[After a long day, this bounty hunter is relaxing, stretched out in the shade of a sizable tree. The smell and feel of the plant life all around is beyond enjoyable.

And then a soft voice. An all too familiar one, at that.]

Nadie... [The woman in question nearly jumps from her position, staggering with disbelief. She's staring face-to-face with a pale young girl with hauntingly deep-violet eyes and stark blond hair.]

E-Ellis! [There is immediate relief, utter joy in Nadie's voice despite her next words.] Where were you? What did I tell you about wandering around by yourself? I was worried. I had been looking for days! [A gentle, reserved smile.] ...Well, I'm glad you're all right.

Why? [Abruptly, the smile fades. Something's not right.]

Ellis? What's wrong? [She tries to reach forward, but finds herself the focus of one rather heart-clenching glare.]

I'm not like you, Nadie. I'm a witch. You only wanted me by your side for the reward.

W-what are you talking about? You're no longer a bounty head, Ellis. You're free. Besides, you're my partner, right?

I hate you.

Ellis...

I hate you.

Ellis-!

[Nadie, now distraught, reaches out to grab her roughly by the arm, but as she does so, the phantom dissolves with the wind.]

[The last thing Mi-na was expecting when she went out to explore the Gardens was to find a familiar face. The familiarity isn't comforting, though, and it doesn't look as though her conversation with the silver-haired, scantily clad woman is going very well at all. Mi-na has fallen into a battle stance, the bladed end of her weapon pointed at Ivy. Her voice is shaky when she speaks.]

Shut up! What do you know? It's been four years since we've met—I've grown stronger since then!

[Ivy's lips curl up in a cold little smile as she replies. Her tone is arrogant.]

Stronger? Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you're strong enough. You're still nothing more than a naive little girl, in the end.

[The woman shakes her head then. When she speaks next, there's a hint of pity in her haughty tone.]

That boy's soul is probably being consumed right now, all because you couldn't stop him.

[Mi-na grits her teeth, her fingers clenching so tightly around the shaft of the wol-do that her knuckles turn white.]

Shut up. Just shut up!

 [Ukraine was out, simply picking a few apples from the many trees that grow around the outer parts of the garden. It's not until someone clears their throat that Ukraine notices, looking over at the imposing figure of a woman she had hoped to never see again.]

Miss C-Catherine...

Still rolling in the dirt like you were when you became part of my empire. Seems nothing has changed about you Braginskaya, as much as I tried to make you into a lady you still prefer to wallow in mud with your pigs.

[Ukraine flinches at that and stands up a bit straighter.]

I em independent now, you have no control over me.

Silence, girl. Don't you remember your little friends Lithuania, Poland and your dear brother split you up like a trophy and gave you to me. I think you'd know better than to backtalk to me. Or do I need to chase all of your jewish people out of your country again?

Y-you can't do that! Go and leave me alone.

[Ukraine turns to return to what she was doing but Catherine isn't having any of that, striding forward and grabbing onto the nations arm]

You will listen to me, I own you and you will do as I say. I chased away all your little friends and that pathetic empire, Sweden, you loved so much. You are alone and no one's going to save you. Not even your dear little brother.

[Catherine twists Ukraine's arm until the nation cries out and turns around, lashing out at her former empress who vanishes in a wisp of smoke. It takes her a moment before Ukraine sits down hard on the ground and starts bawling, pressing her face into her knees while cradling her arm against her chest.]

(OOC: Will be camping this weekend so be prepared for a bit of backtagging, sorry!)

((OOC: If you still want your characters to take part unaware in this plot, feel free to have them miss this warning. I waited a couple of days for a reason. Though even being forewarned doesn't necessarily always help...))

In the latest edition of stupidity from the Queen, there've been a spate of illusions drawn from people's pasts. People they knew popping and being worse and meaner than they remembered. If one of them appears, remember they're just warped reflections of your fears and reject them. It's just pretty basic psychological warfare. Simple and unsubtle but fairly effective. I've encountered it countless times, and even used it myself.

Yes, it's like the time we went into the Labyrinth. How irritatingly tedious for things like this to happen. I'm especially pissed off because one of the illusions it threw at me was of someone I regard highly. The most important person in my life. Stupid Queen, stupid Gardens, stupid fakes.

In my explorations of the conditions causing this stupidity to happen, it seems to crop up mostly if you go out to the edges, so if you don't want to deal with this latest stupidity just don't go there. If it's like the past crap, we'll have to do something to fix the Bimbo Queen's mess.

[It is one of few occasions where Jackie has chosen to address the vine of her own free will. If she had her way, she wouldn't be doing it again so soon, but she has something to say. She sits quietly for a moment longer after the mirror has blossomed, she's sitting up straight on the couch in her apartment, one light on in a dark room. It's well into the night, she's an insomniac, it's normal for her to be up, but there is also someone sleeping in another room, no need to keep her up with a light in her face. She has had enough to worry about today, even if it is for the best Jackie knows nothing of that.

