001 ♢ Video ♢ Mid-morning

[jackblocking]

[The NV flickers on to reveal a young lady, her long chestnut hair drawn back to fall richly down her back, violet eyes wide, innocently curious, just before the little device turns in her hands. There’s a dizzying shift to reveal the pitted baseball diamond around her. Her voice, when she speaks, is soft and a little unsure.]

This thing really lets me talk to others?

[Another dizzying flash of the baseball diamond as she tosses it in her hand, snatches the strange thing out of the air with a nimble hand. There’s another blink – right before a sudden smirk curves her lips, her expression both annoyed and confident. Just because she can't see him nearby doesn't mean he isn't around, right? Right.]

Oz! Oy! Answer me you useless manservant! Where the hell did you disappear to this time?! Just because that Chain disappeared doesn’t mean you and Seaweed-head are allowed to, too! If you don’t hurry up and get here, I’m going to kick both your stupid heads it, you hear me?

Oz?!

Comments

1/3

[his_own_will]

[ and out of the blue comes a raising star of beauty! A fair damsel in need is his good looks, his strength, his... ]

[his_own_will]

[ Manservant? ]

3/4

[his_own_will]

[ No, no. It couldn't be! This young woman was far too lovely, far too clean and groomed to absolute perfection. It can't be Alice! She hasn't destroyed the baseball diamond yet, then again. She is threatening to kick in his head...

Ahem. ]

[ video ]

[his_own_will]

Hi Alice! [ :D ]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you like that, but I was distracted. Did you have fun last night? You're still wearing your new, pretty dress after all.

[ He can put two and two together. He's smart like that. She was obviously fresh from a ball and he can even take a guess as to which ball that was, too. ]

[ video ] 1/4

[jackblocking]

Fun.

[Here have the blankest look ever, because did you just ask her if she had fun, Oz? Really?]

[ video ] 2/4

[jackblocking]

[She was nearly sacrificed in a madman's attempt to recreate the Tragedy. She watched Jack take over your body and kill said madman. And you ask- ]

Did I have fun? Last night.

[ video ]

[jackblocking]

[Gilbert's brother, creeper that he was, betrayed him and Pandora last night. Your friend Elliot died.

Another sealing stone was broken.]

What the hell do you mean, fun?

[ video ] 4/4

[jackblocking]

Did you hit your head on something, you idiot?! How could you even ask a question like that?! Come here so I can kick you properly! Maybe that'll knock some sense into you!

[That was, perhaps, not the best way to phrase that.]

[ video ] 1/2

[his_own_will]

[ yes please! Knock all the sense into Oz. He's missed the random abuse with no Break or Sharon or Alice around! Gilbert just can't cut it you know. ]

[ video ]

[his_own_will]

[ Wait, wait, wait. So the party didn't go as planned? Drat it all. That can only mean one thing. They must have been there. Time to put on his serious hat. ]

You're right! [ he cringes and then gets a bit teary-eyed ] I really don't remember much, after the ball started. If it's not too much, maybe... [ he looks hopeful. It's do or die here. Either Alice tells him, or he'll have to sit on Gil for a week. Even if Gil doesn't know anything, he will get sat on! ]

[ video ]

[jackblocking]

Maybe what? [There's a note of impatience in her voice, of lingering frustration before she finally remembers her other problem right then. And then her eyes widen and she shakes her head.]

Nevermind that - I think Break's dying or something so hurry up and get here, okay?

[And with that grim assessment thrown out there, she turns the NV so that she could show Break's unconscious form, the bow from her dress stained crimson from where she'd tried to stem the bloodflow from the wound in his side.]

reaction; 1/2

[retraced]

[Sometimes, this world is nothing but a cruel curse that turns a heart bitter and makes one feel their own soul. Other times it can feel like a blessing, a temporary one (always so damned temporary) but a blessing nonetheless. For months now, Gilbert has thanked the Core for bringing his young master back to him, and cursed it for taking the people closest to Oz from him while it left him here. He curses himself for being selfish enough to be so happy to have Oz at his side while everyone else appears and disappears daily.

As soon as he hears that familiar voice call out for his young master, the voice of the person responsible for both his happiness and simultaneously draining that precious life from him, he feels a small burden on his heart loosen its grip. But at the same time, he hates himself for allowing that burden to take root in the first place.

He can't decide if this is a moment when the world is a blessing or a curse. He can't even see Oz's face to see his reaction...]

Stupid...

video; 2/2

[retraced]

STUPID RABBIT STOP SCREAMING! EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE!

[Angst can wait until later. He has a rabbit to catch before she has a chance to tell Oz just why she's in that dress.]

video;

[jackblocking]

YOU STOP SCREAMING YOU USELESS SEAWEED-HEAD! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!

[She glares at him through the little box, then huffs out in annoyance.

I've never had to talk to someone through a box before, okay? And Hey! Nevermind that - hurry up and get here, okay? That bastard clown just killed over, see?[And here she turns the NV around to show Break at her feet - though it's also clear that he's still breathing and not actually dead. Her voice sounds from behind the NV as she shoves it closer to the man's face.]

He had Mad Hatter out, then soon as he sealed it, he did like you do and fell over.

video; 1/2

[retraced]

Then don't just--!

[But his further protests are cut off as soon as he sees Break lying there. Break in the same clothes from the party that Alice is currently wearing. That night had been so long, it's difficult to tell just when she was taken out of it, but it's obvious at what point Break had been taken. He hadn't been there to stop him in time...]

Break?! But then both of you were...

[The NV is picked up as he jumps to his feet and runs for the door.]

Stay there, I'll be there in just a few minutes! Make sure that no one moves him!

video; 2/2

[retraced]

[...And just to be clear on this.]

AND I DON'T JUST FALL OVER!

video; 1/2

[jackblocking]

[Obviously he really does need the clarification, so she flips the NV back around and gives him a half-annoyed, half-triumphant look.]

FINE! YOU SLUMP DOWN LIKE A SPINELESS BRAT!

[video]

[pandorabox]

[gosh what is all this yelling doing coming from his NV]

Someone sure is loud today.

[video]

[jackblocking]

[You mean this funny box talks to more than just Gilbert and Oz?!

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, she quite nearly drops the NV before she pulls it closer so that the only thing that can be seen is her eyes.]

You mean you can hear me too?

[video]

[pandorabox]

Trust me, there are a lot of people who can hear you. And they're probably not all listening over this thing.

[video] /sorry for the late! Work ate me this week orz

[jackblocking]

...huh?

[She turns the box over, showing a quick flash of Break's unconscious form at her feet, then glances around as she turns it back up to look at the stranger.]

Then where are they and why don't they come out instead of hiding like cowards?!

[inthejunk]

Alice-chan?

[You won't know this kid, but he remembers you.]

You came back.

[jackblocking]

What do you mean by back? [She blinks at this, curious, and frowns a little.] You can't come back to something if you've never been there to start, so... what do you mean back and how do you know my name?

[inthejunk]

Uh...to tell you the truth, this is hard go explain. But I know you, even though you don't know me.

[jackblocking]

[She frowns a bit at that, violet eyes intent as she eyes this person but... nothing. Not a single spark of recognition or faintly stirred memory and so she sighs and reaches up to flick back her hair, a sudden idea coming to her.]

So. You know me from this strange place, but not from before I threw away my memories... is that right?