Happily ever after with a little flavor

[missrecalled_mods]

Sponsors for the ship? So... Sponsor'ship?

Rare had an hour seemed so long on the Isle, or carried so much hope. The King and Queen spoke to all who wished to speak with them, and to Yen Sid. At one point they even opened the barrier enough to go back to the ship where they conferred inside a silence spell with Sylvando. And once more for the King and Queen to return a few minutes later. Then back on the Isle they pulled a few individuals aside once more. Oddly, not those from the Isle this time. Aqua first. Then Lea. Then Æn'kae.

Finally the hour came to an end and the King and Queen called for everyone's attention. Mal stepped forward to address everyone.

"Alright, so here is how this is going to work," she told them without preamble, once she had their attention. The wind pulled at her purple hair, pulling it like a banner behind her. "Here are the terms by which we will take the people we will name to Auradon. Each person will be assigned a sponsor. If you want to change sponsors you may let us know once we are back in Auradon. Your Sponsor will be watching out for you. You need to check in with him, her, or them, regularly. How often that will be will be between you and your sponsor, but the sponsors will report to King Ben and myself. Behave and you'll get to stay in Auradon, and we will let you know when your probation is over and you no longer need to check in with your sponsor. Break the rules of Auradon, hurt anyone, steal.... depending on how bad the act and how many were harmed, we may, with your sponsor decide to give you a warning... or you may wind up back here. This is a chance to prove that the sorting magic was wrong, that you are good people. Or can become good people given the chance." Mal looked and sounded like she was clearly waiting to make her own judgments.

"As I list each name, please go to your sponsor if he, she, or they is here. If not, come stand with the king and I."

She took a deep breath. "Xion, your sponsor is Lea." she pointed to him, suspecting that she didn't actually have to, but it was good to set a pattern.

"Utau, you are with Sylvando, who is on the ship so come join us." Then a bit of a wicked grin. "He's also keeping an eye on Nadeshiko and Nagihiko, why not let him keep an eye on all three of you," she said, knowing she was throwing fuel on an explosion waiting to happen. But she trusted Sylvando to sort out which of the kids actually belonged on the Isle.

"River you are with Æn'ki. Hope you like animals," she said with a grin that wasn't all that softer than her last as she gestured to him.

"Morgana and Emporio, you are with Aqua," she added nodding to the woman with the blue hair. "Of course we understand if any of you want to stay..."

She turned to the Headmaster. Doctor F.... We're aware of you, and your efforts, I assure you. We'll be speaking with those heading to Auradon. But for now, stay where we can see you while the rest of you, those coming with us? You have ten minutes to get your stuff if you have any and say goodbyes to anyone if you want to. Goodbyes with the headmaster will be supervised so we can make sure he is being as good as he claims these days. Alright. Ten minutes, starting now!"


**************************************************

The gathering of belongings and saying of goodbyes was accomplished in the allotted ten minutes without much trouble. Getting everyone onto the boat, then equipped with lifejackets- thankfully the boat's owner was a bit over prepared so there were enough for everyone, if only just-, and reasonably settled for the trip back took a bit longer, however. The boat was a large catamaran, painted mostly in blue and purple pastels. The life jackets however, were the standard safety orange, and so stood out as sharply as they were meant to. The water was still rough so once everyone was equipped, Sylvando advised those unused to boat travel to settle down somewhere until they were in calmer waters.

Getting back to the mainland took time as well, though not quite as much as getting there had, as the tide was in their favor for the return trip. Still, there would be plenty of time for conversation, awkward silences, or angry glaring during the trip. And Sylvando himself wouldn't be adverse to conversation, provided it didn't interfere with the steering of the vessel. Those without their sea legs would also want to be careful walking around, as the boat-while large for a catamaran- wasn't large enough to prevent it from rocking.

Once they'd reached the harbor and the Bibbity Bobber had been secured in her berth, her passengers and crew disembarked and began the trek back up to the school. There seemed to be an inordinate amount of junk that had once been clearly blocking the road before the path to and from the harbor had been cleared. All of it was the sort of things one might expect to find in a modern city- cars, sign boards, fallen trees and lamp posts, etc- but there seemed to be too much of it for the simple vanishing of the populace to account for it all. Very odd.

Once they arrived at the school, they were led past the pretentious sign and statue of King Beast and directed into the lobby. There, they were issued phones and information sheets. On account of everyone being exhausted, no formal welcoming ceremony was planned for that evening, and those staying were directed to the dorms to get showered and settled in. Since that was sure to be a process in itself, Ben, Mal, Sylvando, the other sponsors, and anyone who still had the energy would likely be around for all that as well until everyone got settled. Thankfully the exhaustion had been anticipated, and it was announced that there was soup in the kitchen's refrigerator that had been premade and portioned out and needed only to be reheated for supper at each person's leisure.

