the_isle | Good Is The New Bad

Wherever the missrecalled were, whatever they were doing the blue powder that appeared from nowhere brought sleepiness. Or something very like it for those who perhaps do not actually sleep. A male voice mumbling what sounded like nonsense words Hig... something or other. And then they were out. Gone.

They would come to, when they did, in the dirty hallway of a rundown school. It was as though someone had taken the neatness of Auradon Prep as a challenge to go as far the other way as possible. And excelled. The floor tiles were broken in places. Missing in others. Most of the lockers in this stretch were busted and broken. Some looked like someone or something had tried to escape from within. There was trash around - very picked over at this point. There was graffiti on the walls.

Rren would be perhaps the first to wake, though they would spot a flash of blue around a corner, like a cape or a skirt. But it would be just a glimpse and just as they are waking up. And before they would probably have time to even think about it, the next person would awaken. Danny. Then Sylvando. Aqua. Lea. Enki. Xehanort. Ben. Nadeshiko. Mal. Each of those happened within just a few seconds of each other, each waking more or less as they usually do. Nagihiko seemed to be missing all together, but there were two people present that few, if any, of the Misrecalled would have remembered ever seeing. And they were both still out cold.

One was an older man with a long grey white beard dressed in an outfit that most characters would consider an assault to their eyes, though Rren might consider it inspiration. The other was a girl who was in an outfit that was only less colorful by comparison.

The first thing, besides the stink, that certain characters might notice is an utter lack of their magical abilities. Others might notice that their pets are not with them. In fact they only have with them what they were wearing and holding when the blue fog arose. Also... hammerspace? Not a thing here. If it wasn't in regular pocket space, or their hands, they don't have it.

"Where...?" Ben asked. "This looks..."

Mal moved before he could finish his sentence, grabbing the older man by the front of his rainbow shirt and lifting him.

"Mal..." Ben said.

Mal shook her head and gave the man a light shake. It didn't look like a light shake, she didn't much care at the moment. She wasn't in her crown, funny how intimidating she looked even without it.

The man blearily opened his eyes. "Good heavens, this isn't Camelot."

"Start talking. Now," Mal said.

The conversation, for those who choose to remain, would give them all some interesting information. This man is Merlin, for those who did not know. And he had attempted to, on his own, fix the mess they were in. Because he wasn't sure that it would work he had put a timer on the spell. So this should wear off... at some point. Soon. Probably.

Mal would inform him that they'd deal with this. Later. Then she'd turn and address everyone else.

"This is where we were trying to get to. This is the Isle of the Lost. Specifically, Dragon Hall. Because apparently magic has a sense of humor," she muttered, then shook her head. "We don't know who else may or may not be here with us. Other than ourselves and Professor Yen Sid, there is a good chance that if someone is here, they are extremely dangerous and the type to attack first and question never. Further, if you thought the shortages we have been facing in Auradon are bad, they are nothing like what we will find here. We can survive, but it won't be easy, it won't be fun. I am going to do a quick scouting run. I suggest everyone else stay here until I get back, and then I can help everyone figure out what we should be doing and show you the least dangerous places and things. Not the safest. Not on the Isle. If you want to spread out, I can't stop you. And I'm not going to try. You're all, for the most part, close enough to adults as to make no difference. But if you want the advice of someone who knows this place, who grew up here, then stay here until I get back. And help protect Jordan. She's our best bet at sorting this mess." And she is a friend. But being here brought back old habits, and the sharper side of Mal.

"Sylvando and Ben both know about this place, mostly second hand, you can ask them questions while I'm gone," she added. And then she stalked down the hall. Stopped. Came back. She pointed to a large metal door with a giant living spider on it. "Do not try to talk to or attack that. It is not a pet, it will not attack unprovoked, but it is dangerous. With luck, we won't need to get to what is behind that door. Just... don't go near it."

That said, she turned once more and stalked off, vanishing around a corner.

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While Mal was off scouting, Ben and Sylvando were here to do their best to answer questions, sooth those who were anxious, and try to take some of the tension away while they worked to make Jordan more comfortable. They acted as though they didn't expect her to wake up, even though everyone else had.

Feel free to come talk to them.

Mal came back looking less than pleased. She studied all who remained and crossed her arms. "The school is surrounded. We're even more stick here than we were in Auradon. Which shouldn't surprise me at all. Alright. Questions first, then tour for whoever wants it. We're going to have to crash in the school until we make it back to Auradon. Unless anyone likes sleeping outside in a graveyard, in which case, as Ben's household is wont to say, be our guest."

This would be the place to ask Mal questions and get a tour.

Someone might be trying to sneak off while the sneaking is good. If anyone cares to ask the elusive wizard any questions, however, he won't be hard to stop.

