o5 | invasion of the body snatchers | accidental video/action

[chloroformedthejanitor]

I. First Contact

[The thing with the mirrors is really freaking Annie out. The whole "writing frantically on the glass and then just disappearing" spiel is just....really weird. Even for this place. She'd even pulled the blanket off the mirror in her room to make sure that she was actually gone. Can they be gone? Can mirrors just evaporate like that? Without a word or-- or anything???!?! And the plants... just... breaking through the walls like that. Creepy. A whole different level of creepy.

If it were up to her, Annie would stay in her room forever, hiding from whatever this was. She can handle chess matches, things falling from the sky, being stuck in a mine for five days, and she can even handle getting killed by invisible demon dogs, but potentially murderous plants?? Mirrors disappearing? It's a little too much, and she's starting to reach her breaking point.

But she still needs to eat, and she doesn't want anything the closet can give her, so she makes the trek to the kitchen, armed with an axe pulled out of the closet, in case of any funny business.]

II. Snatched

[The encounter with the vine leaves her shaky. It'd come out of nowhere and wrapped around her leg, pulled her down and while she hacked it off easily enough, she still feels queasy. Right after she'd cut the plant off, though, just for a few seconds, she felt-- indescribable, almost. Like she wasn't even in control of her own body. Like she was there, and watching someone else run things. But then it was gone, and she was left with a sick feeling in her stomach. Adrenaline rush, maybe? She's not sure. Also, her leg hurts. She's queasy and her leg hurts, because the root wrapped around it so tightly that it left a welt that's red and stinging.

She's hobbling to the clinic when it happens again. The feeling like she's been pushed out of the way and someone else is controlling her. She stops in the middle of the hallway. Or, she thinks she does, but no, she's still walking. What's happening??]

I'm in control now, sweetie. That's what's happening.

[Mirror Annie's been waiting a long time for this. A chance to finally get back at her real for everything she'd done back in their world. The other timeline. The "perfect" timeline. Pft, whatever. Perfection is the ability to take what you need with no regrets. Mirror Annie can do that. She does it all the time. Like right now.

She fixes her face into a typical "ow I'm a hurt princess someone help me" expression that her real always has and keeps on her way to the clinic, ignoring the protests in the back of her mind. It's her turn.]

[ooc: this is a catch-all for Annie! replies to section one will come from chloroformedthejanitor and replies to section two will come from callmepsycho. just specify which prompt you're replying to! <3]

Comments

[Action, First Contact]

[notsogryffindor]

[When Annie arrives in the kitchen, someone is already there. Someone familiar, standing by the oven. The whole room smells good, like warm beef stew. It's reached the point where it has to simmer, and there's not much else to be done but wait.

This is the point when the real James would have gotten impatient and decided to turn up the heat in an effort to make it cook faster. But his Mirror is perfectly content to wait. It is not wholly different from brewing potions. Every step requires precision and patience. And regardless of who is in charge, the body still requires food - and Mirror James is not living on sandwiches or pumpkin pasties or any of the numerous premade things his Real is content to feed himself.

His left forearm is wrapped in a bandage, to hide the wound that identifies him as "inhabited" - or "inhabiting", he supposes. It is the only effort he makes to hide himself though. He doesn't seem particularly happy, or as lively as the real James typically is, and he's blatantly showcasing a talent that the real James doesn't possess at all.

He looks up when Annie enters the room, but he doesn't say anything immediately. No, he waits, trying to gauge which Annie this is.]

[Action, First Contact]

[chloroformedthejanitor]

[She makes it without being attacked, thank god. She's so relieved that she doesn't even notice James when she gets in the kitchen. Just the smell of the stew. Which, to be fair, smells really, really good. Like, really good.

She turns, and then notices James, and smiles.]

Hey! I didn't know you could cook.

[To be fair, they don't know all that much about each other.]

But I guess that makes sense. Potions and stuff, right?

[Action, First Contact]

[notsogryffindor]

[The real Annie then. She has a familiarity with his real that her Mirror wouldn't.

