Scene #1783: Seeking Answers from Angels

Owner	Pose
Ainsley	Ainsley has not been immune to the residual effects of everything happening with Nathan, Elliana and the Shajem, and now more than ever she feels uneasy about what it's doing to people. Feeling like being in the dark is why it is bothering her so much, she extended an invitation to Psyber, and was pretty transparent that she needed someone she could trust to give her a rundown of what was going on in a reasonable way. She saw what it did to Amalthea, and that was fraying the lizard girl's nerves. She wanted to help, but had no idea how. Ainsley picked a mostly empty office space for a chat. There's a couple chairs, and it's fairly comfortable there, and private, in case that was an issue. She's been reading books while she waits, and she must be a fast reader because she's nearing the end of what seems like the third book since she got here. She brought snacks, in case Psyber wanted to eat any. She looks like hell, that's because she got hit hard by more tragic revelations from her world. It's hard to look well-composed when you got done with crying about something for an entire night. She made an earnest attempt, though.
Guest Psyber	Psyber is here. The half-angel has arrived wearing a standard outfit of jeans, t-shirt, and a short leather coat. He has a gun holstered at his hip in plain view, not out of threat to Ainsley but just because he pretty much always has a firearm on hand. The half-angel steps into the office with a somewhat neutral look on his face. "I am unsure what context I could give you on the situation that you cannot find through the accounts of other people or basic files on the matter. Of all opinions related to this matter, mine is likely the most unreasonable in comparison to objective fact," He begins in a flat tone. He places his hands into his pockets and leans against the wall of the office rather than sit down. He does not partake of snacks nor comment about Ainsley's current appearance. He simply watches her with a distant look in his red eyes, "I will answer whatever questions you have to the best of my ability."
Ainsley	Ainsley closes her book and sets in her lap. She looks at him for few seconds in silence, apparently having difficult processing what she wanted to ask him when he pre-emptively shut down the validity of her doing this. After that pause, she frowns, looking miserable and unhappy at him, which seems pretty normal for her current state. He made her angry at him, it's pretty easy to read that. "It is quite clear that you care about Nathan than he really actively acknowledges. But I spoke with him, and he seems to believe there are people out there that will catch him if he spirals out of control. I have reason to believe you would be the first in line, because you can argue with him for hours without pause." The observations spoken in a soft voice, showing none of the misery in her face in her words. "What did Nathan do? Why has his obsession worsened this far?"
Guest Psyber	Psyber takes a long moment to look at Ainsley. Whether he's thinking for proper words or the proper wording is debatable, but it takes him a few moments to speak, "Nathan is not incorrect. In the event Nathan's actions become sufficiently beyond rationality, I will take actions to mitigate." He blinks several times. "The arguments I lose with him and his actions are not the problem Nathan holds. They are symptoms of a greater underlying problem," Psyber says in an even vocal inflection. He half-lids his eyes and watches Ainsley with a lack of emotion that might be misconveyed as boredom if she doesn't pick up the more subtle hints. "Nathan's most recent actions were to deceive his operations team. We created a cross-factional operation on Terra Majora, Elliana Fairchild's world. Nathan had an alternative plan that he believed would bring about a greater success, but that he did not inform any of us about on either side. This action led to a direct rift mid-operation between the Union and the Confederacy and collapsed the cross-factional operation." He explains in a clear tone.
Ainsley	Ainsley furrows her brow as he speaks, reminded of her chat with Nathan when Psyber speaks to her about this. She tries to process it, not nearly good with her pokerface, and it could even be seen as agonizing over the matter. She decides to grab one of the snacks and chew on it, while she also chews on Psyber's words, now that she's been told what sparked all of this stress. "Do you have a plan, then?" The worry in her eyes is just as easy to read, seeming hopeful in addition to the stress from before.
Guest Psyber	"Nathan Hall is the General of the Union," Psyber states with a still-even tone, "Any plan made in defiance of his orders would, objectively, be considered treason. Even among the Specialist Response Division, this is still a military." He uncrosses his arms and lets his hands fall into his pockets and looks upon her. His eyes are still half-lidded and his gaze is somewhat distant in its application upon her, "Nathan believes in what he is doing."
Ainsley	"I know that," Ainsley says, getting up to a stand and grabbing one of her snacks. She grows progressively more stressed, not good at managing her emotions at all, especially not compared to Psyber or Nathan. "I know he believes in it and that's why it hurts so bad to watch him do it. I grew up around people who believed in shutting off their emotions for the greater good. Not for the same reasons as him, granted, but it was something I grew to hate, and it is not a feeling I like to be reminded of, especially from someone with a long and justified track record as a leader and diplomat, someone I should respect." "I saw what all of this did to Amalthea, Psyber. I care about Amalthea. It made it hard for me to just avoid it..." She puffs a sigh. "Nathan reminds me of my family, Psyber, and I just... I want him to be okay. I don't want to tear him down, I want him to figure out how important he is to his friends, and find ways of solving these problems without hurting them." She frowns and contemplates the half-eaten snack sandwich. "Is he going to be okay?"
