[A young man with dark hair, styled with heavy bangs, and intense blue eyes frowns at the screen. He has a slender build and is wearing a black T-shirt that has the seams showing, so it's probably inside-out. He was too distracted to notice when he tried to wring it out then pulled it over his head just a few moments before dealing with his new location. The T-shirt appears to be soaking wet, as does his hair and skin. Looking from left to right, he then regards the device warily. There are traces of injury on both sides of his face, wounds that have been cleaned, but are bruising. There are no bandages. Around his neck is a black cord with a round, silver dog tag on it. When he speaks, anyone from the Midwestern part of the United States might recognize his accent. His voice is uncertain. There is the sound of burbling water in the background - a fountain.]

Hello?

[Pause. He rolls his eyes and reaches for some bravado.]

Hell - lo? Anybody home?

[Pause. He looks left and right again before continuing.]

Shit.

I... asked for a phone and some girl in a bath robe gave me this thing.

[The image of the young man shifts in and out and upside-down as he makes it clear by shaking the device that 'this thing' is currently in his hand. Then the device mercifully remains still. Anyone dizzy?]

This isn't a phone. This is something out of a fucking... science fiction show.

[Pause.]

If there's anybody out there, can they tell me where the fuck I am and why the fuck I'm here? I'd really appreciate it...

[He is shaking by the time he's finished speaking, a touch of sarcasm tinging his barely contained fear. He manages a tight smile, but he isn't in control of anything right now, and it scares the shit out of him.]

[For a while all that can be seen is a young man as he inspects the device to make sure it's actually on and recording. From what can be seen in the background as he turns it in his hand, he appears to be at the city square. Obvious new arrival, but he seems pretty collected for that.]

Yo~

Not sure what happened here. This isn't where that trip was meant to end.

[He pulls a cigarette out from a pack, leads it to his lips and lights it, inhaling before talking again.]

Whoever's on the other side of this, I'd like to know what's going on.

[Looking around himself once more, he shrugs. Still doesn't seem or feel familiar. Not Heaven, not Hell, not Assiah and not Anagura, either.]

Setsuna, you better be here too. Not in the mood to track you down.

[The device suddenly clicks on, and it seems to be broadcasting from the floor, showing the side of a desk. Several feet of bubble appear before we finally see anything of Percy, who is encased in a bubble that extends several feet in each direction. He reaches down and makes a grab for the phone, scowling in frustration, before he finally manages to grab it. When he realizes it's on, he scowls harder.]

This is most inconvenient.

[And then he ends the connection.]

[It's Charlie, frowning at pretty much the world. It's not her typical frown, this one seems a bit more confused and hurt than her usual scowl. And it's not accidental video for once. She speaks, her tone calm but exasperated. And an underlying hint of anxiousness.]

This is ridiculous. I have work to do. I can't serve people tea if I can't get within five feet of them before something knocks them over. [She goes quiet, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose before running her fingers through her hair.]

Toph and anyone else working the tea shop, apparently I have several feet of semi-invisible and completely impenetrable bubble or something around me. I don't think it'd be wise for me to come in. I keep knocking people over. I'd apologize, but this is a curse. It'll be over by midnight and I'll work a double tomorrow.

[And the feed shuts off, but not before Charlie scoffs, shakes her head and mutters 'ridiculous'.]

[As Garrus goes about his day, people he passes find themselves pushed aside by an invisible force surrounding the turian. A rather large invisible force.

He sits down on a nearby bench.]

I just want to say that this is annoying. It reminds me of several encounters with biotics and their force fields.

[The bubble Carla has found herself inside is a fairly large one. Filling up the majority of a room, she has been forced to retreat into her bedroom alone. It isn't an experience she's enjoying overmuch. After several years of isolation, she's really quite starved for physical contact, and even just a day of this is pressing harshly on her nerves. Then again, maybe that will be obvious:]

This isn't what I wanted. This isn't-- This isn't. [A miserable little sound, voice tiny but raising steadily in volume and vitriol,] What if she's angry with me... It isn't my fault. He isn't here. I can't--

Ladybird, Ladybird, don't do this to me... [It's almost a song, really, until her voice breaks:] You bitch. Fuck. You lying bitch.

