Princess Rosella of Daventry

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

[Filtered from Known DELILAH Members | Blue's Codes | Unhackable]

This Year's Resolutions
1. I resolve to keep doing my best to be happy, no matter what new tricks the City may play.
2. I resolve to find more ways to spend money helping people, since I'm sure there are plenty of better uses for it than just sitting around with me.
3. I resolve to puzzle out how in the world that one bakery manages to get little pies inside their cakes, and make them myself when I do.
4. I resolve to throw a party that Mother would be proud of. Even if it's not quite as elaborate as one of Mr. Stark's.
5. I resolve to give my blood to the hospital again, to help someone who needs it.
6. I resolve to visit Ellington at least once a week so he doesn't get lonely.
7. I resolve to stop threatening to feed certain people to Ellington when those certain people are behaving particularly insufferably, because if I keep doing it he might take me seriously again, and that would be a terrible mess. Er, again.
8. I resolve to listen to more of Sam's music. Even the ones that don't sound like music.
9. I resolve to learn a new skill, whatever it may be.
10. I resolve to stop wondering when it'll at last be my turn to go home, and simply make the best of things here for as long as it lasts.

There, that's a fine list, isn't it? Quite a few people were making them the other day, I know, so I suppose I'm a bit behind in that respect, but I did still get them all set out before the start of the New Year, which is really the most important part of it all, I think.

And to think, another year gone already! My goodness, it seems like only yesterday that we were starting this year fresh and new, and here it is coming to an end before our eyes. A dear friend of mine once told me that it's the first year here that seems to take the longest, and then all the other ones after that go faster and faster all the time. I think she must have been right, because it certainly feels as though this one went by fast. Even with all the things that happened in it.

It's strange, really. When I first started keeping this journal of mine, it was because I'd just embarked on this new adventure here in the City, and I thought I'd better write down an account of all the things I saw and did, so that when I went home again I could tell it all to our court chronicler and my family. That's what's meant to be done after adventures, in my family; we get back and we all hug each other and then we sit right down and tell the whole tale so everyone can hear it, and so Gerwain can put it in the chronicle for everyone else to read later, too. But my goodness, after almost three and a half years here, I'm certainly going to have quite a bit to retell, aren't I? And that's not even counting my adventure in Tamir, the one I had before this one that I never did get to sit down and tell everyone about. Goodness, to think that that was three and a half years ago, too, now...

Things just keep going on and on, don't they? And they always get better. I've lost count of how many times I've said that by now, after Sam first told it to me all those years ago. But I think he was right, and it's a good thing to remember at the beginning of a new year, too.

[Accidental Voice Post | Open Action]

[There are footsteps, the light crunching of snow, the rustle of a long woolen cloak--and the huffing of one incredibly exasperated princess as she makes the long and perilous trek from the massive complex that was formerly the residence of the four Pevensies (and now is home to only one, plus guest) into the City proper and across the way, aiming for the Warehouse with a very specific purpose in mind.]

Oh, drat it all, I knew I ought to have packed that helmet when I had the chance--

[But alas, it is indeed a very long way to the Warehouse, and with that much ground to cover, it's only a matter of time before someone stops her, isn't it?]


[OOC: Let's have some mistletoe madness~ Action is open to everyone (though people she knows to be evil, I can't promise she won't make a speedy getaway before you can get close to her, sorry) and you're welcome to encounter her pretty much anywhere in the City! Also, it's exam season and I've got one tomorrow at 8:30 AM, so my tags may be slow and sporadic for a bit, but I will backdate like the wind. Bear with me!]

[Accidental Voice Post]

--rat it all, I did it again, didn't I. Honestly, every Giving-Thanks--but really, I didn't think we'd end up with this much...

[Mumble mumble.]

...uppose I can always wrap some of it up and give it to the Welcome Center, and just keep some of it for ourselves, and--oh, bother, this was always much easier when I could count on Sam to finish off all the...

[Mumble mumble mumble.]

