You're From The Isle If Anybody Asks

[missrecalled_mods]

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.

Comments

[papillion_de_resistance]

Gabriel frowned. "Even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you under the circumstances," he said. "I'll admit that I don't know exactly what you intend to do, but given your husband's reaction, the implications are that it would involve using the knife on yourself, which I have to agree is an exceptionally bad idea, especially in a place like this."

He considered a moment. "Would it take long to... unload the things you have tucked away? If not, you could wait until the barrier was opened again when it was time to leave and do so then."

[fallen_child]

"I'm not going to just keep doing scary things! If that's the only way to get braver I'll tay a scardy cat!" They crossed their arms and huffed.

[missrecalled_npcs]

"I thank you for that. Already however it feels as though we have put too much on the backs of all of you. It is bad enough you are here against your will without us forcing you to work as well. Mal did try offering jobs and compensation as a way to restart the economy back in Auradon, but no one took us up on it, which was message enough."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Tattoos? Well, I do have a few of those myself, generally I'm the only one who knows what they mean. Aside from a few close friends, anyway." Ian started walking with the rest of their stuff.

[thinking_about_it]

"Queens have a bond with the Land. In any realm, even a blasted one like this," Cassidy said with a shudder. "If I give my blood to the soil, it can help the plants the people here need to grow." She looked at her husband. "I would do it in a controlled way this time, I won't just give my energy to the ground again."

"No, you'll just bleed yourself out in a place where we can't do even basic healing craft," Grey snapped. "You are not doing this, Cassidy."

"These people need our help, Grey!" she snapped, though there was as much tremor in her voice as there was in his.

[mist_the_point]

"Hardships and frightening situations will come, and you will have to face them, whether or not you wish to," he said. "That is the nature of the world. Courage is in how you react to them, in being able to meet them with composure and resolve." Would that the guildmaster could hear him now, espousing the very notions he'd once scoffed at. But he'd already learned the madness of his own false 'courage', so he turned to the only other definition of courage that he knew.

"Courage is not, as some would have you believe, a lack of fear. Nor is it to be confused with recklessness. It lies in feeling fear, but not allowing that fear to control your actions. To face the cause of that fear without succumbing to panic or despair. This, I believe, you are capable of doing, if you're willing to put forth the effort."

[mist_the_point]

He shrugged. "A merchant or a craftsman needs customers," he said. "A teacher, students. A healer, patients. A warrior, battles to fight. There are simply too few people at present to require such things constantly. A more workable system would be something similar to guild leves, where individual tasks are offered for compensation, rather than longer term employment for wages."

"Here, of course, work is a necessity, if we wish to keep ourselves fed and the building at least marginally livable. Though for myself, at least, I'm hardly a stranger to physical labor, and I find it preferable to brooding."

[mist_the_point]

Foulques made a sound of acknowledgement. "Mmm... I don't know if an archon's tattoos have any sort of symbolic meaning beyond marking their status," he said. "The more visible ones are a sort of odd glyph and are typically on their face or neck. They also sport a larger one resembling an eye elsewhere on their bodies, but that may or may not be visible, depending on their manner of dress. It always seemed to me an odd choice for marking great scholars, but it's persisted for centuries, so they must find some value in it."

"We've strayed a bit from the subject however," he said as he led the way down the path from the beach. "What is it you plan to do with all this equipment? It must be something of great importance for you to willingly stay here to accomplish it."

[fallen_child]

"I just want to keep you safe till we can figure out where Asriel is and then bring both of you back home..." A small shoulder slump. "But I don't think I can keep anyone safe..."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"I agree with work being better than brooding. As to the rest, I'm not sure I know enough to implement such a system on my own. Perhaps when you feel ready to come with us to Auradon you can advise us on what you think will work, and together we can create a plan to help everyone who has been brought here. To Auradon, and to the Isle."

[mist_the_point]

"Wishing to keep others safe is a noble goal," he said. "But if you're unwilling to dedicate yourself to the time and effort required to gain strength, skill, and courage, then a goal is all that it will remain. I believe you have the potential to be the sort of strong protector you wish to be, and am willing to help you become such, but if you refuse to make the effort, there's very little I or anyone else can do."

[mist_the_point]

'When he felt ready'? He almost asked what he young king meant by that, but thought the better of it. Instead he said, "It needn't be very complicated. But you're right; this is neither the time nor the place to discuss it in detail."

They turned down another hallway, one that ended in a dead end. There was a door very near the end of the hallway though, and it was there that Foulques led Ben. Opening the door, it was revealed to be a small storeroom, though it had long since been stripped of anything but some battered furniture; nothing useful, no reason to enter the room. Unless, of course, one was visiting its current occupant. Laid out of a pair of battered tables that had been pushed together to accommodate the rather tall man, was the unconscious form of professor Yen Sid.

