Princess Rosella of Daventry

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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!]

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[Video Post]

[Behold Rosella--or what appears to be Rosella, at least, judging by the cascade of blonde curls--standing in one of the hallways of the Warehouse, her back to the camera as she fiddles with something on the closed door in front of her. People particularly familiar with the Warehouse might recognize that it happens to be her bedroom door; thankfully, it's pulled completely closed to hide the usual mess inside. However, there's something else odd to the picture--that her hair is hanging a bit oddly because there's a brown hood dangling between her shoulders, just below the nape of her neck.

After a minute, she finishes whatever it is she's doing and turns around, and this oddity quickly becomes clear: she's wearing a clearly well-loved brown zip-front hoodie today, on top of her usual peasant dress, and looking rather pleased with herself for it. Then, she approaches the camera, picks it up, and holds it up to display her handiwork: a poster she's just affixed to her bedroom door.]


There! All finished. It does look nice, doesn't it? And right where I'll never miss it, too.

[She tips the camera a bit, leaning into range just enough to flash the camera a genuinely cheerful smile.]

Thank you again, Tommy. I really do like it very much.

[And with that, the video snaps off with a click.]


[OOC: We can rebuild her, we have the technology~ Believe it or not, Rosella might have actually finally hit an upswing! Because only Rosella would actually get motivated by a motivational poster, sob. So yeah, she's in a good mood today, and people are welcome to notice so. Here's hoping it lasts? :D]

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My, that weekend when the visitors come is always a terribly busy one, isn't it? But it's a fun one, too, I think, and everyone seemed to have a fine day of it. I know I certainly did! Rin managed to come back for a visit, and so did Billy and Ferris and even Kanda, and there were quite a few new faces to see, too--one of which was my own, of all things! Well, rather my own, anyway, since she did look just like me, only older. And, er, a vampire.

Sam came back, too. And it was just in time for his birthday! It's a pity he couldn't stay for the actual day, but we managed to celebrate it a day early and we had a wonderful time and...and it was just like he was really here again, instead of only visiting. We had cake and went around the whole Warehouse looking at everything and spent the whole weekend together, and it was the nicest present I could've asked for--which is silly, of course, since it was Sam's birthday and not mine! But I hope it was a fine present for him, too.

Wishes are funny things, aren't they? They often go along well with birthdays--blowing out the candles on the cake and making a wish as you do, and all that. But wishes...are things to be careful with, too, because oftentimes I think we wish for things without being careful, and then it leads to all sorts of trouble in the long run. And sometimes, the most sensible thing is to not make a wish at all, because oftentimes things will all work out on their own anyway, without the wishing to begin with.

And they always get better, no matter what. If there's one thing that I've learned in all of my time here, it's that. Curses always end at the stroke of midnight, and as bad as things get, they always get better.

And today's curse will, too, even if it's making it fairly impossible to eat anything for the duration. I wouldn't mind the French fries if I could only have a normal hamburger to go along with them, but every time I try, it seems that it all comes out fried, as well. Even when I haven't fried anything myself! Really, it's utterly ridiculous.

There's really nothing quite like the sound of the commotion that this curse brings, is there? I can't even recall how many times it's come around, now, that I can remember. Four, is it? Or five? I seem to recall that it was Halloween the last time, and summer the time before it, and now this time it's winter. I wonder if it's something to do with the seasons, then, that makes it so that all the visitors can come here to see us when they do.

Still, it's nice, isn't it? That we'll all have the chance to see people we know, either from home or from acquaintance here, for the whole length of the day? And then tomorrow will be Valentine's Day.

Is it too much to hope for, I wonder, that the people they most want to see--Prince Mytho, Mikaela, Riff, all of them--would come today?

In any case, hello, everyone! I'm sure you're all quite busy making rounds and paying calls, but I'd be glad to speak with you as well, if you have a minute for it! It's always so lovely to visit with all of you.


[OOC: As per usual: 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.

