A New Colony (France & Seychelles)

[seychelles]

1770

Early in the morning, on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, a little girl yawned and sleepily opened her eyes. She lay curled up on the beach, under the shade of a palm tree, where she had fallen asleep the previous night watching the ship on the horizon come gradually closer and closer. As she sat up, she shook the sand out of her hair and brushed some of it off her dress. She wrapped her arms around her legs and dug her toes into the sand, smiling. She loved her beautiful little islands. Yawning again, she stood up and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it into pigtails.

She could have been any girl, about 7 years old, relaxing on the beach. But as much as she looked normal, this particular girl was most definitely not. Her name was Océane, but she was better known as Seychelles.

Océane suddenly remembered what was happening, and a smile spread across her childish face. The ship had been very close last night. She was sure that today would be the day that the French colonists would arrive on St. Anne, one of her smaller islands, the one where she was waiting at that very moment. She would finally be a proper colony instead of just another piece of French territory. She clasped her hands together excitedly. Then she ran, her bare feet pounding against the sand, and climbed up onto one of the boulders that lined the shore to get a better view.

She held her breath in anticipation as the ship dropped anchor. The gangplank hit the sand, her sand, with a thud that resonated deep inside her chest. As her new people stepped out onto her land for the first time, she felt a strange emotion welling up inside of her, a feeling that something was so completely right about this. Although she had existed ever since France had approved the colony, she had never felt truly whole until this very moment. Now, with her first colonists unloading their ship on her shores, she felt certain, for the first time, that she truly was Seychelles. She couldn't imagine how she had possibly been able to stand waiting for them to arrive, but she supposed it was always like that for new colonies, waiting for the first ship to arrive.

There aren’t very many of them, she thought, feeling a little cross. Only 28, that’s not many to start a whole new colony. If they had chosen one of my larger islands, they could have sent 3 or 4 times that many people. There must have been more who wanted to come. After all, who wouldn’t want to come here?

She looked around at the island that she considered to be part of her own personal paradise. Surely any sane human would jump at the chance to come here. Surely Francis could have found more colonists if he had tried.

Speaking of Francis, where was he? She hadn’t seen him in a while, and she wanted him to be here to help her establish her first colony. She knew he was always busy (apparently big European nations always were), but surely he could find time for Seychelles!

---

OOC:

I have no skill with titles.

Sources:
EISA

[France]

How long had he been on the ship? It was hard to remember as far as exact dates went, but they were getting very close to their destination now. Not that Francis had actually been paying much attention to navigation and distances this time around. He was not the captain, and had been content to spend the entire trip in a sort of blissful freedom. But that blissful freedom was now starting to turn into impatience and excitement as the ship drew nearer to the islands. Watching the small silhouettes of the islands draw closer and closer was almost torture.

It was not that he did not like sailing. He did not mind it so much when the waters were calm and the weather agreeable. Staring out over the port side of the ship, he had to admit that the gentle waves and occasional spray of seawater was actually relaxing on some level. So it was certainly not disgust or negativity about sailing that drove him to impatience to dock. It was more of a strong desire to wander around the beautiful little islands- which were so very exotic when compared to his homelands. Of course with his vanity and pride, Francis found his lands to be the most beautiful anywhere, but these quiet little islands certainly held their charms.

Then there was the small girl child that was the very spirit of this place to consider. France loved children, and fancied himself the perfect older brother figure for small colonies. Which, after today, was exactly what the small dark eyed girl would be; a colony. One of France’s colonies, to be exact. Which he figured to be the very best and most elegant of all colonies. Hopefully he would be able to keep this one away from England. It would not do to set up a nice little spice growing community, just to have England swoop in and take an interest. Memories of what had happened with some of his previous colonies was enough to bring a slight frown to his face as he stared out at the sea.

Wanting a better look at the approaching land, France let go of the ship’s railing and started off towards the bow. Glancing around at the relatively few future colonist, he felt slightly disappointed. So few people to offer for a new colony. There was about fifteen good honorable Frenchmen among them, and that was it. Fifteen worthwhile citizens to start a colony. In addition, there was a handful of slaves, south Indians and one African woman. Hopefully he would be able to offer his young colony more people later on. Truth be told, the majority of his good French citizens were not too keen to go traveling about in a ship just to set up on a small group of Islands so far away from his borders. Apparently, the fact that they would be setting up spice plantations on said islands had not swayed the majority of them in the least. Stopping near the front of the ship, the blonde nation waited impatiently as St. Anne drew closer and closer.

