Scene #616: Refueling Measures

Owner	Pose
Emiya Shirou	Why oh why is it whenever Emiya Shirou speaks with the Union it's usually about his magic? Occasionally some other comment? At most times he's too quiet, far too quiet. The truth of the matter is really simple. With so many shining heroes around, and him being so incapable next to them, he can't help but wonder - what can he do? He has a dream he can't really speak of to anyone, and it's one that seems like nothing next to the might of the Union. The scale of the Multiverse. To become a superhero who can save everyone, in Essence, is his goal. Well, there's already plenty of superheroes who sure as hell aren't saving everyone, and he can't even match one of them. It's bloody frustrating and it dominates his thoughts every time he speaks with 'the Union in general.' How irritating! So for now, he's taken up a spot in the Ring of Philosophy. The place is currently, for whatever reason, configured as a generic dojo. And he's standing in the center of it, eyes closed and hands raised up out in front of him. Golden light flickers and sizzles between his palms. It sprouts upwards, forming a visible wireframe model that grows clearer and ever more defined with more details and features by the second. He's been seen completing a trace in seconds, but this effort is taking time. An exercise, maybe. Just waiting for Ainsley to arrive.
Ainsley	There's something to be said for the similarities of something Ainsley can do to what Shirou does. The ability to manifest swords like that is something like her ability to manifest concepts, though much more refined. It's part of why she wants to help him, but another part of it is her idealism. When she shows up to the Ring, all that's on her mind are the hints of troublesome thoughts shadowing the boy's mind. It makes her believe he is a kindred spirit. She has taken to wearing a set of red robes when she's doing anything blood/life magic related. It has sleeves that cover her hands and a hood pulled up over her head. She's always been prone to dressing up according to the occasion, this is no different. When she arrives in the generic dojo, she gives an approving look around, a smile on her face. Her calm and pleasant demeanor seems a bit fake, like it's a coat of paint rolled over a blank canvas, because she has long since had natural smiles wrung out of her. She stops near Shirou, her tail curling around one of her legs to keep it out of the way. "Hello." She holds out her hand, the sleeve pulled back to do so. She flexes the scaled digits once, "Touch my hand and I can begin. Let me know if you experience discomfort or anything strange and I will stop the process. The safety limiters of the Ring may protect you to a certain degree, but I would prefer not to take any unnecessary risks in a contained experiment like this."
Emiya Shirou	The sizzling lightshow intensifies. In a few moments, light fills the wireframe and... dwindles away, leaving a finely crafted, somewhat overly long katana - or as it's known to its original wielder, the Uchigatana. Shirou opens his eyes, turns the sword about and inspects it... and frowns, disapproving. It sure LOOKS the part, but he still doesn't seem too happy with it! But oh hey, Ainsley arrived. The amber-eyed redhead blinks, and... sets the weapon down gently on the ground. Even if it'll just disappear. "Mh?" He does take note of the robe, the color of bood. Oh yeah, blood magic. Still kind of worrisome. But he has no complaints - she offered to help HIM... "Alright. Just take it slow to start, then. I've only once ever charged up beyond my normal limit. Though.... why are you so eager to help? I can't complain, but I'm curious." He does work to clear his mind afterward, and focus on the effort that's going to be coming most likely. In his knowledge, two different people's prana don't mix well, but what Ainsley's doing isn't quite prana, so this MIGHT work...
Emiya Shirou	As if kind of out of it, and an afterthought, Shirou does reach out to grasp Ainsley's hand!
Ainsley	Ainsley's gaze turns toward the sword as it's left to rest against the floor. Her eyes lid briefly as she regards the weapon. It is a strange thing to her, to manifest a sword, and it gives her an idea or two. Her gaze returns to Shirou's when she processes a question he made toward her, the smile fading and being replaced by a more true emotion of curiosity and surprise. An intelligent and mild stare. It's tempered to seem harmless, though, even if it lacks warmth. "I've heard you speak over the radio, and I've read reports. You push yourself a lot, you believe yourself weaker than others. Those are thoughts of an idealist." She looks him in the eyes for a moment, as if to gauge his reaction to that. "What is it, exactly, that fuels these reckless actions of yours?" A soft red glow appears around her hand, and she grasps his own, though gently. Nothing about her seems aggressive. Not her posture, her magic or even the look in her eyes. "What is your ideal, Emiya Shirou?"
Emiya Shirou	Hghkh. Oh great. Shirou makes a half-stammery noise, choking down the urge to blurt anything more stupid than that noise. His eyes go wide with fright, alarm.... a touch of embarassment, maybe? And the hand gripping Ainsley's squeezes tightly against his intentions. But he ets himself under control in a few moments... Awkwardly, his gaze slides away from hers. "... Not everyone has ideals and wishes they can just talk about." He mutters. Then his expression clenches up, and resolve shines on it. "Though if you're helping me, it's not like I can't answer that. Um..." The embarassment is grwing! But he steels himself up for it. "... basically, I'm hoping to become a hero who can save others when they need help." What. WHAT. "... laugh if you want. I'm not turning away from this path no matter who finds it ridiculous." But obviously he doesn't think he can just o blabbing it to everyone. They WILL laugh. "Back home I was just a student, and it didn't look like I had any way to reach my goal. The Multiverse is different.... rrrgh. Saying it that way just makes it sound like I was waiting for some conflict.... and that's not it! Gh..."
