk, another flurry of movement exploded out of the general store, and Laura hurried out, though not quite to the level of running. Instead, in as composed a way as possible, she speed walked to intercept the two walking men.
"What is it?" Stanton asked, subtly standing in front of TJ.
"I need to apologize for the actions of my ex subordinate." Laura immediately got to the point. "You and I both extended him many graces, and in return, he spat in our faces. Jeff has been removed from any semblance of a leadership position, and the only place he is currently welcome while within the bounds of the town is a singular building on the outskirts."
"That was quick." TJ responded, his tone as level as he could manage to make it. "Was there any fallout?"
"Nothing that you'd need to concern yourself with. I'd always considered Jeff to be slow to change but with a good head on his shoulders, but it just goes to show how well you can know someone after less than a week." Laura bowed her head, her curly hair falling around her face and obscuring it completely. "Again, I apologize for his actions. I would also like to personally express my gratitude to you for your support of the other hunters in your party as well as your continuous willingness to put yourself on the front lines, regardless of if it is for the town as a whole or not. It cannot be overstated the influence you have had on us, and I do not believe that we would be capable of surviving this Tutorial without your guidance and presence."
Though it felt forced, the gratitude and apology from the Bureaucrat rang true. TJ chuckled under his breath, remembering she was a career politician before all this. The Mayor of a city, regardless of how small it was, would have experience in public relations.
"Thank you for your apology." TJ nodded. "I'm happy to continue working in tandem with the current residents of this town. I don't know if I'll be quite so happy to go exploring though."
"I can't say that we would like to do that either. Even so, we can't say that we know what other option is available to us as people who need to defend this storefront. We need to gain experience." She trailed off, looking at TJ expectantly. He sighed.
"I'm not going to guide this town any more, Laura. They're going to continue to see me as a monster, and I'll live with that. But I don't want to deal with people treating me like I'm going to hurt them at the easiest opportunity. So I won't. There's plenty of people who've gained enough levels to at least nearly be my peers. They can guide the rest of the hunting parties and see what they can achieve. I'll keep doing what I do, and if the people I trust want to talk to me, they can."
"Are you sure that is in everyone's best interests?"
"Yeah. If they think, even a little, that I might try to kill or worse, eat them, then we can't work together. We've gotta trust each other, and there won't be any trust between us, not like that."
Laura pursed her lips. She took a deep breath, trying to sort out what to do next, TJ supposed. He did feel bad for turning her down like this. Laura had, missteps notwithstanding, always listened to his counsel and supported him. She'd never treated him badly, even when he'd appeared as if he were a monster, and didn't she deserve some level of consideration? Should he just deal with the week of uncomfortable conversations and situations to ensure that the end of the Tutorial was as safe and secure as possible?
The thought was foreign, and TJ, aloud, asked the System, "What afflictions am I currently under?"
You are currently suffering from a minor Friendliness affliction. While under the influence of the Friendliness affliction, you will be 25% less inclined to sweeping shifts to your emotions and 10% more likely to consider the origin of the affliction as someone you trust.
"You could have asked me as well, TJ." Laura was wholly unafraid of being found out, and, as the Affliction faded from his Status, TJ realized that he didn't mind too much either. At this level, it didn't mean much, though her willingness to use it in this moment was eye opening.
"You would inflict an affliction on me?"
"Just as much as I would offer you tea and a snack were we to be in my office in Kingman. I am the preeminent political authority in Pine at the moment, so I should be someone you trust or I shouldn't be in my position. I would hope that, given your goal of returning to see your son after this Tutorial, you can understand the benefit of not being wholly swept away by your emotions."
"I'll have you know that, if this affliction did any more than it does, I wouldn't be nearly so forgiving."
Laura shrugged. "I have my aura going at all times to attempt to keep everyone as happy as can be in town. If it helps, you're not at all special in the way I've treated you here."
"I just want you out of my head for now. Can you do that?"
