the_isle | Watch And Learn So You Can Get It Right

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Watch And Learn So You Can Get It Right

Every now and again Doctor F remembered that this was actually a school and not a multi-roomed holding cell. The influx of new students reminded him, this time around. So he went and poked at the other teachers to remind them to do their jobs.

Well, he had to prod Lady Tremaine and Mother Gothel. Yen Sid, it seems, has been teaching all along, whenever someone wanted to come in for a lesson. Unlike the others he was accessible and available. Well, now all of them were. How long that might last, however....

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"Oh, am I not more than enough?" Morgana lightly teased, fingernails on her beak. "One ally is better than none at all... and if you don't believe in yourself, that just means I have to do it twice as hard. Quite rude of you, you know, to burden me with so much extra work."

While she did have a little lovesick hope that a certain caped crusader would come to their rescue, she also knew he was woefully lacking in magical expertise. So if any rescue was to come at all, they'd have to do it themselves, impossible as it may seem.

"You said on our side," she pointed out, sounding detached. "That means someone other than either of us. And I tried believing in myself. Wound up here." with her heart, her soul, silent and rent from her. "Not seeing the allure."

She almost snorted at the nickname, but didn't - he probably knew nothing about the Shadow Queen of her world, that despicable Magica De Spell... if anyone deserved to be here, it was her. But now wasn't the time to bring her up.

"Let's pretend anything you said was the truth. If goody-goody island did open up and allow access to their side... would the actions of one condemn us all, or are they at least willing to judge person by person?"

If sacrifices had to be made... well. She'd rather certain people on this side managed to get away, even if it meant she had to stay behind.

Congrats, Tremaine - you finally got her attention.

Morgana froze in place, eyes wide... and she slowly rose to her full height, fangs barged, anger red hot. The bats squeaked in protest, worried over their "sibling".

"You let him go RIGHT NOW. Or I'll show you JUST how evil I can really be." She hissed, one hand on her guitar, ready to whip it out and put the heavy in heavy metal.

Utau was stubborn, which was both frustrating and admirable. Luckily, so was Morgana, and she knew it.

"Then we have to give them reasons to trust us over the teachers. I didn't get the members of my band to join by asking pretty please and fluttering my eyelashes... I told them what they wanted to hear - if they joined me, they'd get profit and power."

And the chance to lay terror to mortals, but, ah, Utau didn't need to know that, shush.

"It won't be an easy and instant process... just like our performances, these things take time and effort. We find what they want, discover their weaknesses, and plan out our strategies. Naturally, I won't force you to go along with this... the choice is yours. And unlike this place, unlike these hacks who think they know us... I'll always offer you choices."

"Hard to say," he said, twirling his cane, looking at the topper as if it was the most interesting thing on the Isle, then he tossed the cane to his other hand neatly as he moved around her. "See, the first time they tried a little experiment, they picked four people. Of the whole Isle, just four..." He leaned against his cane with one hand and with another pass now held four tarot cards in his other hand. The Empress, The High Priestess, The Hermit, and Strength. He fanned them out for just a moment then compressed them into a stack face down as his heel kicked the base of his cane, sending it into the air. He caught it in the crook of his arms, both hands now involved in shuffling the cards. Shuffling and subtly swapping them with others from his sleeves. "After that.." He turned over the two of cups.

He made a magician’s pass and the cards vanish. "Sometimes they take a few, sometimes more. I've never known them to take all. Your best bet if you want to get out of here, petit, is to cultivate some... friends.... on the other side. And perhaps we can help each other out there," he said, gesturing to her with his cane now that the cards were no longer occupying his hamds.

Her smile was small, cold, and evil. "I look forward to it. What evil act do you think is bad enough to barter for this little wretch's freedom?"

Someone didn't look afraid at all. No magic, no obvious weapons. And she was an older woman, the odds that she could duck or dodge in time were probably pretty low. But she looked confident despite all of that.

She glanced at her, the look in her purple eyes brittle and bitter. "I think you're mistaken about my place in the hierarchy when I was evil," she said, bitterly. "If you think I'm a people person who can con someone into doing what I want, you picked the wrong girl." She turned away, keeping herself stiff.

"So if you're disappointed in your rival and just going to leave" like everyone else always left "you might as well save time and get going now."

Great - that just brought up even further questions. Was it possible he was holding the answers back to make sure she obeyed? She wasn't about to trust him. You didn't buy an album based on the demo tape - you needed to hear all the songs before you could enjoy the artist.

She lifted two fingers to gently push the cane away from her face. "I'm not about to make any promises or commitments... most I can tell you is that I'll think about it."

Vague enough to leave room that she could be enemy or ally. Give them the illusion she was wishy-washy while she found her own truth.

