the_isle | You're From The Isle If Anybody Asks

First Awareness

Those used to this by now probably knew what it meant when they felt their magic return for a moment. For the rest, suddenly their powers were back. Just for a few minutes, but a lot could be done in a few minutes. If the person even noticed their powers were back, that is.

Of course those on the shore might have seen the hazy indistinct shape through the barrier coming closer, might have seen the moment the hole in the barrier opened. Might have seen King Ben leading people down a gangplank through the barrier with crates of supplies....

Unions, Re And Otherwise

Once the supplies were unloaded, the barrier was sealed up again. King Ben seemed to be in charge during the unloading, Once the barrier was closed again, by the green magic streaming from the Queen's finger, it was Mal who seemed to be in charge.

"Alright, listen up. We have 2 hours and the clock is ticking. I'm not FG but we're keeping to a deadline anyway. If you want to come to Auradon or know someone you want us to bring back, you have 2 hours to convince us. You and everyone else, sharing the same 2 hours. Along with anyone who has a supply request for our next visit, or updates. Those of you bringing supplies to the school, time to get cracking. Two hours passes faster than midnight at the ball."

Those Who Left

(Please TL Here for boat and Auradon Shenanigans. TY)

Those What Remain

Once those going back to Auradon had left and the barrier was back in place, it was for those who remained on the Isle to sort the supplies and figure out how to get done everything that needed to be done with the people that remained.

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"Oh, well..." He hesitated at the obvious animosity from the man. "Maybe we should start over? I'm Jack Frost. Maybe I can find you, uh, somewhere more comfortable to sit?" He glanced around the beach. Maybe one of the crates? If it wasn't needed right this moment.

"Thank you, Jack. I'm Cassidy. This over protective man is my husband, Grey. And we're here to help. As soon as we can manage it."

"It's nice to meet you. Maybe it's best to wait a bit on the help? Maybe... rest for a minute?" He glanced back to Grey again. "I promise I mean you no harm."

"I trust you," Cassidy said. "And if our Craft was working, my husband would be less hissy cat about that." Then she decided to set the Sceltie among the sheep as it were, to draw Grey's anger away from Jack.

"I don't suppose you have a knife I can borrow?" she asked.

It worked. Grey spun on her, catching her before his move knocked her down worse. "NO, CASSIE!"

"They need the help," she said primly, then looked past him back to Jack, expectantly.

He looked back towards her. "Elianne... I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to leave you here." His chest hurt. He wasn't good at talking like Axel was. How had he ended up saying everything wrong?

"Xion and Axel are my best friends." Here he looked back to Xion, squeezing her hand. Then back to Elianne. "And Elianne is my friend too. Just- come back to Auradon with us. Axel can explain it better. He's good at explaining things. I'm not..." He shook his head. He wanted to have ice cream with his friends. And for no one to be left behind. And for no one to be upset.

Eli shrugged. "I'm used to being left behind."

Xion's shoulders slumped. At least this Somebody wasn't a best friend also but... why did Roxas and Axel keep wanting people to come with them for ice cream?

"It was an accident..." It hurt to swallow suddenly, a little bit. And his chest felt so heavy he was starting to think maybe something was wrong with it.

"Worry about her, I'll keep," Eli said. "he's your best friend, right? Then she's the one that matters here." And she'll tell herself not to be hurt. Sadly her face was expressive.

He shook his head a bit. "You both matter. C'mon, let's go back to the boat." He kept one hand in Xion's, and reached the other back out for Elianne. He'd pull them both back to the boat if he had to.

Eli shrugged but took his hand. "Only cause I made a bet," she mumbled.

Xion went with him, clinging to the one hand she still had, afraid he'd take that one back too.

Sun took a step backwards, pulling his hand away and settling into his usual crouched stance once more, since his help clearly wasn't needed. ...A bit lower than his usual stance, even, his eye level a bit under Ian's, rays settling at being about half inside his head. Imposing? Him? nah, he was staying down low, letting the two in the room with him have the height-advantage, if subtly so.

