Scene #1248:

Owner	Pose
Faruja	Faruja sits upon the desk he's taken for use while at his shared home with his lizardly love, scratching relentlessly upon parchment. Today, the reports of events in Galianda have gotten his attention, and thus he's penning several missives towards his superiors. Caution, and a show of good faith towards those who might doubt multiversals is the Church's single viable entry into the world, at least to Faruja's reckoning. Good old charity, love, and the occasional discrete pamphlet given out. Not the swiftest manner of doing things, but it's what it will take. Though as he takes a sip of wine, the rodent's tail lashes. Xenophobia is an issue that has all but ended his own kind, alongside greed, and he can't quite bottle up his own ire towards the Galiandans in turn. A year ago, he'd be suggesting blades rather than bread. Thankfully, he's grown wiser. But one more issue weighs upon his mind. That of a certain lizardess! Sealing his last letter, the rat rises to try to find his dear magess!
Ainsley	Ainsley's study. Once she began producing her own mana, she wasn't confined to a single place for the majority of her day. Still, she found she really enjoyed having a study to herself, and once she had acquired the house alongside Faruja, it was a simple matter to fill it with all of the books she had collected. That collection had since grown, filled with tomes gifted to her or bought with the compensation the Union provided to her. Shelves upon shelves of books on the history of many people or places. The Victory Day celebration was ... less than fun for her. She came right home afterwards and took a very long shower, more to wash the stress out of her feathers than rotten fruit gunk that was still stuck in it. She found herself dressed in black and red pajama pants and a shirt, with fuzzy Mog slippers she got from a Galiandan merchant. She sat there and quietly scribbled down notes on the event, writing down what she experienced in the most impartial tone she could manage. She found herself stopping now and then, her scaly brow scrunching as she thought of the faces of the masses that shouted at her and the other 'extraversals.' She wouldn't hear Faruja coming into the study. He'd find her drawing a very large illustration of the angry crowd, with a few notable faces drawn in much more detail than the others. Written as a title across the illustration, it says: 'Instigators; Shivan. Disguised. Political climate hazy/aggressive. Possible antagonistic force? Chaos?' She underlines the word 'Chaos' a couple times.
Faruja	Faruja pauses, not surprised to find her within her study. It's always seemed to be her personal sanctuary, as their little chapel is for him. Thus, he always seems to enter with the slightest amount of hesitation. He'd hate to snoop on a private moment of his love, after all. The painting, however, swiftly draws his attention. A small frown comes to his muzzle. He inspects it, drawing parralels with reports and the image now before him. "Ye know, at first I thought Galianda wouldst be a relatively peaceful land. Almost like home, really. Mmm." He pauses. Politics, xenophobia, dark forces at work. "...Regrettably like home, now that I think upon it. Come here." Then, he'll offer warm arms and a loving kiss upon the top of her scaley head. "Thank the Lord ye art alright. Pack of worthless knaves, the lot!"
Ainsley	Ainsley would be a difficult one to sneak up on, if she were ever more alert of her surroundings. Instead, she twitches in surprise when he speaks, looking up at him as if drawn out of a session of sleepwalking. She accepts the arms about her shoulders, and tilts in her seat to rest her cheek against his shoulder, after he's pressed the kiss onto her. She draws away from his hold and looks at him with an intensity in her eyes. "Scared people," she tells him, with that intensity rolling in her voice, "Ramuha is the country with the most influence in the Academy, but other countries see my influence and the presence of other 'extraversals' with paranoid thoughts like... like we're trying to do something untoward in that world. All I want to do is help prospective adventurers survive a little easier, but they didn't ask, they just... threw things and shouted." She let out a sigh. "The ones at fault are the ones who planned this riot," she tells him, "The ones who lead these people." She taps the drawing of one of the Shivan instigators. "Whether they are simply ignorant and scared political planners, or people who have detrimental plans..." "My classes are not going to be cancelled on their account." She huffs, showing ... Determination on her face.
