Panic time

[zelda_hylia]

Who: Zelda and anyone that comes across her
Where: Hiding throughout Vatheon - less populated places (forest, island, etc)
When: All day after the curse begins!
Style: Either
Status: Open, but Zelda says it's closed. Ignore her.

[Upon figuring out that the little bubble that she couldn't get rid of was displaying her thoughts, Zelda had no choice but to leave the house before Zelos saw. She really didn't have any romantic feelings for him, but she was still a teenager and that kiss was playing on repeat. Even though she doesn't want anyone else to see inside her mind either, at least it wouldn't be ruining the friendship she had with Zelos if they did.

And so the princess is wandering in the least populated parts of Vatheon that she can find, looking very sulky.]

Comments

[a_violent_end]

[It's evening, and Shizuo is out for a walk. He's still dressed casually in a t-shirt in jeans, rather than his usual bartender uniform. By now he has figured out that his bubble is displaying his thoughts, which is a little unsettling, but not enough to make him stay inside. Instead, he tries to avoid the areas where he usually bumps into people in favor of a more solitary walk. This led him into the forest, and, ultimately, to Zelda.

He hasn't seen or talked to Zelda since he told her goodbye for what he had intended to be for good. But after discussing the matter with Izaya, Shizuo had wanted to reestablish his friendship with Zelda. She meant a lot to him, and Izaya's trust and acceptance of their relationship made Shizuo feel better about being...well, selfish. It is kind of selfish to want someone in your life, even if it isn't the best for that person - isn't it?

And that is what his thought-bubble is broadcasting as he approaches her, a statement of, This is selfish. Maybe he should feel concerned about his bubble, but Shizuo isn't. This encounter is more important than worrying about that.]

Zelda.

[He looks genuinely happy to see her, because he is - she's family to him, after all.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Upon hearing Shizuo's voice, Zelda's bubble changes from what appears to be plans to rebuild a very large structure to something entirely different. It's an image of the princess, name dropping Izaya and mentioning some of the horrible things that he's done to one of the trolls in the hopes that the troll will try and "fix" him, but it doesn't end there.

Not even close.

The image continues. Izaya has none of it, of course, and eventually feels the need to treat the troll as he treated Zelda. It seems that most of the city is fiercely defensive of this troll, considering how the informant's life becomes pretty hellish after that in her vision. She tries to cover it, looking flustered.]

D-don't look at it!

[a_violent_end]

[It's too late. Shizuo already has. He honestly tried not to, because it is rude to be privy to someone's private thoughts, but his eyes zeroed in on the display before he conscious could stop them.

And then when he saw that playing out, he couldn't look away.

It's incredibly disheartening - after Izaya had finally come around to accepting them, to think -

But could Shizuo really blame her? What Izaya had done to her was terrible, and even now Shizuo still feels guilty.

He just wants them to get along - and that's what his bubble begins to display, words moving quickly to keep up: This is hard. I just want them to get along. What am I supposed to say to that? If Izaya knew -

Shizuo quickly thinks of the first thing he can get his mind onto, and because they're in the forest, it's a tree. The sentence is interrupted by, tree tree tree tree - fuck.]

Um...sorry.

[Because what else is he supposed to say?!]

[sandvich_good]

[To say Heavy was bored was an understatement. Medic was passed out on his bed like he had been for a while, Spy was probably buying a new suit, and Italy was working on his own shop. Despite all his roommates not seeming to have time for the Russian, he held no ill will towards them.

He did, however, hold some ill will towards that bubble near him. It was annoying, and it seemed to portray whatever he was thinking about. So he decided he'd kill two birds with one stone, find something to entertain himself and practice controlling his thoughts, so he went up to the island. Since most people stayed in the city, you can imagine his surprise once he made it to the forest and saw someone else there.]

...Zelda? Is that you?

[An image of the princess will appear in his bubble, with a question mark next to it.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Her thoughts are a whirlwind - Heavy with a lot of packages, pausing to pick them up. Medic laughing somewhat maniacally on the network. Worry. She tries to smile when she turns to him, though.]