The ship finally came to a stop and the gangplank was lowered. As if they had been just as impatient to set foot on the island, the colonists pushed and shoved their way down the plank and onto the soft golden sand. Not wanting that kind of undignified treatment, France waited until the others had made it off the ship before making his way down the plank and onto the familiar island. It was early morning, but already the day was heating up, much to his delight. Blue eyes glanced around the island, scanning for any sign of the little colony he had came so far just to see.

“Océane!” He called out loudly; trying to keep from being drowned out by the waves crashing on the surf. A few colonist nearby glanced his way as they worked at unloading the ship, but Francis paid them no mind as his eyes came to rest on the shape of a child perched on a nearby boulder. “There you are ma petite.” He approached the boulder strewn area, offering the new colony a smile.
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((The title looks fine to me. <3 Thanks for the source too. If I get anything wrong, just let me know and I can fix it. Now for the translation:

Ma petite = Term of endearment. Something like "little one" for us English speakers.))

[seychelles]

Océane watched eagerly as the people pushed and shoved, stumbling off of the ship and onto the beach. After a few minutes, when it seemed that they were finished, she felt her face fall with disappointment. France wasn’t there. Of course, she understood that this probably wasn't anywhere near as big a deal for him as it was for her. To Seychelles, this was a life-changing event. These were her first colonists ever. She had every reason to eagerly anticipate today. She wasn’t sure how significant it was for France. He was a big, powerful nation with more important things to worry about than a few people setting up spice plantations on a random southern island. She understood that, but she would have expected that he would at least show up. Surely he hadn't forgotten her already!

She quietly observed her new colonists. The majority of them seemed to be Frenchmen, as was to be expected, being a French colony. Another five had darker skin and were probably from somewhere in Asia. Perhaps India; she seemed to remember France having a colony there, at least until another nation called England had taken it over. She shuddered, hoping that France would never let a nation like England take her. The remainder of the people seemed to be slaves, except for maybe the one black woman. She wondered vaguely how long they had been on the ship. They certainly seemed excited to be back on land. Then again, who wouldn’t be happy to have reached her beautiful little islands?

As she sat on top of the boulder, Océane noticed that the ship wasn’t quite empty yet. A tall, pale-skinned man walked down the gangplank, his long blond hair blowing gently in the breeze. His walk was dignified and confident, almost a strut. Seychelles recognized him immediately.

Francis!

As the man stepped out onto her island and looked around, she felt a thrill of excitement. Francis was here! He hadn't forgotten about her after all! She was important to him!

“Oceane!”

Her face broke into a grin as he called her name. She waved at him from her perch atop the boulder.

“Francis!” she said happily. “Bienvenu!”

She waited impatiently for him to notice her. His eyes darted up towards her, widening as he spotted the little girl.

“There you are mon petite!”

She nodded and jumped down from the boulder with grace and agility that a human would not be capable of. A cloud of sand rose around her as she landed. She ran towards the tall blond man, smiling up at him with shining brown eyes. She was vaguely aware of some of the colonists staring curiously at the two of them, but she ignored them and gave her full attention to her new big brother.

“Oh, Francis, it’s so good to see you!”

---

Translations:
Bienvenu – welcome

[France]

Francis watched as the girl leaped from the boulder with grace that was fitting of a proper French colony. She looked so utterly happy to see him, almost as though she had not been expecting him to be there for some reason. It really was heartwarming. But she must have known he would come. After all, when Francis said he was going to do something, he did it. When it was something that mattered to him anyways. He was not one to go back on his word to his young colonies though, not when he could avoid it. It was bad for building trust.

“Oh, Francis, it’s so good to see you!”

Reaching out to the small girl, the Frenchman seized her by one of her arms and pulled her into a hug. “I told you I would be here, remember? A Frenchman never goes back on his word.” Releasing his grip on the small colony, France stared down into those bright brown eyes. She really was such a cute little thing. Despite her youth, he could already tell that she would grow into a beautiful woman. He licked his lips at thought, wishing nations grew faster than what they did.

Pulling his thoughts back to the event at hand, he gestured towards the colonists. “I brought you some fine colonists here. I apologize for not being able to bring more.” He paused for a moment, trying to think of a nice way to word the fact that not many people wanted to move all the way from his lands to hers. He imagined that she probably would not understand the truth at all, so it would be best to give a little white lie. “These were the finest I could find for you, Océane. You want good outstanding colonists, and I did not settle for less when choosing some people out for you.”

