Don't Be Afraid To Be Who You Are - Isle Side

[missrecalled_mods]

The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down

Just over a week after the Isle visit people would find themselves drawn outside. The weather was finally getting warmer, but that wasn't all of it. A strange foul smelling - and fairly toxic - mold had begun growing in some of the classrooms. Thankfully not the ones where people were sleeping but it was still enough to make it unpleasant to remain indoors. Some might blame the growth of the mold on a certain obsessive compulsive cleaner, though others might say that he just discovered it and accidentally gave it access to oxygen and such.

Whichever the reason, sleeping outside for a few days was sounding like a better and better plan with every passing minute. Even the drizzling weather couldn't make the indoors terribly appealing for anyone with a sense of smell.

And it was over night on one such night that the rain was... different. Warmer and a bit tingly. And some people would awaken quite a bit older than when they fell asleep, perhaps. Their memories might have caught up with their age, or might come to them slowly. However it happens, there might be some very confusing moments as those who seemed to be young just a moment before are now... less so.

Gift In Time Gift In Time Nary A Reason Nary A Rhyme Gift In Time!

Weirdly, there was something good to come not long after the rain. In addition to aging some folks up, it also seemed to wash away the worst of the mold, allowing people to return indoors once more. And each of them would find, soon after, in some place that they considered theirs... a small gift. It was rare that positive things happened on the Isle, but perhaps this was a sign of things to come.

Or perhaps even a broken clock is right once in a blue moon...

Comments

[fallen_child]

"Then... what’s the point....?"

[mist_the_point]

He gave a soft, amused huff. "To keep it all from boiling away long enough to have a pot of soup rather than a pot of dried out ingredients," he said. "Though in our case, the soup is eaten, or more water and ingredients added, long before all the water could boil away."

[fallen_child]

"But you have to open the lid to get soup or add food, why doesn't all the steam water escape then? It could all run away."

[mist_the_point]

He chuckled slightly. "The transition isn't that quick, child," he said. "If it were, cooking anything at all would be nigh impossible. Even in an uncovered pot, it would still likely take a bell or more for all meaningful liquid to boil away. Longer still if the pot is larger, or any new liquid added was cool. But as we want to keep the pot going at all hours, we must needs make certain it cooks slowly. That, and I've found that long cooking helps fish soups taste better, and given the relatively poor fare the Isle offers, we should use any technique we have to help it along."

[fallen_child]

"But... why wouldn't it try to run away faster when we let it free?"

[mist_the_point]

"Things like water and fire have no inherent life, mind, or will of their own," he said. "They can't 'try' to do anything, any more than a stone or other object left lying about can decide to get up and wander off on its own. They can only work according to their natures as elements of the world."

Seeking to steer the conversation in a new direction, he indicated the book Chara still held. "In any case, I've told you of the gift I received, what about yours? Is there any reason why you might get a book about snails, of all things?"

[fallen_child]

"Oh." Chara looked down at the book again. "Somtimes when me or Asriel was feeling upset or sick, Mr. Mom Lady would take down a book and read to us. This one is her favorite. Or she thinks it is my favorite. But I've heard snail facts lots of times now. Usually she makes us a slice of b'scotch pie to go with it and sometimes we can even sit on her lap when she reads to us..." A small swallow, eyes on the book. "She's got really soft arms. It's kinda like being hugged by a blanket. But I think your hugs are good too," Chara added, looking with damp eyes.

[dualityinjest]

"But--" His protest died after a sound, uncertain how to continue... or, honestly, uncertain if he wanted to. He'd seen no staff uniforms here so far... maybe it was like Foulques said, that he didn't have to?

It was subtle -- barely enough of a movement to register as any kind of flinch or wince as he worked over the logic. He had to keep the Daycare's public-facing areas clean, that much he'd been taught, repeatedly and sometimes very painfully. But despite Foulques's reassurances, he couldn't quite disable the priority on cleaning....

He must have been having some sort of internal conflict, the way his rays bobbed in and out, just barely, in a sort of wave around his head. Were the lancer from a more modern setting, he might recognize it as akin to a loading-circle animation. But the way he held the poofy, half-stiff pants around his little knees was surely just as telling about whatever internal conflicts he was dealing with....

"You said... the rain is what got rid of the mold? So... so maybe I should try using some of the rain water to wash off the rest?" This topic, he could deal with, ridiculous as it may have been, to return to just then....

[mist_the_point]

Foulques watched as Sun's rays moved in an odd rippling or undulating motion around his large face. It was, like many things about him, strange, but to one who'd come to be familiar with his body language, it was it was reasonably clear what it signified, especially when combined with the rest of his posture; Sun was thinking over what he'd been told, and having some difficulty with it.

Foulques smiled gently but a bit ruefully. "Had we been expecting it, someone might have set out containers to catch some," he said. "But alas, it was as unexpected as it was mysterious, so is likely all absorbed into the ground or mingled with the rest of the surrounding water. Though that's probably just as well, given its other effects."

[mist_the_point]

Foulques gave a faint, soft smile and stroked a hand back over Chara's hair once, he hand coming to rest on their shoulder. "A similarly significant gift then," he said. "Mine, a memento of my father, yours, a reminder of your adopted mother. Surprisingly thoughtful for this place. I wonder if there's any meaning to it..."

He considered for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "Eh, tis of no matter, I suppose. Enough that they are here. And while I can't claim to be in any way blanket-like, I'm glad that you find me comforting nonetheless."

[dualityinjest]

"Other effects?" He sat up a bit more, finally, lifting his head to look up at Foulques properly. "What other effects?" Oh great, was there reason to worry? The way he'd mentioned it sure sounded like it could be a negative thing....

