the_isle | Is Someone There Or Just A Chill In The Air?

PART ONE

Coming Colder

Auradon isn't the only place in for a horrible blizzard. The school hand't fully dried out from the rainstorm when an overnight blizzard dumped four feet of snow on the school, driving and keeping everyone indoors. Anyone who had been outside when it started and waited until it stopped to get back to the school might be in some trouble...

Class is back in session?

With everyone trapped inside, the teachers have rallied to try and provide classes again. Well, some of them. Well, sort of rallied and sort of tried. Oddly it was Yen Sid this time who wasn't up for teaching. He let anyone who came to him know that he was trying to create an antifreeze they could use on the most vulnerable parts of the school, and possibly a new chemical concoction to melt the snow more swiftly. He did advise people to collect the snow in whatever they could, because it might be the cleanest potable water they were likely to get for a while. If someone did want to find him, he'd try to make time for them where he could, but he was very busy. He also seemed on edge about trying to find his chemicals. It seemed that being still in one of the upstairs classrooms was a constant irritant. He might be heard muttering that he might go back down soon anyway; that his feet getting wet was better than not being able to find anything....

Doc F grabbed one of the class rooms that had been unused until now and started teaching parlor tricks. Nothing overtly evil. Just stage "magic" chicanery.

Lady Tremaine kept trying to drag students into her class, but since that rarely worked, she could often be found patrolling the halls, seeming to be on the hunt for someone to push into sitting for a class on how to be evil.

As for Mother Gothel... Well, the only sign that she's aware anything had changed at all was that she was now doing her dramatic selfie poses with a slightly tattered but otherwise lovely winter shawl added to her outfit. If someone wanders into her room, she'll stir herself to teach a lesson. Well... if that someone could get her attention.

PART TWO

Things Go Boom In The Night

Not that day and night mattered so much with everyone trapped in the school by the snow and freezing, but it was in fact night when it happened.

Anyone near the classroom Yen Sid was using temporarily until the basement dried out enough to resume teaching and working downstairs would hear the explosion. And it was an explosion. Not a huge one, but still loud. And from the way the door to the classroom had its top half shattered, it did damage.

Anyone human or biologically similar getting close enough to the room would find their throats and eyes burning, and if they stay too long they might start to feel faint. For Chell, there will be a discoloration of his leaves, if any are currently growing, and he will dehydrate dangerously rapidly if he remains in the area.

With the bottom half of the door still mostly intact it is hard to see anything below the level of the tabletop and professor Yen Sid can't be seen at all from standing near the door.

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Want to attend class(es?) or have an NPC come in on your thread, or seek one out just to talk to them? Just post here with requests. For tagging into your thread, please link it. For everything else please say which NPC(s?) you want, and if it is for Part 1, Part 2, or both. Also, what you want them for! Thank you!

Going to do part 2, so presumably will need Yen Sid at some point. :3

At the sound of the explosion, Foulques charged out into the hall, spear drawn in instinctive readiness. It didn't take long to tack the noise to the room Professor Yen Sid had claimed as his temporary lab, nor to see that his lance would be of little use. "Matron's treats!", he exclaimed. "What happened?"

He attempted to approach the door, only to be forced back as the air seemed to burn his throat and eyes. He saw no obvious smoke, so the foul air could only be the the result of one of the Professor's chemical concoctions. And judging by the state of things, whatever he'd been doing with it had gone spectacularly awry. "Professor! Professor Yen Sid!", he called, his vice already roughened by whatever lingered in the air. "Speak, if you are able!"

He'd been out fishing yet again, when the snow started... and then began coming down heavier... and heavier. As it was quickly beginning to interfere with being able to see what he was doing, and only getting worse with no sign of stopping, he packed up, taking the few fish he'd caught this time and some firewood, and hurried back to the school building. It wasn't a ton of fish, certainly not as much as he'd hoped to come back with, but it was enough for a pot for soup again, so at least one more meal was taken care of, for those that needed to eat. They'd just have to deal with cooking it inside, though that wasn't ideal.