It was the best he could come up with spur of the moment, and Francis tried not to flinch as a pair of what he deemed "the lesser quality colonists" made their way past. Hopefully Seychelles would not ask too many questions about the less than desirable colonists. Hopefully she would simply be content to take whatever he said as truth and leave it at that. He was like an older brother to her, wasn’t he? He hoped that would bring more assurance on her part.

“Come, walk with me.” The blue-eyed country started off at a leisurely pace along the surf. Having just gotten off the ship, the colonists were busily moving cargo and making plans for the little island. He would take Seychelles over to meet them of course, but for now he figured it best to go for a little walk and give them time to settle a little more. Besides, he had not seen his new colony in awhile, and it was a nice time to catch up.

[seychelles]

Seychelles smiled as France pulled her into a hug, talking on and on about how he was an honorable Frenchman and did not break his word. She blushed and felt a little bit silly for worrying so much. She should have known that he would be here, just as he had promised.

Then he was letting go, and she felt his eyes upon her. As she met his gaze, she shuddered slightly. He wore a strange expression on his face. Almost hungry, she thought as he licked his lips. But then it was gone, and she decided she must have imagined it. Naïve little Océane couldn’t think of a single good reason for Francis to be looking at her that way.

“I brought you some fine colonists here. I apologize for not being able to bring more.”

She raised her eyebrows. She hadn’t expected him to admit that there weren’t very many of them. She listened patiently as he explained that he had settled for only the best colonists. That made sense to her. She knew that France was very picky about some things. Her first instinct was to believe him completely, but she couldn’t help but notice the disdainful way he looked at some of the colonists. She wondered why. Was it because they weren’t all from his own country? Because some of them had darker skin? If he disliked some of them, why would he praise them? She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She trusted France. He was her big brother now, so if he said something, she should believe it. He had already promised that he didn’t break his word, and wasn’t that sort of the same thing as not lying? It wasn’t like he had any good reason to deceive her. Anyway, his story fit with her ideas that her islands were a very desirable place to live and the French were eager to move there.

“I trust your judgment,” she said. “Thank you.”

They stood there for several long moments before France spoke again. “Come, walk with me.”

Seychelles followed the larger country as he strolled along the beach. She took in the salty smell of the ocean, the clear sky, and the texture of the warm sand beneath her feet. Surely her islands really were the most beautiful place in the world.

“Do you like the beach, Francis?” she asked thoughtfully. “I do. It’s my favorite place. Are there beaches in your country?”

[France]

Relief had flooded through him as his small colony had confirmed that she believed him. Things would run so much smoother if she continued to keep that faith in him for years to come. If there was one thing that Francis knew from his many long years of life, it was that colonies could be such fickle things. It was sweet that the young girl was so trusting now, but who knew how long she would continue to be that way. He would just have to make sure she never caught him in a lie, and hope for the best.

“Do you like the beach, Francis?”

He turned his eyes away from the sparkling surf and looked down at Seychelles. He loved beaches most of the time. They were breathtakingly beautiful and had a calming, mesmerizing sort of feel to them. Very French in his opinion. He would not be so thrilled to be trapped on one all alone and away from the civilized comforts of his home, but he liked them well enough. All the better when they were under French control.

“I do. It’s my favorite place. Are there beaches in your country?”

“I also love beaches, and have many of them. I am bordered by both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea after all.” He gave a contented sigh thinking about his own lands. “One of my most beautiful and peaceful beaches is Villefranche Sur Mer. It’s a smaller more obscure beach, but très beau. You should come visit sometime and see it Océane.”

Looking around, he realized that Villfranche Sur Mer looked a little like the very island they were walking on. Minus the palm trees and bolder outcroppings. His water was perhaps a little darker too, and his sand a slightly different shade of the gold-ish white. He would never confuse the two though, and not only because he felt more of a connection with his own land. Seychelles’ islands were a different climate altogether. It was warmer here, and more humid than back home.

“You really should come visit me back at my home. Once your people are settled in perhaps?” he gave the girl a hopeful look. If there was one thing that Francis loved, it was visitors. So long as they were the non-English variety. Watching people gasp and point in awe at places such as his beautiful heart city, Paris, was always a treat. Vain creature that he was, he took compliments very well and loved to show off what he thought of as the most beautiful and refined piece of land in all of Europe.