Faruja	Such intensity draws the tiniest of bitter smiles. "Ignorance, fear, and death oft go tail-upon-tail. I suppose I can see why they art scared; Lord knows I spent the first few days all but ensconced upon barstool and altar alike until I hardly knew the difference. A few riots...but easily put down. Ye see, mine dear, humans as a whole hold themselves upon this neat little pedestal. One made of glass. When it shatters and cracks upon the weight of other beings? Well, some see opportunity, friendship, and possibility. Others merely see threats and the end to their traditions. Nevermind the fact that there shall be criminals entering in to Galianda. A mugging, a murder by an extraversal upon a Galiandan...I fear things shall grow worse." A shake of the head. "A distinction most in need of investigation. Even assuming 'twas not meant to provide political capital to some party or others, those with such agendas shall no doubt use it. We must, as outsiders, prove ourselves worthy of the populace's love and friendship." He gets the strangest feeling of all but reiterating his previous letter. But then the lizardess has him openly smiling. "What, over a pack of ignorant louts and rabblerousers? Perish the thought. I fully intend upon observing if the Academy shall alow it. I shouldst like to see how ye teach."
Ainsley	Ainsley's gaze darkens as she hears Faruja talk about proving oneself and other things she has heard before. Her gaze drops for a moment, uncertainty wedging into her intensity. She lets the feeling pass as he continues to speak, expressing his interest in her status as a professor. She flashes a big bright smile at Faruja, and then packs up her notes about the Victory Day celebration, setting them aside. She reaches down to open a drawer and pull out a black leather-bound notebook, which she sets down. It says, in big block letters in the cover, 'TEACHER'S NOTES'. It looks downright ominous. She opens it, and the primer is... It's a layout of what her classes are gonna be like. General homework, and then field trips to ancient ruins... And quizzes that involve the use of practical puzzles, such as puzzleboxes, word problems. It even details how she'll score extra credit, in the form of work that students do in ways she may not expect. She describes 'unexpected uses' as 'uses that venture from the beaten path, or supplement personal skills or talents, or make the lessons more fun and interactive.' She plans on rewarding students for being creative, essentially. She actually blushes, visible on her snout, and looks up at Faruja hopefully, her brows perking and eyes sparkling with a youthful energy. She's waiting for his input.
Faruja	Faruja leans in as that Primer of Ominous Teacherdom is laid before him! Finding a seat, he rubs his fuzzy chin as he reads, silent and contemplative. His gaze is a touch critical at first, before he finally breaks out into a bright smile. "While I wouldst give a far more...strict lesson plan, I see that ye art more than a match for these little 'adventurers'! Large difference from training military personelle and what art more or less children growing into adulthood." Instead of drilling discipline and obedience, Ainsley is letting their talents flourish. He taps upon parts involving individual personal skills and creativity. "Encourage this. Rigid thinking leads to death, be ye a Temple Wizard or adventurer." And thus the hypocricy meter rises. Then, he starts jotting down suggestions in the margins; mostly recommendations for basic magical textbooks found in Ivalice that are quite close to Galiandan methods of magic. So too are a few old ruins penciled in. But he states his biggest suggestion aloud. "Teamwork, and competition. Split them up into groups, let them duel, challenge one another. Their peers shall push them to excell more than any act ye couldst lay before them."
Ainsley	"Teamwork," Ainsley murmurs in agreement. She taps one of her cheeks with a pen. And then she reaches down to scribble into her notes, beginning the rest of her plans with a smile on her face, having found something she truly likes doing in this act. This is the fullest image of Ainsley that Faruja would have ever seen, with emotion and drive in her that perhaps had not been seen before. "The first lesson will only be a taste of later, harder challenges. Everyone will do this on their own, and that way they can see where their strengths and weaknesses are. During the first phase, I think..." She scribbles down notes on a page as she speaks, "I will encourage the class to determine how they will divide themselves up. They'll naturally stick with the people they're comfortable with, so... we'll see how it evolves. Then the next lesson, groups will compete."
Faruja	Faruja leans back in his seat, crosses his legs, and puts his cane aside to watch the passionate scholarly work of his love. So full, so /intense/ in her work tosee that these adventurers can go out into a dangerous occupation, and have that much more of an edge to survive. It's utterly beautiful, and the rat fears to speak in case he ruins the moment. But her own words bring him back. That smile on his muzzle doesn't vanish. "Quite. However, one mustn't encourage them to become utterly reliant upon one another, either. Once they art comfortable? When they least expect it, change grouping. Particularly with those they art unfavorable towards. Force them to be uncomfortable. To work against their own natural inclinations, and make do. Not all operations shall they like their allies, nor shall they be evenly matched. A group of mages, for instance. A lack of healers. They must learn to overcome and adapt to situations they couldst not forsee." He further suggests. A pause. "Ye art bloody beautiful, ye know? I think ye hath found thine calling."