By the time he got back, he rather looked like he was wearing a small snow berm on his head, the twigs making up his crown and their berries at the center of it all. His shoulders and backside weren't much better; his cape was only growing heavier with it despite his efforts to pull it up to his back, so it was a relief to be able to step inside and begin working to dislodge the fluffy ice from it. He'd tried pulling it up as he went, but it was a bit late to spare it entirely. At least it hadn't damaged it significantly.

And he'd done what he could to gather the fresher snow into containers, packing it in as he was able -- the more that fit, the more water they'd have, once it melted. But once everything that could hold it was filled... what more was there to do, but check on what supplies and materials they had, and find something to do to keep busy?

Someone could likely find him sitting somewhere, carving a piece of wood or bone, working on making a comb or two.

Or perhaps they'd find him as he was making his way through the school's rooms more carefully than not, looking for something, poking carefully through the shelves and gathering up the trash on the floor to clear it away into neater piles. He wasn't taking anything, and he didn't seem terribly interested in most of what he found... he did pick up a cheap little necklace chain someone had dropped, but seemed skeptical of it, fiddled with part of the end of it, and then sighed and set it aside as well. Whatever he was looking for, that wasn't it. Maybe he'd have more luck finding a chain that would work, down in the lower levels somewhere? ..Anyone want to help him look?

He was even around while the fish was cooked into a soup, though he wasn't interested in having any himself. The flavor was a bit different from last time, different herbs in it now than before, though it was probably a little difficult to pinpoint what they were. Onions, garlic, parsley, dill, lemon, pepper...? Who knew. It didn't look like there was much of those things in it, if any at all, but the flavor was definitely different today from the usual bits of spicy kale chips a certain other person tended to use when cooking.

(Other suggestions welcome; anyone want his help with anything, or generally want to question/chat up the odd tree guy?)

Just drop me a link where and when.

There was, sadly, no reply. (Not even one that took 2 months to arrive.)

As he was coming in, he might notice a small form kneeling near the entryway, trying to fill a dented can she had found somewhere with snow. Basically doing what he was doing in gathering future drinking water, just with a much smaller container.

Of course as the can was metal she was having some difficulty scooping it through the snow, given how often it fell from fingers that were rapidly numbing from the cold.

River came over drawn by the scent of cooking. "Smells good, handsome. Need a hand?"

Chell peeked into the hall from around an adjoining one; he'd needed a bit longer a moment to get there, from where he'd been. But get there he had, at last, looking alarmed.

Quietly, quickly, not so much wanting to interrupt, as to simply let him know he was there, and perhaps if the more skilled fighter knew much more than was immediately obvious, he'd think to fill him in? "Brother...?" What was going on, did he know?

He eyed him, though, and the way he was reacting to... whatever it was... and decided better safe than sorry, and drew in a breath to hold, just in case. Not that that would do him a ton of good, though he wouldn't know as much yet. He stepped closer, ready to follow Foulques' lead in doing... whatever it was he might need help doing. It was fairly obvious from how he'd called out before Chell came around the corner, that this would involve ensuring the safety of the old bearded human -- or preferably, finding out that he wasn't in the room in which something had clearly happened, and was logically therefore probably not in danger of some kind at the moment.

...Which would have been a whole lot easier if he had access to the rest of his abilities again, he was certain. Alas....

Handsome? Hah... well, he'd take the compliment at face value and give her back a little bit of a smile.

"No," he said simply. "But if I might borrow your tongue a moment instead...?"

He was holding something wooden in his hand to stir the pot that he'd set up on a very careful makeshift cooking fire there, something long and smooth and distinctly wooden-looking... which, as he lifted it out, turned out to be a long-handled spoon, not quite a small modern ladel. Had he carved that recently himself? Because it certainly hadn't been anywhere to be seen even just a few days ago.

