Princess Rosella of Daventry

( Handwritten | Off-Network )

[Filtered from Alexis Hargreaves | Blue's Codes | Unhackable]

It's really an awful thing, that feeling of knowing something, and knowing one knows it, but finding that one simply...can't recall it. As though it's on the tip of your tongue and if you could just...

I still have that feeling about Valentine's Day, a few years back. Moreso than just today, that is, because I think today there might be a curse about it, since quite a few people on the Network seem to be rather forgetful and one thing I haven't forgotten is my promise to be better about checking up on things like that before I go off and do something silly on my own. I did remember to check it this morning, and I've been writing myself notes all day to help with my memory because of it. The last thing I'd want is to forget that I've something in the oven and let it burn by mistake, or to lose track of time in the stacks at the Library again and read the whole day away in there.

But that's not what I've forgotten, I don't think. Is it strange, to know you've forgotten something without being able to recall what that something is? It's much easier when one simply forgets one's forgotten it in the first place, because then it doesn't nag so horribly.

Something happened near Valentine's Day a few years back, and I know it must've been something precious because I traded it away for something precious in return. Sometimes I wish I hadn't, when it leads to feeling like this--knowing there ought to be something there, but never quite being able to piece out what it is...and worse, knowing it must've been something wonderful but surrendering it forever. If it is a curse out, then I think we'll get back whatever we've lost today when the clock finally strikes midnight. I'm afraid the same might not be true of whatever it is I lost then; I may never have that one back again.

But knowing we'll get them back doesn't make it any less frustrating that I just can't seem to...

...There was a boy and I think he...his favorite were chocolate-chip cookies and he once had me chop onions because he had to make me cry, and my horse climbed the stairs on the eve of Christmas and I didn't believe him when he woke me up about it, and he was fond of my mother and he had a car that didn't like me at first and he was once turned to stone and not even a kiss could change him back. And I think he...

...It's just, I don't know what to think, because I can't seem to remember who he is.


[OOC: For those playing along at home, she's forgotten her best friend, Sam Witwicky. Which she will, y'know, not be very pleased about when the curse eventually wears off. Someone fill her in, please?]

( Written Correspondence: Sir Mal Heymer )

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( Written Correspondence: Sir Zuko Flamel )

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( Written Correspondence: The Most Honble. The Marquis of Cloverfeld, Nigel Colbie )

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[Video | Open Action]

[It's far more pleasant to spend time in the garden at Versailles; the palace itself is cramped and stifling, and such enclosed spaces have never sat well with Rosella, who much prefers open spaces and clear air. So at the moment she can be found lingering near the marvel that is the fountains, admiring the sculptures and the scenes they depict, and carefully calculating her plans for the evening.

Any passerby who stop for a word and a moment of her time will be received with her most charming smile and her full attentions; she's not about to waste any opportunity to gain advantage that may arise, no matter how slight, and the more she impresses, the better.]


[OOC: See HERE for the details! TL;DR, Rosella de Brus, Princesse Royale of Daventry, is large and in charge in your Versailles! Muns of her entourage, I hope the names and titles I've randomly bestowed here are cool with you; if there's a problem with any of it, let me know and I'll fix it right away! Let's have some shenanigans. o/]

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

Well, it's been a week since the harpies were dealt with, and the barrier is back up again--or, well, a barrier is back up, at least, though I think it's not quite the same as the one we had before, somehow? Which is rather something to ponder over, really. We'd fixed the other barrier before, when it started to come down in pieces and we were all made to put it back up again, but that's a bit different than having the whole thing disappear completely and leaving us without one at all, and having to put a new one up in its place. It certainly was pretty when it all came together, though, wasn't it? All the lovely shifting lights in the night sky.

In any case, it's up now, and keeping the harpies out again, and yet there still isn't any ticking to speak of. I suppose that rules out the idea that the two of them were connected, the clock and the barrier, and that ruining one disrupted the other somehow. Still, even if they aren't connected, it's still curious that the ticking's gone silent, isn't it? If it wasn't the barrier falling that caused it to stop, then I wonder what it could be.

