Scene #590:

Owner	Pose
Faruja	Faruja's invited Ainsley over to his home, the nezumi still chewing upon Psyber's words from last night. There's a massive pile of books strewn about his sitting room, the fireplace roaring in these cold nights. He's dressed in snuggly bathrobes, even as he sips wine and pours over a tome. At his side, there's a small portable desk, ink, quill, and parchment. He's hastily scribbling notes, tail swaying. Seems tonight's a night for scholarship!
Ainsley	Ainsley appears without much delay! She steps through the front door holding a blue folder under an arm, walking through the house and finding a place to sit next to him. She smiles over at him, then peeks over at what he's doing without making so much as a peep. Her tail sways over and tries to coil her tail around his, showing her affection for him in a gentle way. "What're you writing?" she wonders at him, even though she's already trying to get a look at it.
Faruja	Faruja smiles a bit, offering over the piece of paper. There's already two thirds a page, and several more drying on the desk. "Notes for our most recent mystery, mine sweet!" Rather than the notes, he holds up the tome he's been reading. 'Mysterious Light: Collected Legends of Mystic Empowerment by Lord Avon McDurby' "I am attempting to discover the truth. I hath spoken with a trust mage, and he says that what I hath gone through is most likely a phenomenon known as 'Trance'. A sudden, as-yet unexplained empowerment occuring rarely in individuals. The conditions and how one gains these powers, as well as their source? They elude me. I am loathe to call upon powers that may be..." He trails off, frowning. A glance back to his room, where he knows the Stone rests. "Of questionable sources. Lord Psyber councelled me that I shouldst ensure that these powers I hath developed art truly divine, and not merely another plot of creatures best banished to the Abyss." He spreads his arms to the multitude of tomes. "Hence /these/. Hath ye heard of such in thine own world, Ainsley?" Clearly the rat wants outside opinions here!
Ainsley	Ainsley stares with some wonder at that. There's some documentation of it, which is more than can be said of the effect of the Stone. She reaches to grab the tome and skim through it for a minute or two, fascinated by the idea. She did hold out hope that there'd be some way to empower Faruja that would render the stone's lure moot, and this certainly seems to be it. "In my world, there are two documented types of ascension like this. 'Immortals,' which are poorly-understood due to attempts at studying them being forbidden, madness-inducing or lethal for one reason or another, and then there's the Surge, when creatures experience a tremendous burst of raw mana to the point it physically alters them and makes them significantly more powerful for a short time, or just grants them a momentary burst of ability corresponding to their affinities." She pauses a beat. "Likened to the adrenaline rush parents feel when protecting their children, in fact." She clicks her tongue, closing the book. "What I saw was You, as if you had experienced something that pulled your being further into reality. It did not seem monstrous. It did not seem demonic. It was terrifying in that it was immensely powerful. And yet it remained limited by mortal capacities, and left you more or less the same as when it started, if only exhausted from the expenditure of energy." She closes her eyes for a minute. Then she looks over at Faruja, and wonders at him, "What were you feeling when it happened? What came to mind, that motivated you to keep fighting?"
Faruja	Faruja doesn't seem quite as hopeful. At this point, the rat can't help but see demons everywhere. What if this power is less divine, and more daemonic? Could he be even more tainted than Beli's lesser half? There's worry in his features, that he himself is already irreversably tainted. "...Methinks we aught look towards the second of the two." The 'Immortals' are certainly not something he wants to see reflected himself. After all, he's sane. Mostly. Ears flick thoughtfully, and his writing hand is flying across parchment. "I admit, it felt..." Faruja frowns a moment, and leans back. He nods several times as Ainsley speaks. "It reminded me of the first time I truly found Faith. 'Twas three months after Father and Mother died. Sister Anita took me to the home of an old, dying nezumi. He was suffering, and the Sister tried all that she could to comfort him. Anita lost her husband not three days prior. Though it hurt him to merely speak, and nay doubt shortened his life, he refused to sleep. Instead, 'twas he whom comforted the goodly Sister all through the night, holding her as a Grandfather to a grand-daughter." "He died the next morning, with a smile upon his muzzle. To fight for others, and do all that one can for those whom art suffering and innocent. /That/ is what I felt. The urge to live, so that I may continue. To fight for Ivalice. And to live for thee, Ainsley. I couldst not stand to die by such an abomination, and leave so much undone, a life with ye yet fully realized." He looks away. Is that a tear upon his eye?