He turned it carefully, catching just a little of the broth in it, and blew across it for a few seconds before carefully dragging its bottom over the edge of the pot, then putting his other hand under it to catch any drips as he turned to offer it up to her. Would she care to taste-test it for him? Presumably, a tree guy really shouldn't be trying to eat fish soup, so what would be the point in him tasting it?

"Smooth talker," she said, leaning across his back to taste it. "Not half bad."

"I don't suppose you've suggestions for how to change the flavor for the better?"

"Loads, but they have nothing to do with the soup."

Congrats on confusing him, not that that's too incredibly difficult.

"How... would it not? I've been growing something to flavor it with; if you know how to make it better than this, I would like to hear, that I might change it to suit." He stirred it a little again, just trying to keep everything from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Best not to let anything burn, or cook too unevenly....

He eyed this... but his own hands were full of wood and fish, alas, and he wasn't certain he ought to set those down, or help directly without rinsing his hands first. But....

He considered it; he could feel the weight of his mosslike cape pulling down from between his shoulders, and the weight of what he knew was building up quite a lot in his twig crown. Perhaps she'd be willing to help the both of them at once...?

"If you follow me inside to where it's warmer," he said gently, not wanting to startle her if he could help it; she was prickly enough as it was, and he didn't care to agitate her further, "the snow on me is clean, but I may have trouble getting it off myself. I cannot see the top of my own head, or behind myself as easily as you can... and those parts holding the snow most stubbornly are delicate."

"Well if you're going to change your suit anyway...." She had fun teasing the naive.

She hesitated, then nodded. Trading work for work she understood and was less suspicious of. Besides she'd been trying to work up the courage to ask someone a question for a while now...

"There was an explosion in Professor Yen Sid's laboratory," Foulques explained. "What caused it, I don't know, but the air there is foul enough I can scarcely get near, and he didn't respond when I called for him."

It didn't take a great deal of intelligence to put together that this likely didn't bode well for the old man. But what to do? He couldn't very well do anything if he couldn't breathe. Glancing around, he spotted a tattered banner of some sort on the wall. Hardly ideal- or clean-, but the cloth might offer some modicum of protection. Taking hold of it, he tore off a broad strip of it before tying it over the lower half of his face, covering his mouth and nose. "With luck this may allow me to find him while I'm still of some use," he said, his voice now somewhat muffled. He hesitated a moment, then glanced up at Chell. "Should I fail however, I... may require retrieving myself."

Chell nodded, clearly taking this all seriously. "Shall I wait nearby, then?"

He nodded. "If I don't reappear within a quarter of a bell, you'll know that something has gone awry and your aid is needed," he said. "For now, simply wish me luck."

And with that he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pushed forward. He kept his eyes closed until he reached the doorway, knowing it would likely be painful to open them, but once in the room he couldn't delay any longer, opening them and glancing around hoping to spot the Professor.

That close to the destroyed door, he'd be able to see over the top. There was clearly evidence of an explosion, unsurprisingly. Yen Sid himself was on top of a mess of broken beakers and vials, and there were a lot of chemicals on the ground mixing in dangerous ways, hissing in some places, creating horrible and toxic scents since.

That was taking him a good minute, honestly, confusion all over his expression. Whatever she was on about, he couldn't figure out why she was on about it. "It is not my armor that is currently flavoring the soup," he finally said, looking back up at her.

He gave her a single nod back. All right, then, agreed! He resumed heading inside, careful to not walk ahead too quickly and perhaps lose her. A glance back just to make certain that she was able to easily keep pace; if she was lagging, he'd wait for her. He wasn't in a hurry, precisely, now that the snow wasn't actively continuing to pile up on him....

"Have you been well enough, as of late? I haven't seen you around much...." Not a hard thing to manage, honestly, given how much time he'd been spending working on thorn bush branches again, when he wasn't out fishing.

She chuckled. "Alright, we'll pretend we were still talking about that, if you prefer."