"Why would someone make a game about that? People make up awful things enough as it is, and then we're the ones they--" He cut himself off at that, giving a sighing sound and glancing down for a second. He pretty clearly made an effort to set that train of thought aside, making an effort to go back to his original cheerful tone. "No one's interested in hurting anybody."

He seemed to hesitate, but then didn't voice whatever thought might've crossed his mind there.

"I don't know," Foulques admitted to Sun. "It doesn't sound especially entertaining to me, but to each their own, I suppose."

"In any case, perhaps I should introduce the two of you properly. Ian, this is Sun. He's the mammet I spoke to you of on the way inside, and it's largely thanks to him that much of the school is now free of trash; as he's not especially suited for outdoor work, he's busied himself tidying up inside, and has been quite diligent at his work. Occasionally a bit too much so, to the point that he sometimes doesn't come back to recharge in a timely fashion." And by sometimes, he meant most times, but he didn't want to embarrass the mammet.

"Sun, this is Dr. Ian Wright. They're an expert on technology and programming, and will be staying on the Isle for a time for the purpose of trying to restore proper lines of communication with the mainland. While they're here, however, they've also agreed to lend their aid with regards to Moon's situation. How much, if anything, can be done remains to be seen, but given the crucial task the young King as entrusted them with, I believe it's safe to say we may have every confidence in their skills."

"Sometimes it is fun to play a scary game to make real life feel less bad. Very few people can get hurt in real life from a computer game. So it is a safe way to experience all sorts of things. Like riding a roller coaster to feel a thrill, even though you know you are reasonably safe. Scary games are like that. I mean I never played that one, but there are few things less heart pounding than soloing a From Software game."

"And yeah, I'm happy to help so long as you're not trying to kill anyone."

"Yeah." He was quiet again, not keeping up the fake cheer so much after all. Those rays around his head hadn't really come back out yet, nor was he standing up any taller. "I-- ....yeah." Yeah, that was really the point, wasn't it? Also hopefully not enough of a chicken-and-egg situation as to make things trickier than they needed to be. This Ian person was already associating him with scary games, and... yeah. Yeah, he'd just have to keep his big mouth shut, wouldn't he.

"...I'd appreciate it." A slight pause. "Is there anything I could help you with?"

Foulques made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgement. "Mmm... as you say," he said to Ian "Though perhaps I'm the wrong sort of person to appreciate such things. My world is quite frightening and dangerous enough by times that I've never felt the need to seek out imagined dangers on top of it."

As for Sun's awkward offer, he suggested, "Perhaps you could help Ian set up their equipment?" He glanced between the two of them to see if either had any objections to the idea. "You'd certainly be of more help than I would at such a task, and it would give the two of you a chance to get acquainted." And leave him free to pursue other tasks that needed done before the boat left.

Likely a wise choice on their part, but not especially reassuring to him. Still, it would have to do. He carefully got to his feet and set Chara down on the edge of the desk-come-bed. "Then we'd best be about it," he said. "As they say, the sooner a task is begun, the sooner tis done."

"Ah... sure. And while we get things set up maybe you can tell me more about what I am expected to fix...?"

And hopefully this will give Ian a chance to calm down and let their heart resume a regular pace. It really was a shame Ben wasn't here, Ben was the one who was good with all of this.

Chara sulked but nodded.

"Well...." He looked down a little, barely steepling his fingertips, sinking another inch. Those rays might've been trying to hide just a bit more. "....It's Moon. I mean-- I'm Moon. Or I'm supposed to be...? Like if you wore a different shirt, you'd still be you. Except... now? Ever since I went to look for someone that shouldn't have been hiding out in the bathroom while the Pizzaplex was closed... and it hurt for some reason... something's been wrong, and now... it's like Moon's not me any more."

He hesitated briefly, fidgeting, lowering his gaze more to his hands as he rubbed at some little spot of dirt on the back of one of his fingers. He quieted a little more. "...And it scares me. And I know Moon scares everyone else now, too. I'm not supposed to be all scary. Not unless someone's been bad. Like, gotta call security kinds of bad."

