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

[mist_the_point]

Foulques examined the cardboard box's contents. "Toys?", he said thoughtfully. Several different soft dolls to be exact. Two of the larger ones were obviously Sun and Moon, respectively, while the others looked like people in odd costumes. The smaller ones he only recognize one of; Freddie, who he'd caught a glimpse of in Sun's vision. Given that the others looked to be different beastmen done in a similar style, however, he guessed that they must be the other mammets who lived and worked in the Pizzaplex.

"Why did you fear to show me these?", he asked. "Did you think I would take them from you?"

[dualityinjest]

His protest was swift, a head-shake without hesitation. "No! I-- I just.... Would you want them? I-- uh...." Fidget, fidget... and then he perked right back up with another thought, rays back out again, putting back on his usual cheerful tone. "Oh! Do you think Chara might like them? We could give some to other kids that show up, too, right?"

[mist_the_point]

Pardon him if he clearly doesn't believe that, Sun, as his expression makes obvious. But he shook his head. "I have no use for such things myself," he said. "Chara might like one- likely one of the ones of you or Moon, to hazard a guess-, but if so, they can ask for one if you don't offer. Which, I might add you're under no obligation to do, nor to give them away if you don't wish to. These are your things, and you're allowed to keep them and do with them what you like."

[dualityinjest]

"...No." He pulled his hands back to him a little more tightly, not quite curling up again as he rested what passed for his chin on his knees. "I don't know if I really-- ....I mean...." A slight pause. "I think maybe someone else might be happier with them than I would be.

"I-- ...." There was that hesitation again, and Sun looked back down toward the box and its toys, quieter. "...I actually have friends now."

[mist_the_point]

Foulques nodded. "As I said, you can do with them what you like," he said. "But understand that what I told you is a general principle. Your things are your things, and no one is allowed simply take them without your consent. And you're under no obligation to share them or give them away if you don't wish to."

[dualityinjest]

"You know...." He reached a long hand down, and plucked the little gray plush out, holding it up just a little -- a wolf with a streak of green in her bangs, and bushy hair and similar tail. "...I bet Roxy doesn't have any toys of me."

He didn't just drop the toy. The gesture was subtle, as low to the box as it already was, but he tossed it in, making it bounce against the others a little.

[mist_the_point]

"Likely not, given the poor way you've described them treating you," Foulques agreed, taking note of the way the toy was tossed back into the box. "But as you do now, they likely have little need for toys of any kind, unless someone were to gift them one."

[dualityinjest]

"....No." He was quiet, a little sullen, perhaps. "I... remember, back when I could go clean up high at nighttime. Sometimes the curtains were open, to their green rooms, and I could see inside... and they had some things of each other's." Quieter, "Bonnie had a poster of Freddy on his wall. And Chica had a doll of Roxy's....

"But other people do that too, sometimes. They give each other friendship bracelets and stuff... except, it's really pretty easy to get dolls and things from the gift shops. We can just tell the computer to write one off for us, and... even where to have a Staffbot take it, if we want them to. That's... how I got the ones I had.

"They could've had something of mine... but they didn't. And... I don't know that I still want anything of theirs. Not now. Everyone always talks about how nice they are... but...." He made a gesture with his hands, kind of a more subtle sort of shrugging sentiment.

"You're welcome to do whatever with them." He picked up the slimmer plush of himself, considering it a moment, tilting it a little. The fabric was shiny in places -- particularly on what passed for his rays, its visual texture one of large-flake gold glitter, despite physically being about as smooth as the rest of it -- and it caught the light nicely. He didn't bother doing much else with it, just regarded it silently another few seconds before dropping it -- far more gently, this time, than he'd done with Roxy's -- back into the box. He paused, finally noticing the two dolls that didn't fit the theme of the others, now that the one of himself wasn't obscuring the view of them and he was paying some semblance of attention to what was in front of him, and pulled them out to inspect them quietly.

[mist_the_point]

Foulques frowned thoughtfully, but nodded. "Like as not their actions are largely the result of misunderstanding," he said. "But as we're as far from the Pizzaplex as it's likely possible to be, we've no way to go about correcting it, unless one or more of them was to turn up here. And even if there was no malice in their actions, they were no less hurtful, and you have every right to feel hurt or resentful, even if it's best to not dwell overlong on such feelings. I know very well that resentment can be a poisonous thing if allowed to fester."

Foulques moved to get a better look at the last too dolls himself. They didn't look quite as professionally done as the others, and were in an entirely different style. Moreover, they were clearly meant to be humans in odd costumes, rather than beastmen or mammets. "These two seem to be the odd ones out," he said. "Do you know who they're meant to be, perchance?"