She was doing her best to keep up, even as she was trying to figure out how to ask what she needed to ask. She almost fell over her own feet, startled, when Chell asked her something first. She recovered and shrugged. She was about to speak when her stomach got there first, grumbling loudly enough that it nearly echoed.

"It is what I was speaking of." A pointed second more of eyeing her, an eyebrow raised. "I was asking your opinion on the flavor of the soup. That is all. If you think the flavor should, perhaps, be adjusted a bit in some way, to be more pleasant...?" There, have an open invitation to get back on the original topic!

She chuckled. "You're going to be hard work, but that's fine. One if my husbands is a 12 year old in an adult suit." she grinned. "I trained him, I can train you. And the soup is fine."

Fortunately, the professor was immediately visible from the doorway. Less fortunately, so were the puddles of gods knew what chemicals on the floor that were likely contributing to the noxious fumes. Foulques could do nothing about the latter just then though, so he focused on the former. He kicked in the remains of the door, as there was no saving what was left. As predicted, his eyes already burned, tears blurring his vision- at least he hoped it was only tears- and even with his makeshift mask, every breath was painful. He had to move quickly.

Avoiding the noxious puddles as best he could, he made it to the professor's side. There was unfortunately no time to check if he had other injuries. He hauled the old man up, half draped him over his shoulder, and made for the exit.

Yen Sid was limp in his grasp. He was also bleeding and in places burned. Not terribly for either. But enough to be noticeable, even in this circumstance.

The tree was waiting out in the hall, right where he'd been left, but it looked like he didn't feel a need to continue to wait as previously told; between having heard Foulques moving in the room there, then seeing sign that he was coming back out with the human, he stood from where he'd been leaning... and paused.

Something was definitely wrong, and he could tell as much, now that he wasn't simply patiently idle... but what, exactly, he wasn't certain yet. It was more difficult to move, not a stiffness, but a weakness. He tried lifting his arm up to test that theory, making a fist in front of him and opening it again....

Well, he had enough strength still to help, if it was needed. He looked back up... how was Foulques faring, with the human's weight on him like that? Did he need help with where he was going, with the foul air making it hard for him to see through the tears and irritation?

"I'm here," he said, taking a careful few steps toward the doorway, just in case he'd need to help steady him or something. His own state, he could worry about once he'd made sure Foulques and Yen Sid were out of danger.

Edited (minor rephrase) Date: 2024-09-04 10:03 am (UTC)

...Ah. He glanced back at her briefly, not pausing in heading further in. "I think there may be some pots still in one of the rooms nearby; we can work on gathering more water in those after it's off of me... and then use one for the fish. What do you think?" May as well both clue her in on what the plan was, and see if she had any better ideas -- or simply information -- that he didn't.

"And you have in mind... to teach me what?" Admittedly, there were plenty of times he was simply playing ignorant. This was not one of those times.

She hesitated, then nodded, hungry enough to not care where her food came from. So long as she was ate that was the most important thing.

She chuckled. "You'll see," she said, heading out of the room.

How was he faring? Not especially well. But better than Yen Sid, certainly. By the time he reached Chell, he was coughing even with the mask, barely able to make out the other though the tears in his eyes. "Take him," he said, his voice strained and raspy as he attempted to hand the unconscious man off to Chell. "Somewhere the air is clear. And find something to seal off that doorway."

He nodded, meeting him with a few more steps of his own, and turned to present his back to Foulques, crouching a bit... there, it would be pretty simple to put the old human over the bonsai's back, so he could carry him more easily than not. He reached up to start taking hold of him, to do so.

For now, at least, he had the strength to do this much. Another two minutes in the miasma without a break, and he might not have been able to.

"This place makes me feel wrong as well," he said. "More difficult to move.... I suggest we find a place, take a breath, and then return to deal with this."

Seal off the room? Yeah, but maybe after Foulques stops coughing, right? Surely Chell'd feel better at that point! ...Or maybe once Foulques can see properly again, he'll figure out what the dryad was too clueless to realize the problem actually was? That his cape wasn't the right color any more, and it was far more limp than it ought to be... not yet all crunchy, but if he stayed too much longer, it might start getting so. At the moment, it was simply wilted.

