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Once the dragon had dissipated, the fey had felt completely numb. He wound the rope up and glanced to Sharra beckoning him, and the redhead followed without a word. This sort of thing seemed to have been expected.

Glancing to Red, he frowned as she took out the grappling hooks, feeling a surge of regret in their haste. She didn't seem to mind at all, which was rather strange. Perhaps a high pain tolerance?

He could feel the anger, the disappointment, and the unease in the others and it ground on his nerves. If he wanted to deal with this the right way, he'd have to become perfectly stoic.

Just like when he dealt with his father in the past.

Straightening up, Marosa followed Sharra without a second thought, brushing his curls behind his shoulder as he ran after.

He was curious to find the rest of the party with a small elf that seemed to want to hug people. The faerie stood apart from the others, back just enough where he wouldn't interfere too much. This was their part now, not his.

He'd already done his part.

Jericho considered the beaked one's words. A cultural exchange. And hugs were needed.

"Will I get some shiny gifts for it? Everyone could always use more shiny gifts," he asked it before pausing, "I-I mean. I like to give gifts too! Of course. Giving is always better. But.."

He just cleared his throat. Giving was better right? Right. He should be more focused on giving. Not receiving.

Looking back to the Illithid, he squinted, trying to remember what she said. Everything was a little crazy and he couldn't recall. But, he just hugged her anyway. That was better.

"Alright... I... really don't want to be experimented on."

Riley could sense Canon's distress. She gave the ghoul a look, understanding that she was done hugging Jericho, and settled her back down onto her feet. It was then that Jericho hugged her again, and the words that came from the elf were softer, quieter.. and maybe just a little scared.

Riley waited for the rest of the students to come hug Jericho, but her head tilted down, resting very slightly against the little creature.

No one's going to harm you. She murmured very softly. No experiments. No tests. Her voice gained a ferocity that implied she wasn't speaking about just Jericho, anymore. No pain. No suffering. Not while I'm around.

She didn't care if Jericho was a tiny, annoying little elf for the rest of his life. This was Jericho. Just as she was Riley. And if no one else but her understood and accepted him for what he had become from his sacrifice, the world could go to hell. She would make sure he didn't suffer the way she had.

She didn't need him to remember her. She just needed him to be safe.

Now, Sharra didn't have much contact with elves, and on a regular old day, he wouldn't have wanted to touch any of them. Especially after that demented toy-making fiasco. Taking a deep, slow breath, he shoved away his hesitations. Riley had asked them to help in this particular fashion, well...so be it. Moving forward, he smiled in what he rather hoped was a reassuring manner, and the Nergal approached Riley and her elfin charge. "We're all just here to help, after all." He soothed, leaning over to attempt to give the smaller creature a hug.

Carefully avoiding collecting a mindflayer in the embrace. Heh. They'd better figure out the logistics of this hugfest, the Nergal noted absently, as still more of his fellow students came nearer. Damn. He really hoped someone had something resembling a concrete plan for the rest of this fiasco.

Looking back at Marosa, he gave the fey a wan smile. Damn. It was always tough to be one of the new kids.

The 'research' part of things had apparently fallen to the wayside -- or Thackery's selective listening had decided as much, at least. Instead came a request from Riley, who held up some small, humanoid Christmas creature. If this was some sort of trick, he had no intention of taking the time to figure out why, cheerfully pushing himself up and approaching the little elf with outstretched arms and wiggling fingers.

"I'm really good at these, I'm warning you!"

He allowed less than a half-second for that warning to sink in before he curled his arms around the elf (and a little bit of Sharra) and hugged tight, nuzzling his tiny face.

Christof received a private thought of his own, as she very carefully responded without disturbing the elf in her arms. We take him home, and we help him. Without being invasive. Her eyes slit just slightly at the implied warning. She would even rail against Malodore if he attempted to do something to Jericho that would hurt. Whether or not the methods of the Boogeymen worked on her or not, she refused to allow anything close to that experience to befall him.

She was careful not to be as involved in the hugs that came, but she was grateful to each that came and tried to assure the elf that they were on his side. Surely this would solidify his decision - it was enough, for now.

Let's bring him back to Red. She gestured to Christof to lead the way, turning to carry him off. We're heading back now. Back home. The elf said he didn't know where home was.

She knew that feeling all too well.

The witch's words stung even as he knew why she would react that way. He had accidentally challenged her authority as captain in his blindsighted reaction to get the scrappers going. So as the dragon fell and his closest friends went to look after him, so too did Mort go to check on his own. He approached Belladonna with a contrite look. "Heard her voice," he said softly. "Heard Red's voice in head. I-I think. Was shouting for us to attack, n' whispers were so angry...Talked without asking you. S-Sorry, cap'n."

He extended a hand, either for her to hold or to pull into a hug, or to ignore as she pleased. "Ah, suggestion. Think professor t-took big beating from dragon earlier. Maybe should go heal?" He was careful to rephrase it as a question, so as not to look like he was trying to order her around.