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"... Uh... Thank you, Shun..."

For saving her from having to be rude and be a Mac.

Should... should he not want to be a boogeymen? Sammy seemed to hate them something awful.

Mot felt very nervous. maybe he should keep his dream to himself.

"Samantha." Shehk's tone was more terse than it had been with most anybody for a while. Frazzled? Oh, if Shehk had actually been infected with insanity, she would have been getting into her slurs and 'ssss'ing and 'we' stuff right about then. She could handle being an emotional tether and a grounding for several individuals, but dammit, she wasn't just going to let the pack run wild.

"If you're going to throw a fit, how about you two take it to the gym later?" She knew why Sammy was throwing what Shehk would call her 'fit', and she knew exactly why her venom was being aimed at Shun. She hadn't mentioned Shun's... part in things to Jericho yet. Shehk actually shot Jericho a look - an anxious and nervous look. The last thing they needed to do was have a fight break out there.

"As it stands, we can't go on making enemies of everything and everybody. When we have a chance to get some insight - even if we may not exactly approve of where it is coming from - I think we need to take a few risks like that. No, the Boogeymen overall have not been found to be very trustworthy.

But I agree that if we can find at least one who is on our side, we will benefit. I still think there are answers that need to be found from the one who was for sure on our side."

And from the look on her face, Shehk knew what she needed to do to find out such things.

"Matters," the zomboil muttered to Calder about the notes. "E-Every bit matters." When his new brain was still fresh he had recalled scanning the page and memorizing it as best he could before the group had left. Could he still conjure up the important things? Not in this Insanity haze, but afterwards perhaps. Amrita looked as torn up as could be, and Calder looked about as sleepless as he was . . . Mort grimly responded, "Is as best as c-can be for now."

Which was to say not very much at all.

But before he could ask Amrita what she needed help with or how the kelpie was doing in return, the official meeting had begun. He listened intently from his place on the ground and tried to place the whispers behind him, frowning only at the mention of DETH. He hadn't heard of this group before, or rather barely heard of it; he hadn't been able to attend the seminar Professor QB had had. It made Mort a bit hopeful that some humans were more sympathetic to their situation than he originally imagined, though he was sure the number of Hunters outnumbered them easily. He also finally got to hear what it was Trick-or-Treaters did - and imagined Gene among them, wreaking havoc with her shapeshifting and phasing, bringing back sweets for her efforts. He almost, almost managed to smile.

And then the argument broke out. Quelled before it really got bad, but still enough to light the tense atmosphere Mort felt in the room; he was doubly glad to be a bit away and on the floor. His fingers entangled themselves together in his lap nervously as a question came to mind. The Boogeymen were a sensitive topic, but . . . "Hear Boogeymen h-have branches," Mort piped up more than hesitantly when there was a lull in the main conversation. "Have, er, any info on that? C-Could try seeing which Saebel is part of, i-if have other friends could lend hand."

Mot wasn't the only one considering those options.

Jericho glanced over at Shehk for the moment. It looked like she had something in mind as far as the boogies went. Though there was no telling just what that was right now. Then, looking towards Calder, he let out a small snarl as he was reminded of something else.

"We've tried to warn some others. There are those who will refuse to believe anything. Maybe it's changed for them but some are blind in this school," he growled lowly. There were a couple individuals he could think of that fell into this category.

"Branches?" She perked up, smiling at the boil, almost thankful that he was speaking despite how tense the atmosphere was; this is good. They're making new connections already, "Thank you! Uh... Mortimer..? Did I get your name right? That might be a good place to start! I'll see what I can find out..." Time to ask around cautiously.



"Jericho and Amrita are right," She sighed, nodding at what they said, "I had approached students to talk to them about hunters before, but they dismissed it... Until they got to see the hunters for themselves. That's why it's important to have connections. A network. People who believe you, educate them. Those who doubt might outweigh those who believe, but... A little at a time. If they don't believe us? Fine. Don't neglect them, continue to be a friend. One day, hopefully not too late, they will believe. Like Amrita said, they will come around."

Malodore got quite the deer-in-headlights look when Sammy indicated it, and it cleared its throat in an attempt to interject itself into the conversation. "I, ah... what the Boogeymen did was cruel, si," it said, slowly, clearly choosing its words with care. "I wanted only to stay with... with Riley, and I asked them to allow it. I believe I was as... as reasonable as could be expected, under the circumstances. I spoke to them and did not make any threats. They responded with instant, dissipation-level violence rather than words." One hand went to its throat automatically, and its wings rustled with tension. "That is what angers me the most, truth be told - that they immediately acted upon an unarmed, traumatized student with extreme violence rather than responding at the same level at which they were approached. Do not assume reason will mean anything to them!"

It heaved a sigh. "But they are... they are not Hunters. They have not yet committed genocide. Do not trust them unless offered clear evidence of their trustworthiness - but they are powerful. We have been fortunate thus far. I will not... I will not let my own feelings, strong though they may be, endanger the school. If we tempt fate and bring suffering to the innocent students here, how likely are we to win them to the truth? They will see us only as the irrational beings we were painted as when Professor Red died. We must rise above such things, even if it hurts... and I will not have myself, or Riley, used as a tool. By anyone," it added, straightening.