[Date: October 11, 1539 GMT]
[Brief IC interlude on Tim's occult training.]
[Tim's just managed to successfully provoke Mai by pointing out the Japanese way 
to do things one too many time.]
* Mai snaps at Tim without raising her voice.  "Yes, the Japanese would do it 
entirely differently.  Why do you think I chose this method?"  She then realizes 
what she's just said and looks aghast at herself.
<Grysar> (Tim responding or just being quiet?)
<Tim> (Typing long thing)
* Tim rubs his face. "Because it's the one you know. I brought it up because I 
know bits and pieces of another way. If I knew everthing about either one I 
wouldn't need your help we could get into a real discusson about which one's 
better or if that's even possible."
* Tim  sighs and starts paging back through one of the books in front of him. 
"But I don't. And it's not your fault that other people have tried to teach me 
before."
* Mai shakes her head and sighs.  "No, you're right.  It's a fine method.  I 
should build on what you know.  Old prejudices are just hard to let go of.'
* Tim glances at her. "Tell ya what, I'll help you disprove them and then you 
can build up a while new set."
* Mai chuckles a little at that, but doesn't seem entirely convinced.  "Alright, 
let me brush up on the technique you mentioned and I'll show you how it fits 
in."  She summons a book and begins to skim it.
<Tim> (Idly notes that said technique could have been anything from box making 
to caligraphy to summoning)
<Grysar> (Right. ;P)
* Tim does a bit of skimming of his own. "Of course I could totaly screw it up 
and accidentaly prove all of them to be true, which would be bad."
* Mai snickers as she reads.  "Nothing you could do by accident would confirm 
them."  She then gets a more serious tone.  "Most of what I teach you, including 
the technique you've mentioned, can be used for good or ill.  It's just the way 
I've seen it used has tended towards the later."
<Grysar> (And so yes, definately mystical technique just to simplify things.  We 
could say summoning just to nail it down)
<Tim> (Right)
* Tim shakes his head. "I'm stuck with SAB for a good long while, and the way 
things are shaping up it'll get used for a rather limited sense of good. 
Somebody, somewhere, is going to get the short end of the stick; this way it's 
slightly less likely to be me or anybody else I know."
* Mai nods and finishes skimming.  "Then let's continue.  And if I neglect the 
Japanese end again, feel free to raise the point."
* Tim nods back. "Fair enough if you tell me when I'm in danger of proving you 
right about anything."
* Mai smiles.  "Only when it's not safe for you to figure it out on your own."
* Tim laughs. "Good to know I'm still doomed."
[And end interlude]