[The Vine's mirror-like screens show a certain girl with a very, very frustrated look upon her face.]

Can someone here please explain how to get these infuriating--

[A few small birds flutter down and place an ever-so-pretty band of flowers atop Azula's head. She responds by grabbing the flowers, throwing them to the ground, and directing her attention to the birds.]

I have already told you that I do not want flowers in my hair. Go...Go eat some grubs or whatever it is feathered forest pests do!

[After the birds flutter away, she sighs, collects herself, and returns her attention to the Vine.]

As I was saying: It seems the birds here have taken a...liking to me and I would like to know if anyone has any ideas as to why or, better yet, suggestions as to how to get them to stop. I casually mention one thing about being a princess around a few animals and they start to swarm m--

[As if on queue, several more tiny birds flutter down and place another ever-so-very-very-very-pretty wreath of flowers atop the princess's head. Without making any other movements, Azula grabs the flowers from atop her head, holds them in front of herself, and makes them disappear in a flash of bright blue fire and smoke.]

Why, yes. Charbroiled bird does sound delicious. Time to make dinner.

[The birds were already fluttering away, but Azula turns and waves a hand above her head--a stream of blue fire chases behind the birds, but disappears before actually coming into contact with them.]

[There's no video, initially--only the sound of a basketball bouncing hollowly, the sound of sneakers scraping against the ground.

The video flickers on. Rose petals--white and red, flutter to the ground, from some unknown source. There's a slightly unnerving moment where girl-shaped shadows flicker along the surface of the mirror before Utena shows up, a triumphant expression on her face.]

Wow, it really worked! [She runs along the court, and the shadows chase after her, along the trees. They stop, one on each tree, facing one another, and seem to be in the midst of a conversation. Utena, however, appears unaware. She shoots a basket, she scores! The Shadow Girls go wild! Complete with shadow pompoms and shadow confetti.

The ball rolls to a stop at her feet, and she frowns and falls into a series of stretches.]

It's no fun without anyone else.

[The shadows appear to be squabbling. Utena scratches the back of her head, and starts to bounce the basketball around again.]

[ooc: Utena's made a basketball court. A...really weird one! Feel free to bug her! Aww yeah. If anyone points out the Shadow Girls to her, she won't notice them. Yeah, I don't get it either. lol weird ass canon.]

You can hear me, right?

[Here is a woman's voice! It's soft and feminine, and surprisingly calm--or at least composed.]

This is a complicated system, so one never really knows, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. The [a... light and kinda amused pause...] wildlife was very helpful, after all. Still, I'd like to hear a human voice for a change, and perhaps there are some answers the cats won't give me. Is there anything important about this place that I should know?

I'm all ears.

[Meanwhile, if you actually want to actionlog dis shit, Lust has managed to find her original clothes and is out by the ruins! She's sitting on what was probably once a wall and kind of... peoplewatching in the absence of actual people. ALSO this is probably forwarddated to the morning of January 2nd, so it's not fireworking and also she's not going to blurt out that genocide is sexy.]

Not as though there had been any doubt, but it seems Team Princess has successfully managed to not freeze to death. Congratulations, Estelle, and I apologize for setting the sleeping bag on fire.

And to a lesser extent everything else I had set on fire.

But, in the end, we were warm and safe, and that's all that matters, right?

Now, on a more serious note, has anyone figured out just what those noisy friends of ours were? I doubt this will be the last time we see them. For that matter, any ideas as to where they are now?

[ a young woman's voice comes on the Vine. she does not sound pleased. in fact, 'furious' might be a more appropriate way to describe it. ]

What is the meaning of this?! I demand an explanation! Right now! [ there is a loud, sharp CRACK!, the sound of leather hitting hard against the ground. ]

Any foolish answers will be met with a whipping! I don't want to waste my time hearing nonsense explanations!

[ she ends this with another CRACK!, to emphasize her point. ]

[Since her journey with Yuri and, eventually, the others began, Estelle has slept in a lot of places she never would have dreamed of before. At inns both sumptuous and threadbare; in tents and in covered wagons. But she's never woken up anywhere this cold.]

Oh!

[Her first thought is that someone should do something about the cold. Her second thought is that there's someone else in the sleeping bag with her. That's also new.]

Oh!

[She scrambles out, cold as it may be.]

I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to take your sleeping bag!

Actually, I didn't mean to be here at all...

_{[There's Rei, sitting in her impromptu campsite, going through the remains of the groceries she'd gotten from the wishing. She snaps her fingers in frustration.]}

I'm out of tea. I don't suppose any of you have some?

[ Someone's been hiding, just a little bit. Adapting to the disorientation was easy enough, but adapting to... the swarm of people who were only looking out for her proved to be more difficult. Even with Medusa gone... ]

Ah!

[ The dark one bumped into a vine again it seems, broadcasting her lilac-colored head across the network for all to see. ] Oh no... what's with these things? I don't like them. I don't even know how to turn them off!

[ . . . Well, since she's got it open, she might as well ask. Steel your guts, Crona! At least you're not dealing with people face-to-face! ]

Has... uhm... anyone seen Lady Medusa? Th... thank you in advance...

[ ACTION ]

[After waking up, Azula quietly and quickly gained her bearings, found her own clothes--which thankfully included her light armor--and read the scrolls from those weird-looking cat things. Before toying with the Vine, she decides to investigate her surroundings. Naturally, this means anyone can run into her--although, beware: bumping into her in person will likely result in a mistletoe incident for at least one person.]

(Normally, walking around in an unknown place alone while dressed like this would be far too conspicuous, buuut if I had been brought here against my will with my clothes near me then whoever responsible already knows who I am.)

[ VIDEO ]

Oh, it worked. Wonderful. Now, let me get this straight.

I have been kidnapped by some no-name queen, plopped into the middle of a forest right out of a child's fairy tale, and surrounded by animals I have never seen before, which--along with the more important problem of no one knowing of me-- reinforces the ridiculous idea that I'm not in my own world anymore.

Is that the gist of it? Does it sound right? Please fill me in if I missed anything.