Scene #976:

Owner	Pose
Faruja	It's approximately half past nine at night on the Crystal world that Faruja has found himself occupying with his beloved lizardess! The rat is sporting those big, fluffy red robes he prefers whenever he's getting comfortable as he sits upon their couch before the fireplace. A roaring fire, a world where he /isn't/ responsible for keeping it from falling apart, and knowing the love of his life is near? It's the setup for utter bliss. Except that the prophecy of one Witch Inga has utterly unbalanced the poor Inquisitor. For the last day, he's been strangely quiet, and very obviously upset by something! It wouldn't take a genious to figure out just what it is, especially when you're as close as Ainsley.
Ainsley	It is, indeed, easy for Ainsley to tell. But she knows what Inga said since she was there at the time, and it's been on her mind as well. The lizard girl returns from the kitchen -- a really luxurious kitchen for two people who aren't incredibly rich -- and sets down a bottle of wine on a table as she passes it. She's in a set of black robes, herself, with adorable bunny slippers on her feet and a soft bow tied to the end of her tail. She sits down next to Faru and hands over the glass of wine, smiling at him. "Do you want to tell me what Inga's words meant?" she asks him, seeing the look on his face. She maintains her smile, trying to remain supportive, at least in the way people do in a book she read.
Faruja	The look that Faruja gives Ainsley is thankful, and he pours the wine slowly as he ponders. His tail reaches over, and wraps around hers tightly. "'Tis the Wi..." Cough. "Inga. She knows too much." Frown. A shake of the head. "I was worried over what she saw. 'Tis the stone. So I arranged a meeting with her. She...we talked. I impressed upon her the amount of danger she wouldst expose herself to, were she to look any further into the issue. Faram forgive me, but the poor fool refused mine words of caution. So she peered deeper into her vision. She saw the High Templar's corruption, as well as the Cancer Stone's ailment. And most importantly, she saw the hands of thineself and Lady Mizuki keeping me from the Stone's ravenous maw." There's a look of utter fear in his gaze as he looks to his lover. He trembles. "...She sees all of this with perfect clarity. What doth that say for me, whom it hungers for? Am...I make allusions of control, that I hath this problem handled. That I shall see it through. But if even /she/ may see the weakness I hath..." Mutters the rat, his usual confidence threatening to shatter.
Ainsley	Ainsley doesn't know about any ideas of fate or solid futures. She knows for a fact that she is one of the figures in the rat man's vision, something that she takes both comfort and fear from. She watches the unease grow in him, and then she slowly starts to frown, herself. It's not that she's sad or angry. She instead speaks to him in a mellow voice: "I love you, Faruja. You know that. I would never let that stone take you, and if there were no other choice, I would be the one most invested in keeping it from hurting anyone else." She pauses a beat. "But the one on the front lines is you. You are the first, the best soldier to fight this thing that wants to eat you. Letting your heart ache from something like a vision will not help you. The vision did not tell you anything that you do not already know." She furrows her brow. "You are a strong man, Faruja. I know you are. Your soul knows it has strength. Hold on to that. If you lose yourself because you are afraid, then all of our effort to help you will have been useless. Just like you rely on us to help you stay on a good path, we rely on you to do your part."
Faruja	A small breath, and Faruja can barely look Ainsley in the eye. There's more than a little shame there as he slowly crawls out of the pit of despair he's dug himself into. "I...bah, look at me! Ye art right! 'Tis utterly pathetic." Huff. He takes the bottle this time, and drains a good third of it. Slam! "Nay. I shall not turn mine back upon all that ye hath done, all that mine friends in the Union hath done. I.." There's a small smile. "'Tis so easy to get caught up in thinking of the future, of planning. I was never meant to fight a war in shadows. I much prefer an open, honorable battlefield, and this shall be anything but. A war for the soul...and I must guard it with strength, conviction, love, and faith." Arms wrap about the lizardess, hugging her tightly. "Thank ye, Ainsley. For always being here. For putting up with mine arrogance and ways. Ye truly art a treasure, mine love, and to become something that ye wouldst hate is unthinkable. And /that/ I shall hold tight to in mine darkest hours."
Ainsley	Ainsley leans to the hug, and tries to drink her wine from over the Burmecian's shoulder, smiling at his affection. Glad that he's realized that he should remain strong for everyone. She's starting to really 'get it,' so to speak. When the hug breaks -- she was reciprocating with one arm -- she rubs at one of his arms to comfort. "It's not pathetic. But it can't be easy to be reminded of that thing. It's... I imagine it's like a terminal disease, in some ways." She tilts her head. "Your loved ones know it's there, but you can't tell everyone. You feel as if it's a guillotine looming over your head..." She reaches up to touch at his ears. "Even if it does seep into your soul, I know that it will lose. Because you are trying. Because you have found power, in mind, body and spirit, your own power. With a little help. Just like I did." She beams at him, then pulls her legs up to set her feet on the couch, curling up. She leans on him, and closes her eyes.
Faruja	"Complete with fevered dreams and hallucinations. A touch too apt a description, mine dear." Squeeeze. "At least I shan't be cutting off any limbs to cease its spread." No, he only has to worry about losing his soul. Joy. The touch to his ears has him leaning in, cheek pressed against her neck. Plenty of room to comfort, and he wants to be close to his love right now. "...Can feel its pull whenever I am wroth. To judge. Not in sureness, not in duty, but because 'tis mine right to do so. To belittle, to think mine enemies beneath me. But that way shall only end in death, or worse." That light. A nod. "Indeed. And 'tis one I must learn of, and hone. Ainsley? Will ye help me look into this power, learn to use it properly?"