The way in which he barely moved his head was the only thing that gave away that he'd probably only done so, so that he could peek up at Ian to see their reaction to that. "...And I don't know how to fix myself. Not when it's something like this. Or I would've done it already."

Edited (accidentally a word) Date: 2025-05-01 06:14 am (UTC)

Later into the visit....
Chell had been out working on the thornbushes again when the barrier dropped. Without anyone or any creatures nearby, what senses the Isle dampened to nothingness had nothing to sense, when the barrier dropped the first few times. So he was oblivious, for a good while... but he figured it out before the visit's end, when a certain fairy found him to catch up again.

So he was at least easily locatable again toward the end of the visit, at the beach. Later on, he even grabbed the desktop and readied whatever cargo he could to be taken into the school later, piling it up on the board in advance.

Anyone want to say hi to the tree?

It was toward the very end of the Isle visit that Chell sought out Foulques. "Brother," he started, some odd look on his face... a bit of a smile, a bit of... what was it, some sort of mild excitement, like he was going to be up to something, as he stepped up closer to him. "The flavors I have not yet done correctly... when the barrier opens again, hold them firmly in your mind. Focus on them. I wish to know directly from you what it is you would have me make, while words' inadequacy is not an obstacle."

Edited (minor rephrase) Date: 2025-05-04 08:10 am (UTC)

"No, you should not," he said, echoing Grey. "Neither your husband nor I will allow it, and quite frankly you're in no state to try and force the issue at present. No one will be deliberately cutting themselves on this trip."

To Grey he said, "And while not quite as urgent, it would likely be a good idea for you to sit back down before your legs take the decision out of your hands."

Cassidy huffed a bit. "You don't serve me," she pointed out to Gabriel, as if that mattered.

"No, I don't," he agreed. "I can't say I really 'serve' anyone, in the way it sounds like you mean. Everyone in my world is forced to live under the rule of the Supreme, but there are relatively few who've sworn to serve him directly."

"Though quite frankly, I'm not sure why that's significant. Given that both you and Grey can barely stand at present, it wouldn't be especially difficult for someone to prevent either of you from doing something, whether or not they served you."

"Protocol gives a man certain rights over a woman he serves," she said, carefully. It was still alarming to her to b around people for whom Protocol wan't a lesson learned along with all the other childhood ones. "It can however draw a line in the sand." She took a breath, still weak and shaking, but Protocol was at least solid ground. And this particular lesson was one that her people, those she now served and ruled, had desperately needed. One they had been taught a twisted tormented version of. "A Queen may dismiss a male if she disagrees with him or feels he has stepped over a line he should not have in protecting her, but she cannot hurt him for disagreeing." A small line of Protocol that had been removed from the teachings in Terreille, one that once removed had left many males afraid to disobey the twisted Queens.

"But those rights do not apply to a male who does not serve," she added, coming back to her point. "Not in the same way. Clearly I am still not allowed to harm you for disagreeing with me, however," she was cut off.

"However," Grey said, talking over her with that word, "In the absence of a full Court any male who has not proven himself a danger to the Queen or been banished from her presence may step into the role of Escort to protect her when such protection is needed, so long as in doing so he does not break the laws of the Territory he is in, knowingly cause harm to a woman who is not actively causing harm to the Queen he is trying to protect, or disobeying a direct order from someone he already serves," Grey sad shaking as badly as she was, but voice lined with steel and determination.

Cassidy's eyes narrowed. "You are absolutely spending too much time with someone," she said grumpily.

"Are you going to curse at me?" he asked, glancing back, a hint of humor breaking his seriousness for a moment.

"I'm thinking about it," she said with a huff, then she shook her head and became serious again looking to Gabriel. "But they need help here. Help a Queen is born to provide. The people cannot heal if the Land itself is sick. A Queen's connection to the Land and her ability to bolster it... that is a big part of what makes a Queen a Queen, and it is far more important than any ability to rule. A Queen's first duty is to protect the Land and the people in it."

"And a male's firt duty is not to obey, but to protect," Grey returned just as firmly.

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