Quest 212

[primrosella]

[Private || Hackable by Friends]

I'm all right. I'm all right. I'm scared and this is a wretched curse and he's a monster, that doctor, he's nothing but a monster but--but I'm all right. I am. I'm safe in the Warehouse and the spells are all up and he can't get me so long as I'm in here. He's not welcome in here, and the Warehouse won't let him in. It threw him out before. It'll throw him out again.

So I'm all right. I've done worse before. Dealing with Lolotte was worse than this. I was alone in Tamir and I managed all right, even when I had to face her myself. I've held Pandora's Box in my hands, and that was worse than this. He's a monster, and he's a madman, but I'm safer here than I was then. I have friends here. I have defenses here. And he's no different than--than an ogre or a troll. He's just a monster.

And a monster can't love, so if it's cursed to do just that--

Because that must be it. He must be cursed, just like everyone else has been cursed, because he wouldn't have listened to me if he weren't. If it were just a matter of scaring me, taunting Cain--then why would he listen? It wasn't like that the last time, when we thought Cain's father might've found me. He talked to me, but he didn't--listen. Then, it was as though I were just a puppet in the midst of a greater game, and my strings were being pulled every which way. But this...

A boy with white hair who couldn't get warm, and sat in an alley covered in blood--

But what in the world am I going to do with all that--all those things he left? Goodness knows I wouldn't eat that candy if it were the last thing on earth, and I'm certainly not about to put up those flowers anywhere. And that--that jar of--I don't even know what--

It's the sort of thing I'd expect to find in a hag's cave or an evil wizard's laboratory, not on a doorstep. Not on my doorstep! And if he got it here--then where did he get it from, and--

Honestly, why would you ever?!

Ugh. As if I needed any more reason to hate August. Peter's still--there's still no word of him, and I haven't gotten anywhere at puzzling out how to call on Adrastus's mother for help, and Penny's upset and Cain's in an awful mood and I'm in an awful mood, and why shouldn't I be, when there's a madman delivering parts of people to my doorstep? Ugh, this is always such a terrible month. At least now I know about that...oh, what was it? Tanabata? That story about the Sky Princess and the husband she loved, which explains why there are always troubles with love around this time of year. But it certainly doesn't make things any easier to put up with in the meantime.

I've always managed so far. I can manage now. I just have to get things figured out.

Now, if only all this utter silliness would just be over...

[/Private]

One of the first lessons I ever learned in this City was about the importance of understanding. In a place like this, with so many people from so many different places, it's easy to find ourselves caught in the middle of misunderstandings simply because we see things in different ways, and because we've all had different experiences that have shaped the way we approach things now. A word from one place might be the same word in another, but the two words might have completely different meanings. A reality in one place might be nothing more than a story in another. A monster in one world might not be a monster in the next.

The curses bring about a lot of misunderstandings, too. That's the whole point of them, really, to make us do things we normally wouldn't, and to try to make us miserable because of it. And oftentimes, they succeed--especially so with curses like this. The ones that make us act differently are the ones that are hardest to be understanding about, both during and afterward, because they turn us into people we're not, make us do things we wouldn't, make us hurt people we ordinarily love. These sorts of curses are some of the worst to endure, and the hardest to forgive.

And yet, these are the ones when forgiveness is needed the most.

I'm still not certain yet if yesterday's curse really ended at midnight, or if it's decided to persist through today as well. Last year this sort of thing ended at the stroke of midnight, and in a rather humiliating way for everyone concerned. This year, it's much harder to tell.

However, when it finally does come to an end, I hope that we can all find it within ourselves to be understanding about the circumstances, and to be open to the people we've hurt, and to forgive the things we said and did when we couldn't help ourselves. And it's a duty that both people need to engage in--the people that were hurt need to find the strength to forgive, and to not hold those actions against the person that hurt them, and the person that was cursed needs to do the responsible thing and ask forgiveness for the things they did, and apologize for hurting their friend, even if they couldn't help it at the time.

I'd hate to see more friendships needlessly ruined over something as silly as a curse.

I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I won't be coming in to the Library to help today. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, and so I think I'll be staying in and getting some rest until I start feeling a bit more like myself.