This thread will be ongoing throughput the event and will be a place to speak to multiple NPCs at once. Or just listen to Mal and Merlin argue, to learn more about the situation!

After waking up in this strange (and run down) place, Rren could not stop thinking about what they had seen. Had imagined? Just as they woke up. Perhaps. If they had possessed a human body longer, their first thought would have been to dismiss it as their mind playing tricks on them. But since they hadn't, they just kept thinking about it.

Barely aware of the older gentleman in his truly glorious outfit, except in passing, and completely missing the conversation. And y'know, the warning to stay put. They wandered after the... person? Maybe?

It was not in the top ten decisions they had ever made list. Actually it was pretty far down on the chart. And if they'd been more awake and less thoroughly focused on figuring out what they might have seen it was also a decision they (probably) would not have made. They probably would have at least snagged someone or. Something. Too late now, going back would mean acknowledging they'd messed up, and they refused to do that if they could help it.

They bit back a yelp when tripping on a broken tile, only just barely catching themself and flushing brightly before looking around in hopes no one was around to have seen that.

Edited Date: 2023-02-01 06:12 am (UTC)

No one saw it, but it also gave whoever it might have been more of a lead. Rren would spot a smudged footprint in white powder on the grimy floor, and a bit of white powder here and there leading away from where they had woken up. But everything they could hear would be from back the way they came.

Rren was ready to call it their imagination finally. But the footprint? That was a footprint, right. They rubbed at their eyes and then knelt, running a finger through the powder.

Seriously, they needed to go back and get someone else. Except maybe they'd lose track of whoever they were following entirely.

Rren did not swear, they knew full well how that went, so they just strung random words together as if this place was changing profanities for them. And they picked up their pace, following the powder. They would get help... when they had something to show for coming for it. Yes. That is what they were doing, making sure they were not merely chasing a hallucination first.

Yup. Good plan.

Nadeshiko woke up confused. She looked around, seeming more asleep than awake as she pushed herself into a sitting position then reached up as if to make sure her hair was still neatly in its high ponytail. It was. She sighed, seeming with relief then gave everyone a more awake smile as she got gracefully to her feet. Nagihiko was missing, but then.. so was Rren. So hopefully no one would notice.

She listened to what Mal had to say and considered everything as the new queen went to scout. The new Queen... Nadeshiko was Queen too. Or had been. She should be helping. But how was she supposed to do that? She wasn't sure. She was used to being the one who people turned to, being someone comfortable where she was, knowing what was going on.

Well, in absence of that, she could at least project calm competence. So she turned to someone who seemed concerned and gave a gentle smile. "What do you think is the most exciting part of this?" she asked, reframing the whole thing as an adventure or a game. Best way to keep people from panicking, right?

Aqua felt the lack of her powers like a gut punch. But it wasn't the first time she'd dealt with it. She suspected it wouldn't be the last. She moved smoothly to her feet then moved to check on her students. Lea. Xehanort. Enki. Rr.... where was Rren? She frowned slightly in concern as she noticed Rren was missing.

"Have you seen Rren since you awoken?" she asked whoever was closest.

Edited Date: 2023-02-04 08:18 am (UTC)

The powder was soft with just a little bit of granularity. Other than the footprint, however, there isn't any notable mass of the powder anywhere. The trail thins out pretty quickly and comes to a stop a few turns later, at a dead end.

Merlin would soon find his way blocked by a tall, lanky redhead. "So...", Lea said, looking him up and down, "is this how you usually dress when no one's around? Or was today just magical laundry day?"

Edited Date: 2023-02-04 09:18 pm (UTC)

Lea... couldn't honestly say he was shocked to be suddenly transported elsewhere. It was practically a trend in his life at that point. At least it was still the same world this time.

But it may as well not have been. He'd say the contrast between this place and Auradon was like night and day, but that would have been underselling it. By quite a lot. There was the matter of his powers not working, but knowing that the place blocked magic, it wasn't exactly unexpected. He wasn't too worried on that front; anyone else here would be in the same boat, and if necessary he was pretty confident in his fist-fighting ability, especially if they were facing an aging villain who probably hadn't been in an actual fight for over a decade. Though he did opt to steer clear of the spider for the time being.

No, what bothered him wasn't the lack of powers. It was the fact that the supposed 'good guys' had forced people to live like this. For 20 years. That they had treated people like literal trash and still tried to claim the moral high ground because those people were criminals. And then left their kids- whose only 'crime' was being born to the wrong person- in the same situation, and treated them the same way. Lea leaned up against the wall, half glaring at a spot on the dirty floor without really looking at it, seemingly lost in thought.

