1st Page [voice]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[For a moment, the recording seems completely silent. Maybe someone accidentally activated the Vine before walking away?

But no. Anyone paying close attention might pick up on the sound of panicked breathing.]

W... Wh... Wh... [The owner of the voice is obviously having a hard time, and stutters a few more times before she's able to actually spit anything out.] W-W-Where... am I...? This place... I don't...

[A dream. It has to be a dream. But no... she pinched herself, and it definitely hurt. So it was real? But how did she get here? A million questions were running through her mind - already reeling - and just kept adding to her panic.]

L... Lilly...?

[please answer please answer please answer]

Comments

[and forever voice here!!!]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

She's... she's pretty tall. [freaking Scottish blood, man!!] She has wavy blonde hair, a-and blue eyes. And, um... [It's not just her shaky, faltering voice that causes her to pause here. It's not like it wouldn't be obvious when one first meets Lilly, but it's still a little awkward.] She's blind...

[wow rude, what a bandwagon jumper ALSO YOU SAW NOTHING]

[headedforhope]

[That certainly catches Mami's attention: a blind girl? But even then, she keeps the surprise out of her tone. What would it accomplish, other than adding to the unease and discomfort of this situation?

Mami tries to smooth away this new, worrisome wrinkle by telling herself that the guardian animals would surely intervene, in that convenient way they seemed to have, before Lilly could come to any harm as a result of her handicap.]

All right, thank you. [...] Ah, may I have your name? If she's here, I'm sure she's also looking for you - it sounds like the two of you are friends. It might save a lot of confusion, should I run into her.

[I see no bandwagon here!!!]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[Though Mami can't see it, Hanako deflates a little at that. There was no familiarity in her voice, so that means Lilly is probably not here...

She sounds calmer now, but... not for a very good reason. It takes her a moment to realize that this other girl asked her a question.]

I-I'm... Hanako. Hanako Ikezawa...

[nor my typos!!]

[headedforhope]

[For the moment, Mami will take what she can get and go from there.]

It's a pleasure, Ikezawa-san. I'm Mami Tomoe. [Smooth, polite, calm as ever.] Ah, now then....would you like some help in your search? I've been here a long time and can promise that you won't get lost.

[nope I saw them all]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

Uh... n-no. You... you don't have to do that, really...

[There's a slight hint of panic in Hanako's voice again. She's still in the strange dress she woke up in, and if this girl came to meet her, she'd see her scars...]

[all my hatred]

[headedforhope]

[The return of panic, however small, gives Mami room for pause. As much as she wants to help this anxious and frightened girl, it occurs to her that she doesn't want to provoke another attack.]

I don't have to, no, but I'd like to. But if you'd rather I'd not, I'll respect your wishes. ...instead, why don't you ask the cats?

[A beat. Mami then realizes how weird that must sound to a newcomer.]

Ah, I know that seems like strange advice, but they'll help however they can. This is....mm, something of a fairytale land.

[no you love me don't deny it]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

The... cats?

[... Huh. Between that and the pretty forest surroundings, it... does seem like something out of a fairy tale.]

Um... o-okay. I'll... try asking them... [It's a little weird, but if this nice girl tells her she should, she could try.]

[who are you????]

[headedforhope]

[An encouraging smile, more genuine than it might usually be.]

I hope they can prove useful. -Oh, and there should be some scrolls near where you woke up! Reading them should help explain some things, if you haven't done so already.

[A pause, then, as Mami reluctantly ponders how to extract herself from this conversation. She doesn't want to, but....with this girl, it was probably best to tread carefully.]

Mm, but I should probably let you be now. If you need anything else, just use the Vine to send me a message. It's a rather amazing plant, honestly....it'll be able to find me anywhere.

[RUDE!!!]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

Oh... o-okay...

[Hanako is almost sad to part with this girl. Her attitude sort of reminds her of Lilly... but still. Her shyness is getting the better of her, so she's not extremely upset.]

Um... thank you... f-for helping me, I mean...

[YOUR MOM also moving to action after this?]

[headedforhope]

[She chuckles, a quiet and nonthreatening sound.]

You're very welcome. Best of luck, Ikezawa-san, okay? ...Goodbye.

[Mami lingers for a moment, still visible, before tilting her head slightly downward and gesturing for the Vine to end the feed.]

[MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEAD JUST LIKE YOURS and okay]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[Hanako stares at the vine for a moment as it retracts. It was nice to talk to, shyness and antisocial attitude aside. But now she's alone, and she wants nothing more than to run and hide. But there's no tea room, no dormitory, no library here for her now - or so she thinks. So there's really nothing else to do than fish out those scrolls Mami mentioned and start reading them.]

[we should start a club for orphans]

[headedforhope]

[Mami leans back for a moment, regarding the now empty space where the Vine used to be. It's her better nature that wins out in the end, making the decision to look around the Gardens for this "Lilly" person an almost unconscious one.

And true, there's some hint to an ulterior motive at work here; focusing on the plight of another will keep Mami's mind off of her own troubles. But this selfishness plays but a small part, riding piggyback on the natural instinct to comfort and assist like some kind of vile parasite. So at a purposeful, yet steady pace, Mami begins a wide patrol of this place that she's had to accept as home.]