He glances over at the simmering stew, briefly considering his options and trying very hard to ignore the real James making empty threats in the back of his head about the things he'll do if he hurts Annie. He's been very straightforward about which James he is to everyone else thus far, but he doesn't particularly feel the need to correct her. At least, not at the moment. He's not actually trying to be the other James, so he's certain she'll figure it out soon enough.]

...Mm. They're very similar practices.

[chloroformedthejanitor]

Right.

[Okay. James is being weird. Like, weirder than usual. She's used to the cheeriness, but there's usually...more of it. He'd be bouncing off the walls, right? At least, that's how she thinks of him. But whatever, maybe he's tired or something. Maybe the event's getting to him.]

So um, what are you making? It smells awesome.

[action | snatched] m!Annie please and thank :B

[cowhouse]

[It's always food, isn't it?

Jesse, too, would have been more than content to wait this entire(ly terrifying) event out in his room, just sit back, pull a whole mess of weapons out of the closet and sit there and wait until it all blows over. Isn't there a Radiohead song like that? A gun and a sandwich? Sandwiches plural? In any case, yeah, that would have been ideal.

Except his closet doesn't seem to want to give him jack in the food department. Or, well, nearly jack- all it's giving him is stuff he can't eat, his usual scabby microwave lasagna... Which is all well and good, except that the microwave is downstairs, and after pulling his fourth Hungry Man box out of the closet, it's becoming clear that whatever he'd meant by "comfort food", this is what he's getting. Which means, sadly, that he's gonna need to go down to the kitchen to heat it up.

And so, armed with both a baseball bat and a tv dinner box that could probably function as a bludgeoning instrument if he really needed it to, Jesse's out and about. He has to work to suppress a shiver as he makes his way down his hall: if he thought the mirrors were creepy when he'd arrived, it doesn't hold a candle to how he feels about them now that he knows that someone- or a bunch of someones- are watching from the other side. Well, they had been watching, at least. And writing increasingly frantic messages on nearly every mirror; now cracked and splintered with the glass, they're even more sinister. Oh hey, there's that shiver now. God, this place... What the hell, seriously? Between that and that pants-shittingly horrifying message from the Queen of Hearts, he's just... Yeah. He can't.

He makes it all the way down to the first floor before he spots anyone, but as soon as he does he's drawn off course, veering away from the direction of the kitchen and down the opposite hallway when he recognizes the figure standing at the other end of the hall.]

Annie?

[He hadn't figured her for the adventurous type... But then again, neither is he... And yet here he is.]

[callmepsycho]

[Mirror Annie spots him long before he spots her. Jesse. The cute boy who just got here who watches the dumb animal shows that her real watches. This should be cake.

She gives a little gasp, and speeds up.]

Jesse, oh my god! [She drops the axe on the ground and reaches out for him. What? She's a pretty physical person, when she wants to be. At least, that's what she'll tell anyone who asks.]

[cowhouse]

[Dumb animal shows?? Blasphemy! It's like he doesn't even know you...

They've never met, obviously, but, she's got the measure of him down pretty well regardless; as expected he plays right into her game, taking a few steps forward and reaching to set his hands loosely around her forearms, brow creased and expression tinged with worry.]

Yeah, hey-- You okay? What happened?

[Aside from the obvious and general insanity of the event, of course...]

[callmepsycho]

[Like luring flies in with high grade meth. Or whatever that saying is. She grabs his forearms too, squeezing them with supposed desperation. She takes a deep breath and lets it out with a shaky exhale, tears springing to her eyes.]

I was just-- um-- walking-- and I went around the um-- the corner-- [She pauses, "gathering" herself, and letting out another shaky breath.]

I'm sorry, I just-- The vine, it-- it attacked me and I don't-- I--

[And cue actual waterworks in three, two...]

[Action | Snatched] Maybe someday Emma will talk to regular Annie but today is not that day.

[cursebreaking]

[As soon as she'd gotten a decent idea of what was going on, of the reason behind the sudden personality transplants that seemed to be running rampant throughout the mansion, Emma had high-tailed it to the clinic. She may not have been a doctor, but she's spent more than enough time using the clinic as a safehouse or overseeing other people's injuries to pick up a few tricks along with her basic first aid skills.