Edited Date: 2023-02-05 01:18 am (UTC)

"Now see here, young man!" he blustered, blowing through is beard and mustache. "Leave off! After all this time, don't I deserve a bit of a vacation eh what?"

"Vacation, huh?", Lea said. "Then I'm guessing you won't mind if I take a photo or two to remember the occasion? Say cheese!" He held up his phone- which he'd just retrieved from its charger before they'd been relocated- and snapped a picture of Merlin.

Edited Date: 2023-02-05 01:34 am (UTC)

He scowled. "You young kids and your cameras!" He waved a hand, flapping it at Lea.

Rren frowned, putting a hand on the wall and then looking around a bit more. Look, they were curious. They were Beyond curious. But, they. probably should head back. Huh?

"Hello? Please tell me I am not imagining things?" Or. That.

Or that.

Lea took a look at the results with an amused smile. "Oh, I'm so saving this for posterity," he said. And maaaybe some light blackmail if needed. But shh... He put his phone in sleep mode then tucked it in his pocket.

Then, as he looked back up at Merlin, his demeanor changed. The smile remained, but all amusement vanished from it. His formerly casual stance took on a distinct edge, and some of the softness seem to flee from his green eyes. "Now then," he said, "how about telling me how much you knew about the multiple human rights violations your bosses were committing with this place? Or do I have to guess?"

"Now see here young man, see here I say! The Wart has nothing to do with this place!"

The wall seemed... to be a wall. When they called out, no one replied.

"Good; that means he's off my list then," Lea said. He wasn't exactly sure who Merlin was referring to or how he'd acquired such an unflattering nickname, but those were questions for another time. "But I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about your less... direct bosses. Namely Ben's parents, and any other higher ups in Auradon who were involved in putting this place together."

Edited Date: 2023-02-05 02:19 am (UTC)

Right, of course. "Well, if there is someone there, my friends and I mean you no harm and we may be able to help each other," they said before turning back the way they came. Right. Time to... go admit they had gone chasing after nothing. This... was not what they wanted to do. At all.

Edited (-facepalm-) Date: 2023-02-05 05:25 am (UTC)

"If you have issues with how Auradon is run, young man I recommend that you take it up with the leadership of Auradon! Now if you don't mind," he threw his beard over his shoulder like a scarf with the intent to stalk off, but the beard wrapped several times around his face and he wound up hopping around trying to get it off.

"Of for Light's sake...", Lea muttered, much of the edge melting away as he stepped forward to assist. "Hold still a second." He caught the old wizard's shoulder relatively gently and proceeded to help unwind his beard.

"Believe me, I'd be glad to take it up with them," he continued as he did so, "but in case you haven't noticed, the only ones around who fit the bill are Ben and maybe Mal. Ben wasn't even thought of yet when this place was first set up and Mal's a victim of it. What I want to know is why the so called good guys decided that treating people like literal trash was in any way justifiable. And especially why they would leave kids in this kind of situation. Ben and Mal can't tell me that. So sorry, Merlin, but you're basically the only person I've seen who could give me anything resembling first hand information or an explanation, and I'm not just letting you brush me off."

"Eh what?" he asked, brushing his beard down and glaring at it. "You don't want to yell at someone who isn't to blame, so you'll yell at someone else who wasn't to blame. Bright idea that, lad, bright idea indeed," he said, scornfully.

"I wasn't yelling," Lea pointed out. "Intimidating, yeah, but not yelling. Because for better or worse it tends to be a pretty effective way of getting information out of someone who might not want to give it."

He sighed. "Look, I know you- or at least a version of you- back home. He's a genuinely good guy, and has actually helped me and my friends out a lot. And I'd really like to believe that you're the same; that you're not the kind of guy who would ever condone people being treated like this, criminals or not, and neither are most people in Auradon. But I don't know. And everything I've found out since I got here has me questioning it."

"I want to know as much as I can about the situation- so I don't actually yell at people who aren't to blame when things go back to normal- and haven't been able to find a whole lot in the library. And if there's one thing I figure is true of any Merlin, it's that you're a lot smarter and know a lot more than most people. Plus, ya know, you were actually around when this place was being built, so like I said, closest thing I've got to a first hand source. So if I went about it the wrong way, I'm sorry. But I really do want to know what you know about how this whole thing with the Isle started and why it is the way it is. Or I guess, was, before most of the population got accidentally wished away."

Flattery will win every time, Lea. He pulled his wand and used it to scratch his head. "Ah well. I'll answer what I can, but I'll tell ya this, lad... King Beast always had his... own way of doing things. You think if I had the clout to make changes," he started scratching his chin with it, "that magic would be outlawed?" Aaaand got his wand caught in his beard. Please stand by as he struggles to free it.

