clouds came and covered the sun

[hairpining]

[You find yourself in a small, quaint little town. The architecture has a notably late-1800s bent to it, in contrast to the clean, crisp air you breathe – combined with a faint, flowery scent – it's almost as though it is not industrialized at all.

Which would be easy enough to believe. After all, there do not seem to be any people out other than you and your fellow spelunkers – in spite of the occasional whisper you might hear. Hushed and impossible to actually make out.

Far in the distance lies a towering building, similar in shape to a fairytale castle.]

(Castle Town | Atelier | Smithy | Castle Town Revisited |
Painting the Roses Red | The Golden Afternoon | Castle Corridor |
The Library of Babel | The Girl Without Hands | The Garden of Paradise | The White Bride and the Black One |
The Princess Sleeping in the Glass Coffin)

((BGM entirely for ~atmospheric~ and ~stylistic~ purposes and personal reference, feel free to listen if you want to!))

Comments

Painting the Roses Red

[hairpining]

[There's a festival today]

[For some reason the castle door opens to a field! In the middle there is a gorgeous dinner table that stretches on as far as the eye can see – it's surrounded by what can be assumed to be a half-circle of white rosebushes.

The guests have yet to arrive, but the field is filled with soldiers, wearing clothes reminiscent of card suits. Like everyone else you've met, it's impossible to clearly discern their faces. In the distance, you can see the silhouette of a building – a castle. The exact same castle you walked into?

But as you walk in, one of the card soldiers tries to stuff a paintbrush into your hands.]

Re: Painting the Roses Red

[kalahiki]

[Walking on in, presumably still with the child...and staring at the paintbrush.]

...What is this, the Queen of Heart's castle?

[hairpine]

You're smart!

[The soldier doesn't really pay Elys any mind, instead turning to Sei with a rather... anxious expression on his face, tense.

"Well, you see, Sir. Today is our princess's birthday. We planted the white roses by mistake, and..."]

[kalahiki]

So you want them painted red? [Sort of sighing.]

And only roses...isn't it a little better to have variety?

[hairpine]

["If our princess prefers roses, then it can't be helped, but..."

He looks away, scratching the back of his neck.

"... We don't remember what color to paint them!"

Set up in front of the rosebushes are five buckets of paint: red, yellow, blue, black and orange.]

[kalahiki]

...Hey, Elys. [Looking for a second paintbrush.]

What color d'you like?

Re: Painting the Roses Red

[guardofsteel]

[ Oh yes, he's read this book before. And oh dammit, more faceless people? ]

You know, you can all stop being physically impossible now.

[ Looking at the paintbrush in his hand. ] Let me guess. We're painting the roses red.

[hairpine]

["Red? Red? ... We don't know! Any color, any color at all would be better than white...! Ohh, we'll be eaten, all of us..."

The soldier mumbles on like that for several minutes, seemingly consumed with fear at the concept of being eaten. ... Well, who wouldn't be?

Set up in front of the rosebushes are five buckets of paint: red, yellow, blue, black and orange.]

[guardofsteel]

You'll be eaten. [ He sounds incredibly disbelieving. ] Why would you be eaten? And, more importantly, who would eat you?

[hairpining]

["We'll be executed --"

He cuts himself off as Elijah asks who, seemingly shaking even more, if you believe that to be possible.

"Biancabella. Biancabella will!"]

[guardofsteel]

That tells me jack shit. But fine. I'll help you. [ Even if this is kind of a pain in the ass. ]

[provocate]

[Oh my goodness *3*]

Love... ly...? [...why is there a paintbrush in his hand now]

[Rude! Chucks the paintbrush at the soldier's stupid blank face... lsdjf]

[hairpining]

[It hits the poor, underpaid, soon-to-be-executed soldier square in the face. Even if you can't see his face, you know this, because there was a definite, slight crack noise.

In addition to the screaming, I mean. He's now doubled over, holding what can be assumed to be his nose.

None of the other soldiers pay him any mind, and go about their business. Another comes up to you and tries to hand you a paintbrush.]

[provocate]

[................kicks him over for good measure, grinning at him until he feels someone messing with his hands again omg!!!]

[Jerks his hands over his head and takes a step back]

What-- Darling, if you could please--!

[hairpining]

["Sir, there is no time! We'll be eaten... If these roses aren't painted, we'll be eaten!"

He repeats himself a couple of times, making an amusing neurotic sort of expression all the while.]

[provocate]

[...laughing aww and reaching over to pap his cheek ('8]

You poor thing.

[fangirlitis]

[Kanan takes it.]

Oh, what should I do with this?

[hairpining]

[The soldier looks rather anxious and tense!

"Well, you see, Miss. Today is our princess's birthday. We planted the white roses by mistake, and..."]

[fangirlitis]

And white roses aren't her favorite, so you have to paint them, but you don't know which color to paint them?

[hairpining]

["Well..."

He scratches the back of his head nervously.

"... Yes."]

[fangirlitis]

Well, the prince said he was going to get her blue roses... so...

[She thinks a moment.]

Her idealized guy would totally know what she wanted, meaning Blue's the right answer. But what do you guys represent, anyways? Would tweaking you make her not such a total wet blanket?

Re: Painting the Roses Red

[artsistic]

What is this? Are we supposed to paint the roses?

Re: Painting the Roses Red

[hairpining]

["Yes, please, help! You see, Miss... Today is our princess's birthday. We planted the white roses by mistake, and..."

He looks away, seemingly very embarrassed! It may have been his idea.

"... We'll all be eaten! But, the proper color... we can't recall which!"

Set up in front of the rosebushes are five buckets of paint: red, yellow, blue, black and orange.]

Re: Painting the Roses Red

[artsistic]

What color does the princess like?

[hairpining]

["... We don't remember!"]