[OOC: My, Rosella's certainly putting on a brave face for someone who found a human heart on her doorstep yesterday. Sob. She'll just be over here hating this curse and hiding inside her magically-warded Warehouse until the world stops being crazy, thanks. ♥]

Comments

audio;

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

What's wrong, Rosella?

audio;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Oh, this sort of curse always bothers me, Caspian. I'm afraid it's given me a bit of a headache, that's all.

audio;

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

Is there anything I can do? For you?

[sparkling-by.livejournal.com]

...how about some soup?

[had_not_lived]

Is everything all right?

[horrible-penny.livejournal.com]

That was a great entry, Rosella. We all probably needed to be reminded about the forgiving and understanding thing. I don't think the curse ended--and I'm still hoping it's a curse--but it has to eventually, and then we'll get days full of apologizing and forgiving. Then everything will be okay.

Do you need anything, Rosella? And did the curse leave you alone?

audio;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, I...mm. I wouldn't mind having something else to think about for a bit, if you'd like to talk with me awhile.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I think that sounds like a very good idea, Tamaki. I'll be certain to have some today, and to get plenty of rest, too.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It's been a bit of a rough few days, hasn't it, Neil? And I'm afraid the next few will be the same way, once this curse is over--if it's not already, that is.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It's the sort of thing that needs to be said every once in a while, I should think. And especially so during times like this, since it's an easy thing to forget.

I'm managing as best I can. Are you all right, Penny? Have you been feeling better?

[adamantined]

I think people in general tend to automatically forgive other people for the things that happen during curses. Whether you've been here a week or a year. That doesn't really stop people from

Probably enough people have asked if you're alright by now. You need anything?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I'd like to hope so. Still, I think it bears repeating every once in a while.

Oh, I'm managing all right. I think just staying in and getting plenty of rest will be the best thing to do at the moment, really.

audio;

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

I would talk with you, Rosella. I would walk with you too if you wish.

[adamantined]

I think it's nice as far as friendly reminders go.

I heard orange juice is supposed to be good for that kind of thing.

audio;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It'd be better if I had someone with me, but if he were to see me with you--especially if I'm right that he thinks he's in love with me--then he might...drat it all.

I'd certainly welcome a talk, though I think I'd better just stay in today. I'm...er, not really up to a walk, I don't think.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I just hate to see misunderstandings lead to people feeling so bad, both during them and in the aftermath. And the hardest curses to forgive are always the ones that need it the most, it seems.

I think I have some, and Tamaki suggested soup, so I think I'll have a little of both and that will be just right. For now.

[adamantined]

Yeah, I think so, too. Especially when we're trying to forgive ourselves. More than people forgiving us and curses and forgetting about it, sometimes I think it's harder to do on a personal level than it is on any other. But we're a resilient collection. I think things will get put right.

You sure you didn't just hold your thermometer up to a light bulb to get out of Library duty?

audio;

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

That's all right, I understand.

[And maybe he can be a lot nicer than he has been when his face is hidden.]

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Admitting that there was really nothing you could've done is always difficult, no matter the circumstances. And I think there'll be a lot of those admissions after the curse is over, too. Still, I'll be glad when all this is over with. Things were going so well this month, too, before all this mess came about.

Oh, I'm fairly certain I did nothing of the sort. I like the Library far too much to try to get out of working there.

audio;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Yesterday and today haven't been the best of days, I'm afraid. I'm still...I've had a lot on my mind lately, and this all hasn't helped that a bit.

[adamantined]

Speak for Messes in this place always have a way of working themselves out, for the most part. Things'll get back to their version of normal eventually.

They're working on rebuilding it or something, right?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

And until then, we'll all just have to keep hoping. It'll be all right.

Yes, and rewriting the books that were lost, too. Half the building was destroyed, and there was a fire that caused a great deal of damage, so we're all working hard to get things set back to rights again.

[had_not_lived]

I guess I'm still a little shaken from last month... This doesn't seem so bad. Embarrassing, of course, but hopefully no one will get hurt too badly.

[adamantined]

I'd say I'll keep my fingers crossed, but that just makes it sounds like it needs the extra luck.

I heard there were monks doing all the rewriting work. Pulling thoughts out of people's heads and stuff.

audio;

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

When was the last time you had a better day?