freckleddoll | Entries tagged with curse

Those globes everyone was findin'...they were right pretty to see, weren't they? Especially remindin' everyone of 'ome. Don't know if it was nice or not of the City to give us 'em though. It's like everythin' can be looked at two ways 'ere. Don't like it much.

Still, didn't mind takin' a look at London again, even if it 'adn't been my 'ome in ages, not really my 'ome. Ain't 'ome more people than a place? 's how I've always felt about it at least.

[She shakes her head at herself.] Listen t'me, maudlin' on like this. Guess I just can't stop thinkin' about the people that ain't 'ere any more. So many old friends gone. It don't make for much of a Christmas...well, should be grateful for everyone who still is 'ere. Can't know when they'll leave.

[Action]

[After posting on the Network, Doll decides she simply can't sit around the apartment moping all day. Keeping busy is always a good distraction and it's easy enough to find things to do when necessary.

She thinks that she may as well give out the presents Penny had prepared for people - she's sure it's what her friend would have wanted. Her own are already under the small tree in their...in her apartment, even if the thought of opening presents on her own on Christmas Day isn't all that appealing. Maybe Hanna wouldn't mind her staying at his place until then.

At least the cold outside is bracing and the festive look of the City cheers her up somewhat. Now if only she'd been paying more attention to why the City was looking so festive today.]

[It should be a familiar enough sight on one of these days by now, Doll out and about in search of her siblings. But this time it's not just their names she's calling out, but those of the friends she made here and then lost again too.]

Joker, Beast, Dagger! Jumbo, can you 'ear me? Wendy... Alma, Timothy, Suou, Allen, Noise...

Some of ya've got to be 'ere!

[She hasn't given up hope yet, if anything looking eager to be reunited with the people she cares for, however briefly.]

((ooc: open for fourthwalling! Please no mentioning her siblings being dead/related spoilers or the kidnapped children though, otherwise feel free to come talk to her!))

Well...this is some way to celebrate bein' 'ere for a whole year. Can't believe it's been that long, even if it seems longer sometimes.

[She's sitting on a sofa with Tiger on her lap, trying to keep him from licking at the device and sounding a little bit bitter, unusually enough for her.] Shh, 's alright, boy.

Still can't understand what's 'appenin' exactly out there. Don't 'ave any intention of lookin' either. 's just safer, stayin' in until it's over when a curse is like this, an' 'opin' it can't get in at ya.

Everyone I know is somewhere safe, yeah? ~~'xcept Anna...she didn't deserve to be sent back to all that.~~

All those frogs an' bugs an' the water goin' bad...the 'ell is 'appenin' this time?

Penny, 've tried blockin' up the windows in the apartment best I can. The pets are in the bathroom so they'll be out of harm's way for now...is the Welcome Center doin' alright or d'you need 'elp there too?

Should've known things've been too easy 'round 'ere lately.

[Doll isn't doing anything in particular, just pouring over a book and working on her reading, mouth scrunched up in concentration. Before the device starts showing...]

( Not IC cut for images )

[she's looking nostalgic for a minute, and maybe smiling a bit forlornly, before noticing the device is on next to her and switching it off with a sigh.]

((ooc: Memory Theatre, but she doesn't have any idea what was shown on the Network.))

S'a bit strange not to 'ave the sun come up. Should be used to this kinda thing by now. The fireworks are right pretty though, ain't they? 've been watchin' 'em...Tiger keeps on runnin' t'hide under the couch when 'e 'ears 'em though.

[She laughs, but it tapers away to an uncertain pause before she continues.]

...are any of ya 'ere again? Beast? Joker or Dagger or Wendy or Jumbo or anyone? Even my old friends who used t'be 'ere too. 've been lookin' for all of ya but there's so many people around.

~~Please be 'ere?~~

((ooc: all her good friends get a small box of chocolates for Valentine's (Timothy, Florian, Penny, Anna, Alma since he's new, Marie, Allen, Cat, poke me if I forgot someone!) Anything goes for fourth wall besides spoiling her on what happens after her family left the circus.))

Anne's gone...Anne Shirley, for those of you who knew 'er. Didn't turn up at the apartment for a day or so an' it weren't like 'er t'do that.

So I got worried an' checked that hall - Hall of the Missing? - an' 'er picture was up there.

'm glad she got t'go back 'ome to 'er family. I'll miss 'er though.

[in a softer voice] Guess it's just you an' me again, yeah, Tiger? [and there's a short answering bark from her dog before the feed cuts off.]

[Slums. A deserted alleyway, dingy and dirty, not much to be seen but piles of refuse left lying around. And a small group huddled under a blanket, children, too young to be left on their own but alone all the same.

At a closer look there's more wrong with them than the dirt and hungry faces and torn scraps of clothing. A boy with one empty sleeve, and a boy and a girl with the remains of a leg wrapped in strips of cloth. An even smaller child with a partly burnt face being held by a boy too large for his age.

A dog runs around them, barking - Tiger, for those who'd recognize him, even though in the strange way of dreams, Doll clearly doesn't know him. The children are too miserable to pay him any attention.

And standing for a while in that alley, one will be able to hear the strain of circus music filtering in, perhaps even the reflection of bright lights.]

((ooc: the way the dream goes depends on what visitors do. Anyone welcome!))

Current Mood: cold

[The device turns on with a jolt as Doll accidentally bumps into it. She doesn't notice since her back is to it and she's clearly just woken up, yawning and rubbing at her face, dressed in a very casual shirt and pants with her hair messy and all over the place.

The bedroom seems quite sparse except for some clothes lying around on the few pieces of furniture. Tiger's following her, shaking himself briskly to wake up too, but he gives a sharp bark when he runs into Doll's leg as she suddenly stops walking. Even though her face can't be seen from the angle the device is at, she seems to be pressing her hand to the side of her face usually hidden by her hair as she inhales sharply, sounding startled.

