Scene #3200: A Rebellious Visit

Owner	Pose
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr is sitting in her bed in the recovery ward. She's mostly out of the woods now, just some lingering Mana Burn and the remaining knitting of bone and tissue in her shoulder. What will take the longest to heal, are the reopened scars from her own past. She's got several holographic screens around her, transluscent enough to see past. They have reports, notices and other information scrolling across them, as the girl keeps up with events.
Yuri Stinson	As one of the deniable members of the faction, Yuri visiting medical comes with a certain amount of pomp and circumstance. As he calmly shuffles through the hallways of medical, there's a fairly scary looking contingent of guards milling about him. The Supernal Exalt himself looks somewhat beaten up and the cloak he wears is still patched and pocked with dried blood. He also only seems to have a left arm. "Greetings, Zephyr Windstar. I am Yuri Stinson. May I join you?" He asks as he steps into the room. His voicetone is hollow and lacking emotion due to his nature. He looks around the room, "I wish to discuss your mental state with you."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr looks up at the voice. "Yuri? My mental state? I'm fine, really." she replies, shifting a bit and waving the screens away. "Shouldn't you be healing after that fight? You're still missing your arm."
Yuri Stinson	"A fortunate biproduct of my existence is the ability to operate despite immense injury. If I am not deceased, I am able to retain most functionality," He notes as he sits down in a chair and watches her, "Are you actually fine, however? Your device has voiced some concern, particularly in relation to how this event will resonate to prior traumas related to your past. It is why I am here. I wish to speak to you about how such things can affect a person."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr shoots a dirty look over at the bracer and coin sat on the side table. The Device emits a chime that comes off as the audio version of a shrug. Zephyr then sighs, and looks back at Yuri. "What do you know about my past?" she asks. It's not accusatory, it's genuinely curious. if she's going to spill her proverbial guts, she at least needs to know where she has to start.
Yuri Stinson	"Not a great deal. Merely that the circumstances of Scion mirror one of your more traumatic experiences and that such a thing may have caused you to dangerously push yourself," He replies calmly, "What you wish to share or not is your business. Many, including myself, keep their origins a mystery from others. I am no therapist, I am merely someone with similar past traumas."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr sighs a bit. "Right... My homeworld was 'host' to a Lost Logia, a dangerous magical artifact from an ancient civilisation, which eventually killed off a good 9/10th of the population. We managed to beat it, but the rebuilding is still occuring, two years on."
Yuri Stinson	Yuri Stinson carefully nods his head as he listens to her, "I see. That is an event which would leave some considerable damage on a person's mental state. Let me ask you: Is that why you were willing to push yourself to near death to stop Scion at any cost?" He inquires as he calmly watches her with that bright green gaze.
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr's good hand clenches tightly. "... I don't want anyone else to go through that. Noone should have to watch their homeworld burn." she looks into that green gaze with her mismatched one. "Noone. Not even my worst enemy should suffer that."
Yuri Stinson	"I agree with you," Yuri says to her bluntly. He pauses for a long moment, "So much so that it was a driving philosophy behind the monster I have turned myself into," He adds in that same monotone, "I am not here to tell you that your philosophy or trauma is incorrect, but that you will need to control how you manifest its effects on you." He seems to potentially have more to say, but is pausing to let his initial statement sink in.
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr furrows her brow, looks down at her lap and lifts her left palm up, holding it open as if she can see something there. A breath, a release, then her hand is dropped and her eyes lift back up to look at the Exalted. "Whatt're ya suggestin'?" she asks.
Yuri Stinson	"Our traumas shape what we are to become, and it is now an individual processes their pain that will determine who they become," He drones in that gentle monotone, watching her eyeline in an unflinching fashion, "You have two paths, ultimately. I failed once, suffered a trauma. The pain of that event was such that I was willing to forgo being human to escape it. My wounds ached, so I removed them. My emotions vexed me, so I elected to no longer feel them. My actions became such that I was willing to sacrifice my humanity to avoid a repetition. This was the path of the Infernal, and I do not recommend it, because once one becomes a monster to escape their pain it is impossible to be anything else." After a long pause, he continues, "But there are stronger people than I. People who undergo a trauma or a hardship and they push forward. Rather than remove from themselves, they build upon their wounds. Rather than being anchored to the past, they are pushed to the future. Your wounds become a reminder of what makes you human, and while you strive to never see such things happen again, you also understand that your existence is meant to hold meaning. Both for yourself and those around you." "Pushing yourself to the point of death, or near there, is a step down my path. It shows your body is meaningless compared to the goal. That the ties others have to you are worth less than achieving a victory in that moment. That you do not trust others to lend strength where your strength may fail." He moves towards a finishing point, "You may not, individually, have the strength to stop such events. This is acceptable, as you should seek to have those around you who will help you. This is the path I wish to encourage you to take."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr listens, whether she takes any in is hard to say, as her eyes are unwavering... right up until the end, where they drop to her lap again. "I should be strong enough to protect my friends... But every time I go out on an engagement, I'm the weakest link. I'm always the one being protected. I got someone killed because I wasn't strong enough... wasn't fast enough." she says, then lifts her hand to her chest, drawing out the core of her magic. A swirling microcosim of light motes, and a horrific distortion, like a scar across one 'side' of it. "Because of this."
Yuri Stinson	Yuri seems to pause for a long moment. Though his face seems incapable of expressing emotion, he does watch the core in her hand with a level of curiosity, "I see." He notes quietly, thinking of what he wishes to say next, "I cannot diagnose or comment to such a thing, I admit, because it is outside my area of knowledge," He looks down a bit, "I also cannot change what you believe. This is your expression of free will to decide your own paths and emotions. I can only caution you against a dangerous mindset that would make you more likely to expend your life at the suffering of those around you." He blinks several times, "My question to follow up is thus. You believe you are weak, or not strong enough. If your partner possesses a level of autonomy and free thinking, why would it choose you if you did not have the hypothetical capability to utilize it? Or, more succinctly, how do you believe it would feel if you died?"
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr returns her Linker Core to her chest, the little orb sinking back through her body to rest within. "I thought I knew how to answer that question." she replies simply, glancing back over. "I thought I could do more than I have, but even with Divine Wind helping me..." The Device chimes softly. <You have helped more people than you may think, Master. I have been connecting to the Union radio channel while you have been resting and recovering. Many there are concerned with your recovery.> it pauses for a moment, before continuing. <And Miss Eve did come to see you. She looks up to you quite a lot.>
Yuri Stinson	"Your focus should be less on what you are unable to improve and more upon what you are able to," Yuri notes as a concluding statement and to emphasize her device, "All beings have gaps and weaknesses. Your strength will come from finding your strongest point and reinforcing it." He stands up a bit to look down at her, "I am sorry that I am unable to offer empathetic sentiments. It is outside my nature to offer much beyond a detached advice gained from personal experience."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr looks up, then shrugs her good shoulder. "Y've given me a lot t'think 'bout. S'fine, really." she offers a smile, a genuine one. "Even a detatched voice of reason can be a comfort, in itself... thanks, Yuri."
Yuri Stinson	"I am happy to supply help. Thank you for your time, I will allow you to recover. You should consider rejoining the radio soon," He comments to her before turning to head towards the door to her room. As he does so, the procession of guards that were escorting him all snap back to alertness.