Ah, yes, it is. Hello, Heavy.

[sandvich_good]

[He tries to disregard her thought bubble and manages to do a decent job. He gives her a small smile before returning his face to normal, albeit with a cocked eyebrow. The somewhat forced smile does let him know something is wrong, which appears in his bubble as "Zelda + forced smile = something wrong".

The Russian glares at the thoughts, before turning to her.]

So. Is something wrong?

[kingwithnocrown]

[Yeah, you are not alone, Zelda. You haven't been for a while actually. But eventually, he presents himself.

He comes out from in front of Zelda, out from behind a tree and his eyes are practically glowing. He has his own bubble but it's just this fuzzy black screen of nothingness. At least until his eyes land on her.

Then it shows Zelda. Just Zelda. Alone. Miniature. Little. And looking so very frightened.]

My, those are quite the intimate thoughts, don't you think? I'd be embarrassed if I were you.

[zelda_hylia]

[Upon figuring out that Izaya is there, her brain runs through a multitude of possible scenarios and reactions. The most prominent ones seem to involve hitting him or throwing a deku nut and poofing to safety, but they aren't all negative. She also thinks of him as a little boy, tiny and cute and offering her his hand and showing her around the city. She thinks of him on the last night of the fairytale curse, so lost and certain that things wouldn't work out for him.

Unsurprisingly, none of what she thinks shows on her face and she chooses to not follow any of the "attack Izaya" scenarios. It's too bad it all shows up in the thought bubble.]

Hello, Izaya.

[kingwithnocrown]

[His face twists into an expression of pure amusement. Almost sick amusement. Ironically, his thoughts don't seem to reflect the expression. As a matter of fact, they slide over onto a warmer scenario where that little kid Izaya is being handed a familiar looking jacket by a woman who's identity is cut off at the waste.

Then it goes to just Zelda's face and then it becomes a black blur of nothing.]

So was that your first kiss?

[bufudine]

[The forest is one of Serph's favoured haunts, when he isn't working in the library, taking care of the garden, wandering around the city or taking a dive at the beach. So it isn't surprising that he comes across Zelda.]

Zelda.

[He approaches.]

Are you alright?

[The appearance of a bubble hovering beside him and displaying his thoughts had been a little startling, but he had eventually grown accustomed to it. His bubble's image ripples gently from his previous thoughts of flowers to still water, a representation of his calm, empty state of mind.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Her mind identifies the speaker as Serph, and a memory from Sheik's point of view playing the song of healing surfaces. She looks back at him slowly, trying to smile.]

I do not like these thought bubbles.

[bufudine]

[Serph doesn't look at Zelda's bubble, keeping his eyes on her, though he can still see what is happening in her bubble. His own bubble ripples to briefly show an image of his SFC showing the Vatheon contact list, focused on people whose names begin with "S" before rippling back. While Serph personally doesn't mind them, he can see how people would find them troublesome.]

They can be confronting.

[He can think of some who would especially dislike the thought bubbles. His bubble ripples to show a redhead before rippling to show a man wearing a hood and rippling back to still water.]

There's no shame in thoughts you'd rather not have.

[closedcircuit]

[Ky's on patrol in the forest, because however distressing the nature of the bubbles he has a duty he's agreed to do and he will do it, when he notices her. A temporary maelstorm of emotion flashes across his bubble -- concern, regret, discomfort, defensiveness -- as he pauses.]

Can I help you?

[zelda_hylia]

[She turns and spots Ky, stopping a frown from marring her features - but just barely. Zelda's own thought bubble is of images, of three unearthly beautiful women standing around three golden triangles.]

I am... alright, thank you. I was just looking for a place where I would not have to inflict my thoughts on other people.

[closedcircuit]

[Ky's thought bubble shifts to a battlefield, mechanical parts mixed with human blood and broken bodies for a moment, before it's back the neutrality of a summer thunderstorm.]

Of course. I understand.

I didn't mean to disturb you.

