[The mirror pops into view, flickers a few times, then reveals the Queen of Hearts once again, still against a dark background. This time, there's a holly wreath perched atop her hair.]

I'm sorry I haven't had the time to listen to all your helpful suggestions, darlings! It turns out creating a world is hard work...ahahaha, who knew?

Besides, I'm feeling a bit...

[She trails off, looking absently to the side, then quickly readjusts her wreath and continues.]

Anyway! One of my less tame incarna has shown her face, has she? I may not like her attitude, but I think she had a good idea this time. There are so many ways to enjoy this season, but this might be the best!

Now, I have work to do. At this rate, the whole place will fall down around my ears while I'm working on opening the dungeons...ah, it's enough to drive a girl crazy!

[And the mirror shrivels back up. But the mistletoe, that remains, wherever you are...]

[OOC: The Queen won't be replying to comments directed at her (she is, like she said, busy), but this post is free to be used for general mistletoe antics and mingling so that everyone who wants to make use of the mistletoe doesn't have to make a whole post.]

Calm down. Calm down, Ami! You have this under control. I-

[notices that the Vine is ready for her input, and she clears her throat softly to speak]

H-hello, everyone! Ami's having a little trouble understanding the situation. This- this is surely some kind of prank?

I'm talking to a plant. This is so stupid. But what other choice do I have?

It's really clever! Ami hasn't been tricked so well in a long time.

[A pause. This just can't be real. And she stomps away from the Vine to cool off for a second.]

_{[Nausicaä adjusts her flying cap on her head as the mirror forms an image of her. Her mask is dangling in her other hand.]}

I think I'm going to make a trip to the edges of the Garden, just to see for myself.

Would anyone like to come?

_{[[EDIT: Log is up here.]]}

[Vine, video]

[The mirror shows someone new! She hasn't had a chance to change out of her intro gown, but she at least got her coif back so that her head doesn't feel naked. She looks more than a little perplexed.]

Can anyone see this? [She holds up the scroll.] I just received this invitation, and I'm trying to figure out where I need to go to properly reject it. I have too much I have to be doing to play around here.

Unfortunately, I can't find any landmarks I recognize. This doesn't even look like Japan, let alone Gensokyo...


[Action]

[Now properly dressed, Ichirin has plunged into the gardens proper! She's floating a couple feet off the ground, looking for local natives to waylay for assistance, and occasionally stopping to appreciate the sights - the place is very pretty, she has to admit.]

[No, she doesn't know what mistletoe is.]

[Saber had been missing for a week after wandering into the jungle and through a stitch in time, but to her the only change was the sudden assortment of decorations that had gone up over night.]

[All the snow, bright colors, stars, and the festive greenery (especially the mistletoe, not that she recognized it) came as a pleasent surprise to her, really~ She hadn't an idea what the occassion was, but it certainly did make her cheery.]

[Ever since the wishing stars happened, she'd kept a red bag slung over her back, full of tools and art supplies. Right now Saber was sitting on a blanket laid over snow, leaning back against a tree. She hummed to herself as she, with a knife in her hand, worked on wood carvings. She had a few already: a bear, a decorated tree, and a ... wooden snowman. Whatever she was working on now wasn't far enough along to clearly recognize yet.]

((Mistletoe event stuff optional; if you want to just say so OoCly, Nero will be rather easy going about the whole mistletoe thing.))

This whole mistletoe thing is awfully awkward. I didn't think anyone actually followed that tradition. At least back home you heard a lot about it but I've never actually seen anyone use it as decoration. It's all even more awkward when you consider...

Uh. I guess it doesn't matter much. That isn't the point of my addressing whoever might be listening but I have a small project I'd like to try. Well, several actually, but the first would be to try and make a billboard of some sort that new arrivals can check? It seems new people are coming in each and every day and we all know how confusing it can be so I'm trying to compile information on this place and our...hosts.

So if anyone knows anything, or if anyone would like to help me with that please let me know. Maybe bit by bit we can piece together this puzzle and find a way to get back home.

 [Ai has been very busy exploring and attempting to find a way back to her world. Needless to say this hasn't gone well.

For the other people if you go looking in the orchard you'll discover a new house has appeared.  It's rather small and wooden, and there appears to be only one large room divided by a paper screen.

You will also see Ai Enma standing outside it, looking at it with more interest then you've seen her give anything yet.]


[ooc info is here]