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

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This Year's Resolutions
1. I resolve to stop tormenting Blue with puns. Well, at least some of the time.
2. I resolve to continue to be better than Sam at Mario Kart.
3. I resolve to listen carefully to my friends when they give me good advice, because I usually need it when they offer it, whether or not I realize it at the time.
4. I resolve to be more modern in some things, and to stay properly old-fashioned in others.
5. I resolve to trust the people who want to protect me, without immediately insisting that I don't need it.
6. I resolve to find ways to protect myself, so I can occasionally insist that I don't need it.
7. I resolve to be truthful. Especially to myself.
8. I resolve to learn how to drive the car, at least enough to get someone to the hospital if there's another emergency.
9. I resolve to stop worrying about love. Well, at least some of the time.
10. I resolve to make my father proud of me.

Well, last year I made ten resolutions and I ended up keeping all but one of them, so with any luck, this year will be the same. I think those are fine resolutions to have, though, aren't they? Even if some are considerably easier than others to keep.

Still, the point of resolutions is to give us something to think about and to strive for, so it only makes sense that some ought to be more difficult than others. There wouldn't be any point if they were all easy, would there? And if they were all impossibly difficult, one might get discouraged and never complete any at all, and then there'd be no point to that, either. So I think these are just fine, the way they are.

There's still a day and a half left, though. I might still--no. No, I think not. It'll just have to wait. And that's all right, too, isn't it?

Now then, other than setting resolutions, how does everyone plan to celebrate the coming of the new year?

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[Voice Post]

Yesterday's curse was an interesting one, wasn't it? I'm starting to think that's a favorite trick of the City's--to curse us into talking about the things we've done, and having us put them up for scrutiny on the Network so others can see them, too. Of course, the twist on this one was having us deliberately deem those actions as bad or good, naughty or nice, as though we were weighing them out on scales to see which side they tipped towards.

Sometimes things work that way. Some things are easy enough to put into one category or another, since there can be little doubt that they are one or the other. I once knew a witch that was as evil as evil could be, and I don't think she ever did a nice thing in her life. Her deeds would be easy enough to classify that way, no doubt.

But sometimes things aren't so easy to set as one way or another. I've learned that quite a few times over, since I came to the City. Sometimes, the story behind the actions matters a great deal more than the actions themselves--and the same action can look many different ways, depending on the reasons why it was taken.

Still, I'm glad I wasn't cursed yesterday. I hear that the City did some of the sorting for people, rather than compelling them to do it themselves, and I'd really rather not hear the City's opinions on some of the things I've done. I know why I did them, and I'm content with that.

Besides, there are much more pleasant things to think about--like how there's only six more days until Christmas! And it'll be my second Christmas here, too. So there'll be plenty to think about in the next few days, and lots of running around to do to get everything ready for that. Right now, though, I'm rather stuck until my sight returns-- content to just relax for the evening, and that's fine, too.

...How much longer is it, now, until midnight?

( Private to Cain//Unhackable )


[OOC: Last day of her deity trade! Responses assumed to be voice, since she's currently without her sight, but depending on the length of the conversation, that's subject to change; I'll mark OOCly it if it does. ♥]

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Is it really only a little under two weeks until Christmas now? My, how time flies by. I suppose that means it's time to start getting ready, though, doesn't it? Curses or not--and thank goodness, that we seem to be getting back to the usual ridiculous curses lately--Christmas comes but once a year, and it'd be a shame to let it go by without a proper celebration. A year is such a very long time, after all.

So. As Sam mentioned, we're still going to be having Christmas dinner at the Warehouse for all our friends, and all our guests are invited to stay the night over on Christmas Eve if they'd like. With any luck, we'll have a great big tree to decorate and plenty of time to open presents and lots of good things to eat and no fighting, and it'll just be a nice way to spend the holidays. And of course, if you'd like to come to dinner but would rather spend the night somewhere else, that's just fine, too, and we'll still be glad to have you. So if you'd like to come, please do let me know, so I can make sure to have enough for everyone, and to make sure that everyone will have something they like to eat, too.

But of course, Christmas also means presents, and it seems I have a much longer list to fill this year than I have in previous ones. And that's never something to be sad about, really. So it looks as though the errand of the day will have to be shopping...and then, of course, finding a place to hide everything where Sam won't find it and peek at it all in advance. But that's one of the few perks of keeping my room so messy, isn't it? And anyway, his gift won't be coming from the store, so--

There. That sounds like a fine way to spend a day, really. And if something bad should happen...well, so be it. It'll be all right. Please don't let anything bad happen.