[asea]

[Similarly, Walter has chosen to wait out the curse -- at least for the day -- in the forest, near the large lake in the middle. When he catches sight of Zelda from the corner of his eyes, he starts, his bubble suddenly clearing itself of words as he attempts to clear his mind.

As luck would have it, he snaps a footful of twigs while moving back, but this is a negligible error. As long as no one sees what he's thinking . . .

Luckily for her, he looks more at her than at her bubble, because it really is none of his business.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Her ears prick up from the sound, easily picking up the direction that it's in. She looks over her shoulder at him, flitting images of a troll with wings and a man with white hair passing through her thoughts. The noise didn't come from either of those people, though.]

Hello, sir.

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[This is bad. Ruca has so many things on his mind and the fact that anyone could see it now is disturbing and very worrying.

And also depressing. Because what would happen if he thinks of one the things of past life and gets into trouble or make someone hate him...?!

This is bad, really bad.

But as he thinks of how much he wants the bubble gone, he comes across Zelda.]</sub>

...Um, hello... Miss Zelda.

_{[his bubble shows just as much he is crying on the inside now.]}

[zelda_hylia]

[Her bubble reflects that she really wants to hug him. Those tears! Poor baby!]

Hello, Ruca. Have you been well? Besides... well, this. It's not comfortable, I know.

[sylphauxiliatrix]

[Kanaya was wondering the island again, trying to enjoy the morning sun, but mostly trying to get control of her thoughts. This must be one of those curses she had been warned about. It just happened to occur at the most inconvenient time! She was going to meet Vriska at noon for a serious discussion and this was going to make things very difficult.

She was wandering around the island aimlessly when she nearly ran into another person trying to avoid unnecessary interactions.]

Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. I really didn't expect to see someone else up here!

[The thought bubble next to Kanaya suddenly fills with an image... of the simple dress Zelda is wearing. Certainly an odd thing to think about if you didn't know her...]

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda shakes her head, smiling. This time she knows that the glowing troll is not Dolorosa, though if she remembers correctly this particular troll had left the bubble... an image of the Dolorosa knitting sweaters appears in Zelda's thoughts.]

It's quite alright. I wasn't watching where I was going too carefully, either. I probably should have - it makes sense that people would be trying to avoid each other during a curse like this.

[indoorscholar]

[Terrified of bumping into Celty while an imaginary version of her dances in a revealing, frilly dress in his thought bubble, Shinra has spent the majority of his day miserably wandering through any quiet streets of Vatheon he's been lucky enough to come across.

He stumbles across the familiar face and smiles. Celty's dress changes in turn, transforming from a seductive black to a bright yellow. After suffering his own traumas, he gives Zelda the decency of avoiding whatever her thought bubble might be broadcasting.]

Some curse this is, huh?

[zelda_hylia]

Indeed it is. I could certainly do without it.

[She smiles in return, for some reason picturing Shinra as a sphinx again. What - she likes sphinxes, okay?]

Trying to keep yourself out of trouble?

[clairvoyancies]

[After speaking with Zelos and essentially being apologized to, Tsubaki doesn't see what else there is to complain about. Something still nags her, but she's forced to be okay with everything. She wants to forgive him anyway, though, and so she does, even if she isn't sure he deserves it.

So she is wandering, trying to clear her thoughts, because though she hardly noticed her thought bubble before, she definitely knows it is there now. She is repeating it in her mind again and again, and she has to stop herself before running into Zelda, who appears to be hiding as well...]

(he apologized he apologized he apologized he apologized)

...!

[And then she is staring at her, taking a step back. That blonde hair...the scene plays behind those words. That scene over the SFC when the girl had come on, a laughing Zelos in the background...their first meeting.

And there isn't anything she can do about it.

...Should she say hello...?]

[zelda_hylia]

[The princess has extremely good hearing, so she notices when someone's stepping softly nearby. She turns and smiles at Tsubaki politely, waving. Her thought bubble displays an image of Tsubaki looking irritated (seeing as that is her only memory of her).]

Hello, there.