[BB] the young, the innocent, and righteous

[Insert gif of John Travolta looking around in confusion.] No one? Alright!

Morganite felt the static in her ears increase and the lump in her throat turn to solid rock. Her eyes were out of focus and it felt like someone had stuffed cotton in her ears. She jumped, shaking horribly as Giggle spoke, though the sudden yell allowed her to shake off some of the panic and focus on her.

Staring at Giggle, her chest heaved gently, and for a moment, she understood.

Ignorance lifted like a veil, and her ears drooped as she realized that they'd been horribly rude, their comments not welcome, Sora's blatant monologues definitely grating against the ears of those who were just here to catch up. Hell, this might have turned into some domestic discussion that families had. She wanted to run all of a sudden, ashamed and embarrassed by not only her own behavior, but that of Sora's. (She'd been sadly a bit out of it by the time Charles spoke up).

Though all of a sudden, she growled at Sora.

"Shut up and take a hint," she said, "We've been stubborn since the beginning, since all of this started. If her speech didn't alert you to the fact that we've been more than rude, but showing absolutely disgusting behavior, then I believe you need to take a time out and think for a few minutes. And don't tell someone else to apologize when you owe one too."

Morgan glanced at her, and then at Charles, before turning to Pumpkin and looking at him evenly, "Good luck, Pumpkin. Stay... stay safe."

A silent promise was made, and she could only hope he saw it in her sad green eyes. When she was healed, she would return. Perhaps Pumpkin could forgive her one day.

And finally... to Eythan she turned.

"My apologies for our behavior. But I will listen to her, the one who spoke of kindness and understanding, not of violence and vulgarity. Honestly. Take soap to your mouth, fool! You have people who look up to you, judging by those here. You curse your own self by speaking so harshly. Be the example we haven't been," she said, regretting terribly that she didn't know Giggle's name.

Maybe she ought to ask, when this was all over. She seemed like she gave great advice. She could use some of that.

"And Sora," she mumbled, ears pinning, "Not. A. Word. You forget that the agreement was for me to be ultimately in charge, and you are getting ahead of yourself. You are well aware that Kini wouldn't have stood for this kind of talk. Neither will I, from now on."

Morgan wasn't happy. Not a bit. Though on one hand, the gears were starting to turn.

He was silent for just a moment, still trying to hold himself together, the weariness of all the emotional turmoil just too much for him to bear right now. He just wanted to sleep and rest and go find a place to call home but everyone was arguing now. His own words seemed to have some kind of effect. Good. Maybe they would take them seriously, maybe they would listen to their warnings.

But words were bouncing into his head now, from Sora and Pumpkin, the Bone King and his brother and the Seer, and it was just. It was so much. It was too much. And Charles, never the one to be underwhelming, snapped so hard back into reality that he quite literally hopped once in place as glowing eyes focused right on Eythan. "Oh is that right?! He opened his beak to start on another rant but that was when the Bone Seer struck her paw down and called for attention. And Charles turned his head to listen, despite the words boiling deep within the pit of his stomach. For a moment, selfless shame curled in his throat - this had been a perfectly happy meeting until they had come along - but then it ripped through his head how wrong all of this was. He didn't know what a 'party' was or a 'funeral' but he guessed that the former was positive while the second was negative, by the tone of her voice. His eyes flicked between the Bone King and his mother, deciding to address them both at once. "You shouldn't be having a party right now," he rasped. "Not while the blood of so many innocent lives lies on your doorsteps. You're right - tact isn't important. Sorry that we broke up the fun, but there's kind of the matter of uncaring, borderline sadistic Masters roaming around pretending to play nice with you." He shook his head. "Have your party another time. Too many have died."

With the Bone Seer addressed, Charles was able to turn his attention back to Eythan. For a second, he thought he could hold it in, but now looking at him, seeing the unbridled rage and hatred, his words still ringing in his head, and realizing that yes. This was that creature's father. Then, completely ignoring Sora and Morganite, he lost it.

"Sorry that the truth sucks but you gotta swallow it and realize that you're not the only one in the room that hurts!! Does it really suck more to find out your daughter is dead when you wouldn't have heard it at all then to watch your family get eaten in front of you and then have their bodies use like puppets, to taunt you and trick you to the same cruel fate? You think the Masters would have told you about her death?! It's worse to hear about it then watching the bodies of half the family you ever knew bubble and decay into oil around you, knowing that you only survived because they died for you?! When YOU should have been the one protecting them?! It's worse to hear the words 'YOUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD' then to watch all of that SHIT and have to live with the guilt knowing that it was your fault they died and you didn't die in their stead, like you were supposed to, that all of this was for a cruel, sick reason?! They died feed some shadow that was locked away when its playtime was up!!" He didn't know when he started crying, but his voice had risen to a melancholy shriek, wings flapping with agitation at his side. It was far too much to bottle up for someone that had never any reason to bottle anything up. It was too much to handle for someone who had never known pain or death or tragedy and it all came spilling out before Charles could stop himself. "Listen to her!" he cried, swinging a wing to point at Giggle. "We're not your enemies! If you're angry, then be angry at the truth!! Be angry and then get prepared! You have the time - and the choice - to get yourselves ready for whatever those Masters are planning next! So shut the fuck up and start getting ready! So you can keep safe the people you c-can keep safe! So your family d-doesn't d-die like ours did!"

He swallowed heavily, voice breaking up right at the very end and deflated, the last of his energy spent, sagging forward where he sat on Sora. He took in a shuddering breath and managed to bleat out, "There's nothing I've said that I'm sorry for. Only that we were the ones to tell them about this and that we had to spoil their fun." He said the last words bitterly. Wouldn't that be fucking nice, having some fun? The concept now seemed so alien to him - had he ever even experienced it before?

Look, Morgan was angry, but it didn't stop a cold hand of ice from gripping her heart as Aure grabbed Charles, forcing him to be quiet. Her ears rang and she was watching them all be swallowed by the shadows again, watching their sibling Thalia run off only to be cut down mid-stride.

"Let-", her words caught in her throat and the panic from before that she'd so stubbornly forced down welled up again, choking her and making her stiffen and quake where she stood.

She was helpless to it, as helpless as she had been to the devastating shadows. She was angry, and upset, and more than a little anguished at everything that was happening. Slowly, she backed away from Sora and Charles, finding herself... alone all of a sudden.

At the edge of the crowd (she didn't remember getting here, but she'd felt her feet walking) she stood, green eyes hazy and ears pinned, her throat tightening more and more with every second that passed. Big fat tears welled up and she hid her face as best as she could, desperately wanting like... a hug or something.

Poor pathetic Morgan.

She shivered as if cold and turned to the side, not saying a word. She would when she was allowed, but no sooner.