[It's there that Carla apparently gives up on pulling herself together and the device is whipped unceremoniously across the room. It hits a wall with a crack and skitters across the floor. It lands face up, its camera flickering uncertainly on the doorway where an older pup whines pitifully, trying again to get inside but bouncing off of the large bubble keeping him out. When Carla eventually gets up to collect the phone, the wolf is pushed further and further away, whining getting louder. She pauses, crouched on the balls of her feet next to the device, the expression on her face lost somewhere behind the fall of her hair,]

...I hate this.

[Her hand engulfs the device and the feed goes black.]

I don't understand this curse.

[Cap has a bubble - it is little but frustrating. Crepe has already slammed into it three time today - oh, and here she comes again, running and jumping straight into the barrier, and bouncing, and skidding away. She looks comically confused, and she barks protest.]

I would mind it so much if it didn't hurt my dog.

I bet Private Lorraine wouldn't like it much, though.

[That is said as an afterthought. Fff.]

[Rose is lying in the hammock sulking. There is no other word for it. She's swinging slightly in the hammock, a pout firmly fixed on her face. Over the last several months in the City, she's slowly forgotten what the meaning of personal space is. The City has seen fit to remind her today and she's not taking it well. At all.]

Rubbish curse. How're we s'posed to cope with curses and all the other sortsa things the City tosses at us if we can't even hold someone's hand?

|[Video]|

[Nothing special to see here, just a slightly out-of-focus view of Rudy at work. He's fitting a metal armature into a cast plastic hand, alternately shaving paper-thin bits of flesh-colored rubber away and checking how the pieces measure up.

There's a sharp rap on the door, and he sets the work down, standing a little straighter as it opens. The nurse in the doorway has a folder in hand, and she starts to say something as she takes a step in.

Or, at least, she tries to. He watches her fruitlessly wave her hand up and down a moment, looking for a break in the invisible barrier.]

Just leave it on the floor. I'll get it later.

[Once she slides it in a few inches and shuts the office door, he goes back to his prosthetic, enjoying the peace and quiet.]

[ When the device knocks on it's on its side, providing first a view of the bubble and the sharp of a knee, then there's some snuffling noises thanks to the corgi trying to...eat it - the device that is - and some sea-sick worthy footage before there's Arthur's voice, ]

Pancake, no! Not food. Bad. Probably lethal. Give me that...


[ Grabbing for the device, he gets it in hand and sighs, arching a brow at the camera seeing it's on, then, bored or whatever, he gives a once-around pan of his environment for the day, his voice equal parts resigned to his 24 hour fate and lazily annoyed. ]

Wonder who came up with this one.

[ Arthur likes his personal space. Really, he does. But...this is going a bit far even for him.

The bubble is sizable - enough so (six feet in diameter give or take) that he hasn't in fact left his room today, which he might not have anyway, not particularly interested in filling the parallel role of hamster-on-wheel. After he turns once in a full circle, he shuts the device off, the last thing transmitted being a slight mumble of, ] Could be worse.


[ooc: tags picked up later ;; last class now lol tests...]

After speaking with Doctor Brown and Rapunzel-san, I wanted to know more about the school here. Is anyone teaching there? [As he's speaking, Ken's on his way to the library to read up on angels. Particularly, Michael and Lucifer. As he walks, people seem to be keeping their distance. He doesn't notice the lack of being accidentally brushed up against, however, and just keeps walking.] Some people, like Rapunzel-san, come in with very little knowledge about the technology and could use a class to help them adjust. And Doctor Brown and I noticed the guides are a little out of date.

[A person nearly runs right into Ken - clearly in a hurry - but somehow, someway, they're suddenly walking around him instead. He stops for a second, confused - that looked awkward - then goes right back to business.]

Does anyone have a recent guide? Or would anyone be interested in helping us put together an updated version?

I don't know when - [He cuts off here, finally noticing people aren't just avoiding him, it's like they can't get very close at all, their bodies forced around him. Puzzled and confused he watches for a second, then cuts the feed off.]