( Filtered to the Deities//Unhackable )


[OOC: Christmas shopping seems to be the name of the game today, huh? Feel free to encounter her anywhere in stores or around the Square, since that's where she's going shopping, and feel equally free to get in on some princessly kissin'. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. ♥]

[Accidental Video Post]

[Rosella is standing near the edge of the lake in Xanadu, her back to the camera as she gazes out over the water. This is the second time in two days that she's come out here, but this time she is alone, a solitary figure wrapped up snugly in a bright red cloak. She moves, and there is a brief glimmer of silver as she raises her flute to her lips and begins to play, gentle and sad. It's not a perfect rendition by any means, but she's not playing to perform; indeed, from the way she's acting, it's clear she doesn't even realize that her device is recording at all.

As she draws to a close, she slowly lowers her flute and stands a moment in silence before beginning to speak.]

It's strange, isn't it, to watch the world fall to pieces before your very eyes?

[She glances down at her flute, then back up again at the rip in the barrier, out over the water.]

Once upon a time, I would've believed it was really you out there. But how many times I have I learned, again and again, that all they ever do is spin out lies and half-truths and hollow promises? Maybe the truth really is that they'll never let us go.

Maybe I'm the awful one, that I can't find it in myself to believe so easily anymore.

This world and that world, and I'm halfway between. I don't know what the right answer is, Daddy. I don't know what the right thing to do is this time. I can't choose. I don't want to choose, don't make me...

[An abrupt pause, as she covers her face with her free hand and chokes on her words. A minute later, when she's managed to compose herself, she returns to speaking, softer than before.]

There was a day, once upon a time, when I accepted the thought that I'd never see any of you again. But I will. I know I'll see you again. I'll be home someday, I promise.

But this isn't home. It's nothing but a lie.

[She stands in silence a moment, the wind playing about the hem of her cloak and the curls of her hair, and then she raises the flute and begins to play once more.]


[OOC: Yeah, um, she's having a really bad week. So much for December looking up with the coming of the holidays? Right. Anyway, the link is not necessarily the exact song she's playing, but it's pretty and fit the mood, so there you go. Action for anybody out by the lake, Network for everyone else.]

( 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!]

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So we've just had another of those random weekends of curses. Does it seem as though it came particularly late in the month this time? I wonder. It's been quite a while now, since those trends of weekends started--since the spring, at least, wasn't it?--and it seems as though they're getting later and later every time. I suppose I could go back through my journal and see which days it fell on each time, since I usually find myself remarking on that weekend after it happens in one way or another, but still, I wonder.

Let's see, then. Some of the curses I recall seeing before--like the one about the horrible attempts at wooing others, and the one about being turned into a child--and others were new. I know the singing curse has come about before, but I think this was the first time I've ever been cursed with it, personally. And I don't recall the one that lets our souls out to play, either, which is rather a pity. I think I'd like to know what shape my soul takes. Of course, I certainly don't know what all goes into determining the shape of a soul, but if it's meant to reflect something about ourselves, I suppose that would at least give me a place to begin in my wondering, anyway.

And then there's the singing curse, which is how I found myself cursed this weekend. At least it was only for Saturday; I doubt I'd have a voice at all today, had I spent the whole weekend singing the way I did that one day. Honestly, I could hardly get a word in edgewise without breaking out into some melody or another--and the oddest part of it all is that I don't think I knew a single one of the songs before I sang them. Some of them were terribly catchy, though. Perhaps I'll see if I can't remember how they go, once my sore throat goes away.

...I wonder if my soul would turn out to be a pony today. I am feeling a little hoarse.

On a lighter note--and a note I don't need my voice to express, I might add--I think I've finally found the dress I want for Blair's ball. It's this Saturday, if memory serves, so it's about time I made a decision and settled on a dress. It's red, of course, and it's--well, no, I suppose I ought to keep it a surprise, shouldn't I? But it's a nice dress, anyway, and I like it well enough. So that's something.

Mm. It's almost October.

...And by the way, I don't know what the purpose of a "bonsai kitten" is, or why in the world anyone would want one, or why in the world a man in New York--wherever that is--is selling them, for pity's sake, but what sort of awful person even comes up with the idea of raising a kitten in a glass bottle, anyway? Honestly.