[Lithuania feeling altogether disoriented, which she imagines must be a fairly normal thing, having gone over the scrolls she received at least three times each and assessed the items she'd been given at least twice more than that. It doesn't feel like a dream, although she's still clinging to the hope that it is, the same she's clinging to her neatly folded clothes without realizing it.

She also doesn't realize her fumbling has caused the Vine to start recording, but she notices the mirror fairly quickly.]

Oh, it's...

[Recording what she's doing? It's a bit odd to her, even having read the scroll. She watches it watch her for a moment before she realizes it is somehow projecting this to other people.]

Hello, I'm Lithuania and I've just... Arrived? [Her tone is a bit off; this is so odd.] Can you really communicate through this...?

[There is a very upset girl looking on the vines.]

Fate-mama? Hayate? Signum? Vita?

... I... I can't find Nanoha-mama...

--well, that's sure helpful! Thanks! [a wild hand appears! off to the side is a small orange tabby, who is currently enjoying being petted by it. a giggle sounds as it closes its eyes and leans its head right into the hand. gradually, the form attached to the rogue limb appears, as a slim redhead steps into view.]

You're real cute. I wish I could take you home with me! [the girl uses her free hand to brush her bangs out of her eyes, before she raises her head and does a double take.][the moment she stops petting the cat and focuses instead on the vine ahead of her, her guide scampers off back to whence it came. visible now on a small rock is a pile of scrolls it's left behind for the new arrival, who continues to look on in bemusement.]

Well, sorry about that. Guess my little friend there thought she'd play a joke on me. [she grins, good cheer reaching her eyes.]

No harm, no foul. My name's Kairi! It's pretty obvious that I've just gotten here, huh? Well..

[she scratches her cheek, her smile changing into a curious look.] I need a little help here. See, I was with two of my friends before I got here and... I need to make sure if they're here or not.

Their names are Riku and Sora. The names themselves are kinda unique, so... hopefully one of you've seen them!

[A tortured stasis shrieks from the Vine, accompanied by vague shadowy impressions of a face in the mirror, with red eye glowing. The video quickly cuts out. A while later, it resumes, showing an empty backdrop of the Gardens before cutting out again. Finally, the video returns and stays, showing an oddly monochrome teenager.]

This is so fascinating. This place all feels weird and I can't really grasp things here which's kind of irritating, but it should be interesting learning how here works. I wonder if this is what another Queen's Dream World feels like. Or is that too much of an assumption? But I'd love to learn this Queen's secrets.

And did you enjoy my welcome? I had to work hard to get the Vine to do that. I can't get the mirror to act like a portal which's rather annoying but other than that it just took a little fear to make it cooperate. Oh, would you know anything about this Queen? And if I could build dreams here, I wouldn't do it at her whim, but it's still annoying that I can't seem to do that even when I want to. Has anyone succeeded in building anything here?

I can't believe I've barely been here for over a month. There seems to be so much happening, compared to—... Well, it's been a while since things were this hectic. [ Aqua pauses, and when she speaks again, it's clear that it's what she intended to say all along ] It's good that we're getting organised. The incident with the roses only went to show that we're just not prepared for whatever might be thrown our way, and that we don't have much chance of predicting what's going to come next.

[ she doesn't hesitate, so much as pick her words carefully. It's clear she's put a great deal of thought into this, and is certain of what she's doing ] As a Master, it's my responsibility to take on apprentices. With the nature of this world, what that entails is going to be completely different from anything I imagined, because most of you can't wield Keyblades. But that's alright. I'm going to help anyone who wants to train, whether it's to become stronger and hone your techniques, or just to learn how to defend yourself and others.

I can use weapons other than my Keyblade. Swords, staves, that sort of thing; I'm also well-versed in magic. Over the next few days, I'm going to work on creating somewhere official to teach and train. Please, don't hesitate to let me know if you're interested.

[Hark, what lies in the mirror? Why it's just Alice. She's holding one of those medals that came from the wolves after the flower light show. She has only now decided to give a real look at one.]

Odd little thing. I would have thought grave markers would be more fitting. But I don't know plant culture, so who knows. It's still a little grim to keep around, and a bronze medal seems just a little bit insulting.

... Actually, why a bronze medal in the first place? Aren't these sporting events?

[She then focuses her attention on the mirror, and thus, to everyone else.]

Excuse me, but for anyone who got a medal, did any of you get silver or gold?

[Galatea's...killed some very large game, it seems. It's currently roasting on a spit, and she is staring into the flames, her expression annoyed.]

We are given suspicious gifts, without being informed of the catch, attacked by said gifts, and then reprimanded for not taking care of them in the first place. There is something backwards about that.

Regardless of the plants or their...sacrifice, I still have no intent on following orders or taking any "gifts" from this mad Queen or her often absent and untrustworthy ilk. It sounds as if it is a very elaborate trap to force us to yield to her erratic moods and insanity. Where were they when we were attacked? Where are they now?

Remember this, always: This garden may be lovely. The gifts may be plentiful and appear harmless. But you are a prisoner, as surely as you would be were you chained and shackled. A gilded cage is still a cage.

( there's a bit of a pause before anyone speaks. when the voice does start, though, it's pretty low. flat, almost, like the speaker is tired, and her voice sounds pretty rough and husky-- and distinctly australian. she sounds decidedly... detached from what's just happened, considering it's her first entry. )

I remember, once when I was a kid. One of the shearers bought a kangaroo to the farm – not alive, though. It was roadkill. I couldn't tell you if... he hit it, or if he just found it. I don't know if that matters.

Anyway, he brings this dead 'roo over in the back of his ute, and hauls the thing off his trailer. I'm surprised he got it on there, to be honest. He and my dad, they took it over to one of the sheds and started butchering it. It was already dead, but they still went through all the steps they use for lamb or cattle if we're gonna be using them for food. Slice the throat, first. They took the whole thing apart, until there was just this... steaming carcass, and then they froze the meat for dog food, buried the guts so that the foxes couldn't get at them.

That's a bit what I feel like right now. Like I'm a carcass that someone picked up and dropped off here. It doesn't matter if I was alive or not when they found me. ( She laughs a bit, but it's a bitter sound. ) I'm here now, aren't I? Either I've gone bush crazy and I'll be dead soon, or I'm already dead.


My name's Ellie. Ellie Linton. I don't know if names mean much to the dead, but that's it.

[Today wasn't really a good day for Fate. Ever since Vivio's announcement, Fate couldn't focus one hundred percent on her search for Flandre. But that didn't mean she was giving up; she kept an eye out for the girl as she flew low over the Gardens, scanning as much of the surrounding forest as she could.

Eventually, she made her way to the area where the entrance to Lake Sanguine was. There! A flash of red, a glint shining off those strange crystal wings...]

Flandre!

[Fate lands near her. She's trying to appear non-threatening, but clad in her Barrier Jacket and holding Bardiche... it definitely looks like she's ready for a fight.]

[It's Flandre! She's been gone for a while.]

[Is that blood.]

I don't want anyone else getting in my way, okay?

I'm going to do whatever I want now. I'll play outside until I feel like stopping.

Not even my sister can stop me.

[If you look closely, in the background of the mirror, you might notice that there's someone else there... no, not exactly a person.

A body.]


[[OOC: Advance warning, we DO have plans for who's going to be resolving this plot thread! So, reacting is OK, heading out to look for her is OK, but dibs has been called on who the first ones to find her wil be. Thank you!]]