The next morning however, proved that Auradon was still Auradon and couldn't really go without some kind of official welcome, as those who came down to the lobby would find a simple but tasty breakfast of muffins, fruit - provided by Malia-, tea, and coffee waiting for them along with the eternally chipper Sylvando, ready to answer any further questions they might have.


****************


Professor Yen Sid and the Headmaster stood and watched the ship through the barrier until they could no longer see it. Then the headmaster, looking bitter, turned on his heel, stalked back to the school, muttering under his breath about needing to speak with someone. He did not say who, but it did not seem like it was likely to be a pleasant conversation.

Yen Sid, on the other hand, turned to those who chose to remain. “Shall we get these supplies in before the humidity destroys them?” he asked, gathering his things into his bag before grabbing it and one of the boxes.

Comments

[misery_called_npcs]

"Among all people you consider relevant or potentially relevant to this conversation."

[elvendryad]

Congratulations on stumping him -- terrible pun fully intended -- for a moment while he tries to figure out where to even start with that, or what he could say. "We... didn't, much. Not that I recall."

He tilted his head a little, frowning a bit to himself as he tried figuring out any examples he could give. "I lived alone... and though some kin visited me, we had no problems from within, as we did from the humans. Parents would have to teach their very young children better at times, such as when it came to destroying flowers out of curiosity, but...." But that probably wasn't what the wizard was asking about, was it? ...Maybe he could be more precise, in his questions?

[misery_called_npcs]

"So you have little experience with the rules needed when people gather in large numbers?"

[elvendryad]

"I lived in one of our larger towns, before my forest. And I am certain that there were gatherings, as well, with those from other such places. They were large parties, and happened several times a year. But I remember no fuss about rules changing for those. Why would they need to?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"What were the rules as they stood, then?"

[elvendryad]

"To... behave...?" He made a little bit of a face, trying and failing to come up with how to answer that one. "Do I understand this correctly, that you expect my kind to keep a specific list of rules... in general, at all times? ...Rather than expect one another to simply behave as rational adults ought to? That's...." He shook his head a little and sighed, thinking it over just a second. "Give, as you would receive? Cooperate and help one another? Be respectful? ...What rules do humans decide on, such as you would wish to know about?"

Maybe if he heard some examples, the question would make more sense to him?

[misery_called_npcs]

"You wish examples of human laws?" he asked, to be certain, stroking his beard.

[elvendryad]

"Perhaps it would help," he agreed.

[misery_called_npcs]

"In a general sense, or the specific and exact wording of the example laws?"

[elvendryad]

"...." Yet another moment of him trying to figure out how to answer... and then he shrugged, shaking his head. "Perhaps it is beside the point. My kind don't even attempt to make up specific rules for every possibility. That reeks of having to counter the sort of behavior that mischievous, petulant children are so fond of, in thinking they can get away with something by 'clever' interpretation of what was said. It is enough to be adults and to be good people, and act accordingly. If, as you yourself have said, knowing that one will be punished for doing something morally wrong is the deterrent, rather than the simple knowledge that the act is wrong -- if one needs that threat, to behave as a good person ought... then I would say that one is not a good person. One is simply being coerced into pretending to be, and is likely quite untrustworthy as a member of the community.

"And though I'm unused to having to spell out how to be a good person... I shall try to remember to make note, when I think of more ways to explain such, just for you." That little hint of something in his expression had returned, faintly, though it was probably clearer now in his tone than anything... he was teasing the human. "...So that you know better what is viewed as common decency among my kind." Right, just for academic purposes. He totally wasn't making fun of anyone, or humans in general or anything. Not even a little.

Okay, maybe a little. ...Possibly.

"As for the humans... That dim view, as you called it, is according to them. It is according to those humans who have been mistreated, who come hungry to my forest... and those who have taken from them, when they come hunting. And it is primarily those humans who have taken so much undeservedly -- who have manipulated things among their kind, such that they have authority over others -- who are the monsters. Those who would seek power over others tend not to be good people. And those are the very ones you think I ought to defer to? To whom I ought to bring complaint of their misdeeds? I really have no idea what you think such will accomplish; they raise their weapons against who they please, and it pleases them greatly to aim for me and my kin. They celebrate our deaths. That is why I make them understand what they do; they will not hold themselves accountable if left to their own devices, and they will not be good people. It is in their own twisted self-interest to continue to be monsters; they seem not to have rules against killing, among themselves. They see whatever they do as somehow acceptable, if not justified, no matter what it is.