"I made a point of pretending to search various rooms in this section for usable objects," he said, "so that no one might wonder why I was coming to this odd corner. Given that River Song was unaware of the Professor's state until I mentioned it, and the fact that he's remained undisturbed by any but Chell and myself, we can assume that my ploy was successful. But thankfully there will no longer be a need for it after today."

[fallen_child]

"So... I have to start beating people up to get stronger?" Chara asked, clearly thinking about those disturbing flash forward memories...

[missrecalled_npcs]

Ben nodded. "Thank you. And please thank Chell and River for me, if I do not have the opportunity to do so myself," he said, carefully lifting the prone professor into his arms. He nodded for Foulques to lead the way back out, as navigating was going to be a bit tricky carrying someone taller than he was, even if he was a bit lighter overall.

[mist_the_point]

"No," Foulques said. "You're in no way ready to train against an actual opponent, and even should you reach that point, the goal will be to train, to develop your strength and skill, not to 'beat someone up'. We'd begin with simple exercises to build your strength and endurance, things like running laps, stretching exercises, lifting increasingly heavy weights, and doing sit-ups and push-ups. Committing to doing these regularly will not only help you grow stronger, but also demonstrate self-discipline, another important trait for a protector."

[fallen_child]

"Well.... at least it isn't doing scary things. Can we start now instead of having to be around the humans?"

[mist_the_point]

"I'm afraid not," he said. "They'll be arriving soon regardless of what anyone here wishes, and there are things I must needs discuss with them. You needn't accompany me if you don't wish to, but whatever you do, I expect you to behave like a civilized child in their presence, not a wild animal."

[fallen_child]

"If they try to hurt you or Mr. Chell or me... I'm gonna fight back."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"There had apparently been a rudimentary network of sorts on the Isle before the crisis that brought us all here and sent those who had been maintaining it away. I am hoping to find it and not just reactivate it, but build upon it to connect to the network in Auradon. Which given the barrier is going to take some fine tuning. They didn't exactly teach magical harmonic radio frequencies in my Masters' program. But ideally by the time of the next Isle visit I will be able to activate the connection so that communication between those in Auradon and those on the Isle can communicate freely. Of course I was warned that electricity in general can be tricky here, and that the network may need to be rebuilt from the ground up if it was not originally crafted in such a way that we can access what I need from any of the currently open locations. That is why I needed to bring so much, there in't exactly a radio shack out here. Aaaaand.... we're going to pretend I didn't just admit how old I am with that. Moving on, I am hoping among other things to be able to build at least a small power generator to keep the school and the network both operating. If nothing else, the games I brought for my down time will require it."

[mist_the_point]

"Then you will have no cause to fight," he said, "assuming you actually listen and pay attention rather than throwing yourself blindly at the first person who looks askance at any of us. That too is part of being a protector; paying attention to your surroundings and thinking before you act."

[fallen_child]

"Can't we just sent them away....?"

On the shore, OTA

[queen_butterfly]

"I can take the supply requests," she volunteered, glancing to Mal as she fished around in her pocket for another of her little makeshift clipboard-book things. It had paper in it, and she pulled out a pen as well... she'd come prepared!

((She'll be around if anyone wants her... she's in her usual adult elf-lady form, once again with giant butterfly wings folded down behind her like a long drapey cape. and if there's anyone who'll be staying, she'll try to get their measurements for making them, specifically, some warmer clothes....))

Re: On the shore, OTA

[mal_contented]

Mal nodded absently, watching a small child dart out to try and follow Ben and Foulques. She pounced a moment later grabbing the kid by the back of the shirt and hauling them out.

"How about we don't stalk my boyfriend? Hm?" she asked.

"LT GO OF ME YOU STUPID HUMAN!" the small child in the stripe shirt yelled, trying to kick at Mal.

Mal glanced at Mallia. "You want to take this one or....?"

Re: On the shore, OTA

[queen_butterfly]

Mallia sighed and shoved her little clipboard back into her pocket. "Come here, poppet... You needn't be so upset." A step forward, reaching to take their hand. "They clearly have some business to attend to, and I'm awaiting Foulques' return as well. I'm Mallia. And you...?"

Re: On the shore, OTA

[fallen_child]

"I won't let any stinking humans hurt my big brother! I want to go with them and keep him safe!" the kid protested, trying to get free. Mal all but dumped them on the ground in front of Mallia. They tried to take off as they tried to get up.