tramitem_net | video, morning; [also action prompt]

So I know everyone's excited about the whole beach trip thing, finals being over, not being dead after a visit from You-Know-Who, but I get to be a special snowflake again. Bitterblue, I know I said I'd bring over the next thing I found, but... I don't think this will fit in a Ziploc bag?

[Lisa reaches out of frame with both arms and picks up... a guitar? No, too few strings. It's a bass, bright red, with a rose design on the neck. She's a little careful with it, in a way she hasn't been with her acoustic guitar before.]

This, more than anything else, I can't have gotten anywhere else. There isn't Roselia merch in this world because Roselia doesn't exist. I am Roselia, as far as our world goes. And this is my instrument. Which still freaks me out a little bit. I... I don't know how to play this. I don't have any connection to it. Even with what little I know, this bass was her everything. But it's just a hunk of wood to me.

[Her gaze sharpens, and her entire expression shifts into something more forward.] I wanna learn, though. It was important to her, and it just feels right to me. I know it's kinda weird, but I'm certain that all of this is happening for a reason. The memories, the Bureau, this. [She motions with the bass as she says that, before slipping the strap over her shoulder, letting her fingers rest on the strings; she reaches out of frame again and comes back with a pick, strumming once and letting the low sound wash over the room, her eyes closed as she seems to feel it running through her.]

That's gonna be a problem for next week's Lisa, though. This week, I've got another song I wanna work on from other-me, and I need to get ready for Elliott's beach trip because I've somehow lived next to the ocean for two years and don't own a swimsuit? That feels like a really dumb mistake on my part and it's one I'm going to go fix... in a day or two, I think. I'm gonna take my guitar with me to the beach, too - nothing says tryhard like a seaside concert, right? This is probably as big a sign as I'm gonna get, so I'm going to put on a little show while we're there if it's not too busy. One night only, but I'm gonna see if I can record it, at least. So... look forward to that, I guess?

[She shakes her head, letting out a breath and slapping her cheeks before smiling wide at the camera.] No, that's not right. Mm! Roselia will be playing a special beach live show this weekend! Look forward to it!

[action, Tuesday-Thursday evening]
[As promised, Lisa is going full mall rat this week, looking for a swimsuit... and assorted other warm-ish weather travel clothes... and now guitar and bass strings. The latter were easy enough to find, but clothing is taking a bit longer for some reason, and Lisa finds herself spending more time than she'd expected looking through racks for just the right thing. She doesn't understand why, but she feels like she'll regret looking anything less than her best, and so she's stressing more than usual over the swimwear department. Hmm, a two-piece, probably, but light colors? Something frilly? Does she have anything else she can even wear over this stuff? Ugh, this trip's going to get expensive. And long.

She can be found outside the coffee shop in the food court at least once per night, taking a break from her own head, small shopping bags on the table next to her but nothing significant. Here she's collapsed into a chair, free arm lolling to one side and head bent at an angle behind the back of the chair. This, incidentally, means she has a good chance to spot anyone walking up behind her.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Either that or something pretty close, yeah," Lisa confirms with a sigh. "So they watch the network - which makes sense, but we know for sure now - and they don't like it when we don't keep the company line. That only makes me want to toe the line less, but that's neither here nor there."

She grimaces when he suggests the Bureau'd had a hand in their current situation. "I hope not. I like who I'm supposed to be, but they could have picked something more exciting, y'know? So I don't buy it. I'm too normal for that." She sniffs daintily and turns up her nose, but the effect is ruined when she smirks.

"I don't know what they expect," he said, grumpier than he usually sounds. "Just because we're in this situation doesn't mean we're automatically going to be happy about it."

"Yeah, I get that too," Lisa agrees, turning serious again, taking a quick sip from her tea. "The actual memory thing I'm... okay with? And that's only because I seem to be getting light-hearted stuff from a light-hearted person. The rest of the Bureau's everything I'm not so happy about, bordering on actively unhappy about."

"Exactly," he says. "You know what's weird though? Being away from New York all that time...I didn't get anything new like a lot of you seem to have gotten. I wonder if part of it has to do with this place."

Lisa's head tilts as she considers that, eyes narrowing after a second. "That's... really weird," she eventually manages. "But then, what makes New York City special? Is it because the Bureau is here? Or...?" She lets out a frustrated groan a moment later, apparently wracking her brain to figure it out and not having a good time of it.

"I think that's exactly what it is," he replies, leaning in a bit, lowering his voice just a tad. "Listen, none of us had any trouble with this before the Bureau people waltzed into our lives and told us what was happening."

Great, more politics. Or, well, whatever passed for that with dealing with the Bureau. "I like things generally when the Bureau isn't involved. Can we go back to the part where I didn't have to deal with them, and I'll muddle through everything else on my own without their help?" Lisa's tone is sour, but her thin smile suggests it's not directed at him.

"I'd like to join you in that place," York says. "I haven't had to deal with a visit from the man himself but at this rate I'm almost expecting it."

"I don't wish him coming by on anyone," Lisa bites out with a scowl. "He's a creep. Never mind that he's got all the cards and only shows his hand if you send a carefully worded letter with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Ugh."

"I'd be surprised if he really does show his hand at that point," York says. He fiddles a bit with his cup, flipping the flap that covers the drink opening back and forth. He sort of feels like he's abandoned everyone, being away for so long. He pauses, then shakes his head with a slight frown. "Well, enough of that shit. Did you get a new suit?"

"Okay, yeah, you're probably right. Maybe he'll accidentally drop one card and take just long enough to pick it up," she offers drily. But she shakes her head, and sips her tea again.

At the question, she perks up again, her eyes snapping to her bag. "Oh! Um, yeah, I did- oh, speaking of fancy clothes, I got back a band costume, too. Roselia was a big deal, we had special outfits for shows and everything. But yes, I think I'm ready for this weekend!" A beat. "Probably!"

"A costume, huh? Sounds awesome! Do you have bandmates here, or are you still basically performing alone?"

"Not even basically," Lisa says with a small smile. "It's just me and my guitar. I haven't had a duet gig since... before I left Nashville, I think? Not anything notable, at least."

"Hey, nothing wrong with that," he says. "It takes chutzpah to stand up on stage in a costume and rock out."

And if there's something he's been able to tell about Lisa in the time he's known her, it's that she has that in spades.

"Some nights I feel like it takes a lot to stand up without one." She huffs out a chuckle, and hums the next bar of Some Nights as she takes another gulp of tea. "Thanks. I'm hoping I can keep things together this weekend - I told Elliott I'd be the musical guest at the party."

He smiles.

"Oh, excellent. I haven't gotten to hear much of your playing."

He pauses, taking a drink of his coffee, then adds:

"You know, I used to participate in choir in high school."

"Well, that'll be something to look forward to, then! I hope you enjoy it," Lisa says earnestly.

She raises an eyebrow at the mention of being in choir, though. "Really? That sounds like a good time. Was it something you enjoyed?"

"I did," he says. "I was also in show choir, so there was singing, dancing, and wearing costumes involved."

He pauses a moment, then shrugs. "Ben told me to figure out how to get involved in community choir around here."

"So I just need to give you an instrument and you're ready to join me on stage, right?" She's joking, but it'd be funny all the same. "And you should do that! It might be fun, and even if you don't stick with it, it'd be something new to do."

He chuckles. "You know, I never learned to play anything. Not the guitar, nothing. But yeah, I think it'll be fun. I just need to do something about it."

video, morning; [also action prompt]

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