Yes, Cain, I know, I think too much about that clock. Though I suppose it's only fitting that it's driving me mad whether it ticks or not, isn't it?

Still, I'll try not to let it bother me for the moment. I have a few things to get done yet today, and some errands to run, and something to see to this evening, besides. And that's quite enough for right now, I should think.

[Filtered AWAY from Godchild Cast (Yes, Jez, That Means You Too) | Unhackable]

Though I do wonder--if it's not too much trouble, please, I'd like very much to speak with someone who's visited London, if you have a moment to spare. Edmund, Peter, you've been, haven't you?

[/Filter]

( Filtered to Iacho | Attempted Unhackable )


[OOC: TL;DR forever! She's not cursed today, but she's getting things done: getting stuff off her mind, going to Claire's birthday party, dropping off a box containing shiny pebbles, a shoe, and a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers for Iacho at the Deity Office, conducting a little super sekrit stealth research...good times!]

( 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. ♥]

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

Oh, it's Christmas again! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Goodness, just look at the weather outside! It's certainly not the same weather we had last year--as I recall, it was beautiful and snowy and white that day, and I was so excited because there wasn't a curse in sight--but it does seem to be traditional to have a bit of summer in the middle of winter here, doesn't it? And Christmas is as fine a day as any to have it, I should think. There won't be any snowball fights or skating on the ice, I'm afraid, but perhaps skating along the ground on wheels will work just as well, and I'm sure there are plenty of other fine things to do on a lovely summer's day in December. Wouldn't you agree, Cain?

Valor will be pleased about all this, I'm sure. I'd planned to go sleighing today and visit everyone I know, but with the sun shining so brightly and not a bit of snow in sight, I suppose I'll just have to go for a ride instead, and I'm sure that will do just as well. That was always tradition on Christmas in Daventry--going around to visit everyone and wish them a merry Christmas in person. But of course, we always had snow for it ourselves, and never any weather like this.

Oh, and, speaking of traditions...Nigel, Miss Saya, I put your gifts under the tree in the Warehouse, if you'd like to open them all together? It's...it used to be tradition, in my past Christmases here, and I'd like very much to continue it with the both of you, if you think you'd like that as well.

Merry Christmas, everyone! And I do very much hope your holiday is merry and bright.

( OOC: Gift List )

[OOC: Gift list of DOOM is underneath the cut! And Rosella went a little crazy with gifts this year, so if you've talked to her, like...more than once in the past month or two, be sure to check this list and see if you're on it. And as usual, all friends and acquaintances get a plate of home-baked cookies to munch on in their holiday season. Merry Christmas, Poly!]

Oh, honestly. It's another of those weekends again, isn't it? It certainly seems so, if the state of the Network is any indication. And really, I suppose I ought to consider myself lucky, since I don't seem to have been affected by it today. I didn't wake up with wings, and as far as I can tell I'm exactly the age I ought to be, and my hair's not turning purple and I don't taste like chocolate and I'm not dripping roses all over the place or talking in stories or beating off swarms of chirping little birds and things trying to do my housework for me. I haven't seen any memories of mine up on the Network yet, and I think if they were going to be, they would've by now. And I seem to be able to write what I want in the way that I want, so I don't think I have any curse like that, either.

Which means I think I've managed to escape it today, which isn't a bad thing at all. Having a harmless curse is a wonderful thing on days like this, but I think having no curse is just as well, too.

In any case, I hope we'll all do our best at trying to get through today--with whatever curses come of it--without too much trouble. It's been such a nice month so far, with just a little ridiculous singing and listing and so on. And with Giving-Thanks coming up soon, and Christmas next month, it'd be nice to have a little time to relax and enjoy the season without too much grief over curses.

I suppose we ought to start thinking about planning a dinner for it, too. Sam and I used to do that, a big turkey dinner at the Warehouse. Or at least, we did two years ago. I think last year we had to miss it because he was--

...Well, in any case, it's something to think about. And it's a relief that this November is going so much better than the last.

