feel it still [open]

[monomachy]

Who: Diana Prince [monomachy] & various
When: First week of March
Where: Various places around Santa Rosita
What: Diana biffed her clinic break-in and got hardcore Tranq'd.
Warnings: Tranquilization and everything that comes with it (mind control, uncanny valley mannerisms, etc.)

i. give in to that easy living [days 1-3]

On Monday morning, Diana wakes up with a smile on her face. Her dreams were peaceful and bright--of blooming meadows and calm lakes. Or, that's what she imagines they would have been like, if only she could remember them. But it doesn't seem to bother her that she can't. Instead, she gets up out of bed, gets dressed in her finest pastel pink dress, movements a little too practiced, a little too mechanical. Her clothes from the day before are discarded at the foot of her bed, covered in dirt and torn in places, but she doesn't seem to notice. Doesn't seem to be bothered.

Nothing bothers her. Why would it? Life here in Santa Rosita is perfect.

Everything is perfect.

As she ties on her apron, she sees mud on the floor, tracked in from the back door. Her brows draw together, but she doesn't frown. It's just one more thing she'll have to clean up before heading out for the day. Nothing at all to be worried about. Diana sets about making breakfast, frying eggs and bacon and making toast, none of which turns out quite the way it should; again, she doesn't frown at her work, but simply resolves to pick up a cook book so she can make a better breakfast for her dear family tomorrow. Any visitors will find her in the wrecked kitchen, toaster and stove smoking alike, and that same eerie, wide smile plastered on her face. When she speaks, her voice is too chipper, too hollow, somehow.

"You're just in time for breakfast!"

And later in the day, she'll have whipped up something special for the neighbors down the street or on the next block. Maybe she's heard some gossip around town that this family is having a tough time, or maybe she just felt like dumping a few cans of vegetables into a jell-o mold and sharing the monstrosity with whoever is nearest. Either way, Diana has the monstrosity perched upon a cake stand with a domed glass lid, baring the entirety of its disgusting, slightly-melted glory to the world--and the poor person who opens the door to her weird grin. Again, there's a strange emptiness to her voice, though for all appearances she seems happy. Too happy.

"I thought I would pop by and drop off the dinner I made especially for you!"

Eat at your own risk.

ii. goodbye to my hopes and dreams [days 4-6]

She could have done without a job. But it's good for her to get out of the house to somewhere that isn't the grocery store, and the library is a perfectly respectable place for a lady to be. So she checks books in and out, makes sure the spines are arranged perfectly on the shelves, and (perhaps most importantly) keeps troublemakers in line.

Maybe it's a noise that draws her over--a slightly too-loud word or the sound of a dropped book. Maybe it's just where the path of her strangely stiff steps took her. Either way, Diana is standing at her full height (six feet plus a few inches thanks to the cute kitten heels she's wearing), that same eerie smile on her face paired with a slight draw of her brows. The looks is meant to be disapproving, but just looks creepy. She cocks her head to one side, the motion a bit too fast and birdlike, and speaks.

"What's all the ruckus about? I really don't want to have to ask you to leave."

What is meant as a reprimand comes out rather peppy. This may not make it less disturbing.

iii. stop flipping for my enemies [day 7, evening]

The day goes by as most others do: perfectly. Nothing untoward happens to her, she is not the subject of any gossip, a true accomplishment with some of these homemakers. Santa Rosita is a delight. The people here are a delight. Everything is.

Delightful.

She treats herself to dinner at the Blue Moon Diner, a small salad and a big vanilla milkshake topped with a bright red cherry. Folks who have seen her in the diner before might remember her chowing down on burgers and fries, but Diana seems perfectly content with the greens in front of her. It's when she starts on the milkshake when the feeling hits.

Pain, lancing through her head.