If the mirrors were taking people over from the inside, that meant there were bound to be more than a few injuries. She'd been lucky enough to escape that fate so far, but she doesn't expect many others to be all that lucky. She's rummaging through one of the drawers when she hears someone come in behind her, and tenses up slightly before looking over her shoulder to see just who it is she has for company.

Of all the faces it could have been, Annie's was one of the more welcome.]

Hey -- Annie. You okay?

[callmepsycho]

[She doesn't want to admit it, but her leg does kind of hurt. It's annoying more than anything else, but...it helps her act, especially since...Emma? Is in here. Mirror Annie's not as familiar with her. Doesn't matter. She'll just keep acting like she's the real Annie. (And continue to ignore the actual Annie's protests. Seriously. Shut up.)

She gives Emma a pitiful smile and hobbles over to a bed.]

I'm all right. I got attacked by one of those things!! It really stings.

[cursebreaking]

[Emma gives her a quick once-over, wary. It's not the first root attack she's seen, and she's pretty sure it won't be the last. After a moment's hesitation, she jerks her head towards the nearest bed when she sees that Annie is already en route to it.]

Go on and take a seat. I can take a look at it if you want. How long ago did you get hit?

[And if it was recently, how long until Annie's Mirror pops up?]

[callmepsycho]

Um...

[She feigns confusion for a moment, as if she can't remember the exact moment she took over her real's body.]

Maybe like, half an hour ago? I felt a little dizzy at first...

[She sits on the bed, giving Emma a worried glance.]

Do you think I'm all right?

[Because that's how she'll know whether or not she can pull this thing off.]

action; snatched!

[oversight]

[Blake is looking for hurt princesses. Or, at least, people that resemble hurt princesses, since he tends to be an equal opportunity hero like that. Problem is, there are a whole lot of people, and a whole lot of people inside those people.

It makes things difficult, to say the least. But Blake's of the mind that he'll check on those few people, and then he's sequester himself away until he can figure out how to suppress Johnny for good, or until this whole situation passes over them.

Either way, he's not doing that now, because he's caught a glimpse of Annie, and the look on her face has him concerned.]

Annie, you okay? Looks like you're limpin'. Haven't been... y'know, taken, have you?

[callmepsycho]

[Oh. This is too good. Too good. A chance to mess with little Annie's perfect crush. (She has to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the insistence in the back of her head that she doesn't have a crush on him, okay?? Please.)

She gives him a grateful smile.]

Um, I'm not sure??? I got attacked by one of those things, but... I don't know. I feel okay?

[oversight]

[Well, okay, he can believe that much... for now. A nod and he reaches a hand out, a gesture ushering her in the direction of a more root-free section of the hallway.]

That's good. Real good. Can't say the same for me, so if I start actin' up...

[He trusts the implication is clear, though he can't imagine Annie overpowering Johnny if he ever does gain control in her presence.]

[callmepsycho]

[She raises an eyebrow before she can stop herself. Blake's got Johnny in him, huh? Mirror Annie's met the guy, and is pretty surprised he's letting his real have any control. Maybe he's just biding his time. Whatever.

She grabs his hand and follows him, staying close. A little too close, maybe?]

So you got attacked too, huh? Are you okay? Do you-- do you need anything? The clinic isn't far...

[ Snatched | Action ]

[venators]

[ The thing with the mirrors is weird. He's heard all about the mirrors and what they're capable of from a handful of people. Most it was on his first day here. Graham's been through a helluva lot here. He died at the hands of John Blake and he was basically responsible for Emma dying. It makes him sick to his stomach thinking about what he had done. Emma told him it wasn't his fault, but that doesn't stop Graham from blaming himself. He's backburned it though because things are getting weird again. They're twisted and just confusing as hell. He had his Enchanted Forest memories back, but this place was even weirder than his home. This is coming from a man who had his heart ripped out by Regina.