[ooc: Pretend this was posted earlier today, and anyone who wants to interact with his bubble space personally is welcome to. It's fairly large, considering how much he keeps to himself.]

[Setsuna's in a bakery trying to buy some sweet breads. Trying being the key word.]

Figure I better do this while I still remember. I keep forgetting to ask - how many of you would want to leave here? And how many of you prefer this place to your own world and would rather stay?

[Turns to the poor person behind the counter and pushes his money forward.] What's wrong with it? It's the amount you asked for? You can't take it?

[Frustrated, Setsuna puts it on the counter.] Now can you take it? [Watches as NOW it can be picked up. Is annoyed. Very annoyed.]

What the hell is going on here? [Turns back to the camera.] I'll get back to you guys. [Feed cuts off.]



[ooc: Pretend this was earlier today, and feel free to do action tags to interact with the bubble, or just harass him. Characters could even be the poor person behind the counter he tried to buy from.]

[Waitressing is proving to be incredibly difficult today. In fact, it's proving to be almost impossible, since all Rapunzel can do is take orders...she can't exactly pick up things with a bubble in the way...

Luckily, she's got a very good backup plan. Sort of.]

Pascal, I've got an order for two slices of cheesecake and two cups of jasmine tea! Can you manage that?

[Somehow, Pascal isn't in the bubble with Rapunzel, so he's taken over her actual waitressing duties today. He's struggling, what with him being so small, but he's doing pretty good so far...]

I know, I know, I'm sorry, Pascal...I don't like this either, but what else are we supposed to do?

[Pascal squeaks irritably, and Rapunzel sighs, giving him a small smile.]

We'll do something special just for you tomorrow, okay?

[That seems to convince him, as he grabs the small tray he's working with, scuttering out to serve customers. Rapunzel sighs, going out to take more orders, bubble knocking people back as she goes.]

Sorry, sorry!!! I can't help it, there's a bubble...!

I have to say, I'm almost jealous of all these bubbles! They sound like fun. For just a day, at least. So all you unhappy bubble people, smile! Have fun while it lasts! There's got to be something good about it, right?

[A moment's silence. There's the unmistakable sound of arcade noises in the background.]

--On an unrelated note, these games I found are amazing! If only I'd discovered them sooner, I'd...have more experience with them! Especially this one, it's got ninja turtles in it! I wonder if there's any real ninjas in this place.

[And the feed cuts out to his usual cheerful laughter.]

What the hell's the point'a this curse, then, huh?

[ He doesn't exactly have people who stick close to him, but that doesn't mean the bubble around him isn't frustrating and restricting. ]

It comes to something when I'm trying to grab a cup'a the good stuff from an assistant and get it all over the equipment. But it ain't too bad if there's an angry broad trying to punch you down in the cafeteria.

Anyone else having fun with this stuff?

Really, City? All I wanted was a hug from my best friend, is that too much to ask?

[It's been a slow day for Hanna. With practically everybody stuck inside bubbles, physical interaction is down, so that means no cases, no people coming by the flower shop, no misadventures...it's boring. Really boring.

Hanna gets weird when he's bored.

Which is why he's experimenting and seeing exactly how much damage his bubble can hold...by running into walls. Repeatedly. And bouncing off of them.]

Whoo hooo!! This is awesome!!

[He laughs, bouncing off another wall.]

God, this curse is awful, but hey. Bouncing power!

[He laughs and runs into a wall again.]

I wonder if I'd bounce if I jumped off a building...

[ It's evident on Pig's face--rather how he doesn't look up--that he's in his own world. Distant. A tongue darts out to lick dried lips and blue eyes focus on the screen--he's got a definite Irish accent, certainly from Cork, but the way he's dropping words and rearranging sentences is still a little jarring. ]

There we be. Pig and Runt. Warm like. Drinky drinky and I says "Happy Birthday, Runt!" And she? She smiles. [ There's a bit of a laugh but there's absolutely no humour in it. ]

But now where Pig, eh? Where Pig? No club, no fucking Runt. No Runt--No Runt.

Just.... Pig.

Where he be, yeah?