Ainsley	The Quetzal woman was expecting an answer. She was not, however, expecting a story. As he begins detailing the example and context, she stares with some uncertainty at first, and then with a shadowed expression at the bittersweetness of the tale. She thinks on the old man's kindness, even when others would have preferred to be kind to him instead. He answers the question directly afterwards. Her expression lights up, looking upon him with an admiration that she only feels for the Burmecian sitting next to her. The feeling that he had. "You see, Faruja, that is what faith and holiness are. You fight for people, and not against them. What the stone makes you feel is an anger toward injustice and corruption, an unnatural zeal to destroy those who are wrong... but that was not what you felt when you entered this 'Trance' state. You fought for your allies, your friends, for Ivalice, yourself and for me. It was not about anger, revenge or destruction. Your zeal was to strike down those who would harm the ones you must protect, and not just because they were evil." She reaches to put her hand on his heart. "Cling to that feeling. Understand it. That is you." And then she reaches up to turn his head toward her, just a gentle urging, so she can kiss him on the cheek.
Faruja	Faruja is silent a moment, considering. He licks his muzzle, closing his eye as Ainsley touches his chest. In, out. His heart, once hammering with fear and nervousness, starts to slow. For a brief moment, he looks content and almost at peace. "'Twas different than when the stone overtook me." Confirms the rat. He remembers /that/ feeling well. Power, anger, and a desire to /kill/ that which would dare opposite God's will. He opens his eye. Leaning in, he accepts the kiss, even as his arms wrap around her body and squeezes her tight. "I shall. To protect. 'Tis why I /exist/. Why we both exist. To defend all that we love and strive for." Whispers the rat. Reluctantly, he pulls away. "When didst this 'Surge' first come about? Ivalician legends suggest 'tis a power that was first recorded some time just after the Calamity. Of course, whether it existed prior, or the Calamity's destruction sewed the seeds of this power...records art non-existant."
Ainsley	Ainsley shares a sweet moment with Faruja, something she's likely to remember until the day she dies. And probably after, if the densely supernatural nature of her world has anything to do with it. She smiles and she holds him, enjoying his warmth and the comfort that she has given him. Happy that she's given him something he can use for his confidence and well-being. "The Surge is... It's an unofficial name for it. In some places it's weaponized, with some creatures able to use it more readily. Rot badgers can trigger it at will and have been known to knock over vehicles that weigh several tons. In people it is almost unheard-of. Metahuman emotions are far too complex in most cases." She rubs the back of her neck. "But there have been a few incidents that had their tides turned by it. The siege on my birth city in 43 AC was turned back by a farmer caught outside the walls. He had been fighting for a week straight and just... He kept fighting even when his body gave out, as if he was possessed by the ghost of his desire to protect his family and his people. He's kind of a saint to Quetzals, but no one remembers his name."
Faruja	Tonight, Faruja will sleep better han he has in ages. Particularly if Ainsley remains the night! Not looking at all like he wants to leave the woman's side, he basks in the moment. It's something he'll carry with him, the new spark of hope in his heart. The Burmecian mmm's thoughtfully. "It seems the requirements parallel; powerful emotions, desires, in rare individuals. Rightly so, shouldst he be remembered!" The rat ponders. "I wouldst like to observe one of these beasts. If they art able to call upon it at will..." He trails off, pondering. Could such a power be simply called? "However, I must show caution. I still ache from it. 'Tis not merely physical exhaustion, mine very /soul/ and spirit feels pained from containing such power. Were I to overuse it, I fear what wouldst happen."
Ainsley	This magic-powered woman seems all the more connected to Faruja thanks to this conversation, unwilling to let go of her embrace with him. Alas, she has to. She carefully pulls away after he speaks to put the folder down with the rest of his notes. She pets at the side of his face as he speaks, letting him know that she's listening to him. Ainsley smiles lightly at the Burmecian. "I would prefer we did not observe rot badgers," she tells Faruja, mirthfully, "Their method is dangerous for them and for the world around them. They're an oddity. There are certain Quetzal warriors that know how to trigger it at will through blood magic, but it is a risky spell and it requires years of careful study or a lot of experience on a battlefield." She touches his nose once. "We'll figure this out. Studying your world's notes would be best." And then she reaches over to open the folder she brought. "So..." She blushes some, obviously uncertain about how to approach this subject. "Have you ever considered... moving in with me?" she asks, pointing to what she brought. She brought information about homes from across the Multiverse. Places they could live and study, places that aren't her world or Ivalice.
Faruja	Faruja makes the cutest content noises when he's being stroked! Ears wiggle, tail flicks, and he's one blissful rat! "...I wouldst prefer to not go that route." She knows his feelings on blood magic. Eeep! Before any protests can begin, he's nose-bopped! He can't help but laugh. "And so we shall." Faruja goes quiet once more, considering the possibilities. Living with his lover would be a dream come true. But so too does he have his duties. "Every bloody day, mine dear. Yet, I am ever needed in Ivalice. Where doth ye hath in mind? Mayhaps...mayhaps if I might be able to find a place close to Ivalice, mine duties might go uninterrupted." And where better to hide the stone, than a place off-world?