Quest 313

[primrosella]

[Accidental Voice Post]

[The audio opens here with a clatter, as a Network device accidentally knocked askew goes tumbling to the ground and switches on by mistake--]

Oh, that horrible--it's ticking!

[There's an aghast pause, and then a shuffling flurry of movement, and then--]

Oh, no, no, no, it can't be, it--no, no, it can't--

[And with a little more rustling...]

--a machine!

[And it's quite impressive, really, how much horror and disgust and loathing she manages to compress into that one single word, and in the silence that follows before the feed switches off, the very faint sound of clockwork gears clicking can be heard.]


[OOC: Posting kind of early because I have an exam on Monday (ugh) but I didn't want to risk missing this curse because machines. TL;DR, Rosella (and everyone from Daventry) canonically loathes machinery, specifically of the clockwork-and-gears variety, so being turned into a clockwork princess today is...well. Subtle body horror at its finest? WELCOME TO OCTOBER IN THE CITY, I suppose. o/]

Comments

[misterblackbird]

Rosella? Where are you? Are you all right?

[infernoandhearth]

Do you mean you, or is there something else?

Audio

[rianofski]

You seem extremely upset.

[primrosella]

I'm ticking!

[primrosella]

No, it's me, it's--there's something coming out of my back, I think, and--

[primrosella]

It's horrible!

[rianofski]

I don't disagree, but upsetting yourself over it serves no purpose.

[infernoandhearth]

Oh, yes, I've that too. It's a key. It's for keeping your springs wound.

[misterblackbird]

Yes, so am I. But are you all right? Or, will you be all right?

[primrosella]

It's happened to you, too? The--the clicking and the rattling and--

[primrosella]

[Thank you for the attractive mental image that she may or may not be full of springs today. And please pardon her gagging a little as it hits her.]

My springs!

[primrosella]

As though I could just not, knowing there might be--gears and cogs and goodness knows what else all--ugh!

[infernoandhearth]

You shan't have to deal with it at all as long as you've someone to wind you.

[rianofski]

You find the gears and cogs the most disturbing part of this?

[misterblackbird]

Don't think too much on it, if it helps you. But, yes, I think I've been struck by this curse too.

And it is only a curse.

[primrosella]

Of course I do! They're the most awful part of it all!

[primrosella]

Wind me! I don't want someone to--ugh, ugh, ugh!

[primrosella]

It's coming from inside me--it's inside me, gears and cogs and wheels and this--this thing in my back and--

[infernoandhearth]

No, you really must, or you'll run down. Haven't you someone you trust to do it?

[misterblackbird]

It's a curse, Rosella. That means it's an illusion. It isn't real. It's like a nightmare. And midnight you'll find that none of it was true.

[By this time, he's probably on his mobile Network device and hurrying towards the Warehouse...]

[primrosella]

What do you mean, run down?

[Were she thinking clearly at the moment, she would probably realize this is kind of an obvious question, but hey. Machines.]

[primrosella]

[Don't run too fast and wind down in the process...

If and when he arrives, the Warehouse will let him in without incident--which is a good thing, since she's been too busy freaking out to even think of leaving her room.]

I can still hear it...

[And when she covers her ears, that just blocks out the other sounds, and makes the ticking inside her all the more pronounced.]

It's not real, it's not real, it's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real...

[misterblackbird]

[No, he's trying to be as careful as he can about winding down--or not winding down, rather.

It's fortunate the Warehouse knows him. The real challenge is negotiating Rosella's collections. He does as best he can. Never mind how questionable it might be for a young man to invade a young lady's room like this. There are more important things to think about.

Like hurrying over to her and taking her hands in his.]

Of course it isn't real.

[And a brave smile to go with it.

Don't look behind him, Rosella. Don't do it. Spare yourself.]

[primrosella]

[She's practically shaking, but it's from sheer disgust rather than any sort of fear. Which is probably also why she is perhaps holding on to his hands a little too tight.]

I can't stand it...it was bad enough the other times when it was all around but this time it's me...

[infernoandhearth]

You'll just slow down and sort of stop.