Still, I think I'll have to, um, see about that on another day. After the weekend is over, I should think. The Monday after weekends like this can usually be counted on to be free of curses, and I think it'd be much more sensible to wait until then than go out and take chances with--er, with whatever random things might come my way from the people outside. So, um, I think I'll just stay in today, then, and read a book or...yes, that sounds lovely, staying in bed with a nice book. Yes, I think that's just what I'll do.

It's, um. It's only sensible, after all.


[OOC: Oh, Rosella, never stop failing at lying. She is cursed today, with an unusually strong fetish preference for accents, but it's not something she's about to admit to the Network because it's just not the sort of thing that Nice Young Ladies™ talk about. >> Please feel free to troll her; she'll be fine if it's text, but she might get a little bit flustered and stammery if it's audio. And she will deny it forever.]

( Private || Hackable by Friends )

If there's one thing I've learned in more than two years of living here in the City, it's that one of the few things as constant as the curses is the need to apologize for them when they're over. I know I've mentioned time and again how important it is to be understanding with other people when they're cursed, and to take care not to hold a person's cursed actions against them when it's over, since oftentimes they couldn't help it when they were and feel just as terrible about it afterward. But it's the sort of thing that bears repeating, I think--just as apologies bear repeating, even when you're lucky enough to have the sort of friends that have already forgiven you for the things you did while cursed, before you even say them.

I'm not cursed now, but I certainly was a few days ago, and I really am so very sorry for the way I was acting. I was feeling terribly proud of myself that day, as I'm sure the whole Network could tell, but I'm certainly not proud of the way I was acting now. So I do apologize for that.

And really, if I ought to have been praising the virtues of anything that day, it should've been the lovely new clothes that a wonderful fashion designer named Cinna made for me. If there's anyone deserving of laud and honor, it's him; he's a simply marvelous designer and tailor, and the dresses he made for me are absolutely perfect. They're as comfortable as they are beautiful, and they're so wonderfully practical, too--exactly right to suit my needs. Which is especially lovely for adventuring, and goodness knows I put my dresses through rather a lot of those.

With so many lovely holidays coming up in the next few months--Giving-Thanks, and Christmas, and even Halloween at the end of this month, besides--I'm sure that there will be plenty of occasions perfect for new and pretty clothes, and I'd absolutely recommend Cinna to anyone interested in them. He's kind and clever and wonderfully talented, and I'm certain that any other customer of his will be just as happy with their things as I am with mine.

Oh, but speaking of getting dressed up--has anyone started thinking yet of what they want to go as for Halloween? I remember two years ago I was a lady knight, and last year I went as Persephone, but I haven't thought of anything for this year yet, and there are only three weeks left until it comes.

Well, we're two days into October, now, and we haven't had a curse yet.

Perhaps it's just asking for trouble, saying that. But I seem to recall thinking the same thing last year, too--that the month started off quietly, without any curses to speak of, and I remember wondering if that might be a sign that it was going to be an easy month, after all. But now I rather wonder if all Octobers will start out this way, with a great deal of trouble to usher it in right at the end of September, and then a few days of quiet at the very beginning before everything gets awful again. Last year in September, there was all that trouble with the prison exploding--which means it's been sunken beneath the lake for a year now. It's a little strange to think it's been gone all this time, really. And horrible to think what they did to the people there-- And this year it was a boat--or an ark, rather--and now that's been sunken, too, and by a whale of all things.

Ugh. At least it didn't eat me this time.

I remember I wasn't one of the ones taken for that prison curse. Some of my friends were, but I wasn't. And I remember wondering over and over again why it was that things had turned out that way, why they'd been put into that mess and I wasn't. Dr. Chase said it was something to do with surviving and guilt--"survivor's guilt", I think it must've been. I just remember feeling terrible because I hadn't done more to help when people were in trouble.

But I suppose it's always easier to look back on things and see what we ought to have done differently, isn't it? Just like it's easy to forget that looking back on something and regretting the choices we made at the time won't solve anything at all. What matters is learning from a mistake, and trying hard not to make it again, and hoping that the next time something horrible happens, you'll have the wisdom and experience and good sense to get through it without making mistakes.