She rests a palm against one temple, her expression flickering to something other than inert cheeriness for the first time in a week. She'll flag down the waitress for the check, leaning one elbow on the table so she can cradle her head in her hand.

iv. we could wait until the walls come down [wildcard]

[ooc; i'm down for any interactions! diana will be stage 6 tranquilized for a week, only remembering her break-in as a misunderstanding that ended good-naturedly. she will still have her increased durability and strength, but will be unaware of them, believing herself an average human woman. please feel free to contact me via pm or on plurk at watchet if there's anything specific you'd like to do! p.s. i will match any tagging format, brackets or prose are both fine.]

Comments

one!

[grice]

[ falco has been coming over since the start of the month to help levi clean when he was unable, and continuing the trend even when the man was on his properly sized legs again. he helped the boy remove the hideous jaw implant and allowed it to grow back, and now he continues to help as the days went in and out. occasionally, through his cleaning routines, he’d watch each picture on the wall he’d remove dust from and was made aware of the woman that lived here with mister levi— diana was her name, but falco had never had the chance to run into her. to be frank, he hadn’t expected that day to be today, either, opening the door to the garage and leaving his shoes out to not bring the dirt in. he knows where levi is at where cleanliness is concerned. now, onto indoors, with broom, mop and bucket in hand. ]

I finished the garage, Mister Lev— Ah!

[ the acrid smell of smoke and burning food pinches the inside of his nose as he waves his hand frantically over his head. wh—

the same woman from the creepy family photos of levi smiling like plastic which was the true root of evil, except. she too, was smiling like plastic while the kitchen was about to go up in flames. something goes icy in falco’s gut, dread, maybe— dread upon realization that something was not right, and very wrong.

he abandons the cleaning utensils against the wall and runs to help her; he doesn’t know how yet, but starts by flipping off the switch that births a monstrous block of charcoal that was once food and a flame tempted to grow past the heated pans. then the other, quickly— ]

I-It’s burning, Miss Diana!

[ they haven’t properly introduced themselves, but it feels better to use her name then pretend he didn’t know. ]

one

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[The neighbors on Midwich Street were honestly pretty personal to one another. Heck, Levi spent so much time visiting with her and Erwin that it was only fair that Cassandra would pop in occasionally to see Diana. In a place like this, it paid to keep track of your allies. And.... just as well for it. Cassandra wanted to make certain Levi's health was improving after his "trip" to the Living Island.

To that end, it's not all that uncommon to catch them popping over to the Smith's residence. What is uncommon about this is the lack of announcement; just a knock on the door one afternoon that Cassandra, without thinking, goes to answer.

And low and behold, there's two horrifying sights before her.]

Uhhh, thanks, but I think we're good on- [It doesn't click at first. But the eyes, the voice...] W-wait a sec. Diana?

iii

[13thcommander]

Both Levi and Falco have told Erwin about Diana's unfortunate situation. Having been there himself, and frankly not wanting to ever go there again, Erwin has been keeping his distance. He knows there isn't much anyone can do to snap her out of it, and that the only thing to do is wait for it to wear off.

And then be there for her when it does.

As such, Erwin has been keeping an eye on Diana. He's not following her, exactly, but he has tended to be in the background of where she frequents, making sure she isn't getting herself into trouble. So far, so good, beyond the culinary disasters and the mess she made in the kitchen that gave Levi absolute fits.

He's reading a book on a bench outside the diner where she's eating a salad, keeping watch, when he notices her apparent sudden headache. He remembers that too, and the hideous pain of coming back into himself, so he stands up and hurries into the diner.

"Hello, Diana." Erwin keeps his voice calm and non-threatening, sliding into the booth across from her. "Would you like some company on the walk home?"

i been feeling it since 1966 now | one

[chromiums]

[ their household has definitely been having a difficult time, but lorna doubts any one of them has been advertising that fact. she certainly hasn't been on the rare occasions she's ventured out. when diana shows at her door, she's recognized as one of the people who doesn't belong here, but not one she's talked to often, if at all. it's enough for her to open the door when diana rings her bell, but what she's carrying and what she's saying makes her immediately wary. her eyes narrow as she remains in the doorway, in case diana tries to walk in. ]

Very considerate of you. [ she gives her a once over, taking note of the pastel dress and too bright smile. ] Why me, in particular?