[fallen_child]

Chara nodded, leaning in while still clutching the book. "You're a good big brother. Thank you."

[mist_the_point]

"Nothing harmful, for a wonder, just... strange," he assured Sun. "There is a tale- perhaps you know of a similar one- of an enchanted spring, where if one drinks its water, it restores their youth. This rain had rather the opposite effect on certain individuals; instead of getting younger, they aged a number of moons- months- in the space of a single night. And moreover, they recalled that time as if they'd lived it in their own worlds, despite never leaving this Isle."

"Given its obviously magical nature, tis likely for the best that no one was able to keep any, when we've no idea what the passage of time might do to it in its pure form. Would it degrade and lose its effectiveness? Would it grow more potent, like wine left to age? Or would it simply become ordinary water the moment it ceased to fall from the sky as rain? We've no way to know. And frankly, this is one instance where I'd rather not test the waters, to turn a phrase."

[mist_the_point]

He seldom felt like one, but knew better than to argue the point. "Perhaps you could go show Chell your gift?", he suggested. "I'm certain he'd be interested in learning a bit about snails. And you can find out if he got a gift as well."

[dualityinjest]

Sun tilted his head a bit, listening without interrupting. He stayed silent a second or three after -- not frozen, just processing again, rays only just barely moving in in a little circular pattern again, and slowly back out after... at least he seemed more relaxed.

"Wait..." Uncertain, still, he tilted his head the other way, rays barely bobbing a little more. "Wait, but if it washed away whatever mold was smelling so awful in here... then it was inside the building too? Did-- did it flood the place or something? How-- Awwwww...." He was not looking forward to what he figured the situation had become, while he'd been powered down. "This is going to be a mess to mop up, isn't it."

[fallen_child]

Chara nodded. "Okay." Then hesitated. "If I leave... are you gonna start crying again?" asked softly. Concerned.

[mist_the_point]

Something about the way Sun said that caused Foulques to let out a short laugh, a rare, real smile crossing his face. Part of him wanted to give the gangly mammet a friendly slap on the back, but that may well send him flying off the chair, so he restrained himself to a pat of what passed for Sun's shoulder instead. "Hah!", he said. "Only you would be concerned about such things after being told about a magical rain."

"In any case, you needn't be concerned. Even if you could find a proper mop, there's no more water in the building than there generally is. How the passing rain washed it away then, I don't know, but tis unwise to look a gift chocobo in the mouth, especially here."

"And speaking of gifts, did you find any unexpected items waiting for you when you came in to recharge?"

[mist_the_point]

He chuckled and gently ruffled Chara's hair. "You needn't be concerned," he said. "I was merely caught off guard by the gift, but I'm quite alright now that I've had a moment to gather my wits."

[dualityinjest]

Sun relaxed again as Foulques clarified, rays sliding back out. He'd even lifted his head up more again, encouraged by the notion that things had only improved--

And then the lancer just had to go and ask that.

His rays sank back in while he spent another silent second or several clearly trying to figure out how to answer that. No wheel-animation this time, just that gradual deflation of what had passed for a good, or at least decent, mood, the spikes disappearing between his head's layers.

"Maaaybe?" He tried to sound cheerful enough as he said it, but it came out more like a question than not. "Did you put them there? Heh heh... I thought for sure I hadn't brought them with me, in that box there...." A subtle turn of his head as he peeked to the plastic crate sitting on the chair he'd had his feet up on a few minutes ago. That box.

He wasn't going to draw attention to the cardboard box under the chair just yet.

[fallen_child]

"'Course I'm concerned. You're my brother and I love you."

[mist_the_point]

Foulques had been glad to see Sun's mood improve, but was mildly confused when he deflated like that. "It wasn't I who left them- whatever 'they' may be-, no," he said. "I merely asked because Chara and I received unexpected and significant gifts as well. I suspect others may have too, but I haven't yet asked. I can only assume that whatever magic caused the strange rain left them for us; only magic could explain what I received."

[dualityinjest]

He perked back up at that. "Really? Why, what did you get?" He was just happy to hear about someone else's surprise, as his tone made so evident! And his rays had come back out to prove it, too! ...Deflection? What deflection? There's no deflection here!

[mist_the_point]

Hearing it stated so simply and directly caused something in his chest to tighten to an almost painful degree. He cleared his throat to avoid showing it outwardly. "Be that as it may," he said. "I'm perfectly alright. You may go and show Chell your gift without fear."

[mist_the_point]

"I received my father's lute, which had been lost a number of years ago along with its former owner," he said. "I've tucked it away beneath the desk, but I don't mind pulling it out for a moment to show you. And Chara received a book about snails that their adopted mother often read to them. I send them off to show it to Chell, in part so that you and I could talk more freely; I've noticed that you have difficulty expressing certain things in front of them, and thought it best to make certain you didn't feel the need to put up a front."

The last bit was slightly more pointed than it perhaps needed to be. He could tell Sun was stalling and trying to deflect interest away from himself.

[dualityinjest]

As his rays sank back in again, posture wilting once more, Sun made the sound of a sigh, quiet and a bit drawn-out. It was pretty convincingly realistic, one of hesitation and sheepishness... he knew he'd been called out. He only hesitated another few seconds, and then reached down to simply slide the cardboard box out from under the other chair.

There they were: plushies. He didn't say anything, probably trying to figure out what to say about them, bringing his hands up to him, as though he was about to gesture a little and try explaining... and then he didn't, sighing again instead and dropping his hands back down around his legs, looking away from the box.