At first she doesn't move but then she almost rushes to the sole small mirror in the room, her hands gripping tightly at the edge of the dresser after pushing her hair away from her face, her features still not visible to anyone watching on the Network, but she doesn't seem to be believing what it is she's seeing.

The whisper to herself before the feed cuts out is barely audible.]

I can see from it again?

((ooc: backdated to early morning))

Current Mood: surprised

Wonder 'ow the others are doin' back 'ome. If it was Christmas we'd be even busier'n usual with all the shows.

[she's sitting with Tiger on her lap, the puppy asleep and seeming peaceful for once]

Joker'd be runnin' around takin' care of everythin', but 'e'd find the time to stop an' check on all of us, an' to joke around a bit. Beast'd be keepin' 'er tigers in line, 'cause they'd be more restless than usual 'cause of all the excitement. An' Dagger'd be sneakin' off practice t'go an' see Beast an' try an' give 'er 'er presents early, an' she'd send 'im packin' like usual.

[She laughs to herself but looks wistful at the same time.]

Peter an' Wendy an' Snake'd carry on like usual, really. But 'd find some time t'talk a bit with Jumbo...

Miss 'em so much. It ain't the same.

It'd be busy an' not really like 'ow everyone else spends their Christmas, but we'd be together an' it'd be good. We'd get to remember 'ow far we'd come an' at least we'd know it was Christmas, not like when...

[She finally seems to realize she's rambling and said a lot more than she meant to, and switches her Network device off.]

Current Mood: cold

[Doll's walking through the City's streets, wrapped up warmly and busy getting things done while - she thinks - there's no curse. The past week or so had been terrible so now she's trying to forget all of that, throwing herself into buying presents for the friends she's made in the City.

Now and then she looks behind her to make sure Tiger's still following along, grinning to see him stop and sniff everything they come across.]

Hurry up, boy, don' get left behind!

((ooc: open for action/Network!))

Current Mood: busy

[Doll's sitting at the table, her puppy asleep on her lap, looking apprehensively at the large red button in front of her.]

Saw that...there are people collectin' these things, yeah? Takin' 'em somewhere where no one'll use 'em?

[She's been wondering what to do for days - press it and go home and be with her family again, but at the cost of hurting someone? She can't bring herself to do that.]

...come an' take it away, please?

Current Mood: anxious

Not again! Why can't people just stop 'urtin' each other?! This place...this place is just...

Even when it ain't a curse, like it is now - hope it's a curse, at least! - people keep on doin' bad stuff, like it ain't bad enough we're all stuck 'ere away from our 'omes.

And now there's people wantin' war an' everythin', I can't...I can't understand it.

Don' think I want to understand it either.

I...[feed cuts off. Someone's just going to hide in her apartment for the next two days. Again.]

Current Mood: unhappy

Beast...Joker!?

[Doll is making her way through the crowds, being pushed and shoved around easily considering her small stature.]

Are any of you 'ere? [jostled again] 'scuse me.

Dagger? Jumbo?! [craning her neck, trying to see over the other people as she continues calling out her siblings' names in the hopes at least one of them will be there and hear her. She looks pretty tired, considering she spent much of the previous day looking for them as well]

If only I could see t'least one of 'em for a few minutes, t'know they're alright. [spoken to herself, low but not low enough for the device she doesn't know is recording not to capture it.]

((ooc: open for fourth walling! Network or action (just...don't hurt her |D). Anything goes, just no spoiling her past the point she's from i.e. chapter 28.))

Current Mood: anxious

[there's a lot of barking in the background and the sound of things being knocked over]

Tiger?! Tiger, what's wrong boy, what're ya doin'...

[the barking gets closer]

'ere, don't do that! Oww! Stay.

((ooc: cursed puppy :<))

Current Mood: anxious

[There's a bright blue eye showing up as Doll holds the network device to her face, pressing at buttons randomly to try and find out what it is.

Soon there's a better view of her as she holds it further away. She's sitting on the ground in the place where she'd agreed to meet up again with Beast, a small bag of food by her side. She's wearing worn but clean clothes, and as she tilts her head away from the camera to look longingly at the food, a hint of her scars shows from underneath her hair.]

Wonder if Beast'll get 'ere soon. 'ope she's alright.

[She curls up a bit more with her arms around her knees, waiting for her older sibling to show up and completely unaware that the device is broadcasting.]

((ooc: age reversal curse, action if anyone wants to bump into her, voice/video otherwise. This is after this thread.))

Current Mood: accomplished

...er, Joker.

Dunno if 'm goin' t'be able ta perform today.

((ooc: her kryptonite? Her circus costume.))

Current Mood: confused

[A small child is stumbling along, holding on to the wall for support. She's calling out for her friends in a weak voice.

Her only clothes are a shapeless torn and dirty dress, and dirt is smeared on her thin arms and face.

She looks extremely malnourished, and under her untidy hair there are horrible burn scars visible on the left side of her face.

But she's not crying. In spite of how small she is she has the look of someone who's far past tears, or who at least has learnt that they'll do her no good.]

((ooc: action if anyone wants to find her))

Current Mood: scared

[There's a tightrope stretching far above the square and a figure walking across it lightly, a parasol in one hand more for show than for balance.

Doll's decked out in her full circus gear, headdress tied on tightly with a bow under her chin, face prettily made up and a smile on her lips. Now and then she stops on the highwire, balancing carefully as she waves at the people below.]

((ooc: feel free to watch/wait for her to come down and talk/etc. She looks very different from usual but if she recognizes you she'll come over to say hello))