"...The humans not in power... I have no quarrel with them. They are those who hunt animals out of need." He eyed Yen Sid, serious. "They are the workers, the crafters, the farmers, but have so little to eat that they resort to going after rabbits and birds, and chase them into my forest. You cannot tell me that their kings' and queens' care looks like someone wearing rags, who needs to turn to killing to feed themselves and those around them. But they very much understand that killing is wrong. They are the humans who behave, while in my forest, as I would expect any of my own kind to, regardless of what rules they were given. What I feel from them...." He narrowed his eyes a little as he thought about it. "...Hopefulness. Relief.... Fear." A little quieter, not quite sheepish, "I am rather certain that my appearance reminds them of those monsters... but had they not been monsters, those that visit would not have feared me at first sight.

"And now, your turn. What makes you think I have confused justice and revenge?" He tilted his head, arms still crossed as he leaned there against the shelf, relaxed, waiting for Yen Sid's answer.

[misery_called_npcs]

"You touched on the very issue yourself, everyone has their own idea of what is good, where basics of right and wrong are. We all draw our own moral lines. But that leads to chaos. It leads to what one person sees as justice being seen as revenge by another. Or maybe even as unprovoked. These rules and laws do not presuppose that no one can tell good from evil, but they give everyone a common baseline. It is a guideline. And it is built upon and adjusted by the leaders with help from their advisors over time, so that the laws represent generations of, what one hopes is increasing wisdom. And the laws include within them legal and proper ways to challenge a law that one sees as wrong. In some cases because it always was, in other cases because the situation has changed so drastically. But then there are systems in place, routine to follow, to ensure that no one, not even those in charge, change the laws with impunity upon their whims. It may seem thus from the outside sometimes, and a situation like the one we find ourselves in now is unusual, to be sure, but it is there for the general good."

"Take for example," he stroked his beard, "an issue that arose not long before the clash of magics that sent everyone from this world and brought all of you to it. King Ben fell under the spell of a desperate young lady, then seen as a villain. She used a spell on him, when magic was illegal, to make him think that he was in love with her. And she made him, under that spell, agree to take down the barrier around the Isle, to allow all those who resided here to come and go as they please. Under her thrall he ordered Fairy Godmother, the only one at the time with such a power, to take down the barrier. She knew that she was within her rights to refuse. And of course when the young king was freed from the spell, he thought differently. But the topic stayed with him, and he worked with his parents - the former king and queen, as well as his fiancé, the current queen though she was not then, as well as speaking to his councils and advisors. They tried various things, had multiple discussions. I am, of course minimizing and grossly oversimplifying a complicated situation. But in the end, just before all off you arrived, a new law was passed. All the children of the Isle would be given a chance under probation to learn the laws of Auradon and try to learn to live there. Those who were originally banished here for their own actions would be able to earn a chance at forgiveness, but would have to work towards that while remaining here on the Isle. The king and queen had to balance righting an old wrong with doing what was right for the good of all. In the proper order of things, had the situation not become what it was, other laws would change slowly, as needed. But those laws would change with discussions and consideration and care."

"If the leaders of the humans where you were were truly as you say than they were not themselves good leaders. However even poor leaders can become good and strong ones with proper guidance and a fair but firm hand. The way of goodness is not always straightforward. And might rarely is what makes right."

"Back to the law specifically, however, let us say that the law says that if you steal from someone they take your hand. I will point out that is a historical law that has since been changed. But it had once been a law in one distant part of what is now Auradon, though it was not Auradon then. If the law says the penalty for theft is the loss of your hand, and someone steals from you, you were not allowed to cut off their hand. If you did they would be guilty of theft still, yes, but you would be guilty of assault. The proper route would be to report the thief to the guards. But few found that satisfactory, for some reason. So with the law even if the law says that action A has consequence B, that does not allow the victim to mete out the punishment. And there are a number of reasons for this. One of them I suspect you would find sympathy with. The person who was stolen from is too close to the crime, they see that they were stolen from, but might not see or care why. A proper magistrate, however, would find that out. And should the theft have been one of desperation... say they stole food because their children were starving. The magistrate would have the authority to choose leniency. The person stolen from would still have to be compensated for the loss, of course. But rather than taking the thief's hand, the magistrate might choose to set the thief to hard work. Work that they would not chose for themselves, perhaps, but at which they would earn wage enough to feed their family. The best governments do most of their best work where few see them, seeking neither fame nor reward. But this is why the people can trust them. Because word of good leaders spread as swiftly as word of bad ones do. Look to the people, hear what they have to say of their leaders when they think you are not listening. In that way you begin to understand the rulers of their land."

