He had thought he might finally get through some of her stubborn self-destructive words, and the way she insisted on putting herself down. He had hoped to at least get her to acknowledge that the naturals had a reason for feeling as they did, that Rory's anger, and Emmett's, and Amalia's, and so many of the naturals who had bristled at the Spire attack had justification. She had seemed a nice young woman, and a smart one in spite of her insistence that no one listened or cared...
But the snap in her voice and the angry tears quickly dashed that notion. Blue eyes narrowed as she went from calm discussion to a ranting tirade that had Isuma staring at her with wide golden eyes filled first with concern - and then a warning hiss as she struggled in Jigano's grasp to confront this creature that was making such threatening noises towards her companion. His attention was taken by calming the little one, but Phoebe made it clear that she had no intention of listening to him - that she struck with words to hurt, to wound, to insult and goad. She didn't care that he had spoken to each of the members of the Spire Attack group in the past - or that he'd had no time to try and stop them, once he'd read the notice board and raced to witness their folly. She didn't care that he was working with Rory and Amalia to build common ground between naturals and outlanders - because, of course, he wasn't working with her Outlanders, and therefore his work was pointless to her. And that it was quiet, and slow, and not as flashy and reckless and rash as her sister-in-law seemed to operate only made things worse, in her eyes. He sighed, bowing his head in defeat, and even before she had finished he had risen, holding tight to the over-protective gryphonlet who had puffed up her fur and feathers and flexed tiny talons in a display of temper he had never seen from her before.
"No, excuse me," he said in a cool voice, giving her a short bow as she stood and then turning away at the same time she did, heading in the opposite direction with a ground-eating stride and a clenched jaw he fought to smooth away, feeling Isuma's anger melding with his own frigid temper. He had been polite, but it would seem that such was futile. Attempts to defend his opinions were met with anger by Northhaveners who didn't like disagreement--
No, that wasn't true. Isla hadn't been like that. And Edy was... well, she was Edy. But perhaps there was just too much of a fundamental difference between their worlds and backgrounds - and he was quickly losing interest and patience in trying to reach out to people who had no interest in reaching back.
As soon as he had reached a large enough tree to hide behind he shifted into his foxform without missing a step, catching Isuma up by her scruff as he stretched four long legs into a lope. His ears flicked back, catching what might have been the sounds of someone being sick, and for a moment he considered turning back...
But, no. One of the things she had accused him of was 'doing nothing' wasn't it? She would undoubtedly feel better if he allowed her to be right in her opinions of him. Besides, he was no masochist, to return to face further insult from someone who had lost all semblance of civility, or perhaps an accusation that he had made her sick! He felt guilty leaving her... but Isuma's temper tantrum took precedence as she squirmed and growled in the careful grip of his jaws, wanting to lash back at the woman who had lashed out at him. He needed to calm the gryphlet down, and he couldn't do that with Phoebe around at the moment.
With an inward sigh he turned his paws towards the glade, and the den they had called home for so long, hoping that the familiar comfort of it would help to settle her - and himself - before they had to return to the stresses of the Guildhall and the search for answers that might come too late to help anyone.
But the snap in her voice and the angry tears quickly dashed that notion. Blue eyes narrowed as she went from calm discussion to a ranting tirade that had Isuma staring at her with wide golden eyes filled first with concern - and then a warning hiss as she struggled in Jigano's grasp to confront this creature that was making such threatening noises towards her companion. His attention was taken by calming the little one, but Phoebe made it clear that she had no intention of listening to him - that she struck with words to hurt, to wound, to insult and goad. She didn't care that he had spoken to each of the members of the Spire Attack group in the past - or that he'd had no time to try and stop them, once he'd read the notice board and raced to witness their folly. She didn't care that he was working with Rory and Amalia to build common ground between naturals and outlanders - because, of course, he wasn't working with her Outlanders, and therefore his work was pointless to her. And that it was quiet, and slow, and not as flashy and reckless and rash as her sister-in-law seemed to operate only made things worse, in her eyes. He sighed, bowing his head in defeat, and even before she had finished he had risen, holding tight to the over-protective gryphonlet who had puffed up her fur and feathers and flexed tiny talons in a display of temper he had never seen from her before.
"No, excuse me," he said in a cool voice, giving her a short bow as she stood and then turning away at the same time she did, heading in the opposite direction with a ground-eating stride and a clenched jaw he fought to smooth away, feeling Isuma's anger melding with his own frigid temper. He had been polite, but it would seem that such was futile. Attempts to defend his opinions were met with anger by Northhaveners who didn't like disagreement--
No, that wasn't true. Isla hadn't been like that. And Edy was... well, she was Edy. But perhaps there was just too much of a fundamental difference between their worlds and backgrounds - and he was quickly losing interest and patience in trying to reach out to people who had no interest in reaching back.
As soon as he had reached a large enough tree to hide behind he shifted into his foxform without missing a step, catching Isuma up by her scruff as he stretched four long legs into a lope. His ears flicked back, catching what might have been the sounds of someone being sick, and for a moment he considered turning back...
But, no. One of the things she had accused him of was 'doing nothing' wasn't it? She would undoubtedly feel better if he allowed her to be right in her opinions of him. Besides, he was no masochist, to return to face further insult from someone who had lost all semblance of civility, or perhaps an accusation that he had made her sick! He felt guilty leaving her... but Isuma's temper tantrum took precedence as she squirmed and growled in the careful grip of his jaws, wanting to lash back at the woman who had lashed out at him. He needed to calm the gryphlet down, and he couldn't do that with Phoebe around at the moment.
With an inward sigh he turned his paws towards the glade, and the den they had called home for so long, hoping that the familiar comfort of it would help to settle her - and himself - before they had to return to the stresses of the Guildhall and the search for answers that might come too late to help anyone.