[seychelles]

Seychelles listened in silence as France explained that he was bordered by two large bodies of water and therefore had many beaches. She wondered what it was like, not being an island. She thought that it couldn’t be too bad if you had the ocean on two sides, as France did, although she much preferred being an archipelago surrounded completely by water. In her opinion, the more water, the better. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like to be a landlocked nation, with no water at all except the occasional river or lake. And wouldn’t it be strange to share a border with another nation? She could hardly imagine living with her land brushing up against someone else’s.

She realized that Francis was still talking, describing his favorite beach. She wondered if it was anything like hers. She knew that France was farther north and located in Europe, but she had never left her islands and wasn’t sure if that would make any difference in what the beaches were like. Would they be hotter or colder? Would the water still be clear blue and the sand golden-white? Would there be palm trees and boulders? What about seagulls and fish and tortoises? A part of her yearned to find out.

“You really should visit me back at my home. Once your people are settled in perhaps?”

She hesitated. She would really like to go see the beach that he had spoken of, the Villefranche Sur Mere, but she had never traveled very far and was a little bit nervous at the thought of leaving this place that she felt such a deep connection to. Then she looked up and saw the hopeful look in his eyes, and she felt her resistance falter. She imagined sailing to France’s far-off home with the sunlight glistening on the water and the breeze blowing through her hair. But then she thought of losing the feeling of connection to the land and the people, even temporarily, and a fear of the unknown washed over her. She didn't even know what France's home was like. What if she didn't like it?

“Maybe. I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’ve never left my islands before.”

[France]

Just the look on Seychelles’ face told him that she was hesitant to consider his offer. He was puzzled as to why anyone would have their reserves about visiting his homeland. It was the land of love and beauty after all, why should anyone be hesitant to hop on a ship and go visit? Then it occurred to him that Seychelles did not know anything about his land other than what he had mentioned to her before. She must not have known it was the land of beauty and love; a diverse land of costal plains, rolling hills and even mountains in the more south eastern direction.

Being what she was, the little girl would have never even seen many of these geographical traits. She would have never looked upon forests such as his, or any snowy mountain such as his Mont Blanc. Staring down at the petite girl, he felt somewhat sorry for her for having never been off the small archipelago. She probably couldn’t even imagine what the rest of the world was like. There would be time to convince her though that she should travel to other places and see things other than her own blue skies and crystalline waters.

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

The words were whispered, and had France not been listening for them, it would have been easy to not hear them at all over the sounds of the water breaking on the surf.

“I’ve never left my islands before.”

He had figured as much. Seychelles was still such a young thing. He seemed to recall a time way back when he was young when he had never left his homeland. Then he had gotten curious, and he was glad that he had because the world outside his borders had been full of strange and sometimes beautiful things and people. The world had needed more French influence anyways, so he had been doing everyone a favor by venturing out of his borders and exploring.

“There is a first time for everything, Océane. Your home is of course very beautiful, but you should dare to venture off it at some point.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “You know that I would take care of you if you did visit my home.”

Reaching down he patted the girl on the head. Ideally Seychelles would visit him when she had grown a little more. When the cute little girl had turned into a beautiful young woman. He couldn’t wait for that day; when he could teach her less about the world in general and more about love and passion. Sadly, she was still too small for such lessons right now, even by his standards.

Pausing for a moment besides a small cluster of palm trees, he looked back over his shoulder towards the area of the beach that the ship was anchored. “Would you like to go back and meet your people now, little one?” He questioned the child.

[seychelles]

“There is a first time for everything, Océane.”

Océane nodded thoughtfully. She knew that other nations traveled frequently. Francis was here with her right now, wasn’t he? She had never left her islands or associated much with other nations, and she was a little bit afraid to try, but maybe there would come a time when she would want to broaden her horizons and reach beyond her own borders.

“You know that I would take care of you if you did visit my home.”

Seychelles wondered why France felt the need to reassure her of this. She worried for a moment that he was offended, that he had expected her to jump at the chance and was hurt that she hadn’t. Of course she knew he would care for her. Did he think she didn’t trust him? Tall, beautiful France had taken care of her nearly as long as she could remember. She felt him pat her on the head and was reminded of how much bigger and stronger he was, but this was a comforting thought for her. She knew that, by herself, she would be helpless against other nations. She simply wasn’t powerful enough to get by on her own, but France was, and she knew that he would protect her.