This time, on the ark, I was one of the ones that ended up there. And as horrible as it was, for those hours we spent in the rain and the water and on the beach after we were wrecked...I still think it was the right decision to go. At least that way, I knew I was with the people I care about, and even if there were to be danger, at least that way we'd be together in facing it. Isn't it better to take that sort of risk for the sake of saving others, even if it'd be safer for yourself in staying home?

They're difficult questions, I think. But October is the sort of month that begs them.

But in any case. On the bright side of things, at least the Warehouse managed to come out of things reasonably safe and dry. Prince weathered the storm perfectly fine, and Snowdrop is all dried out now, though I don't think she'll soon forgive me for that swim we took the other day. I meant to go check Blue's old apartment yesterday, too, but I ended up staying under a pile of covers all day, keeping warm instead. So perhaps I'll go today, and see how that made out.

...Or perhaps I'll go tomorrow, and stay under my covers all day again, today.

( E-mail | Totally Hackable )

( E-mail | Totally Hackable )

( E-mail | Deleted )

TO-DO LIST:
--Write home
--Finish unpacking

o Dust shelves
o Sort clothes
o AUGH I HATE UNPACKING Everything else

--Start AP English assignment from Mr. Pevensie
--Buy any last materials for Figure Drawing
--Match notebooks to textbooks

o Color-coded, of course

--Eat NO MORE THAN ONE QUARTER HALF of the leftover chocolate cake
--Call Ed
--Treat myself to a new pair of shoes
--Go walk around the club fair
--Pick a club to join

o Debate team?
o Music?
o Fencing? (As though Grandmother would approve of that.)
o "DPS", whatever that is?

Ugh, we're not back three days and already I'm behind. Though I suppose the club fair ought to be next on my list, really, since I'm sick to death of unpacking and I'm certainly not going to get any homework done when there's so much interesting commotion outside. Coffee and a walk sounds heavenly right about now. Besides, then if I take the long way home, I can knock another item off the list--getting those shoes I want.

Oh, which reminds me--does anyone actually know if Ohtori has an equestrian team? You'd think this is something I would've figured out by my senior year, but all I ever get are ambiguous shrugs and noncommittal murmurs when I ask about it. Which is really too bad, because it sounds like fun.

Right, then. Coffee and club fair now. I really need to get outside.


[So here we have an AU!Rosella, carrying on much where she left off after last year's High School AU curse. Feel free to hit me up over here to read a summary of her backstory or if you want to prearrange anything with her, and feel free to pretend she knows you from class/around school if you go to Ohtori! ♥]

( Private Thoughts || Off-Network )

Thank you again to everyone that came to visit me while I was in the hospital! I really do appreciate it, and it made things much more cheerful, having friendly faces around to keep me company. I'm back home in the Warehouse now, and getting plenty of rest, and seeing to things as best I can in the meantime. Oh, and baking up a storm to keep myself busy while I think things over, too, so if anyone would like a plate of cookies or a part of a pie or some quite chocolatey brownies, please do let me know and I'll be happy to share them. I'll make myself sick if I keep eating them all myself, I'm sure.

...It's just five days now, until I've been here two years. I remember Rue telling me last year that the first year of staying here always seems like the longest, and then every other year after it goes by faster and faster. I suppose that's true enough; it certainly doesn't seem like it's been two whole years away from home, now. It's strange, how so many things can change in a year. If I'd been told, on that day last year, of all the things that would happen to me in the twelve months to come...I don't know what I would've thought, honestly. And I imagine it'd be quite the same if someone were to tell me today about what all is in store for the next twelve months, as well.

It's August next month. August is always a bad month, just like October...

Mm, perhaps I'll have to go out and save someone from falling into the Fountain that day. It'd certainly be a better way of celebrating than to go throw myself into it, like I was thinking of doing last year!

( Private to Edmund Pevensie || Unhackable )


[OOC: Holy crimeny that turned out to be a lot of tl;dr. Thank goodness for LJ cuts! Long story short, Rosella's beginning to add up the pieces and come to her senses about how exactly her daring escape from the catacombs went, and she's not liking the implications of it at all. She'll also be staying well clear of the beach/mountain area because, well, she doesn't need any more battle trauma in her life at the moment, sob.]