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

[mist_the_point]

"You are a child," he said. "Your only duty is to grow strong and healthy; tis not selfish at all to admit that you have a great deal more of it to do."

"As for when you taught me, you've done so many times just by being yourself. The things I've done for you and Sun are small and simple. I've conquered no great foes for you, preformed no feats of daring worthy of song, yet those small deeds still mean a great deal to you, yes? Small deeds of yours can be equally significant to others."

[fallen_child]

"But... if In can save everyone, then everyone is happier and better, aren't they?" Chara asked, chewing on a fingernail.

[dualityinjest]

Foulques would be the first to hear the animatronic jester's approach: he was singing something softly to himself in a way that others might call under his breath, at least if he'd had any breath. He wasn't bothering with lyrics, just amusing himself with the tune as he went about his business, ducking into another room nearby to set something somewhere... and then paused in the hall again, quiet as Ian spoke.

The bells on his hands and feet jingled only softly as he stepped up into the doorway, pausing only for a second to look the two over. Foulques, he already knew. But this other person....

"Oh! Hi there, new friend!" It took him two steps to cover what most humans would travel in three or four, putting him right between the door and Ian....

"It's nice to meet you! I'm Sun! Or Sun, or Sun, or Sunny, or Sun, or Sunshine, or something like that!" Ah, so he still hadn't caught on yet that the translation magic made his attempts to offer up his name in other languages... not quite work as intended.

And situational awareness, and realizing that his huge grinning mask-like faceplate might not be what they wanted to see? HAH. Nope. Not this bot!

[mist_the_point]

"There may be a spare blanket among those that were sent to us," he said to Ian. "I'll have a look once everything is settled."

He might have said more, but it was about then that he picked up the sounds of Sun's approach. Well, this made things easier. He actually stepped aside slightly to allow Sun to enter the room, trying not to look too amused at what he suspected was about to happen. Hopefully the fact that he was at least calm would be helpful to Ian. Maybe.

"This is, as he said, Sun," he said to Ian. "He's the mammet I mentioned to you. While he can be a bit... odd, he's quite harmless as he is now, I assure you."

[ubuntu_programmer]

What was that sound? Ian pushed it from their mind as they started putting stuff aside. Probably just someone passing by. Until the voice addressed them. Ian turned, expecting someone else of more or less human height. So being loomed over suddenly by the large animatronic...

Ian jumped back, tripping over their own feet and falling to land hard on the floor up against the desk. "What the Cuphead?!" They exclaimed, shocked, panting, eyes wide. But the friendly words were at least starting to cut through and help a little... A little.

Mammet sounded like a small cute furry creature not a giant looming animatronic out of some nightmare Disney dark ride!

[dualityinjest]

"Oh, is this floor still a little slippery? Sorry about that! I can try getting it again...." He crouched, looming closer in doing so, and extended a big hand... maybe Ian would like a bit of help back to standing?

[mist_the_point]

Foulques had the courtesy not to laugh, but he did give an amused smirk. Most mammets in the lancer's own world were very similar to what Ian was thinking, but Sun was nothing if not unique. And no other mammet he'd seen had half as much personality, for better or worse. He wasn't sure which of those this qualified as, but it was definitively funnier for it.

"The floor is just fine, Sun," Foulques said. "I believe Ian was simply... surprised at your appearance."

[mist_the_point]

"There will be plenty of time for great feats and heroic quests when you're grown," he said. "Rushing into them before you have the necessary strength, skill, and wisdom will likely only cause further problems... as you found out to your great cost before arriving here."

"Tis a wise person that recognizes when a thing is beyond their limits," he said. "And a wiser one still who knows that those limits need not remain where they are forever. As you grow and gain strength, wisdom, and confidence, you'll find that you don't feel the need to merely react out of fear or anger, or take desperate measures to accomplish your goals. You'll be able to better judge which situations are dangerous and which are not, which require action and which can be resolved with words. You can become the strong, steady protector you wish to be... with time. And work."

He gently poked the end of Chara's nose with a fingertip as if to emphasize the last point. There was really no getting around the need for hard work if they wished to become stronger.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Not to sound like Roger or anything but... you look familiar." In perhaps the worst possible way. Creepy as anything but not in a Dark Souls or Elden Ring way but then... wait... why was their mind fixated on video games? Help from the subconscious?

[fallen_child]

Chara's nose wrinkled a bit at the poke, their eyes crossing. Then they added a head tilt and stuck out their tongue at him.

[dualityinjest]

Maybe it was a creepypasta story! Could've been creepypasta, right? .....Right?

"Oh! Do you have small kids, maybe?" He tilted his head, spinning it just a few degrees in place. Why would a creepypasta robot be asking about little kids? That couldn't be good, right?

"Because if you've ever been to the Pizzaplex...."

Re: Somewhere inside the school....

[awkward_turtleduck]

Unfortunately for Zuko, though he'd felt the barrier flicker, he was not aware that this meant down on the beach was possibly his way off this Agni-scorned rock. His fit with the thorns had brought him storming back towards his room in search of something to bandage his hand with.

For once, his self-sabotaging tendencies outweighed by the fact that even he realized what an infection in this spirits forsaken place would mean. Nothing good, certainly.