Jackie leans in towards the mirror with an unforgiving expression.]

Is this your idea of devotion, your Highness? [Her voice is a low, furious hiss.] If you think you have any right, then I hope--

[A hand settles on her shoulder, heavy with rings. It pulls her backwards as thesamesin leans down over the back of the couch, puts her mouth to Jackie's ear. She doesn't say anything, but her hand creeps upwards to cup Jackie's chin, making sure she continues to face the mirror. The phantom is looking out on the audience in kind, smiling as it traces its tongue along the curve of Jackie's ear. Jackie's expression is cold, but she does not react otherwise.

A teenage girl with long blonde hair sits down next to her then, looking at them both with sad brown eyes.]

Look at me. Please. Just look at me.

[Her voice is quiet, pleading, and that makes Jackie scowl. At last, she gets to her feet, pulling out from under the woman's touch, shoving the girl away roughly. The girl fades easily, and once on her feet, Jackie snatches an empty coffee cup off the table and throws it impatiently through the other apparition. It disappears into wisps of smoke, the cup sailing through the air to smash to the floor on the far side of the couch.

Jackie glances over her shoulder with that same cold expression,]

I'm tired of your games.

Jackie? [A voice interrupts from further in the apartment. Of course she's woken up Dominique now, and Jackie walks around the couch to intercept her, reassuring,] It's nothing, Dom, I dropped something. [A lie certainly, but as she begins to sweep up the pieces of porcelain, it is easy enough to convince Dominique to go back to bed. Jackie really only has one last thing to say to the Queen anyway, returning to the mirror when it is quiet again. The seething anger returns without hesitation,]

Stay the fuck out of my head, or so help me God I will carve you out.

[Washington has her helmet off for this message, smirking a bit. And while she has her own helmet under her right arm, she's holding up a gold visored white EVA helmet. Someone found the Meta's gear when she left it.] Hey, Meta. I found something of yours. Something I think you're going to want back. And I'll give it to you under one condition. I want to meet with you. In person.

[She was so busy focusing on the vine that she never noticed the person in blue armor approaching from behind. Or that the figure doesn't look quite the same as when she knew Epsilon before.] Bargaining with that monster again? Haven't you learned yet, you selfish bitch? It was doing that that killed me and Texas. Well, the closest thing you could do to death with the resource at hand. You brought him to us. It's your fault we're gone. You deserve to be locked away in prison for life. You deserve to suffer.

[The look from before is gone from Washington's face, replaced with confusion and something else. That might just be fear.] Epsilon?

Who else did you fuck up and get trapped in a capture unit, Wash? Or do you want a beating from Texas instead? I'm sure she'd do it.

[It's late evening, after sunset, the sky a heavy dark blue. The scene the vine encounters is not one it's been invited to, has instead quietly wound its way out along the ground, and is still moving as it unfurls a mirror and begins recording.

There are three figures, two standing and one kneeling, an electric lantern dropped nearby making it somewhat easier to see them in the dim light and shadow of the surrounding trees. Anyone who knows her may recognise the kneeling woman as Dominique. One of the women standing over her is silent and still, sharp features and red-tinted hair, but her eyes are glassy and the front of her shirt is dark with blood. The other is very much alive, vividly so, dusky skin with dark hair and eyes giving her a striking resemblance to c_zacatechichi – even down to the stained markings around her eyes and in the centre of her forehead.

They are speaking, at first indecipherable, but as the vine gets closer, the speech becomes clear, translating from the language they're using, a mongrel mix of Spanish and other European languages.]

...now you've lost her, too. How many of us are you going to fail?

[Dominique looks completely unlike her usual calm self, her emotions clear on her face, pain and confusion at the question, the whole situation. She shakes her head.]

No, Acacio, I didn't. Please. I found you. You're alive and well.

You left me. Desidero died for me, for you, and you left me with his memories to return back to your safe new home.

[The mention of the other name has Dominique looking to the dead woman, guilt plain to see on her features, before she's frowning again, struggling to pull herself back under control.]

Don't...

[She shakes her head again, then drops forward slightly, as if there's a weight on her shoulders she can't hold up anymore, her hair falling to obscure her face.]

You gave me--

[It's muffled, with her head tipped forward like that, so the vine decides to try and move closer. The movement has Dominique's attention snapping to it, though. She just stares, for a moment, then swiftly picks up a rock and throws it at the mirror. It misses, as the vine is already retreating, and the last thing heard as it curls back into itself is Dominique shouting,]

Stay away.


[[ooc: Dominique will not be responding to the vine. Characters are free to try coming to find her, but her emotional turmoil means her abilities aren't quite under control, and she will be very vehement that people stay away from her.]]