"Sure, I can exclude you from my aura. I'm sorry if my approach was more than you want to deal with right now, but the town can't stand to lose you at this time. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help to convince you to continue to help the town. At least, more than you will be already." At that, Laura nodded her head and walked back into the general store.
TJ and Stanton watched the mayor return to her "office" in the store, and Stanton grunted before spitting into the forest. "Politicians. She's a good one, but she's still a damned politician. Chose to be a Bureaucrat. Must be something wrong in her head."
"I guess you're right. After we eat, you want to come on a hunt with me?"
"I'm with you, kid."
TJ smiled as he and Stanton walked into the firehouse.
—-
Their meal passed quickly. The awkwardness of people being overly polite grated on TJ, and he refused to engage too long with any of the people who came and tried to speak with him. He realized that many of those who approached genuinely just wanted to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to engage with them beyond surface level conversations. The few requests he got to let them tag along on his next hunt were politely but firmly rebuffed, while TJ and Stanton both hurried to eat as fast as they could manage.
Outside of the firehouse, they went to walk away, but someone came and stopped them. When TJ and Zig's eyes met, he could feel the tension radiating off of her.
"Zig, let me apologize." TJ spoke, not stopping when Zig tried to interrupt. "I realize you were just trying to vent last night and then Jeff twisted what you said for his own agenda. I know that I've said stupid and mean things about people I love, so to say it about someone who actually threatened your life? Well, it makes sense. So I forgive you for messing up, and I'm sorry I didn't accept your apology last night."
"Shit man." Zig scoffed. "I feel like what I wanted to say doesn't compare. But here's the thing. I messed up. I'm sorry."
TJ nodded. He was, quite frankly, sick of dealing with so many people all the time, and wondered if, once the Tutorial was over, he wouldn't be pushed to work with others all the damn time. The thought made him laugh, considering how much he'd wanted to be around other people when this Tutorial all started, but maybe the Integration had revealed a part of TJ that he'd never known existed.
"You need any backup today or will it just be you two?"
"Just us."
"You sure you don't want a Disciple or anything?"
"I should be fine for that." Stanton answered and with his response, Zig nodded and backed off.
"Happy hunting."
With a sigh of relief, TJ led Stanton out of the bounds of the town. In mere minutes, they left the safe perimeter, the forest outside seeming to take on an ominous hue. The sunlight, powerful though it tried to be, couldn't cut completely through the shadows of the growing trees. Where humanity had beaten down nature before, now nature reclaimed its territory with unending dedication and unyielding finality. TJ wondered if humans would be able to push back the incursions of the natural world after the Tutorials all finished. Given where his home was, would he return to a shell of a building reclaimed by the thin scrub brush of the valley? Would only sand remain of the house all his memories of Junior took place in?
There was no way to tell, and instead, TJ had things to kill. He would gain levels, grow stronger, and overcome this damned Tutorial. Less than eight days remained, and TJ would take advantage of every minute he had.
That day's hunts passed with little incident. After gaining so many points in Intelligence and Fixation, TJ could keep Stanton safe from pukwudgie ambushes, and everything else could be dealt with or evaded if necessary. After two dozen creatures were dead at their hands, Stanton and TJ gathered up the most valuable materials that resulted from the hunt and retreated back to town. Then, they ate a quick lunch where they talked about the possible uses of a Lifebloom before they went back out. More pukwudgies, coyotes, and javelinas died at their hands, again without any real danger. After dropping off the spoils of their second hunt, they went for a third before dinner, setting out to ensure they had enough time to return home before the sun set.
After dinner, TJ cared for the pelts he'd already prepared while preparing the newest additions, and this all while coaching Tessie and Molly through their next step. They'd both managed to create items that the System counted as Minor Divine Trials, even though the end results weren't Copper tiered.
Then, after TJ finished teaching the girls, he went to rest to do it all again the next day. And the day after that. On the tenth day after the Integration, he set out on a special hunt–one to reach level 15 in Neophyte.