...umpkin, one whole apple, half of cherry, one and half again of custard. I wonder why the custard didn't go very well? It tasted all right to me...hmm. And then there's half a turkey still, and the cranberry sauce--and I still haven't looked at the ceiling, thank you--and bowls and things of the potatoes and dressing and goodness, all the cookies, and--oh, when did this turn on?

[A pause.]

Er...well, um, since this is already on, I suppose I might as well ask, really: if anyone would like some, er, leftover baked things from Gi--from Thanksgiving, please do let me know, won't you? Because really, I'd be more than happy to oblige.


[OOC: So Rosella likes big Thanksgiving dinners. Rosella also has an unfortunate tendency to bake up a storm when she's stressed out. Put the two together and what do you get? A veritable mountain of leftovers. >> Please take some. Please.

Also, for those interested, my HMD thread is here!]

Oh, everyone's here again! My goodness, it's been a while, hasn't it? I think it was summer, really, the last time you all came, and now it's just getting to be properly fall--so I suppose in a way you're right on time, since you do all seem to arrive around once every season. And come to think of it, this is rather the month for it, too, isn't it? Since I recall having visitors one year for Halloween, and we all had a marvelous party, and it was a lovely way of saying goodbye to another October once and for all.

...Because it is October now, isn't it? I've been trying not to think too much of it, but...well. It's only a month, and I've beaten it before. And I think I've seen enough Octobers by now to be ready to weather whatever it is that might come from this one.

But in any case, there's no sense dwelling on all that, not with everyone here for the weekend! Oh, I do hope it's for the whole weekend, too, it's always so nice to see all of you. Er, please do be careful around the cars, though--they're quite important to Miss Saya, and it'd be for the best if you left them alone as best you could, thank you.

Well! I think I've enough cookies and milk to last a little while, at least, and I'd be more than happy to entertain any visitors who might come to call, so please do stop by and say hello! Especially, er...any familiar faces that might be passing through.


[OOC: As always, she's canonically from just after the end of Perils of Rosella, and with some very disjointed and vague knowledge of Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder. If something comes up that I don't want her to know, I'll just have her forget it, so have a party--anything goes! HIT HER WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT. Troll, threadjack, have a ball!

And of course, I am totally okay with backdating. ♥]

[Accidental Video Post]

[The video opens to a jostling and bouncing view of the Square, as viewed from roughly thigh-high; evidently, the device has been stuck into someone's pocket for the transit, and got switched on by motion or by mistake. Supporting this conclusion is the fact that one small corner of the view seems to be covered by a bit of red fabric, obscuring the view that minor bit.

However, that small obstruction doesn't matter much in the next few seconds, as someone in black jumps in front of the camera and fairly bellows: ]

Halt, fair maid!

[A brief pause, and then, a familiar voice: ]

I beg your pardon?

Halt, I say! You shall not pass this way until you have delivered me my due!

[Another pause.]

Oh, all right, I suppose I can manage that. What is it you'd like?

[And proudly, the bellowing voice announces: ]

I demand of thee an eye, an ear, and a full set of teeth! Surrender them to me, or step no further!

[There is another short pause, followed by a soft sigh, and then the camera begins to jostle again, accompanied now by the rustle of fabric as the speaker begins to pull things from her pockets without hesitation.]

Yes, of course. There's a needle for your eye, a bit of corn for your ear, and the blade from a saw for your teeth. And I'll just be on my way now, thank you.

...Hey, w-wait, that isn't what I--

[But the camera is already bouncing again as she smoothly walks around him, and after another few steps, the video switches off.]


[OOC: Oh, was this curse made for Rosella or what. Feel free to action her up and demand things of her in exchange; it's a perfect excuse to use all the ridiculous things she carries in her pockets! Otherwise, Network is just fine. :D]

I've heard it mentioned, you know, that today is Father's Day, along with being the second day of all the visitors stopping by to pay a call.

It does all line up rather neatly that way, doesn't it? We spent a whole week popping around to other worlds and acting like visitors ourselves, and now we're back here where we started and it's our turn to play the hosts instead. Though I imagine that even our poorest reception is still better than some of the other ones extended in the past few days.

I think everyone always wants to see the people they know and miss on days like this, and I'm certainly no exception. But at the same time...well, if they don't come, then I hope that's a sign that they're happy where they are, and free, and doing well. I think I could take that as ample consolation.

