Better Together

Welcome to Auradon

Chapter Summary: In which the Isle kids have more manners than some of the Auradonians, Audrey gets insulted (her own fault), and Evie can't help herself and promptly calls out Beast for being a terrible human being.

The light that flooded into the limousine was both startling and blinding to the teenagers who had been accustomed to the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Isle. The dark tint of the windows had kept most of it out on the way to Auradon, so this was their first true experience with unfiltered, unblocked sunlight. The music playing was deafening in its raw form and Mal immediately clasped her hands over her ears with a soft cry of pain. The band was playing ceremoniously, and as loud as they could, it would seem. The volume was too loud for Mal's delicate fae hearing. She had never experienced it fully before; the isle had taken that from her too it would seem.

At first, they floundered on what to do. "Well?" A voice they barely heard through the music almost hissed at them from within the blinding spotlight coming through the door. "Are you going to get out or not?" It seemed that they were taking longer to adjust and move than the drivers were willing to wait.

It was Freddie who slid out first, shrieking at them, "Stop! Stop! Stop!" she waved her hands desperately, trying to get them to listen. Thankfully they did, and the music came to an abrupt end. Confused looks and murmers ran through the crowd, the band players frowinig.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ben was the first to speak directly to the girl.

"It's Mal, the loud music is hurting her ears." She explained, "She's fae." The look of understanding crossed Ben's face and he berated himself for not realizing the implications of that fact sooner, for allowing the band to play, and at such volume too. He glanced back at the band before returning his gaze to Freddie, "Oh man, I'm so sorry. Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine." A soft voice assured. They turned to see Evie holding onto a girl with purple hair, both of them holding their hands over her ears. "What is that ringing sound?" Mal shouted. "Evie do you hear that?" she scrunched up her nose and pressed her hands tighter to her ears.

"Mal, honey, you're shouting." Evie told her softly.

"What? No I'm not?" the girl scoffed, not lowering her voice in the slightest.

One by one the others slid out of the car behind them until only Uma and Harry sat still inside. It would take her another minute to calm her nerves and ready herself to see the Beast in her story, the self-righteous King who tore apart her family.

The other teens looked to Evie for guidance, unsure quite what was expected of them, especially etiquette and manners-wise, and although they went through Grimhillde's etiquette and manners classes, Evie was by far the most adept and accomplished when it came down to it. Manners and etiquette were mere child's play for her. They knew Evie would dissect the situation and find the hidden, and not so hidden, meanings of the Auradonian's words and actions.

"Okay, um, Welcome, welcome!" the young, newly crowned king turned to greet the rest of the teens enthusiastically, although more conscious of the volume of his voice. He seemed to smile wider as they hesitantly met his eyes and returned his smile, although in a far, far more subdued manner. He opened his mouth, and Evie knew he had a speech prepared just to welcome them but was cut off by the brunette in pale pink who came up next to him. "As you know, this is King Ben," she was almost clutching at his arm, and Mal quirked an eyebrow at the poorly timed possessive display, "And I'm his girlfriend, Princess Audrey." She stressed their titles, and Evie's nose twitched in annoyance, but she graced them with a smile, "You're a princess? Me too!" She released Mal and went to curtsey, and although she was slightly annoyed with the way Audrey introduced herself there was still a hint of excitement which only the Isle kids would notice. There weren't many princesses on the Isle of the Lost, so she was excited to make new friends with some of them who were. It was something in common that other non-princesses didn't always understand. "I'm-"