VIII.

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

[Souji is quite busy this afternoon. After accidentally turning her Wild Places-forged katana into a parasol, she realizes she's going to need another weapon for the next dangerous thing that happens here, and preferably one more permanent in nature. Her own knowledge of weaponsmithing is just about enough to turn a fallen tree limb into a passably sword-shaped club, so that means she's going to avail herself of an expert. However, the only expert she knew wanted payment, and there was nothing of value just lying loose in the Gardens. Without a weapon, she can't go spelunking in the Caves either, so her only recourse is now her old friend, the Item Trading Quest.]

1

[Action]

[And that's why she's hanging around the Viridian Pavilion, carefully collecting flowers while making sure they aren't attached to any of the strange, cute plant-monsters wandering the area. She carefully gathers them into two bunches, one rather plain but various, the other more with an eye for color and artistry, favoring blue blossoms.]

[Later, she can be seen heading into the portal underneath the Pavilion, taxonomically-interesting bouquet in hand and a determined, friendly smile on her face...]

2

[And later still, she returns from said portal with a strange-looking clock in hand instead of the flowers, picking up the prettier bouquet from where she'd left it. Immediately, she finds a Vine mirror.]

[Video, addressed to Ymir but unlocked]

Hey Ymir. We were talking about a sword before...I think I've got something interesting to trade you.

[She holds up the weird clockwork device.]

((You can respond to Souji either when she's gathering flowers for her trip to the Isle of Antikythera, or afterward when she returns; I just didn't want to make two posts when they'd both be this short. Indicate which part you're replying to with a 1 or 2, please. Basically what happened here is she went to trade the robots some flowers for a clock that she has no idea what its actual purpose is, and is planning to trade said clock to Ymir for a weapon. Because she's an RPG hero, this comes naturally to her. The purpose of the second bouquet is a se~cret.))

Comments

2/2

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

None of your business! [The reply is rather more heated than it should be]

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Sorry, sorry.

Well, since I can't tell her, I guess I'll tattle to a bear.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

You... snitch! [And she lets out a kick at Souji's shin]

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Ow.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't threaten that. You're just playing with flowers, it's not something I'm gonna get worked up over.

Now, the flower queen, on the other hand...

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

You mean the Queen of Hearts?

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Nope. Like I said, screw her.

There's another girl here who can make flowers grow, though. She loves them more than she loves people, and she'll pull your head off for plucking a flower for no reason.

> The really scary thing is you're not even really embellishing what Tenshi and Alice told you, but this girl doesn't need to know that.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

That's what the Queen of Hearts does in the book.

[This is, apparently, not enough of a deterrent for Laura]

Anyway, I got a reason.

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing our Queen of Hearts is different especially since I can't evoke Alice for some reason or we'd be in twice the trouble.

So what's your reason?

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

Why should I tell you?

[There are multiple reasons. Granted, one is just to mess with Souji.]

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Because I'm asking you nicely to tell me, please. And I'm curious.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

[That's an acceptable reason. She rocks back and forth on her feet, clutching the (very blue) bouquet to her chest protectively.] I'm gonna give them to someone.

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Anyone I know? I'll tell you who mine's for if you tell me who yours is for.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

[Oh the torture! Give out potentially harmful information, or never learn something that might be useful teasing fodder? She scuffs the ground shyly.]

Um... they're for Epsilon.

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. You're good friends with Epsilon?

Mine are for Tsukasa, if you know her.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

Um... she's really nice. ["Friends" will require some more time, as far as Laura's concerned.]

[She shakes her head- she hasn't met Tsukasa.] Is she your friend?

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Yep. And I figured, we've been through a lot together here, I should get her some flowers.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

What've you been through?

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Well, we helped each other with those annoying phantom things last month...

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

Did you beat 'em up? [As far as Laura's concerned, this was the appropriate response.]

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Verbally. I don't think they were physically around to punch.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

You shoulda found 'em. Then they'd know better'n to mess with you.

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

I think they were illusions to begin with. We went and found the things that were causing them, though.

[runawayalot.livejournal.com]

I guess that's okay, too.

[She plucks out a few of her blue flowers and drops them onto the ground.]

Well, bye.

[And there she goes!]

[sistagonist.livejournal.com]

Bye!

[Kids.]

[Souji's careful to gather up the flowers the girl dropped.]