"It would be very impairing if I couldn't reliably cast spells anywhere near a paladin! It hasn't come up in the past because the ones on my planet can suppress the aura."

"That's reasonable. Is there anything else about the situation that worries you, or that you'd like to change?"

"Apparently it causes the people around me to think I need counseling, which I suppose would also be impairing if it kept coming up."

She nods. "What I usually suggest for that is coming up with a short explanation to reassure them, does that sound like it'll work?"

"I suppose, sure."

She nods again. "Before I help someone try to convince people that something isn't a problem I like to make sure it actually isn't; would you mind telling me more about the situation so I can get a better idea of that? Raafi can stay if you want him to but by default I'll ask him to leave for this part, and I won't tell him about it later, either."

That's not a very Chaotic thing to say. "Either way is fine. More about it in what way?"

"One second. Shoo," she tells Raafi, and gets a chuckle and a "yes ma'am" in response, and he goes.

"If you noticed anything unusual about the situation during it, I'd like to hear about it, and otherwise I'd like to hear about your experience of that half minute."

"It was not unlike being hit by a Slow effect."

"Physically, or in some other way?"

"No, no, only mentally, as far as I noticed I could have moved if it had occurred to me."

"Did it have the usual fear blocking effect, did you notice?"

"Yes, it did."

"Mm." She takes a second to think about it. "I haven't personally seen it, but someone who was very anxious could experience a paladin's aura like that. Does that sound like it might be the issue?"

"Yes."

"All right," she nods. "For what to tell people, 'I've talked to a counselor about it and she wasn't worried ' should do - I'm not, I'm sure being that anxious is unpleasant but it's not dangerous if you're otherwise healthy; do tell a healer about it if your health starts to decline, though. For the anxiety itself, I'm sure there are magical options and we can help you find one if you'd like, but there are some pretty good herbs - " she opens a drawer in her desk and rifles through a collection of small bags. "These are the ones I recommend trying to start with, just steep them into tea and drink it in the evening or when you're feeling especially anxious, no more than four cups a day without talking to an herbalist about it. If they don't work or you don't like the effect you can come back here or talk to an herbalist about that, too, and we'll suggest something different. Or don't take them, it's not actually my business whether you do, I just want you to have the option."

"I - had understood myself to have expressed that I did not like it when I was suddenly without it."

"Ah, I hadn't caught that part. I do think these will be gentler, you might find a level that you like better than the aura or the current situation, but like I said it's not my business."

Are they done now.

If he doesn't take the bag of herbs she'll put it away. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"I wouldn't have said there was anything I wanted to talk about in the first place, actually."

"I'll have a word with Raafi about consent if you'd like me to," she says tersely, getting up to get the door.

"- I wasn't - he didn't do anything wrong, just, this was not due to my own internal preferences particularly."

"And that's not how this is supposed to work." She's not opening the door quite yet, though if he stands to leave she will.

"If I had turned out to be enchanted or be having some bizarre interplanetary allergy to the local paladins - I think he was following a right process though I acknowledge I do not know if it is your process and I apologize if I have allowed you to be called into service against your principles -"