Ainsley	Ainsley watches him as he gets embarrassed. That's fine, she tells herself, because it's a fairly personal question. Others might just brush off the question entirely and that's an outcome she's prepared for. When he looks away, her head tilts, and when he gives in to the line of inquiry, she smiles lightly to him, showing a silent patience for him. Then he speaks of a fairly normal, if lofty and undefined dream. She looks at him as he keeps speaking, to the point his babbling is what amuses her more than the dream. "What's wrong with that?" she wonders at him, "If that is the dream that fuels you, then maybe you should embrace it more." The energy courses from her hand and into his own, a warm and pleasant sensation that melds quite naturally with the feeling of his own body heat. "Conflicts like the one you are experiencing now have a way of galvanizing ideals. I came into this war with a simple idea, of which made me join the Union: I wanted to be a person who could improve the future so that history books did not have to be filled with tragedy. It is not a well-defined dream, and it sounds a lot like yours when you boil it down." She puffs a sigh. "I've run into problems with that. I have done things that go against my dream. And it is a constant struggle. There is nothing wrong with your dream, but you are human. You are imperfect. Remember that we'll be here if and when you encounter speedbumps in your path." "Okay~?" She tries to make that last word sound kind, lighting up her expression.
Emiya Shirou	Oh geeze. if Ainsley says it like that, supporting his ideals, then Shirou can't help but blush slightly. He thought it was kind of childish. And yet he still kept chasing it. But then he hears her reason, and realizes in his gut: this strange lizard-woman has been through something awful. Anyone with a wish like that must seriously regret something big that happened..! Shirou sucks in a tense breath. But he doesn't have much time to do anything about it because ENERGY FLOW. It's not so easy, transferring raw power into his Magic Circuits through a hand. At least, it wouldn't be for a normal magus, but Ainsley's magic is different. "Nrrr...ghnnn....!" The boy makes a rather strained face. It hurts. Somewhat. It should feel pleasant, but if he's taking anything oreign into his Magic Circuits through an informal channel and isn't used to it, he's not sure what to do. But once he forces himself to relax, the pain dwindles away. Instead, his body temperature starts soaring - as though he had a fever. More power's circulating in his circuits as he tries to get used to it. His Magic Circuits, meanwhile, are struggling to cope with this invasion. They're conveting Ainsley's life force, though at a glacial pace, into fresh od. "W-well, thank you for not laughing." He chokes out as soon as he gets control of himself. Um... I think it's working...." Working, but this is clearly perhaps not the most optimal path.
Ainsley	Ainsley looks at him with something like a sadness, when she realizes he noticed the way she said that. The energy flows into him but gradually slows to a trickle when she realizes it's not working the way she had hoped. She considers the look on his face, the strain of the process... She pulls her hand away, gently, breaking the connection without any abrupt disruption to it. "Hmm." She crosses her arms, mildly concerned that each method where extra energy is introduced him has been a problem. "I recommend that you attempt good old fashioned training. Make sure that there is a medic nearby that can treat magical ailments, though. I might be able to help with that. From what I'm seeing, you just aren't going to have an easy time if you try to force energy into your system, so maybe you should work with what you've got. You have a unique skill, this projection talent of yours, and it might be valuable to see how far you can take it." She looks at him with some uncertainty, wondering what's the best way to give him a pep talk. "Keep striving, Shirou. I'm sure you'll find your strength." Yeah that sounds about right. Satisfied with her words, Ainsley smiles at him again. She wants to see him succeed, if only so that it doesn't end in tragedy.
Emiya Shirou	And just like that, enough with that attempt. "Hrmngh... with practice I think that method might work! It's not as bad a reaction as that 'Ether' potion caused." Shirou comments in a hopeful tone. "We could've continued!" He grunts out contentiously. "Though it was slow..." Pep talk or not, Shirou just seems consternated over the issue, not down. It's an obstacle to overcome, not to mope over. So he just smiles at Ainsley after thinking about it for a few moments. "Every new thing tried helps. I just need to find the method that works." As if to cement that resolve, he chants out, "Trace, on." More golden light - pure prana - sizzles and sparks in his grasp. Yet what appears this time isn't a simple, mundane - if long - katana. Instead, a dazzling longsword forms! The process does take a good twenty seconds to complete, but Shirou has projected a weapon with two main colors: crimson and white-silver. The blade is more dazzling than any normal silver, and covered in ornate crimson designs. It thickens at the base where it meets twin upswept wings for a guard. The grip is thin and crimson, and the pommel is silver. Its design is very simple, overall - the sword is clearly more meant to be an ornamented treasure, but it exudes an unmistakable holy aura and incredible power. Indeed, paradoxically enough, this weapon's mere aura is stronger than the amount of prana in Shirou's entire body. It's many orders of magnitude greater than the piddly amount he used to CREATE it. What the hell? Yes, for anyone even remotely familiar with them, this weapon is Mordred's Clarent, the Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword.
Ainsley	Ainsley stares at the process of what Shirou just did. She looks at the weapon as if he had just done something impossible, her eyes widened at the way she felt her own mana warp around what he just did. She gazes upon something brilliant and different. "..." She looks at Shirou once, and then back to the weapon. "Mages in /my/ world cannot do what you just did," she tells him, motioning to the sword, "I can feel that pushing back at me just by being near it!" She isn't angry, no, she sounds like she had her mind blown by the sight. She carefully reaches to try to touch the flat of the weapon, to confirm for herself what the weapon is. "I think you can reach your dream. You certainly have some potential in something like this."