[elvendryad]

Chell was quiet as he listened without interrupting, watching Yen Sid as he did. He blinked. He drew breath, though the movement was subtle, moreso toward the end... and then a moment after, one larger inhale and a long quiet sigh through his nose, barely closing and unclosing his more visible hand as it lay across his left bicep, a tiny but deliberate shift in his stance that hinted at him letting go of tension that had built unseen....

He gave a slow nod, clear that he was still thinking on this. Another bit of a pause before he spoke again, and though he seemed a little more hesitant as he picked his words, that seemed to be all, for now. "A theft of desperation and need... could have resulted in losing one's hand... and that was ever seen as a reasonable result?

"So... I will ask you again why you think I have ever confused revenge with justice. Because from what you've told me, your kind seems to value having someone else interfere over actually solving the problem, and have some notion that showing a half-measure of understanding is somehow praiseworthy, rather than being the absolute minimum." He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head a little, as though he was still trying to make sense of what he was looking at, searching the human's face for any reaction to what he was saying.

[misery_called_npcs]

"As I said, there were rules in place to allow magistrates to not engage the penalty. The stated consequence is the worst case scenario, a good judicial system rarely engages in the most dire consequences, even in cases that are not those of need. The point of so dramatic a penalty is as a deterrent. does that clarification help?"

[elvendryad]

"No. No it does not. The fact that such a thing is even an option in the first place is a level of shocking cruelty that has nothing to do with the offense and teaches nothing." He did not look impressed. "You keep explaining how your humans do things, as though you think it will help anything... but your claim of the moral high ground is coming from a muddy crevasse, while you continue to refuse to answer my question. What makes you think that I have confused revenge and justice?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"I am trying to figure out if that is indeed the case that you do. But taking the initiative to punish others for their own wrongdoing by becoming a law onto yourself is generally revenge rather than justice."

[elvendryad]

"No... No, you are not. You are trying to convince me that being at the mercy of humans is somehow superior to solving the problems that fall at my feet... that your quite apparent love of having someone else intervene, of clinging to some set of punitive rules, is somehow superior to seeking out the actual issue and fixing it. The bare minimum should not depend on the chance that someone that has come into power over others just so happens not to also be a monster themselves.

"My kind do not steal. My kind do not murder. We need no laws spelled out for us as though we were children... but you insist that your way is superior... because... you are used to it?" He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his words: "Do. Not. Be so foolish as to think that because my kind had no such ridiculous mess of clearly ineffective formalities, that they were incapable of solving the problems at the root of what your rules are supposedly meant to address. Consider that perhaps we did not have to deal with such issues on a constant basis as the humans do, because we dealt with them fully already. Believing otherwise is like claiming I would not understand how to clean, because you see the area around me without blemish. It does not follow.

"I cannot agree that your way is better, as I look around in this place here and now. Look what your way has wrought. This is punitive. This is vengeful. This is cruelty. This is... these conditions are so poor that my brethren have been reduced to eating other creatures... and for so long that they are not violently ill for it. ...This would never have happened in the first place, were my kin the ones being listened to from the beginning."

He shook his head, adjusting his arms, still folded there across his chest. "I think to some extent, I actually envy you your circumstances. I suspect that your experiences here, in your world, might actually have been favorable enough that you simply cannot comprehend that the humans in positions of power in my world are drawn to depravity and callousness. You clearly believe your own assertions, that your ways are somehow best, as though it applies to me, in my world, as well. That it applies to the humans of mine.

"I suggest you rethink your stance; though you claim you wish to understand, you continue to insist on nonsense. That I am the one who is confused, despite your own lack of acknowledging the contradictions in what you say. Despite the lived experiences of each of us pointing to one society having solved its ills, while the other struggles with providing its people with necessities, its conditions so dysfunctional that its people still do resort to unwanted behaviors to meet their needs." He narrowed his eyes, more pity in the look than annoyance. "I truly hope, for your people's sake, that someday, they may yet catch up to the ways of mine. I hope for their sake, they learn to admit when what they are doing does not work, and accept the assistance of those who have trodden similar paths many thousands of years previously and already found better ways. I hope for their sake, and for yours, that the realization comes that familiar is not always right... that slow, incremental improvement from a position of failure is not superior to having already reached the goal."