[dualityinjest]

Sun offered the dolls over, shaking his head. "No.... They look like they're supposed to maybe be superheroes or something...? Or from one of those shows where the characters are kids that like to play dress-up? Or about some kids going out at Halloween in costumes, maybe? But all I know of about any of that from where I'm from... it's just from kids bringing their stuff in and telling me about it. These two aren't ones I've been shown before, if that is what they are."

[mist_the_point]

He took the doll that looked like a girl in red, turning it over in his ands and examining it closely, looking for any sort of tag or maker's mark that might give them a hint, but finding none. "Perhaps Ian might know?", he said. "They seem to know a great deal about their world's games and stories; perhaps these costumed characters might be included in that."

"Though one thing, these don't seem to be professionally made, unlike those of you and the other mammets. They're not poorly made, mind you, but they're much simpler. More like something a parent might make for their child at home."

[dualityinjest]

"Yeah... yeah, maybe!" That finally cheered him up more: the chance for answers about the one part of the pile of toys that didn't upset him! "We should go ask! It's not that late; maybe they're not too busy!" He began to reach back up under the ruffles at his waist, going for his charge cord.

[mist_the_point]

Foulques caught Sun's hand before he could remove the cord. "Have you finished your recharging yet?", he asked. He didn't know when exactly Sun had come in, so he had no way to know himself.

[dualityinjest]

He hesitated only slightly, and the motion was so slight, it could be easily missed -- Sun seemed to barely glance down to what was presumably the corner of his vision, where Foulques had previously seen the number for his battery's charge, in one of the visions not too terribly long ago. "Yes?"

If he were lying, it wasn't terribly obvious.

[mist_the_point]

He couldn't quite tell if he was lying or not. Though perhaps a more specific question might tell him for certain. "What percentage of power do you have now?", he asked. After all 'finished' could mean very different things to Sun than it did to him.

[dualityinjest]

"Eighty four," he said, cheerfully.

[mist_the_point]

Clearly different then. "Best to let yourself recharge fully," he said. "If you insist on putting it off as long as possible, then should take full advantage when you do do it."

[dualityinjest]

"Nuh uh! The first eighty-five percent of a charge takes eighty-five percent of the time. The last fifteen percent takes the other hundred and fifteen percent!"

He sounded like he was in a lot better mood than a few minutes ago, though maybe that was because he was cracking a math joke...?

[mist_the_point]

Perhaps. But joke or not, it wasn't about to change Foulques' mind. "Somehow, I doubt that," he said dryly. "I know you dislike sitting idle, but if you recharged yourself more often, the task wouldn't take so long to accomplish."

[dualityinjest]

"No... that actually is how it works. It slows down a lot once it hits eighty five. And I shouldn't really go over that, anyway..."

[mist_the_point]

"Oh? And why not?", he said, quirking an eyebrow. "You'll not get into any trouble for taking more, you know."

[dualityinjest]

"It's... not really comfortable. It's like...." He barely paused, coming up with an example. "Imagine you have a bag. If you fill it all the way up, it's really tight... and it's not just that it's hard to get the last little bit stuffed in it... but also, if you stuff it that tight, the bag'll start to wear out even quicker, than if you were being nice to it."

He made a sighing sound. "It... also wears it out faster if it gets too empty, too... but... I'm... kinda...." He'd been getting quieter, not happy to admit it; the last bit, the used to it, might not have actually been intelligible if not for Foulques's better hearing.

[mist_the_point]

He considered that. It made sense; it would be rather like eating until one was absolutely stuffed. Fine on occasion, but not healthy to do regularly.

At the last bit, though, he frowned. Even if he hadn't picked up on it, he'd have been able to guess the end of that sentence, knowing what he did about Sun. "Yes, I suspect you are," he said. "You needn't continue to be used to it though, you know."

[dualityinjest]

"Something something habits die hard?" He went for his charger cord's plug again, going to pull it out. "....I know. I just... don't like having to stop when it's not finished...." But here, was it ever actually finished? "...Plus... like you said... I don't like to have to just... sit here."

[mist_the_point]

Again, Foulques gently stopped him. "A compromise, then, perhaps?", he said. "This time, stay until you reach 90% power, for my and Chara's peace of mind if naught else," he said. It wasn't too much above 85%, after all, so it shouldn't be too much of a detriment in time or battery strain.

"If you come back to recharge in a timely fashion- let's say, when you reach no less than 20%- and keep to such a schedule, then I'll say no more about it. If, however, you continue to work yourself to exhaustion, there will be another discussion about this, next time with Chara present. And I expect you'll find them far less willing to compromise on the issue of your health."