And so, imagine his surprise when he rounded a corner and nearly walked head first into something far too yellow and far too tall for his liking. He let out a shout and leapt back. "Flames and ash!"

His first thought was spirit, but he'd been here long enough by now to grapple the reality, and he knew this was just another stranger from... somewhere far away. He still fell into a defensive stance, nerves tight in his throat.

[mist_the_point]

Now, now, Sun and the other bots could hardly be held responsible for their creator's sense of design aesthetics. Or lack thereof, depending on your point of view.

But regardless one's personal taste, Ian claiming Sun looked familiar caught Foulques' interest. Perhaps they were from the same world? "Sun and a number of his fellow mammets lived and worked at the establishment he mentioned. Judging from what I saw in the visions some time back and what Sun has described to me, it's a sort of indoor carnival, with all manner of games, music, shops, and amusements, all bright lights and gaudy colors. Sun in particular worked in the daycare, looking after some of the Pizzaplex's youngest guests. And doing so quite well, by all accounts, though no thanks to the useless louts who were meant to be working with him."

Re: Eli | OTA | CW: yes. Just.. yes. | Also Elantra spoilers

[rexien]

"Yeah, ice cream, you remember I told you about it before? Or, well, I tried to, I don't think I did a very good job. It's cold, and sweet, but also a little bit salty. If you don't eat it fast enough, it melts everywhere, like snow. You eat ice cream with people who are your friends. Wouldn't it be nice to have another friend Xion?"

Re: Cassidy and Grey | OTA | CW: possible torture/gaslighting mentions

[a_little_fun_instead]

"Are you hurt?" He didn't get any closer, giving them space.

[mist_the_point]

Foulques gave an amused smirk. If they were resorting to sticking their tongue out, he suspected the point was won, at least for now.

"In any case," he said, "there are still preparations to be made. Do at least attempt to behave like a civilized child for the duration of our guests' visit? It would be of great help to me." He had things to do and arrange while the King and his retinue were there and having to manage a child while doing so would make them all twice as difficult and time consuming.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Pizza...plex.... Oh no. Please tell me you're not from a Five Nights at Freddie's game..." Ian said, a little pale. What a time to learn they had wasted their time on things like work when it turned out playing more indie games could have saved their life....

[dualityinjest]

"No, I'm from the Daycare. And I haven't heard of any games anywhere in the whole Pizzaplex that last past half an hour, let alone five nights." He paused slightly. "Or... days? Wouldn't that have to be days? The place isn't open to the public at night." He was still confused, rays sinking a little bit back into his head.

Re: Eli | OTA | CW: yes. Just.. yes. | Also Elantra spoilers

[nobodys_puppet]

"Why... am I not enough?" Xion whispered, a tear rolling. Why did Roxas and Axel always want to make all these new friends? Where was she broken as a friend?

Re: Cassidy and Grey | OTA | CW: possible torture/gaslighting mentions

[thinking_about_it]

"I don't think so," Again Cassidy was the one to answer. "We just both feel suddenly weak. Far worse than we expected."

Grey snarled, and she closed her hand more firmly on his shoulder.

[fallen_child]

"I make no promises," Chara said, shoulders hunching in.

[mist_the_point]

As much as he'd gotten a bit of amusement out of watching Ian's initial reaction to Sun, that comment and the way Sun wilted a bit at how frightened Ian seemed rather soured the joke. He cleared his throat in the somewhat pointed way that one did when they wished to gently call attention to themselves and shift the focus of the conversation, stepping forward to offer Ian a hand up himself. "Might I remind you of what I said a few moments ago?", he said, his tone still mildly pointed. "Those who you meet here are people, not characters, however similar they may seem to those you know of."

The point hopefully made, his tone softened slightly. "There is no need to fear; Sun is quite harmless, I assure you, even if his appearance can be rather... surprising at first. The issue is with his counterpart, Moon; unlike Sun, Moon is... unstable, to put it mildly. He is why we need help from someone with your expertise."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Yes, sorry it's just... A lot." Ian pushed to their feet. "Sorry. Just... back home there is a game called Five Nights at Freddie's about a kid that gets trapped in a pizza place or something and all the animatronics try to kill him, or something. I never played myself, but picked up some through cultural osmosis. Sorry."

Re: Eli | OTA | CW: yes. Just.. yes. | Also Elantra spoilers

[rexien]

"What..? That's not... Xion, I didn't mean it like that." Roxas didn't know what to do. He knew he didn't want Xion to cry though. He reached for Xion's other hand. "Of course you're enough." Was this about her being a puppet? He didn't understand...

Re: Eli | OTA | CW: yes. Just.. yes. | Also Elantra spoilers

[elianne]

Eli slipped closer as well, and not used to Xion and not knowing to leave her time to speak, she added her words to Roxas'. "I'm not gonna steal your friend. I'll spit on it, if you want. I mean he left with you an left me behind, didn't he?" She was trying to be comforting. "So you know he likes you more. I'm just the extra deadweight." She was speaking mater of factly.

Xion clung to Roxas' gloves, still afraid, wanting to just run away with Roxas. All the way back to Axel. If only her dark corridors would work...