[Accidental Video Post]

[It's just a bit past noon when the video flickers on--then off--then on again, wobbling in and out of darkness before finally bringing into focus the sight of a train compartment, and a slightly rumpled-looking girl sitting on the soft blue cushions, gazing intently out the window. Her own silence makes the noises of the train around her more pronounced--the rattling, the clanking, the whispering rush of air--and careful observers may notice that this girl's face is a shade paler than it normally would be, that her fingers are twisting in the fabric of her skirt in rhythm with the noise.

She hates this, the roar of the engines, the hum of machinery. There's a reason she never goes down to use the subway system beneath the City, even if it means a much longer walk above ground to get to the same place. There's a reason she has avoided this at all costs. She hates it here, buried underground in these tunnels, surrounded by the sound of the machines she loathes so much.

Her fingers twist again, the knuckles turning white, and the video dissolves into static.

But then, a few seconds later, it flickers back in again, and now Rosella's hand is pressed against the glass of the window as she leans toward it, as if that extra few inches will somehow give her a clearer look at--whatever it is she sees. Her voice, when she speaks, is quiet--and a little anxious.]

It's...it's a trick. It can't-- [A crackle of static; the video flickers.] --al. Can it? No, it can't, it's not...

[She slides closer, both hands cupped against the window now, her face pressed close with her fingers curled to reduce the glare off of the glass.]

They did this last ye-- [Static. But a bit of audio filters through, even if the video is still obscured.] --re we going?

[And then, after another few seconds, the video clicks on again--just in time to see a faint shape, deathly white, SLAM against the window from the outside of the train, and to witness Rosella jumping a mile at the sight, recoiling with a shriek that is half from surprise and half from horror.

Another flicker of the video, and now she is curled on the bench with her knees pulled to her chest, her hands over her ears, and she is mumbling frantically under her breath.]

It has to stop sometime. It has to stop. It always stops, don't look, don't-- [Static.] --ere, it's fine, it's fine, there's nothing there, it's nothing, it's--

[The train rattles, the door creaks, and the video flickers once--twice--and then finally cuts out.]


( OOC TL;DR )

[And mods, if I've gotten any of this wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it. o/]

[Accidental Video Post]

[The video opens with the sound of a click, revealing a lopsided view of what appears to be a bedroom--and Rosella, on her hands and knees, peering beneath the bed. Her hair is fanned out behind her in a curling mass of gold, a sharp contrast to both her blue dress and the carpet beneath her. However, there is something strange about the scene: anyone who knows Rosella will be able to identify at once that this is not her own bedroom, since the floor is actually visible, and her surroundings are neat and tidy. Sitting nearby, partially obscuring the frame, sits a brown basket with a blue ribbon tied around the handle and a few fuzzy-looking towels and sheets inside.]

There you are. You remember me, don't you? Yes, of course you do, it's just me, see? It's just me. Now come here, Snowdrop. Come here...

[She reaches a little farther under the bed, making a faint noise of frustration.]

Please come here? I know, I'm sorry, it's been--it's been days, I'm sorry, but I was cursed and acting quite silly and I didn't know any better, or I would've been here much sooner. Snowdrop, come here, come on...

[But gradually, she stops reaching, and instead just sits still and looks under the bed, apparently watching something.]

I'm sorry, but you have to come with me. I have to take you home with me, Snowdrop. Please come out? I know you like it here much better, but...but Blue isn't here to take care of you anymore. And that means that now you've got to...to come live with me, instead. Please? And Prince, too, we'll bring him back with us, we won't forget him. I'll remember. I'll...

Please come here, Snowdrop? I know it won't be the same without Blue looking after you, and that you're...going to miss him, so much, so very much...

[Slowly, Rosella sinks from her hands and knees to the ground, now lying on her side with her head resting against the floor and one arm still stretched beneath the bed.]

Please come out. We have to go home, Snowdrop...to the Warehouse, I mean. You have to come back with me. I promised Blue I'd look after you, and I can't look after you if you won't come out. We can't just stay here...we have to go home, so you have to come out. We can't stay here forever. We have to go home. We can't...can't...

[She slowly trails off, going quiet and hardly moving, just lying still half-curled on the floor.]

I know how much you're going to miss them, Snowdrop...

[And after another few seconds of silence, the feed ends.]


[OOC: So Blue went home on Monday, and thanks to the High School curse following immediately afterward, Rosella hasn't had to actually face that reality until now. Sob, two of her dearest friends in three months, poor kid. Feel free to recognize Blue's apartment or the fact that the cat she's projecting her sadness onto is Alice's, and put two and two together from there!

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

[Accidental Voice Post]

[The audio begins, rather abruptly, to the sound of someone in near-hysterics, shrieking in a tone that is both desperate and pleading.]

