I really don't appreciate not being able to sit back today.

[She frowns at the camera, then lifts it, turning it this way and that until she's sure she's given everyone a view of the giant winding key in her back.]

This is the first time I've ever had a curse change my body. I think I prefer the ones where I don't realize I'm acting differently. This is just wrong. Even my cat's freaked out and he's... hiding...under...the...beeeeeeeed...

[Uh oh, she's started to wind down! Her head starts drooping, but then the key is heard being wound and her head lifts again.]

It's interesting that I can get Casts to work on this, but not on other curses. But it's that way with some of you and your magic, right? Anyway, if you have one of these things and you need a hand, I might be able to wind your key from here.

I think. Maybe. I'm still learning what I can do.

[Lena's holding some paperwork in her lap, with the camera set up to film her. And she's totally forgotten to lock this to the intended party.]

Everything here looks pretty good. I mean, it's really common sense: you get your stuff and I get mine. But, um, Pavel? I did have a couple questions.

Under the "unusual circumstances" clause, it says "In the event of a party transforming into an inanimate object, ownership of assets of both parties, communal and individual, shall revert to the unaffected party, and the unaffected party shall ensure the safety of the affected." Do people really turn into inanimate objects here, or is this like a worst-case scenario thing?

And uhh, [and now she squirms a little,] I didn't know you wanted children. Shouldn't we discuss that a little first?

[Lena is sitting with a tile wall behind her and an epic pout on her face. She's also wearing a yellow raincoat, the hood pulled up, as water beats down on the top of her head. She pans the camera up to show a little black raincloud above her head.]

This sucks.

[Her voice echoes off the tiles. Yep, she's sitting in her bathtub.]

I can't Cast anything that will get rid of it, or block it. Not unless it's against my head like this hood. Has anyone had this curse before? Is there any way to stop it?



[ooc: Lena's been hit with the Find A Rainbow Day curse. Her pessimism keeps the black rain cloud, but cheerfulness will bring a rainbow! She's just too grumpy to try and be positive.]

Yeah, that one. [It's Lena's voice, coming in slightly muffled. Her phone's in her back pocket and it's turned on, but the only thing that can be seen is darkness. An NPC tells her the total, and there's the sound of coins clinking in a jar.]

Oh, you get a free doughnut with your coffee if you donate to our local charity.

I do? That is so cool! [She lets out a cheer and a moment later, there's a yelp of pain.] Oh, no! I-I'm sorry, I forgot. Are you okay?

Yeah, just, uh... here's your doughnut.

Thanks, sorry again. [The phone is finally moved out into the open as Lena takes it out to sit down at a table in the cafe. She sees it's recording and she rolls her eyes.] Maybe I should go back to the apartment. This curse is going to be worse for other people than for me. [A pause.] Not that I want to kiss strangers, but at least I don't get hurt by it.


[ooc: So here's the deal! Casters and Mortals can't touch without it hurting the Mortal, aka Human. So if Lena touches your character, they get the feeling of warmth coupled with a slight electric shock, that increases the longer they're in contact with her. (If they're not human, well, IDK if it'll affect them.) Have your character come find her in person and they can try to kiss her/see if she'll kiss them!]

Black text = Lena; Blue text = Amma; Red text = Ethan

[The scene is confusing. It's some sort of overgrown graveyard, but it's on fire. And yet the flames aren't moving. It's like time is frozen, and that's because it is. People are frozen in place. One is a woman holding a knife and standing over a boy laying on top a crypt. There's blood coating the front of his shirt at the stomach. His eyes are shut and even if the scene wasn't frozen, one could tell he's dead. Lena is kneeling next to him with a book beside her, open to a certain page. She looks nearly the same as now, except in the memory, both her eyes are green. There's a woman beside her, old and bony, but with a determined face and an air of strength.

Both she and Lena close their eyes and Lena begins to chant in Latin. Then the woman takes her hands in both of hers and they both recite the chant in English:]

Blood of my heart,
protection is thine.
Life of my life,
taking yours, taking mine.
Body of my body,
marrow and mind.
Soul of my soul,
to our spirit bind.
Blood of my heart,
my tides, my moon.
Blood of my heart,
my salvation, my doom.

( cut because it got loooong )

[Lena's sitting near a window, watching the blizzard outside. She looks transfixed by the swirling flakes, so much so that one might think she turned on the camera by accident. But then she speaks.]

I've moved around a lot of places, but it was all in the South, so there was never much snowfall and never a blizzard like this. It looks like something out of those cheesy holiday films and tv movies.

[Her cat hops up into her lap, purring and kneeding Lena's thigh with her paws (and claws, ouch), before settling down.]

Anyone else around here come from a place with little to no snowfall? Maybe once it's over we can go run around in it. We could make snow angels. [She displays a secret smile at that, replaying a memory in her mind.] Or build a snowman.

[The camera shows Lena fanning her face out in the sun. There's perspiration on her forehead and she's squinting, but then she turns the camera away to show the line in front of her. When she tilts it back to show her face again, she's wearing sunglasses, though there was no rustling sound as she got them out. And that was because she didn't, but some non-magical people might have been freaked out seeing sunglasses conjured out of thin air. She had turned in to face the building so the others in line wouldn't catch her doing it.]

This line is ridiculous, and it's like a hundred degrees out here. It better be worth it once I get inside.

[A trickle of sweat runs down from her temple and down her cheek. She quickly flicks it away, looking irritated.]

Anybody else in this line somewhere? How close are you to the front doors? And what are you most looking forward to inside?

[Lena's sitting at a cafe across from the fountain. There actually wasn't a seat available, but she persuaded some people to clear a table for her. All it took was making eye contact and reminding them they had somewhere else to be.]

So, from everyone's reactions, I take it the population boom has happened before, right?

[And she's wondering why a lot of people are being so annoyed and put out about it.]

Do the new people here really disrupt things or cause riots? Because other than that, I can see how it'd get a little annoying having to fill the newbies in, but they're all stuck here like us, and it's not their fault so... [She's going off on a tangent here. Time to reel it back in.]

I mean, they're probably freaked out. I don't mind being the welcoming committee for them. I was just wondering if there was anything different about them from the usual newcomers, that's all.

[Pause.]

And some people seem to think their loved ones are here now. Is that a thing that usually happens with this?

[She doesn't say anymore, but she doesn't yet turn off the camera either. She's forgotten it for a moment as she's doing a Caster thing: reaching out with her mind and calling out to her boyfriend to see if he's there, like she does everyday.]


[ooc: Ready for 4th wall shenanigans! I doubt any characters actually know her canon, but if there's a slim chance, please don't tell her she's fictional. Also her canon point isn't up to date; it's the end of Beautiful Darkness.]

[A hand fumbles in front of the camera, then pulls back to show a teenage girl who is looking very confused and a bit scared.]

Where am I? What's going on here?

[She looks around her, then back to the camera. Bringing it closer to her face to better examine it, she narrows her unique eyes, one green, one gold.]

Is this some kind of sick joke? Did you do this, mother?

[The last word is spit out harshly. This is so not a happy mother-daughter relationship.]

I don't know what your angle is this time, but I don't want to talk to you. Send me home right now!