“I know you would,” she said, looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes, “and I think I’d like to visit someday. Right now, I need to stay here and help my people, but maybe in a few years, when they’re settled in …”

She let her voice trail off, promising nothing. It wasn’t that she didn’t like France, or that she didn’t trust him. If he said his home was a nice place to visit, then surely it was, because she didn’t believe that France would lie to her. The truth was that she was still uncertain about leaving her own little islands, and she certainly didn’t want to do it until she was ready. If she visited France or anyone else, it would be because she wanted it. She wouldn’t let herself be pushed around by powerful nations, no matter how much she liked them!

She watched as he looked over his shoulder at the ship, no doubt thinking of her new colonists. She was thinking of them too. Despite all this talk of beaches and foreign lands and traveling, she couldn’t stop thinking about the small group of people who had left their native countries to come live here, with her.

“Would you like to go back and meet your people now, little one?”

A grin spread across Océane’s face at the thought of meeting her people. She nodded excitedly. She wasn’t sure what it would be like, meeting them for the first time, but she wasn’t afraid. She was thrilled.

“Of course I do!” she said, practically jumping with excitement. “Come on, let’s go back now!”

[France]

The grin that spread across the child’s face was all that France had needed for a reply. She looked so pleased with the prospect of seeing what was now to be her own people. He could not remember what it was like to meet his own people for the first time. It had been so long ago that he had become a nation, that his earliest events blurred together. He imagined he had been filled with a sense of pride and joy over the encounter, but he could not be sure. Then again, he did not become a nation in the same way that Seychelles was. His land was no island, and he had always had many, many people wandering about it. It had just taken them a bit to declare him an actual nation.

“Of course I do!”

The small girl looked euphoric at the simple idea. In fact, she looked as though she was almost leaping with excitement. A gentle smile spread across his own features. She had probably been wanting to go see her new citizens long before he had mentioned the idea. Possibly from the moment they had left the ship and found themselves on her sands.

“Come on, let’s go back now!”

“Oui, ma petite.” He told her with a slight laugh at her eagerness. “Let’s go see who big brother France has brought along just for you.” He conveniently left out any bits about the spice plantations he hoped to thrive from. Let dear little Océane believe that he had arranged all of this just for her benefit and not his own. He did not want to spoil the child’s image of himself. That he could be anything other than kind and compassionate was something he would rather she not learn.

Grabbing for the little girl’s hand, he started off back towards the ship and the silhouetted shapes of the people still unloading goods from it. He had not taken much time with his little walk, but hopefully they had progressed at least somewhat in their task. He wanted to introduce them to the “mysterious little island girl” that they were no doubt curious about. Of course he would tell no one of her true identity. Nobody other than her new leader, anyways. Let them think that she was some little orphan girl that had been found wandering the islands if it struck their fancy. Or maybe she had been left on accident from the last time ships had anchored in the island’s crystal blue waters.

“Most of these people will not know you for what you are, little one. It is best to keep it that way for now.” He informed the child. “After being here for awhile, they will feel more familiar with you, and oddly kindred. That is the way it usually is, I believe.” Normal people could be so very thick headed sometimes, and usually did not recognize the embodiment of even their own nation or colony when they saw it. On rare occasions, France had witnesses a few who had seemed almost to recognize him, but most French men and women just saw him as he appeared; as an attractive young looking male, who seemed fortunate to hold such sway in affairs of the state.

It would be the same with Ocean. She would not be recognized as more than a little girl for the time being. Not by anyone other than her leader. France was good at inventing stories though, and he was sure he would be able to spin a tale that would make the new inhabitants of the island embrace her as warmly as possible.

“Let me introduce you, Océane. I know these people will simply adore you, even without knowing your importance and true significance.”

[seychelles]

Seychelles bounced up and down impatiently as Francis spoke of how her people would relate to her. She couldn’t wait to meet them and she felt that France was taking too long and talking too much. Her mind was stuck on one thought: go meet the colonists. Even as she tried to listen, she felt her attention drawn away.

She did, however, pick up on what he was saying, and she felt a little confused by some of it. She didn’t see why her people shouldn’t know exactly who and what she was. Her impulsive side argued that it was only fair to tell them, that they would want to know who she was, and that she should go over and tell them right now. But even as she thought that, she felt a sudden rush of panic, and a great fear came over her. She somehow knew that it was a bad idea to tell them, that they were better off not knowing. It was as if she had some sort of inborn desire to conceal her true identity from humans, even her own people.