Now there was a familiar glower. One thing the same between Lea and Axel, she supposed. Aqua headed over. "Are you alright?" she asked, softly.

Rren had managed to make it back without any wrong turns, and not much time had passed either so maybe if they could make it back to the group, no one would notice they had wandered off?

Probably not, but they were already trying, paying more attention to not getting Aqua or any of her other students attention than what was right in front of them.

Which meant the bumped right into the brightly dressed older man and stumbled back with a yelp. "Ah, sorry. Sir. Uh. That is. I apologize." They offered a hand to try and help right him if he needed it.

So much for sneaking.

"Ah, quite alright, quite alright young...." ah.... boy? Girl? "one" Whatever.

"No harm done, what what. Alright, of you go, back to the group, don't wander off now." As he tried to slip away to do exactly yhat.

Rren blinked, stunned enough to almost let the man wander off on them. Almost. It dawned on them that maybe they should stop him to ask about the person, figment of their imagination? Who knew.

"No, wait. Is it possible there is someone else here?"

Maybe he was distracted enough to not realize that by asking about this they were admitting they had wandered off already?

"Ah." He gave a broad smile, stroking his beard. "With magic, all things are possible. All things."

That earned a look from Rren. "I... suspect you do not want to know my reply to that," they said blandly before shaking their head. This was not the time to get onto him for his part in accidentally kidnapping everyone. Twice. They could do that later.

"But no, I saw, thought I saw something. And when I tried to follow I thought I saw signs someone had passed that way first, but ah... I came to a dead end and found no one on the way there or back."

"Odd, quite odd indeed. With magic I could do much the same with ease, but there is no magic on the Isle, are you certain what you saw?"

While Rren had been questioning themself, that... rubbed them wrong. "I am certain," the said firmly. Was this actually the case or just their pride talking?

The latter, definitely.

"Then perhaps there is more at play at here than we know, eh what?" He pulled on his beard. A little too hard. It sprung out of his grip like elastic and snapped him in his own face. He sputtered, trying to win free of it.

"Woah, ah, are you alright, sir?" Rren would help but was not sure how. It cut back on their annoyance at Merlin. But not by much. "Maybe we should ask Mal about what I saw?"

"Do I look alright?" he muttered. "Fine, yes, go ask the new queen." He waved a hand dismissively before going back to wrangling his beard.

Rren glared, trying to hide it, but irritated enough their ears were a bit pink. "Fine, I can just let her know you left to check it out while I am at it?"

Merlin waved a distracted, and dismissive, hand at them.

Rren narrowed their eyes at him, nose wrinkled up. Well, time to go do just that. Which meant admitting to Mal (at least it was not Aqua) that they had wandered off. They turned on their heel and looked to see if they could spot Mal.

"Well apparently Fairy Godmother- who's a literal fairy and thus naturally magical- has jumped on the 'no magic' train, so..." Lea shrugged. "The argument behind it is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, but if someone like her could be anti-magic, there's no telling who else might be, ya know? Also, side note, I really gotta ask her if she actually has a name if I get the chance; calling her that when she's definitely not my godmother would be weird."

And he can't help but be a bit amused as Merlin struggles with his facial hair yet again. "You know, maybe you should tuck that into your shirt or something while we're here so it doesn't get in the way as much." Or he could also not wear such an impractically long beard to begin with, but Lea couldn't really imagine any version of Merlin without it.

Edited Date: 2023-02-23 12:51 am (UTC)

Same face, same expressions. Even if some of them occurred less frequently on this version. "I'm fine," he said almost reflexively and without looking up. Then after a beat, added a bit more honestly, "Just thinking that maybe it's a good thing Ben's dad isn't around right now. If he was, I'd be inclined to sock him one, royalty or not."

"Main question I've got would kinda go along with the tour," Lea said. "Namely, where's Mast... uh, Professor Yen Sid's office? If we're gonna be stuck here for a while we may as well do something useful while we're here. We need information, and if there's anyone who'd likely have accurate records of what was going on around here, it'd be the guy you sent to find out exactly that."

Merlin hardly noticed they'd left.

"Ah, yes. I can see your point. That is a... rather long standing disagreement between us. Most of the rest of us who are strongly magically inclined disagree with her and King Beast quite strenuously on this issue." He ignored the comment about his beard - and Fairy Godmother's name - completely.

"Then I agree that it is for the best. It gives you time to work on your Mastery. Punching him might be satisfying in the soft term, but will not be beneficial to anyone in the long run. There are wiser ways to broach the problem if and when you should meet him." She rested a hand on his shoulder gently. "And I am certain that with a clear head, and your emotions mastered, you will see many of those wiser ways."