"If it makes you breathe any easier, I've got no interest in getting in anyone's way."

Morgana began to walk forward, holding the guitar up, ready to strike - the only reason she hadn't done it so far was that she didn't want to also cause harm to dear Archie.

"How about giving your dentist a pay-raise? Because when I'm done with you, you won't have a single tooth left over to spout any threats."

He nodded. "That's all I ask, Cherie. The cards probably won't deal us off of this rock, but if we agree that if one escapes they argue for the other..." He gave her a winning smile. "Just think on it. I'm the headmaster. If I tell those gullible fools that you've been attending all your classes... I get you out of this place, all you gotta do is get me out as well. All I'm asking you to do for now," he offered his hand to shake it, "is to agree to think about it."

"Hmmm, if all you have are threats, then I despair for the future of evil."

With her other hand she reached for one of the other legs. "Now, shall we try this again?"

Morgana clicked her tongue, talking to her familiars in her head. "My my. She puts so many words in my mouth, I'm almost choking." She walked until she was behind Utau, playing with her pigtails, balancing them up and down like they were on a measuring scale.

"Here I thought you were a performer. Don't you get fans to attend your concerts, buy your music, and heap praise upon you? Think of it like that. Unless you lied about it...?" She knew Utau didn't. It was all a matter of perspective.

"That," she said voice cold to hide the pain, "is what a manager and an agency is for."

And hadn't she learned the hard way how much power an agency had? Ever since she left Easter she had been struggling to fill even a small venue. How much of that was them smearing her and how much of that was...

Maybe she just wasn't as good as she thought she was.

Not that she'd ever say that part out loud.

The urge to smirk was strong, but she repressed it. If she was going to bat for anyone, the teachers and headmasters weren't at the top of the list. But let him have some hope. Dangle the bait.

This hadn't been the first time Morgana made a shady deal with someone far shadier than her... but you'd think she'd have learned her lesson after those times went very badly. At least she was in a school now?

She shook his hand, her touch cold. "Trust me... I'll be thinking of little else, your highness." A little teasing, regarding the King Of Spades crack earlier.

SLAM.

Morgana's hand lashed out, trapping Tremaine between the wall and Morgana, leaving no room for personal space. No room for running. No room for escaping.

"Three."

She swung the guitar back.

"Two."

If she got to one, guitar would meet face, regardless of consequences.

His lips twitched up in a smile as he shook her hand. He leaned forward and whispered. "You're quite pretty when you lie, cheire," and then he let go of her hand and headed past her.

And at every number Morgana counted, she pulled on the legs a little more, holding the spider before her own face. Not that it could hide the malicious smile there.

"I suggest you find your seat so we can continue the lesson. We wouldn't want there to be any further... accidents."

"Those are just side pieces. They're nice, but they don't make a meal. You are the full course." Morgana was careful not to mention she didn't have either of those things - being a criminal kinda put a cramp in those plans.

"Besides... I think if you really meant every word you'd say, you wouldn't be here listening to me. Flattering, truly. I should hope I'm more fun than the little voice in your head." She continued to play with utau's hair, running her nails through it.

No voices now. Even Il and El were gone. So was Dia. Her heart was empty. Alone. "Where else do I have that I could be?" she mumbled.

Whatever smile she had left vanished. Here she'd been thinking she'd gotten away with something, but once again, when she'd made a deal, the other had gotten the advantage. Anger bubbled in her chest... she was nobody's puppet. If he thought she was going to play by his rules for long, his real card should have been the joker.

She walked in the opposite direction, growling quietly. The last purple-clad man who had called her pretty hadn't changed her lifestyle, so this one certainly wasn't going to. And the former was much more handsome, to boot.

The growling eventually turned into a hum of the Darkwing Duck theme song. For some reason.

Morgana took a deep breath... and pulled back. Without a word, she slid the guitar onto her back. Then she took another step back, sniffling, and turning her head away, finger to her eye.

"You're right... I would do anything to help my dear Archie."

She then smirked.

"And I do mean anything. Babies?" She snapped her fingers - and Eek and Squeak went on the offensive, swooping at Tremaine's hair ready to slap and bite and claw to release their friend.

She smirked, watching the display. That turned into a scowl as she came under assault, but she took the small pains without - she refused to descent to the pun of batting - knocking them away. "That was poorly done," she said, pulling more. "Consider this your last chance."

"Even jails have more than one cell. You don't have to listen to me talking." But she was, and that was a big step, as far as Morgana was concerned.

"Of course, that's my assumption... no one's ever managed to land me in one. I know how to escape, to slink away, to distract... how to get attention on me, and how to get it away from me. I can fill in your gaps, you can fill in mine."

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Watch And Learn So You Can Get It Right

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Thank you for the thread

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