She thought back to the few times she had interacted with humans in the past. The Portuguese explorer whose arrival was one of her earliest memories, just a faint blur of ships and strange people who she knew instinctively were not like her, and hiding and hoping that they wouldn’t see her, trying to think of what to say if they did, not even sure of the truth yet herself. The British fleet that had been shipwrecked here, the instant feeling of revulsion and the fear as she hid herself from these strangers, the relief when they had gone away and the nagging worry that they would tell someone about her, that more people like them would come and not leave. Now she wondered if she had always been meant to be a French colony, and if that was why the others had frightened her so badly. But it was more than that, she thought. Her worst fear hadn’t been their presence here. It had been them finding her, and finding out what she was. Now that she had people of her own, of course she wouldn’t be afraid of them, but she still had the urge to masquerade as a human for them.

“So basically, I have to pretend I’m human,” she said. “But why? And I have this feeling like I don’t want them to know what I really am. Is that normal?”

She stared up at France with a look of confusion on her face, waiting for a reply.

[France]

“So basically, I have to pretend I’m human.”

France looked down at the small girl as they walked. She was so young to have to hide such secrets already, but it was necessary all the same. If she started claiming to be a colony, her new colonists might either think she was insane, or they might believe her and become distant and fearful. The idea that pieces of land and culture could actually be personified in a human shape was beyond most of them, and no doubt it would be a strange phenomenon for them to think of; even for those who still believed sternly in sea monsters and demons. People had a tendency to fear the unknown and supernatural, whether it happened to look like a little girl or not.

“But why? And I have this feeling like I don’t want them to know what I really am. Is that normal?”

“Oui, that is normal little one. It’s for the best.” His blue eyes lifted from the small shape besides him and focused ahead again. “Our people can be such strange things themselves. They generally don’t like to think about concepts that are outside what they think of as normal. And being what we are, we would not fit into their classification of normal.”

A flock of sea birds had alighted on the beach nearby, and now watched France and his young charge carefully. They were such strange looking birds; nothing like the ones he had back in his own borders. Staring at them for a moment in silence, Francis wondered if animals could tell a personified nation or colony from a normal person. Probably not. At least, in his experience they seemed to treat him the same as any other person.

“Don’t let it bother you though Seychelles. Even if our people don’t often recognize us, there is always that connection. They love us, even if they don’t consciously know it or understand why.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

The two soon approached the sandy area where France’s men and women were unloading their goods from the ship. There wooden crates all over the immediate area, and Seychelles’ new people were chatting animatedly amongst themselves as France urged Seychelles closer.

“Mon amis.” He greeted the colonists brightly. “Look what I have found wandering about the island.” He gestured to little Seychelles as a few of them stopped and came closer for a better look. “The poor little thing was mistakenly left behind by the last ship to drop anchor here.”

Curiously, the new colonist studied Seychelles over. Most of their eyes were dark, but not unfriendly, and the few females amongst them were especially quick to smile at the strange child. France immediately received various questions about his find. Did she speak French? Who left her exactly? How old was she and what was her name? His blue eyes went to Océane, clearly ready to let her answer some of the questions before he elaborated on his story about her origins.
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((Feel free to do whatever with the npc colonists. ~))

[seychelles]

“Oui, that is normal little one.”

Seychelles breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that it didn’t mean that there was something wrong with her. That thought made her shudder a little. Not that she didn’t enjoy being unique in her own way, but the idea of having something like that be abnormal was not a pleasant one for her.

“Our people can be such strange things themselves. They generally don’t like to think about concepts that are outside what they think of as normal. And being what we are, we would not fit into their classification of normal.”

Here, her brow furrowed in confusion as she thought about the concept. She understood not liking things that weren’t normal. She herself was frightened by the thought of a whole world full of strange nations with confusing customs, food, and languages. Being worried by things that were not normal seemed perfectly natural to her, and even trying not to think about them made a certain amount of sense. What she could not understand was why anyone would think that the concept of a personified nation or colony was abnormal. Having been a proto-nation her whole life, it seemed like the most ordinary thing in the world. She supposed, though, that if it was normal for nations to want to hide their identities, very few humans would have found out about it.

She listened as he reassured her that they would still feel the connection to her, and that made her feel a little better. She felt comforted as he patted her on the head. Then they were there among the colonists, and she stood there and looked up at them in awe as France introduced her.