Foulques nodded; far less painful and difficult at present than speech. He moved down the hall, away from the foul air. Not that the air most anywhere on the Isle was especially fresh, of course, but at least elsewhere it only smelled, not burned.

And it was this he used to judge that they'd reached a safe distance. As soon as he felt safe to do so, he pulled off the makeshift mask and leaned back more solidly against the wall. He wanted to slump down to sit on the floor but had a feeling that when he did he might not be getting up for some time, and at present he still needed to be ready to move.

"Twelve forbid I ever have to do that again," he rasped. His coughing was gradually easing, but his voice still sounded rough. He dabbed at his streaming eyes with the cloth of his former mask; they too, thankfully, were clearing. He gestured to a room across the hall, pointing it out to Chell. "There should be a table in there where you can lay down the Professor until we can look him over properly." Not that either of them were healers, of course, but they should still make the attempt.

Edited Date: 2024-11-08 03:57 am (UTC)

"All right." He glanced back to Foulques, leaning there against the wall, just briefly -- he seemed well enough, just needing to catch his breath, so he left him there to do as suggested.

And there was a table in there, not that he'd doubted him -- several, in fact. Some with junk on them, some with... well, less junk, and merely a few scraps of paper. Chell stepped to one of those, leaning forward a little more to keep the old wizard better balanced on him there than not so he could let go with one hand... reached out, and swept those papers across to the table next to it. He leaned down to it while reaching across, and... oh, he knew he was having trouble, but this was just silly, that it should be so difficult to get back up. Pinned below an old human like this... well, it was new, if nothing else. But that was fine; he'd already cleared the desk, he could simply adjust himself, roll to the side just a little... shift his plating, to help with the angle... and there. There, he felt the old man's weight slide gently off of his back and onto the table beside him. He kept hold of his wrist until he could slide out from under him entirely, and pushed himself back up on the tabletop. He reached over, and tugged at the wizard's coat, pulling him more toward the center of the table, just in case.

Maybe Foulques could see part of that, from where he was, once he'd wiped his eyes again... the dryad's cape looked off, its colors more sickly, and hanging more heavily, limply... and he was leaning oddly on one elbow there on the table as he fussed briefly over the human they'd just rescued... and then stood slowly, as though he were tired.

When had he ever been appreciably tired before? Grown weary of something, perhaps. Bored? Maybe, but he'd never actually complained. But the odd tree-person didn't sleep, certainly not that Foulques had ever seen. In fact, if he ever did sleep, as such, it would be a mystery as to when. But here he was, looking like he was about ready to collapse into a chair, legs heavy as he stepped around to the side of the table, to pull Yen Sid up a little more onto it. No need for his feet to hang off the bottom, when the tables were large enough to accommodate.

Satisfied with where the human was, he took a second to simply put his hands on the edge of the table, leaning there a beat, frowning. Something wasn't right... but he rather plainly put that thought aside as he pushed himself back up again, and stepped back to the doorway, looking Foulques over.

"Perhaps we ought both come inside and sit a moment," he said quietly. "The air from that room has granted no one any blessings."

Edited (minor rephrase) Date: 2024-11-08 11:01 am (UTC)

As Chell went to do as instructed, Folques found himself alone in that hall, and for the first time since the explosion he had a moment to think. Which led him, in turn, to realize, that he hadn't been thinking when he'd charged in to rescue the professor. He'd just reacted, instinctively acting to help a... colleague... in danger.

With a grimace, he recalled mocking the adventurer for doing exactly that, saying that such efforts were wasted as those she called friends would only stab her in the back one day. The irony was not lost on him; perhaps the gods really did have a sense of humor. Yet, had his time on the Isle truly changed him so much? And if so, what did it mean? Would he one day be able to look into a mirror and not hate the man he saw?

