He arched a brow at her pouting and pessimism over the ego of Outlanders and Naturals. "Tempers are running high," he agreed mildly. "But the problem is always that the actions of a few can result in consequences for an entire group. The actions of a few Northhaveners can result in all Outlanders being at risk, whether we supported their assault or not. And the anger of a few Naturals feels particularly poignant when those upset are friends and loved ones. But no group is a monolith," he reminded her gently. "Even the Northhaveners, though since so many from that world came through at once it's hard for those of us from other worlds not to feel a bit... overwhelmed by their numbers," he tried to explain.
Isuma, however, was having none of this sadness on her watch, and she Reep!ed happily at the kisses, wings fluttering as she tried to crawl up onto Phoebe's shoulder to rub her face against the girl's cheek.
Her answer to his not-quite rhetorical questions earned at first a slow nod at hearing that she had nothing she really wanted to change about Emmett - and then a shake of his head when she said she was selfish, but he didn't speak to interrupt her until she was finished. He let the silence sit while he thought, trying to find the right words to help, but wary that, since he didn't know Phoebe well, that he might make things worse. "It doesn't sound like either of you was the 'problem,'" he said at last, speaking slowly as he tucked his herbal away into a pouch at his side. Herbs could be gathered later; this wasn't a conversation to be had quickly or with any rush. "What happened at Long Night hurt you both." Hurt almost everyone, in some way or another, large or small. "The ones to blame are the ones that killed his family - whether ghosts or beasts or whatever the Long Night demons are," he added with a grimace, the mystery one that had become less pressing in light of the Spire's guardian falling. "They were the problem. And no one is 'prepared' to deal with trauma like that. Not him, and not you, either. I think..." The bard paused, looking to the girl and the gryphlet who peeped softly in her ear to try and cheer her up. "What is the first rule of being a healer?" he asked her gently, though this time it really was rhetorical. "Healer, heal thyself. You can't help anyone else if you are too injured to continue. You both needed support and a chance to recover before you could support someone else - and you were both too hurt, emotionally, to be that support for each other." He reached up to catch at Isuma's tail, letting its fluffy length pull lightly through his fingers. "It wasn't your fault. Nor was it his. Though that doesn't excuse his lashing out without thinking at the Spire," he added with a grimace. "Any more than it excuses Rory. But he was likely lashing out at the first target he could latch his pain on to - and didn't consider that you were included in an irrational 'Outlanders' rhetoric. He might have been mad at the ones attacking the Spire and wasn't eloquent enough to specify... or perhaps he even dislikes most Outlanders, except for a special few." The loreseeker shrugged helplessly, looking toPhoebe with a wry smile. "I don't know him, though, so these are only guesses. You are better able to tell if any of them are close to the mark."
Isuma, however, was having none of this sadness on her watch, and she Reep!ed happily at the kisses, wings fluttering as she tried to crawl up onto Phoebe's shoulder to rub her face against the girl's cheek.
Her answer to his not-quite rhetorical questions earned at first a slow nod at hearing that she had nothing she really wanted to change about Emmett - and then a shake of his head when she said she was selfish, but he didn't speak to interrupt her until she was finished. He let the silence sit while he thought, trying to find the right words to help, but wary that, since he didn't know Phoebe well, that he might make things worse. "It doesn't sound like either of you was the 'problem,'" he said at last, speaking slowly as he tucked his herbal away into a pouch at his side. Herbs could be gathered later; this wasn't a conversation to be had quickly or with any rush. "What happened at Long Night hurt you both." Hurt almost everyone, in some way or another, large or small. "The ones to blame are the ones that killed his family - whether ghosts or beasts or whatever the Long Night demons are," he added with a grimace, the mystery one that had become less pressing in light of the Spire's guardian falling. "They were the problem. And no one is 'prepared' to deal with trauma like that. Not him, and not you, either. I think..." The bard paused, looking to the girl and the gryphlet who peeped softly in her ear to try and cheer her up. "What is the first rule of being a healer?" he asked her gently, though this time it really was rhetorical. "Healer, heal thyself. You can't help anyone else if you are too injured to continue. You both needed support and a chance to recover before you could support someone else - and you were both too hurt, emotionally, to be that support for each other." He reached up to catch at Isuma's tail, letting its fluffy length pull lightly through his fingers. "It wasn't your fault. Nor was it his. Though that doesn't excuse his lashing out without thinking at the Spire," he added with a grimace. "Any more than it excuses Rory. But he was likely lashing out at the first target he could latch his pain on to - and didn't consider that you were included in an irrational 'Outlanders' rhetoric. He might have been mad at the ones attacking the Spire and wasn't eloquent enough to specify... or perhaps he even dislikes most Outlanders, except for a special few." The loreseeker shrugged helplessly, looking to