She wondered where he had come up with his excuse from. Surely he knew that the last ship to visit belonged to an explorer and had no women on board, and certainly no little girls. He should know; it had belonged to one of his explorers, after all. But she supposed that he had to tell them something, and she couldn’t think of any better explanation.

The colonists crowded around her and began speaking in French. Seychelles listened as they posed question after question to Francis. She felt the urge to speak to them, but nervousness overwhelmed her. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke up.

“Bonjour,” she said. She spoke quietly, but it caught their attention. “Je m’appelle Océane Charbonneau.”

She now had their undivided attention. She kept speaking in French, explaining that she had been the daughter of a sailor on the latest explorer’s ship, and that she had been brought along because her father had no one else to take care of her while he was gone. She said that she had wandered off when the ship landed here and they had accidentally left her behind probably thinking that she was still on board. She felt a pang of guilt at lying to her new colonists, but she was going to have to do that anyway, so she decided she might as well make it believable. As she finished, she turned and looked at Francis hesitantly, unsure what else to say.

---

Translation: Hello, my name is Océane Charbonneau.

[France]

His story had been dangerously transparent-or at least, it would have been for anyone who had known much about the last ship to stop by the islands. Still, the men and women before him seemed to swallow it hook line and sinker, and Francis mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with such a believable story spur of the moment. It was apparent that this group of colonists did not actually know much about the islands, or any previous trips to them. A fact that was working out in their favor.

“Bonjour.”

The small child’s voice, quiet as it was, was enough to silence the colonists and draw Francis’ attention back down to where she stood besides him. Happy that she was sure enough to speak up now, France listened intently to her tale about being accidentally left behind by her father. It sounded solid to him, and it complemented his tale very well.

When the colony looked up at him, France gave her a slight nod of the head to signify a job well done. His blue eyes wandered back to the colonists, taking in their reactions. They all appeared rather shocked that the poor little girl could get left behind like that, and that her father had not returned yet to get her. Immediately, some of the men jumped to the inattentive father’s defense, claiming that he probably had not noticed until he was far away from the island, and that by then he might have been the sort to assume her already dead. As it was, a good number of the colonists were shocked that such a small girl could survive for so long on her own.

“It does not matter why or how she was left behind.” It was the heavier voice of the African madame from Réunion. She stepped forwards, and Francis took note of the almost motherly look of compassion on the woman’s features. “She has company now, and we can take care of her.” There were a few murmurs of agreement and some more quick but no less heartfelt smiles. Then, their curiosity satiated, some of the colonist broke away to return to the task of unloading again.

France placed a hand on Seychelles’ slender shoulder as those still looking the small girl over were discussing who she should stay with. “She’ll stay with me of course.” He informed them with an air of pride. “While I am here, anyways. You would like that, wouldn’t you Océane?”

[seychelles]

The colonists’ reactions startled Océane. She was surprised that they had trouble believing she could have lived this long stranded on an island. There was no difficulty surviving here if you knew how to live off the land, and who could know the islands better than she did? She knew humans were weaker than her kind, but she had never thought about the implications of decreased strength and endurance before. Was that why they were startled? Would ordinary people have had difficulty living here on their own? She pushed away the questions, knowing that this wasn’t the time to ask them.

What really irritated her was the men who defended the actions of her “father”. As a nation, she didn’t have any biological parents, so she didn’t have a lot of experience with them, but she had trouble imagining a father assuming his daughter to be dead without making absolutely certain that she wasn’t still alive out there. She knew that it was better if these people bought her story completely, but she still didn’t like that part of it. At least some of them seemed to have a negative impression of the “father” in her story, so hopefully that sort of thing wasn’t normal for humans.

The voice of the African woman cut through her thoughts. “She has company now, and we can take care of her.”

Seychelles looked up with a smile on her face, deciding that she liked this woman. “Merci, Madame,” she said.

As most of the colonists went back to unloading their ship, a few lingered, discussing whom she should stay with. France seemed to have his own ideas about that. He informed them that the girl would be staying with him while he was here. “You would like that, wouldn’t you Océane?”

Océane nodded eagerly. “Oui, Francis! I would like that very much!”

Seychelles had a feeling that everything was working out exactly as it was supposed to. She wasn’t sure what the future would bring, but she knew that right here, right now, everything was going perfectly.

--
OOC:
Translation: Thank you, ma’am.
So I guess this is pretty much it unless you have anything else you want to add.[/color]