[misery_called_npcs]

He listened to this all seriously, before replying. "Your society may have already found better ways, but it does not exist in isolation. You speak as though your people are the mice of the kingdom, who never needed among them a law to say that no person shall eat another. No mouse would, so why should there be a law about it? But the mice do not live in isolation. And where their society clashes with that, of say, a predator, then rules need to be in place. To the Lions of Pride Rock it is understood that there are those who eat plants, and those who eat those who eat plants, and then when all die, all become that which the plants themselves grow strong from. To them what the mice do, taking the milk from another animal and intentionally spoiling it to make cheese is a far greater horror. And again where the societies clash, rules need to be put into place. So too, with you and your humans. Even if that requires a third party from outside to enforce those rules."

"I am not saying that our way is better because it is familiar, but I am saying that your scope is perhaps too small and inwardly focused. Maybe I was hasty in suggesting that human leadership would be the proper third party, and if so I apologize. But the point remains that in the clashing of two cultures, one side or the other, or worse both sides, claiming the moral high ground - claiming the right to punish people of the others indiscriminately, so near as the other side can tell, will only lead to a worsening situation."

[elvendryad]

He paused, his expression somewhere between "trying to make sense of what he's hearing" and "thoroughly amused" for the few seconds it lasted. "Humans have a great many words in their language that we did not... like revenge. That one did not come from us. So I suppose humans have a word, for when one side wants to murder all of the other?

"But yes, I... suppose you are correct. It is certainly a clashing of two cultures, when one wants to kill the other for fun, and for territory and resources, and the other wants to not be murdered. ...That, or you have a very interesting way of phrasing things. But tell me, what other third party could there possibly be, when it is only my kin, and the humans, in my world?"

Either something probably wasn't translating quite right, or he was looking at something differently, to claim only the two kinds, when the lady he'd spoken with earlier and then confirmed knowing didn't either look to be a tree or seem to be human; Chell had called her the wine fairy a bit ago....

[misery_called_npcs]

"Yes, there is such a word, though it is thankfully one rarely spoken. And I'll not tempt the fates by uttering it upon this isle unless needful." No reason to give any of the villains here the idea, after all.

"There are rarely only ever two groups in any space, let alone any conflict. It is just sometimes difficult to see the others. To keep a mind open enough to them. And what of your friend who came to visit afore?"

[elvendryad]

If Yen Sid were watching, he might have seen the subtle movement that gave away his reaction to the confirmation -- though he managed to stay entirely silent, it was a laugh he was trying quite hard not to be obvious about. Not about the comment on declining to say the word in question, but the fact that there was a word for such a particular concept. Of course humans had a word like that. It was horrifying and not at all something that ought to be, but sometimes, a thing was awful enough that it was simply comical.

"...What of her?"

[misery_called_npcs]

"Is her society the exact same as yours? Or separate but similar?"

[elvendryad]

Chell shook his head. "None of fae kind are safe from the human rulers' ill intentions, in my world. Even the elves, which she's modeled her appearance after." There it was, then: he was referring to more than one species as his kind. This was not a straightforward matter of humans versus odd tree-people. This was humans versus... what, all nonhumans that weren't simple animals? "Alker or not, it matters little to the monsters."

[misery_called_npcs]

"Then coming to an accord with them, making peace, seems to me to be more important than it might otherwise. Peace talks and negotiations are a way to force both sides to see the other as people. Continuing hostilities do not serve your side any better than theirs. No one wins in such a situation."

[elvendryad]

He didn't even bother to try hiding the quiet little laugh at that. "Why yes, how could I not have thought of that, in all my centuries? Ah, how foolish I've been; the solution was plain for all to see." But he shook his head, the halfhearted smile fading soon enough; he wasn't going to keep making fun of the guy. But to have suggested that to him, here and now, in the first place? Really? He really couldn't help but find it funny.

"Do you honestly think we haven't tried? Some have attempted diplomacy, others threats. None have seen great success yet, or none for long, to the best of my knowledge. Even our attempts to retreat have failed. The monsters are persistent, and unreasonable. But you may do better to speak with the wine fairy on it at a future date; she is more capable than I, of at least pretending to be human long enough to try conversing with them without arousing suspicion. I would not be surprised if she herself had tried... but if they would put even elven children to death so easily as I have seen, I doubt they would be quite willingly swayed."

[misery_called_npcs]

"Some endeavors are worth trying time and again. But I shall take your advice and speak with her, when opportunity allows. Perhaps she can further illuminate this dim situation."