...But Daddy, if you're here, this is your day! It's meant just for you. And there's nothing I'd like more than to spend it with you.


[Canonically, she's from just after the end of Perils of Rosella, and with some very disjointed and vague knowledge of Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder. If something comes up that I don't want her to know, I'll just have her forget it, so have a party--anything goes! HIT HER WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT. Troll, threadjack, have a ball!

And of course, I am totally okay with backdating. ♥]

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

I suppose there really isn't a great deal to be said about the past few curses we've had lately, other than to acknowledge that they were just as ridiculous as they always are, and to be thankful that it all seems to have blown over now. I hope everyone can be as understanding as possible in the aftermath--after all, the hardest curses to forgive really are the ones that need it most. I'm doing my best to be as understanding as I can be, too.

Oh, which reminds me--Sparrow, I'm not certain if it really was a fair trade, a yam and some other things in exchange for your movie, so if you'd like it back, I'll be happy to return it to you. But if it's all the same to you, I'd really rather like to keep it, if I may. I think I'm going to make a day of watching movies tomorrow, and this one looks wonderfully fun.

And, er, I know this is a rather odd question to ask, but it's been on my mind lately, so I thought I'd...well. It couldn't hurt to ask, I suppose, if anyone is willing to indulge me a little. There's...no real reason for my asking, other than that it's just something I'd like to hear:

What is your best friend like, City?


[OOC: So tomorrow marks the anniversary of Sam Witwicky's departure, and therefore one year Rosella's spent without her best friend in the City. Hence the curiosity. Also, my dreams have come true and she's acquired a VHS of Mary Poppins, which she'll be viewing tomorrow along with Sam's old copy of Transformers in memory. Good stuff! Bodice-ripper? What bodice ripper. DENIAL IS NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT. What shenanigans will ensue from this? Only time will tell!]

[Video Post]

[The video opens on a fairly messy bedroom—all right, perhaps "fairly messy" is an understatement, considering the floor is littered with stacks of odds and ends, books and papers, clothes piled here and there, with barely more than a narrow strip of empty floor space leading from the side of the bed to the door. It is, however, a charming bedroom despite the mess: the bed is a four-poster with a canopy and dotted with fluffy, comfortable-looking pillows; there's a nightstand near the head of the bed, on which rests a small lamp, a tattered and clearly much-loved book of fairy tales, and a pink cell phone with charms attached; dangling over the open closet door hangs a piece of rope several feet in length, and beneath it are propped a bow and quiver of arrows, a sword, and a pair of Rollerblades; on the desk sits another stack of books, a pretty jewelry box, and a candelabra filled with pink tapers. On the wall hangs a stately portrait in a gold frame, and this is the image that the camera eventually settles on as a rather unusual narration begins.]

Good, that's good, get a shot of the portrait. We can use that a hundred times with a voice-over. Okay, great, pan the room, make sure to get all the junk...

Jesus, I pity the guy who spends the night in this place.

Hey, grab me the list a sec, do we have any names of ones who might've tried?

Uh...hang on, you want just the known acquaintances or...?

Eh, give me whatever you've got right there.

Okay, uh, I've got Witwicky, Black, Blue, Gray, Hargreaves, Perry, Anderson, Chase, Thorn, Maxwell, X, Pevensie, Pevensie again, Felix, Winchester, and Colbie. That's the one who lives here now, Nigel Colbie.

Some of those aren't here anymore, though. Who've we got that's still around?

Uh...Hargreaves, Perry, Anderson, Chase, X, both Pevensies, Felix, Winchester, and Colbie.

All right, we'll try to catch one of them. Christ, how does she live like this?

[Then, abruptly, the camera jerks, and a familiar voice rings out with a squawk of protest.]

What are you—get out of my room!

[And in the ensuing squabble, the video ends.]


[OOC: It's canon: Rosella's room is a beautiful disaster. And her documentary creators probably planned to strip out that audio in the final production, but alas, the rough cut made it to the Network. Colored italics are her camera crew and narrator; standard font is Rosella. ♥!]