Guest Psyber	"Projecting your personal scars onto Nathan's present situation will not help him. It will only provide him a target to disprove and strengthen the position from which he argues," Psyber notes to Ainsley in a detached tone of voice, "You are, at this time, not presenting a rational. If you come to him and make claims he is like your family, he will disprove them by simply pointing out he is not a four-to-six foot tall lizard man and then he will disregard your further points as incorrect because they stem from a flawed core point." He's very analytical as he says this, "Your idealism and your desire to help Amalthea is commendable, but when it comes to handling Nathan, you are quite simply attempting to step into a weight class far above your own. He will not accept an argumentum ad passiones because it lacks objective fact." Psyber pauses for a moment and then states, "Nathan will not be okay. His actions are reaching a stage where they are beginning to form consequences beyond what he even realizes."
Ainsley	Ainsley stares at Psyber for muuuch longer when he breaks down what she said to him like that. In the middle of it, she quietly eats her food and begins gathering up her books as if she is preparing to leave. She stuffs them away carefully in a book bag, and picks up one last sandwich to cram into her maw. She turns to frown at Psyber once more, "I was looking for something to believe in from /you/," she points at Psyber, "But after that, I'd prefer to do what little damage control I can outside of this mess and just not deal with either of you." "I will still hope you figure it out. Goodbye, Colonel."
Guest Psyber	"What you choose to believe in is up to you," Psyber says simply, giving her an even stare, "I will tell you this, however: You are searching for an ideal solution where there is none. If we had addressed the trauma that Nathan suffered three years ago, it may not have escalated to this point," Even though she frowned at him and said her goodbye, he still opts to elaborate a longer point: "Nathan Hall has constructed the core of his personality, motivations, and social networks around his feelings of hatred towards Elliana Fairchild. Any resolution of those feelings would require definitively proving Nathan wrong, and thereby collapsing the very foundation of his present existence," He notes with a very, very serious look at her, "So you will excuse me if I do not show you a very optimistic point of view on this matter. Because of who I am to Nathan, this responsibility will likely fall to me above all others to do." "You called me here because you were searching to put your faith in a man whose present only course of action is to destroy the very foundations of his best friend's entire world, because he cannot make that man see reason." He finishes with a final question, despite her goodbye, "Do you now fathom the magnitude of responsibility that I take on for the simple act of believing a woman is not evil?"
Ainsley	Ainsley looks at him for a while longer after that. There's silence, but she's thinking on the words again. He's provided a great deal of answers in what he just said to her, and eventually she lets out a shaky sigh and crosses her arms. "That is what I was looking for," she tells him in a softer, more even tone of voice more reminiscent of her early days with the Union. "It is good to understand what all of this means now... because you were the only one who could do that, that's why I wanted to talk to you. I won't have to worry that Nathan will be lost forever, if you can stay as vigilant as you usually have." "I will always have faith in you, as long as you are strong like this. I know you will be able to endure, because nothing tells me you cannot, and because of that, I know that, eventually, Nathan will be okay. It will hurt him, but I have seen too much of the Multiverse to think that can be avoided every time. I know it will hurt you, too, and that you are ready for that. Now that you showed me that." "I wish I had a friend like you," she says, smiling at him. She rubs at one of her arms, her tail swaying behind her, quickly growing awkward. "I'm sorry if this dug into your schedule too much. We're done," she says, genuinely sorrowful about the possibility. She moves to retrieve her books.
Guest Psyber	"I will endeavor to do what I can to minimize both the damage done and the fallout, but it will not be a pleasant time in the future. Amalthea will need support more than, likely, any other involved." Psyber says in a pretty flat tone, his hands once more falling into his pockets. "Placing faith in me is an action I naturally caution against. There is always the possibility that I am wrong, that Nathan is right, and that Elliana is evil. And that I am taking a direct action towards precisely what Elliana wishes me to do: Permanently removing Nathan from play." Psyber notes in an equally grim and subdued tone, "That said." "You are missing the forest for the trees. Very few people will have a friendship with the same dynamic as myself and Nathan. That does not mean that your entire social network will not fulfill a similar function." He points out calmly. "Do not worry about my schedule, though I have been summoned to the office, so I must depart."
Ainsley	Ainsley smiles at Psyber more warmly as he talks, even the grim remark maintaining her smile. She doesn't seem to be easily discouraged, now that she understands the direction the man is taking to this. She nods at his remark about the friendship. "I'm just envious, that's all," she admits to him. "Thank you for talking to me. I will remember this chat fondly." She nods to him, gathering up the empty snack plate and books properly, turning to depart.