He has two people already living inside of him. Sheriff Graham Humbert and The Huntsman. Both seem find and comfortable. No mirrors though. This is just Graham's everyday life. He's saddled with these false memories and they still feel just as real as his actual Huntsman ones. It was with these memories that he met Emma so he's gonna hang onto them. He's almost certain another person couldn't fit inside here. It'd be chaos.

When he bumps into Annie it's hard and he has to steady himself. He reaches out to put his hands on whoever he barreled into. He recognizes her from the beach party invite. He actually mildly enjoyed himself during that. He smiles and steps back with his hands still on her shoulders. ] Sorry. I should be more careful, but the glaringly obvious has always been difficult for me to grasp at times.

[callmepsycho]

[The real Annie would never run into someone on purpose. The real Annie would never see Graham at the end of the hallway, clearly distracted, and put herself in his path. She'd probably do something idiotic and boring, like say hi. Why do that when she could get physical contact instead? Much preferred.

She gasps, puts a hand to her chest.]

Oh no, I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going either...

[She laughs, and then smiles, coy.]

A lot on your mind?

[venators]

[ She seems the same. He's never had any interaction with her mirror or any mirror to be able to tell the difference honestly. It's hard to really see the difference in her. She was bubbly and upbeat when he met her on the network. He doesn't see too many cracks in her facade so he buys it. He puts on a smile and nods. It's nice to know that one person isn't completely losing it. He's anxious for the kind of people he could possibly run into. He hasn't managed to get his hands on a fire ax just yet, but he's waiting. Hoping to find one he can use to defend himself if he must. ]

I guess so. [ Actually yeah. The thing with the mine and Emma is still fresh on Graham's mind. He's appreciative to hear Annie actually notice the difference in him. He won't talk about it though. Not until he deals with it with Emma first. ] It's been rough being here. Lots of things coming at me at once. Now this. Seems like this place doesn't quit.

[ He tilts his head. ] Are you alright?

[Action] II SNATCHED oh noes

[unregenerate]

[ From out of nowhere, Meg plants herself in Annie's path. It's been a while since she's had a little chat with Princess, and what time is better than the present?

Well, there are much better times to do this, but she doesn't really care. She gives Annie a once over before looking bored. ]

Wow, couldn't make it a day could you? [ And she raises an eyebrow at Annie's 'injury', which to her looks like nothing. ] Bet they've got a wheelchair downstairs just waiting for you.

I WAS SUPER EXCITED BY THIS TAG BTW <3333

[callmepsycho]

[Real Annie probably would've screamed or gasped or something as equally dumb at Meg coming out of nowhere, but her Mirror...she's not as easily shaken. But still, she has an act to put on, so she makes a pathetic little noise.]

I really doubt that, [she says, doing her best impression of snooty.] And whatever. The vines are vicious, okay???

AND I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS REPLY OMG

[unregenerate]

That's got to be some kind of record. How's it feel to be taken down by big ol' plant? Blow to the ego maybe?

[ She shakes her head in a mocking show of disappointment. Truly, she's not that surprised. Annie, in her mind, is a typical damsel in distress. That's annoying. ]

[action] Snatched

[goesdown]

[ Crowley spies Annie in his own madcap dash to not be attacked by those vines. He's been running around for hours, slipping through doors and fighting things off with nothing but his wits and whatever he can get his hands on. ]

You alright over there?

[ He's not particularly invested in the answer, but it seems like the polite way to address her, given their current circumstances. ]

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG omg <3

[callmepsycho]

[The limping's mostly an act, but the wound from the vine has started to sting more, and it looks a little redder, a little angrier. Annie doesn't like that, whether she's a mirror or a real. There's at least one thing they can agree on. But Annie looks up at his words, raising an eyebrow. She doesn't...know him. And he doesn't seem to know her? Maybe she could make a friend!]

Do I look like I'm all right?

[Or maybe not.]

No worries! I'm kind of slow rn, too. <3

[goesdown]

No, but I didn't want to presume.

[ Well, he did, actually, but he'd thought better than to give his honest assessment out loud. Most people don't like being called pathetic, so he'll save that for when Kevin undoubtedly pops in again. ]