[center][h2][b]Ophelia[/b][/h2][/center]

Ophelia stayed shockingly calm at Farren's outburst, the memories of her letting her indignance get the better of her and sour things with Victor still fresh in her mind. She let him speak, let his sharp tongue try to cut at her in self defence, and felt his wild exhortations pass over her like nothing more than a gentle breeze. She stroked the Holy Moonlight Sword softly, lovingly, and gave him a small and wan smile to match his own unpleasant one.

"Unscathed?" Was all she said to begin with, taking a pause, before she began to laugh--well, it was more of a hearty witch's cackle after only a second or two and the crescendo of her laugh only continued to increase in pitch and intensity for a good six or seven seconds. Ophelia could not help thinking, by the time she'd finished, that it was sadly still not as good as Gerlinde's.

"Love, no. One does not come out of communion unchanged, let alone unscathed. But of all the people in the world to bear the burden, mustn't it be us? Could we ask this of anyone else? Is there any other path to understanding? I will fare better than you, but that doesn't mean well. I know you're just trying to protect me behind all of that venom, and we don't want a repeat of earlier..." Ophelia added, turning her moon-bright gaze to Farren's piercing azure eyes with a plaintive look.

"If it isn't me, it's you... and I can't ask that of you. You've paid such a toll already, and where I have a chance of learning something all you've been left with is ruin. Do you see another path? I will gladly take one if it exists, but... I don't see it."