What Just Happened?

Gerhard sits, his sunken eyes staring a hole into the seat that only minutes before was occupied by Orianna Èirigh. Moments before, the ranger was the pinnacle of righteous fury; the will to tear down the barriers between the planes, to rip the multiverse from edge to edge, gone now from his broken form. What remains is a husk, burned out from grief and guilt and the knowledge that there is nothing he can do.

He casts no looks around the table, pays no mind to the lunch guests that he has long forgotten. His focus is singular, and absolute.

Anger and frustration were visible on Derthaad's face when Mister appeared, the same Staircase magic that has nullified his abilities before, now render him completely useless. He had the magical capabilities to stop Mister or to get Orianna out of there, but that blasted magic denied any chance of that.

His attention then snapped to Gerhard when he heard him speak Andromeda's name, his expression, while still annoyed at what happened, is now riddled with curiosity, trying to piece together the entire conversation by his side alone.

He didn't pick up much, but the one bit that made all of this suddenly clear was his anger, his rage towards Orianna being taken by Mister. Just a few days ago, he witnessed it on Celina after she lost Sammy. And now he's seeing it here.
'This fucking idiot...' -he thought to himself.

When it was all done, when Gerhard was sitting there, all crumpled up, Derthaad looked towards Laurel, his golden eyes now glowing light blue as the druid hears his voice in their mind.
"Do you have a way to calm him in case he breaks down?"

Laurel replies to Derthaad "I have a way to try at least" while they also gently move the lunch out of the way in case he tries to get up suddenly. They don't know who that was or what is happening, but seeing someone be kidnapped is intense anyway and they are studying the faces and behaviours of everyone around the table in case anyone else needs some soothing words/tea/a hug.

Derthaad straightens up, leaning on his arms, fingers crossed, as he asks Gerhard.
"Right... what happened between our last meeting and now?" The question Derthaad asks hangs in the air, its intended recipient unable or unwilling to accept it, to provide an answer.

Beets is almost still in her chair as if she were still frozen, the flare of rage that everyone had noticed in her eyes has dissipated during Gerhard's air chat along with the frenzied buzzing whir of wing beats to the odd twitching 'vvrb', her fingers sit in deep groves that have been carved into the table's surface. Now all that is left is a pale drained look of..shock..

Poppy is insightful enough to notice the general vibe round the table and sticks her head over to allow for comfort pets and to gently lick Beets's hand in comfort if she allows for that.

Beets flinches at the sudden touch of Poppy, her mouth suddenly curling into a snarl as her eyes ink over with black, like ink blots. The hand Poppy had licked ripples with tar-like black threads melting together into a monstrous black insect claw which moves to strike towards the well-meaning goat.

Before stopping. Shaking. Held in place by the grip of Beets other, ordinary hand, a look of strained, desperate utter-horror on her face as the darkness melts from her eyes. As the black claw dissolves back into her own quivering fingers between which stare the wide frightened eyes of Poppy.

"P-Poppy.. I..." she manages between desperate gasps.

Poppy flinches back but quickly composes herself. "It's alright, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you looked like you needed some comfort, but the lick was too much."

Drawn by the commotion beside him, Derthaad's gaze shifts towards his little beetle companion. Derthaad remembers that the last time he spoke with Kavel, he was told about Beets' encounter with a red dragon, how it has affected her. This was was filled to the brim with them. Who knows how hard it may have hit her.
Derthaad takes a deep and long sigh 'No one can catch a break in this stupid place...' -he thinks to himself.

"Beets..." he calls out to her, his eyes and voice shifted from the annoyance from before, to caring and concern. His gaze shifts then to Gerhard, still the same.

Sigh "We're not gonna get anywhere today... I think it's best we take some time to process all of this."

"I'm still wondering how I'm gonna 'process' this cake? I mean do trees even have a digestive system?!" The muffled voice of a tree, mid chew, cuts through the silence of the table.

"Right -Derthaad continues, rubbing his brow- I suggest we reconvene tomorrow morning at first sunlight." His eyes back to Laurel "This is beyond me... so, would you be kind and help Gerhard while I'll see with Beets?"

Laurel nods, a spark of magic jumping from their fingers to soothe the wounded man's soul. They walk, slowly, making their way first down Castle Road until they are able to cross the Portal Plaza and arrive at the apartments at the southern most edge.

Maurice, padding along, watches as Gerhard gives Laurel a nod of thanks. Watches as Gerhard opens a door, waving for him to go through.