--told you he doesn't know! Stop it, stop it, put him down, how can you expect him to--Alexander! Leave him alone, he told you he doesn't know! He said he doesn't--

[Then, suddenly, she goes silent as she at last becomes aware of her surroundings, and more importantly, the fact that these are not the same surroundings she was seeing a moment ago.]

...What--what sort of trickery is this? A fountain...? Horses? This isn't--where am I?

[The sound of her breathing quickens.]

What have you done, Mordack?! Where am I?! Where's my--Mother, where's my mother, what have you done with her?! Alexander--our castle--no, no, what have you done, where am I?! Where have you taken me? What is this, what have you done?! Let me go!

[The questions seem to hang in the air as she falls silent again, waiting for a reply that never comes. There is a long, drawn-out pause, in which the only discernible sound is the faint rush of water from the Fountain in the background. When Rosella finally speaks again, her voice is quiet and trembling, obviously directed more to herself than to anyone else whom she thinks might be listening. Despite sounding on the verge of tears, it is clear that she is determined to carry on as bravely as she can.]

It still won't work. Whatever you've done to me, it won't work, it doesn't--it doesn't matter what you do to me, he'll never change that awful cat back for you. No matter how you threaten us--it won't work, it won't ever work, he'll never help you!

Don't tell him anything, Alexander. It doesn't matter about me. You've done more than your part already. This time--this time it's mine to bear.

[There is a soft rustle of cloth as she gets to her feet, and then the faint sound of heels clicking against pavement as she begins to walk around, trying to get her bearings as she attempts to make sense of everything she is seeing.]

Mordack...what in the world have you done with me...?


[OOC: Ahhh, I've been wanting to do this one for a while. So today, Rosella is cursed with Feels Like The First Time, ( which means... [OOC Explanation Within] )

She is currently wandering around the Square, mostly keeping near the Fountain, so action for people out there, and voice for everyone else.]

( Private//Hackable by Friends )

Oh, everything was very interesting the other day when it was all changed. Even if some unpleasant things did happen, it was still fun to see all the different clothes and buildings. I usually enjoy curses like that, getting a look at how things were in different times. It’s very exciting, like being in Blue’s club, only everywhere.

Speaking of exciting, my birthday is less than two weeks away. I very much hope all of my friends out there haven’t been slacking off on what to get me. Only gifts fit for a princess will be accepted. If you have issues with that then you’re clearly not as good a friend as I thought. Perhaps this will be a true test of friendship, goodness knows that some of you have been freeloading on my goodwill as it were.

Also, has anyone noticed how strange that giant store is still making some people look strange? I simply refuse to go into it anymore. It hasn’t changed me yet, but I’m not letting it have the chance. Sam, from now on you’re in charge of shopping. Really, it can’t make you look much sillier than you already are.

Speaking of looking silly, Kanda, I’ve discovered a sentiment that perfectly expresses my feelings for you. I’ve seen it on the network. DIAF. It stands for Die In A Fire. Isn’t that so perfect and appropriate? It exactly expresses the fact that you’re worthless, a waste of time and could best serve a purpose to act as kindling. I’m very glad that I learned this phrase.

Perhaps, since I’m on the subject of wastes of time, I should tell you Cain that we’re over. While you were certainly thrilling as the man I wasn’t sure if I had feelings for and were very much not something I could have, the longer I’ve had you the more I realize that your inaccessibility was really the only thing that made your other qualities worthwhile. When we get down to it, you’re a polite person, but not exactly a nice person and perhaps not even a good person. Really, the poetry and nice words are all just nice wrapping on a rather dull and undesirable present.

You were a rather enjoyable experiment. Or, drat it all what do they call it… a fling, yes, that’s right, a fling, but I just don’t see myself being with someone like you for any length of time. Perhaps it was a mistake to stay with you this long but you know how I tend to think things over a million times before I make a decision. I hope you don’t take this as me saying you’re entirely unpleasant as a person, because that’s quite the opposite, you’re just unpleasant for me to keep around any longer as a boyfriend.

Well, now I feel much better than I have in a while. Isn’t it lovely when you can just get things off your chest? I feel so much better I think I may go for a walk in the garden.


[OOC: SOBBITY SOB. So Rosella and Sam are both cursed today, absolutely hate each other's guts, and are venting their aggression at each other (for the moment) in the form of stealing each other's Network devices. So they're currently pretending to be each other on the Network, and this right here is Sam's handiwork. ♥ Feel free to notice that something is Not Quite Right here, and stay tuned for Sam's post, which will be up shortly hereafter.

Responses from redrosella are from Sam pretending to use Rosella's Network account, and ones from not_so_sam will be from Rosella on Sam's. And they'll both be trolling like mad, most likely, so threadjacking, ahoy?]

