[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/D9OBI9j.png[/img][/center]

She felt that she'd not got across her point properly.  The fact that; without Barracker here, this would not have been possible without another death in the group.  Perhaps; victory would have been possible [i]at all.[/i] And so when he disappeared through a door, she went after him.  He was out of sight pretty quickly and she lost him, so it took her some time to catch up to the room he was in.  And what she saw...

[Colour=Pink]"Oh my gosh,"[/colour] she gasped.

She'd only ever seen him properly in full armour.  And here he was with so much skin showing, such pale skin with such darkened veins bulging like leeches about to burst.  He was shaking uncontrollably.  And when he heard her involuntary gasp, she saw the eyes of a monster.  A demon.

[Colour=Green]“MacKensie.”[/colour]

That voice.  That voice brought her from her mental hysterics.  He was no monster.  He was no demon.  He was Barracker, their new comrade and friend.  And when the Paladin turned away in shame, she felt shame herself, for even thinking all those bad things about him.  And still.... even though her mind changed, her stomach did not.  She was sad to admit that she was repulsed by him in this moment, and perhaps that made her overcompensate, because she marched straight up to where he was sat, leaned on his back and wrapped her arms around him.

[Colour=Pink]"It's okay,"[/colour] she whispered frantically.  [Colour=Pink]"It's okay."[/colour]  She was terrified, repulsed, ashamed, determined, queezy... so many things, all at once.  But she held on tight to him, fighting one set of sensibilities with another set of sensibilities.  [Colour=Pink]"It's okay, my friend."[/colour]  She was reassuring herself as much as him.  [Colour=Pink]"You are not alone.  We are Second Chance.  You need not turn away.  It's okay."[/colour]

She wasn't sure how long they spent in this position, but she was glad that he could not see her face, because she'd been white as a ghost for the better part of the pose.  Her face would have betrayed her visceral reaction to him.  But she calmed down the longer she held him.  Any self-demeaning comments from Barracker would be wholly rejected by the Ranger.  [Colour=Pink]"You are not a monster.  You are a righteous.  You are a defender."[/colour]  Anything he said that denoted shame would be answered with equal gusto.  [Colour=Pink]"It is not your fault that you carry this affliction.  You are no less a Paladin.  The gods allow you.  A hero who protects the innocent."[/colour]

Once there was silence - once Barracker had accepted that MacKensie would not abandon him - she finally let him go and sat down beside him.  She remained silent for some time, so anything he had to say, she gave him the floor to speak.  If he said nothing, then she would sit in silence with him.  If he spoke, she would listen intently.

If he had not answered these questions already, then she would pluck up the courage to tentatively ask:

[Colour=Pink]"How did it all begin?"
"Is there a cure?"
"How has it affected your life?"[/colour]

And finally, at the end of their conversation, she would let him know; [Colour=Pink]"We are from another world. I died in my world.  Second Chance really is [i]my[/i] second chance at life.  At companionship.  Please, Barracker... let it be [i]your[/i] second chance too."[/colour]