[it will be the saddest club]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[After finishing up reading, Hanako decides it's time to leave. She manages to find her clothes - the ones she wears on her rare trips out of town - but... doesn't change just yet. She may be alone here, but she's still outside. She wasn't going to change her clothes right in the middle of the forest!

... Which brings up another problem. She doesn't know where to go. If there are other people living here, there have to be houses as well. Or some kind of dwelling. She almost wishes she had asked Mami if there was somewhere she could go, but it's too late now. And while she's much calmer than she was when she arrived, her shyness and anxiety are still in full swing, so she doesn't even consider trying to contact her again.

So instead, she walks. She tries to keep her eyes open for other people, because the simple dress she woke up in exposes much of the scarring on her neck, shoulder, upper back, and arm. It's a risk, but... she can't sit outside forever.]

[they will play Angst Bingo on weekends, the prize is tissues]

[headedforhope]

[Mami's sweep of the Gardens is methodical and unhurried. There's a lot of ground to cover - sprinting everywhere would only gain her a painful stitch in her side and a loss of breath. There's a certain urgency nagging at the back of her mind, riding on the coattails of her worry on Hanako's behalf, and it's why Mami doesn't spend too much time in any one place. She has to keep moving, keep looking, can't afford to stay still.

In time, Mami comes upon Hanako from behind. It wasn't intentional - she simply rounded a particular bush and clump of trees and there the older girl was, the plain dress that all newcomers woke up in doing a poor job of concealing all that scar tissue. The gold eyes widen. Instinctively, helplessly, Mami takes a step forward, beginning to reach out - what had happened? that looked so painful - and steps on a branch. It cracks under her weight, a curiously loud snap! sound.]

[tissues and stuffed animals to cuddle]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[To someone as on-edge as Hanako was, the sound of the twig snapping was as loud as a gunshot. She jumped and spun around - giving Mami a clear view of the scars on her face. Same as the scars on the rest of her body, they take up a good third - if not half - of her face, though these are mostly covered by her long, uneven bangs.

Despite recognizing the girl in front of her, there is a considerable amount of fear in Hanako's eyes as she notice's Mami's surprised expression, giving her a look remarkably like a cornered animal.]

... U-Um...

[tear-soaked stuffed animals!!]

[headedforhope]

[For all her growth and attempts to change, Mami still lives and breathes subtleties. Hanako's fear is anything but, a blatant and uncomfortable thing to witness.

Mami realizes that she's staring, and with a jolt of shame glances away. She lowers her hand, intertwining the fingers with that of her other hand, the gesture smooth and making a good show of being intentional. Her voice is just as soft and gentle as it was over the Vine, if without recognition or familiarity:]

Ah, I'm sorry - I didn't know that there was anyone here. You must be a new arrival, right?

[that is the saddest mental image in the world]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

Y... Yes. I'm... H-Hanako...

[Hanako takes a step back, but doesn't run. True, Mami didn't ask the obivous, but she still stared. And her stare - like the stares of everyone else - hurts as much as a stab in the gut.]

[GOOD.]

[headedforhope]

Hanako....Ikezawa-san?

[Mami looks at the other girl, and this time she sees and yet doesn't see the scars - gazing directly into those anxious eyes as if nothing else existed. Some of the coaxing weight falls out of Mami's voice, and perhaps it's ultimately for the best....to address Hanako as a person, rather than a ball of nerves and fear.]

Oh, we spoke on the Vine! [She glances around the forest, taking in the surroundings rather than avoiding Hanako's body.] So this is where you woke up? I suppose it's different for everyone....I remember waking up in a field.

[ ;A; ]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[Hanako nods, and her gaze immediately drops to her feet. It's good that Mami chose something other than her scars to focus on, but eye contact is still a thing that Hanako's not very good at.]

Um... no, n-not here... I've been walking for a while...

[spoiler; the queen's magic is fueled by the tears of children]

[headedforhope]

Ah, I see. [She shifts easily, not yet wanting to broach the subject of Lilly - it hasn't been that long, no need to bruise hope prematurely.] I suppose between the cats and the scrolls, you have a handle on things now?

[let us pray the Queen never meets Kyuubey]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[She nods.] Y-Yeah... I think so...

[EVERYDAY WE'RE SUFFERIN']

[headedforhope]

Really? That's good! If, mm, it's all right for me to ask....where have you decided to live? Perhaps we could end up being neighbors.

[Shit I have no witty replies to this!!!]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

Um... n-nowhere. I-I haven't seen any of the houses yet...

[neighbors, huh... that's how she met Lilly. Maybe this time won't be so bad either...]

[game over man, game over]

[headedforhope]

Oh, there's plenty of options to choose from, really. There's the various houses free for the taking, you can create your own from the magic dirt... and there's also plenty of apartments.

Did you happen to catch a glimpse of the complex? [A thoughtful pause.] Although mm, maybe you couldn't see it from here...

[nooo I'm sorry w;A;w]

[onceburnedtwiceshy]

[She shakes her head.] N-No, I didn't...

[Silence follows, and she awkwardly shifts from foot to food.] Um... c-can you... maybe... [She wants to ask Mami if she can show her the way, but at the same time, she doesn't want to disturb her, if she was in the middle of something...]