And on a more practical note, where was Chell? True, his tree-like companion wasn't especially quick on his feet even at the best of times, but still, it shouldn't take very long to lay the Professor down and return. Shifting away from the wall with a noise that was half sigh, half grunt of effort, he started toward the room to see what was keeping Chell, only to be met by him in the doorway.

His vision now clear even if his eyes looked horrendously bloodshot, he could see that Chell didn't look well. At least if comparisons to trees were to be made. "Aye, but perhaps you should go and soak up some fresh water," he said, his voice having recovered enough that he sounded at least somewhat like himself again. "You look as parched as Thanalan and your... cape is very wilted. Perhaps it might even do to splash some water on it before you go near there again."

Edited Date: 2024-11-09 04:20 am (UTC)

"I...." Chell blinked, silent a little pause as he considered it and rethought what he'd intended to say as he realized he didn't quite understand. But what wasn't there to understand? He glanced down, but he didn't look to be able to see his own cape from that angle, and spending the effort to grab it to pull it around so he could just wasn't on his To Do list. He shook his head, sighing. "I will be fine. I am merely tired, as you look to be also."

Given that Chell wasn't in the habit of lying -- and why would he? What in the world would he have to gain by doing so here, anyway? -- that really just left one possibility: he was somehow laughably ignorant about how to take care of himself.

Foulques snorted- which prompted a short spate of renewed coughing, though it only lasted a moment-at Chell's statement. "While I know little of ents or poppets, I grew up in a forest," he said. "I know what trees and plants in poor condition or that have been affected by drought look like, and right now that is what you resemble. I don't doubt that both of us will need rest by the end of this, but what you need right now most of all is water. So I would suggest that you go put the shallow pond that much of the basement has become to use."

"I have never had need to before...." Less a protest, more an I don't get it. "But you very clearly need something to drink. ...One of the containers of snow water shouldn't be too far from here...." He moved to take another little step, only to find it more difficult than he'd expected, and had to try again, actually putting more effort into it. Maybe he hadn't continued to dry out now that they were away from the lab, but his form was definitely having a hard time adjusting to this and still operating as he was used to. Honestly, if it weren't for his armor right now, he'd probably be having a very difficult time maintaining the illusion that he was built like everyone else, regarding where his joints and limb segments actually were.

"I can wait. And I should at least be able to fetch you that." All right, maybe he was being a little stubborn, in trying to put taking care of Foulques over himself.

"You've never been exposed to gods-only-know what mix of chemicals that was coming out of that room before either," he replied. "And even in my current state, I'm not so feeble that I can't get myself a drink of water." He gestured in the direction of the basement. "Nor are you. So do so and I shall do the same." He ought to get the professor some water as well, now that he thought of it. Hopefully reflex would allow him to swallow it even when unconscious.

Chell looked like he wanted to say something for a moment... and then thought better of it and nodded a little. A glance back at the human on the table, then he took another careful step out and down the hall as indicated, keeping next to the wall just in case he had a need to catch himself. As difficult as it evidently was for him to move, that was probably for the best.

With Chell headed off down the hall, Foulques got himself a drink of water as well. After a long, slow draught, his throat felt less like hot sandpaper at least, which was a great improvement. He also splashed a bit on his face and eyes, both to relieve their stinging and to erase the evidence of tears, even if they'd come from a physical reaction, rather than an emotional one.

That done, he took a cup of water back to the professor, finding him still firmly unconscious. Perhaps miraculously, he could see no telltale dark stains of blood on the professor's garb. A good sign, though it was entirely possible he was injured in ways that couldn't be seen by the naked eye, beyond likely numerous bruises and a small cut on his brow, which Foulques carefully bound in a strip of reasonably clean cloth; even such shallow cuts on the head tended to bleed a great deal. He then carefully tipping the professor's head and torso up, and- supporting him against him- slowly tipped the water down his throat in small sips.

That done, he could only wait for Chell to return. He would need the ent's help to do more than this.

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