Quest 314

[primrosella]

The last time, it was summer--June, I think, the end of June or so, because Edmund was gone and I was still trying to sort out the Blue Light and all--and now it's autumn and everyone's come back again. That's how it goes, you know, in seasons. Once in the summer, once in the winter, once in the fall or spring, but not often both. Sometimes it happens on Halloween, even--I remember there was once when everyone came, and that was the silver lining to an awful October, getting to see everyone and...

It's just, one does this enough and one grows to expect...well.

Edmund, are you here? Please, I hope you are--and Blue, if you are too, I'd...and I know Alexander was here last, and sometimes Mother comes, and Daddy, and...

Um.

That is, it's very nice to see all of you visiting today, both the people that have come back and the ones that are here for the first time. Just as before, we'll have the Blue Light open late tonight and tomorrow, for anyone to come and sit and have something to eat and visit awhile, and that's where I'll be should anyone come looking for me.

And if you're here, too, you awful dog, you keep away from me--you haven't gotten me yet, and I won't let you, I won't--


[OOC: As per usual, she's canonically from just after the end of Perils of Rosella, and with some very disjointed and vague knowledge of Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder. Not that that really means anything to anyone, but. 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. Troll, threadjack, have a ball!

And of course, because RL has shown an unfortunate trend of eating me alive lately, I am totally okay with backdating. ♥]

Comments

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

Rosella?

[primrosella]

Blue!

[OH THANK EVERYTHING.]

Blue, where are you, I'll come find you right now--or come find me, if you'd rather, I'm at the Blue Light and--oh, Blue...

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

I'm no my way, all right? Don't go anywhere.

[primrosella]

I won't, I'll stay right here.

[Fiddling with bottles and glasses, no less.]

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[He comes in ten minutes later, peering around corners]

Rosella?

[primrosella]

Blue!

[At the sight of him, she abandons her spot behind the bar and comes rushing over for a much-needed hug.]

Oh, you are here, I'm so glad to see you!

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[He reaches to hug her, and pulls her tight against him]

Hi, Rosella. What's wrong?

[primrosella]

[She is decidedly huggier than normal, even taking the separation into account. But at least she's still warm, rather than chilled and City!Dead. Because that would go over well, surely.]

Just...another awful October. More awful than usual. But you're here now and the month is over and it'll be all right now, I just know it.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[He just holds onto her, even though he knows he's probably a little cold]

Come on, lets make some hot chocolate and catch up, okay?

[primrosella]

Oh, yes, that sounds just lovely. I think most everything is where you left it, too--at least, I've tried to keep it so, as best I can. I'm really so very glad you're here.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

Here, let me get my trumpet.

[He goes to reach for it]

[primrosella]

Will you play for me? The one that's about you, I always did like that one.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

Sure. I'll always play for you, Rosella.

[He's smiling a little as he launches into song, sitting on the counter like it's no big deal and not a health violation]

[primrosella]

[It's not like she's really come around to the idea of health violations yet anyway, so she commandeers herself a stool and leans on the counter to listen, eyes half-closed.]

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[When he's done he looks down at his trumpet like it's magic or something]

Oh.

[primrosella]

Oh?

You can take it with you, you know. If...you'd like it back.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

No.

No, I can't, I mean.

I don't want it to be buried with me.

[He looks terribly sad]

It's good luck, you know.

[primrosella]

[Fortune's favorite son. She remembers that much, and moves to rest her head on his shoulder.]

No wonder things have always been so good here at the Blue Light, then.

[But, you know, the mention of death has got her choking up a little, too.]

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[He leans in next to her.]

I love you, Rosella.

[He doesn't mean it romantically. It's purely platonic, fraternal]

[primrosella]

[He was always the closest to family she could ever get, in the City. They were the same, somehow.]

I wish you could stay. I wish--I never had to worry when you were here, you always knew. You always found me, no matter where I was, even when...I could get in all the trouble I wanted and it was always all right in the end because you were there and I never realized how much I needed it until you were gone.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

You're strong. You don't need me.

[He puts his arm around her anyway.]

[primrosella]

I do.

[Face into shoulder, the words are a little more muffled than before.]

Did it hurt when you died, Blue?

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

[He looks at her, a little surprised]

I can't-

It doesn't work that way.

[primrosella]

What way does it work?

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

Why are you asking this?

[primrosella]

[She just gives him a wobbling look, but being that it's Blue, that's probably all the implication he really needs.]

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

How?

[primrosella]

It was an accident. There was a curse and...

I suppose it's not the same, really, because I didn't...because I woke up, and I was all right, somehow, but I don't know how and it all just...

[A breath.]

It was poison. Like pricking my finger on a spindle, that's all.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

I'm sorry.

[primrosella]

I just hope it wasn't that way for you, too. The way it felt.

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

Don't worry about how I felt. I'm all right now.

[primrosella]

And when you go back?

[boogiewoogiebugleboy]

It's very quiet.

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

Hello! I'm so sorry, you seem very busy, but could you tell me, I'm looking for someone and you seem to know where everyone is.

[primrosella]

No, not at all, it's no trouble, I--

[Hold on, wait just a minute.]

Lucy? It's you, isn't it--or I suppose it'd be Queen Lucy by now?

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

Oh, Rosella, of all people you can call me Lucy!

[primrosella]

It is you! Goodness, I wasn't quite sure--that is, it's been quite some time since I've seen you all...well, yourself! As you ought to be, that is.

Oh, but how are you? And how have you been, and--well, Edmund found you, of course? I do hope he did, and Narnia, and--

...er, and did you say you were looking for someone?

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

I haven't seen my brother, honestly.

I'm looking for a man, he might be looking for a boat, he's tall, green eyes, bronze hair, and is likely trying not to wear a shirt.

[primrosella]

...Oh. I was...rather hoping, you know, that you might all come--the two of you, and Peter and Susan and of course Caspian as well.

[WHOOPS, FAIRY-TALE SENSIBILITIES]

Trying not to wear a shirt?

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

He's not very proper.

[primrosella]

I should say not.

[THINKING.]

He wasn't--oh, this will sound terribly silly, I know, but did he by any chance have a penchant for selling baked things?

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

Yes, that's him!

[primrosella]

Oh, then I did see him. It was at the bakery this morning, when I was getting the cakepies for the staff of the Blue Light. He was in there selling things to a great lot of girls, and I think the owner was crying.

[desiredhertobetheirqueen]

Oh, I'll go look there. Thank you, Rosella.

As for Edmund, if I see him, I'll tell him he best see you right away.

[primrosella]

And if I see him again, I'll let him know you're looking for him, shall I? I don't know that I will, but one never knows--perhaps he'll come in to the Blue Light for something, and I can send him on your way.

Oh, and if you could I'd be terribly grateful, thank you.

[pratful]

Has it really been so long? [ he missed Edmund. There's not many people he felt on equal footing with, here, in the City. Edmund was one of the few. ]

[primrosella]

It has. Time has gone rather quickly, hasn't it? I remember a friend of mine once told me that--the first year here always seems the longest, somehow, and then everyone after that seems to go by faster and faster.

[pratful]

Well, at least we haven't lacked in surprises. I suppose we do just get used to them after a year or so. [ and oh... how he doesn't like that idea at all. ]