( Private//Hackable by Friends )

It's quiet out today, isn't it?

The barrier is patched. That strange man is gone. The animals are back, and they say that soon they'll let the people out, too, if they haven't already. Has anyone come back, or did they finally make it home, after all? I wonder.

Is it over? Can it finally, finally be over?

Sam, if you need me to do anything for you today, just yell for me. Or call on my device. I'll wake up, I promise.

Please just let it all be over.


[OOC: Hello, rock bottom. Fancy meeting you again! Fortunately, the only way to go from here is up, right? Also, this is kind of placeholdery; I have to step out soon, but I'll get back to all tags as soon as I can.]

( Private//Hackable by Friends )

Thanksgiving really is a lovely holiday, isn't it? It's such a nice idea, I think, spending a whole day celebrating and thinking about the things we're thankful for. Sometimes it's easy to forget just how many things there are to be thankful about, especially in the face of bad things that may come our way. It's a hard thing, living here in the City with the curses and all, but there's so much to be thankful for, too. There are wonderful people and astonishing things and opportunities that we never could've had if we'd never come here, and I'm thankful for all of them.

We don't have Thanksgiving in Daventry, though I rather wish we did. It's rather like Mother's Day, I suppose--another holiday I've celebrated here in the City that I'd never heard of until I came here, and one that I really would like to take back with me when I go home. It's such a nice idea. And I'm sure my father would particularly enjoy the part about having a great big feast with the whole family, too. Especially since pie seems to be one of the most important points of the whole celebration. He's never met a pie he didn't like, but pumpkin is one of the ones that he especially likes. And it'd be marvelous if I could figure out a way to take him some of that cream that comes in the funny can, to go with it, but I don't know how easy of a task that would be.

But the part that's important is the thanks, and that's something that anyone can do, anytime and anywhere. And I am thankful, very much so, even despite some of the awful things that have happened here. I'm not sorry I came to the City, and I'm thankful that I've made so many wonderful friends here. I wouldn't have ever had the chance to meet my best friend if I hadn't been brought here, and I rather think that's enough in itself to make all the rest of it worthwhile. And I'm thankful for the things I've learned, and the opportunities I've had, and the memories I've made and shared with all of you. Even the silly lessons, like learning to ignore most anything Kanda says. That awful twit.

I'm thankful that, even while I'm missing home, I can still somehow feel that I'm at home. And I'm thankful that I have so many people I can count on, when I need them.

Blue, Miss Alice, thank you so much for having me the past few days. I really do appreciate it, and I'm sorry for the trouble I must've caused you, with the short notice and all. I won't impose any longer, and I'll find a way to make it up to you, I promise.


[OOC: And for those interested, my HMD thread is here!]

( Private//Hackable by Friends )

Well. That was certainly...a curse I've never seen before.

This one, though--yes, I recall this one. We had it last year, didn't we? When all the little flying monsters came and tried to pull out our teeth. I seem to recall I spent the whole day with a scarf tied around my mouth, in the hopes of deterring the little beasts. But now it seems they're back again, and just as annoying as ever, after all. But annoying as they are, I can't seem to bring myself to shoot arrows at them or swat at them with the frying pan or even just attempt to hit them with the door. I'd rather not lose any teeth to them, thank you very much, but I do wish they'd leave me alone without my having to harm them.

...I wonder if I couldn't lay a trap for them, though. Something they'd stick to, perhaps, and a few teeth to work as bait? Like catching flies with honey. That might be something to consider, I suppose.

Or I could go ride Valor, if I wanted to avoid them. I'm certain I could outmatch them if I were riding, even if they are able to fly. He's a fast horse. I could manage it, I'm sure.

I could even go for a walk, really, so long as I kept my mouth shut and protected from the fairies. I know Sam has there's one of those helmets around here somewhere, the kind you're meant to wear when you ride around on a Vespa. I could go for a walk and wear that, and they'd never be able to get at my mouth at all. It'd be just like that day when the mistletoe made us--

Well.

Then again, maybe it'd be better if I just...stayed put today.

[Voice Post]

[The recording switches on, but for a long time there is no speaking at all; if one listens closely, however, they can pick out the sound of shuddering breaths, in and out--as though someone has just finished crying her eyes out.]

I...

[The voice is a barely audible whimper of a sound. There is another long pause.]

Sam’s…h-he’s gone. I...

[Another shaky breath, and a bit of sniffling.]

I-I looked all...all m-morning but he's...

I--I can’t…

I don’t know what to do with--everything...


[OOC: Sam went home in the middle of the night and Rosella's, predictably, a complete mess over it. Losing your BFF of ten months will do that to you. She's sitting near his picture in the Hall of the Missing, so action is fair game, and voice for everybody else. And I'm really sorry about posting so much lately, too. DX]