( Chatlog | Hackable )

[Audio Recording]

[A click of a keyboard heralds the beginning of the recording, followed by another few rapid tapping noises; a few moments later, an unfinished audio track begins to play softly through the speakers. After playing through about twenty seconds, it stops, the keyboard clicks again, and the clip replays--this time with a murmured voice quietly singing along.]

Sing for me, little mockingbird, your voice, my whim, never speak a word--

[No, no good. The clip rewinds; the voice tries again.]

Bird within an iron cage...gilded cage...golden cage...

[No, still not quite. It rewinds again and plays through alone, with no voice in accompaniment, and then stops. There is a rustle of fabric as someone slumps a little lower in her chair, and her fingers tap lightly against the keys in thought.]

And the emperor said, go fetch the nightingale and bring it to sing for my son, and the servants traveled far and wide and caught it, and put it into a cage, and brought it back for the little prince...but it stayed silent in its golden cage, and never sang a single note.

[The music rewinds once more.]

Nightingale in a golden cage, that's me, never free, tethered fast to my stage...

[Hm. Better. And after another few clicks of the keys, the audio ends.]


[OOC: Rockstar Rosella, ahoy! AU details are here; feel free to hit me up in that thread if you want to plot something out! I'll roll with pretty much anything. She's hanging out in a cafe in the Square, puttering around on her laptop, so feel free to chat with her via the Network or action her up to say hello!

Also, for people who want to hear the melody she's singing, it's here. :D]

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

Last year, Penny told me that the holiday today is St. Patrick's Day, and that it's celebrated with all sorts of things, like green beer and shamrocks and four-leaf-clovers. It's a holiday I'll have to take back with me to Daventry, I think, when it finally comes time for me to go; I'm sure the King of the Leprechauns would be absolutely delighted by it. They're very fond of four-leaf-clovers, leprechauns, and the king in particular is quite partial to them. We'd always make certain to wear them when he came to call, back when I was only a girl.

He was rather fond of me, too, back in those days. I have a feeling it was something to do with the fact that we were the same height.

Though I've heard tell of people being pinched today, and it's something to do with the color green? I suppose that's not so difficult a thing to avoid, really, if all one has to do is wear a bit of green. Tuck a clover into one's cap or tie a ribbon in one's hair and that's that. I have a few green dresses I could wear, myself, but I haven't met my resolution of wearing a modern outfit yet this month, so I suppose I might as well manage both at once today, just the same. I'm growing quite attached to those sweaters with the hood and the zipper down the front, even if they don't go very well with a dress.

Only four more days until the first of spring! If that's not something to look forward to, I don't know what is. The party's coming along well, too, or at least as well as I can make it; it may not be the grandest of events, but I think it'll turn out nice, just the same.

[Filtered AWAY from the Deities | Attempted Unhackable]

But of course, there's still the matter of the tower near Building Three.

There's sand everywhere now, and unlike some other times when damage has been caused to a part of the City, it hasn't gone away on its own. I'm told that people found writing inside the tower, as well? The verses to a song about a bridge falling down, I think--which isn't so different from a tower falling, really. I'm also told that there's talk in those verses about how to build the tower back up again, to keep it from falling further. If that's so, I think it'd be wise if we all set about getting some of those materials together, in case this wasn't the only building that should chance to turn to sand and fall.

But that leads to the problem of what might've caused it. Has anyone spoken with a little creature named Iacho? He was on the Network playing with a sand castle just the other day, and he told me he lives in the Deity Building--which, I think, is a few too many coincidences to truly be one.

To say nothing of the fact that the tower fell on the Ides of March. I do wonder about that, as well.


[OOC: Whew! My apologies for the infodump; Rosella had a lot to talk about today. Yes, she is wearing green and therefore is safe from pinching, because she actually bothered to read the Network in advance for once. FRIENDS OF HERS, please feel free to assume you received an invitation to her birthday first-of-spring party this coming Monday; if you've spoken with her once or twice, you probably qualify. Also, if memory serves, there's really no such thing as filtering away from the deities on the Network, but she's trying it anyway. ♥]