[The Vine sure is easy to accidentally activate when you're not thinking about it, huh? And it's easy to get wrapped up in your own little world when playing an instrument. So here we have an accidental video of Mugi playing her keyboard. And, since she doesn't know anyone else is listening, she's doing something rare for her; singing. Her voice is rather soft, though, as is her playing. She doesn't want to startle or disrupt anyone]

76 keys nanajuurokunin no yousei
watashi no omoi o tsutaete...

onna no ko nara
daredemo kitto tsukaeru
orijinaru no mahou
watashi ni totte sore wa kenban...

akogaretachi wa tooku ni
namida wa nazeka soba ni
dakara kokoro wa yureru
sono subete o ima, kanademashou...

[she closes her eyes and sways to the music as she plays. The song is meant to be much louder and energetic, but tonight she's using it as a rather reflective and even a bit nostalgic piece]

((ooc: she's specifically singing Dear My Keys ~Kenban no Mahou~, which is one of her character songs. The whole song is translated in English in the video notes on that link. Here's the translation for those specific lines:
76 keys, 76 little elves
Express my feelings

When it comes to girls
I'm sure any one of them could do it
An original magic
That's the keyboard for me

The things I long for are far away
Tears somehow are close
So, my heart sways
Let's, now, put all of that to music))

[Ever since the winter's blizzard had ended, Nero had been at work on a rather large model. She began with shaping it via clay, making a 10' x 10' model of the lake. She, however, proceeded to add a bridge, an island, and this structure upon that island, all in rather painstaking detail. Then, after using magic sand to construct a massive oven to bake her creation, she set out to painting it. The process has consumed all of her time.]

[When she's finally done, with the magic sand she erects her creation in the real world, down to nearly every detail. It is almost exactly how she wanted.]

[She was thrilled, until (after crossing the bridge) she realized it was not a building, but a solid structure, like a wall.] Augh!

[Taking more sand, she had to construct each room and workshop one at a time.]

((Feel free to bother Nero during the creation process of her model, during the correction process of her reshaping and creating the rooms inside, or after she is finally done, but please specify in the subject line.))

[video]

[Grell is gazing out absently, holding a handful of snow that she slowly makes into a ball while she speaks.]

Do you come from Heaven or rise from the abyss,
Beauty? Your gaze, divine and infernal,
Pours out confusedly benevolence and crime,
And one may for that, compare you to wine.

[She crushes the ball in her hand then.]

[filtered to Madam Red and Ciel]

If the both of you are ready, I am as well. Countess, I have the tea. Madam, please do not forget your coat.

[If you're hanging out near the border where the Garden makes way to the Dunes, you may find Yukari walking out from it, a smiling look of purpose on her face. She is uncharacteristically not holding a fan or an umbrella, but rather two clumps of sand, one in each hand.]

[Eventually she moves out to an empty enough space, holds her hands in front of her, and blows]

[Even as the sand swirls out from her hands, she begins to make odd gestures with her hands, almost as though she's casting some sort of spell.]

[The sand expands, gathers together, and eventually forms two things]

[The first is a small house that seems to blend Western and Eastern styles into a distinct whole, while still keeping a boundary between them. The only other thing that marks it out of the ordinary is a symbol above the door, that is of one of Yukari's gaps, a single eye from inside of it staring.]

[The other thing, sitting next to the house, appears to be a SUBWAY TRAIN. A giant gap opens under it and sinks down, vanishing.]

[She says only one word:]

Perfect.

[ooc: Please see here for the nature of the house. As for the subway, it's used for one of her spellcard attacks, but since it was made here it may get odd, ineffectual results.]

[Finally... finally, she had a gun! Or at least, she was pretty sure it was a working, proper firearm. She'd put a lot of time and a lot of effort into getting the damned parts to form just right out of memory. As much as she wanted to berate herself for not knowing the parts to her AR-7 better, it was a good mental exercise that would definitely make her that much better at her trade.

Now, though, she has the completed weapon in her hands, and a crude target set up on a tree...

Crack! One sharp, light report, and only just off from the center of the target by a hair there was a smoking hole. Larry literally shouted in joy before taking her tools to the gun to see how the parts she'd created from memory held up, a supremely content smile on her face.]

[In a nice large open clearing, Ichirin is practicing martial arts! Nothing complicated, just trying to make sure she's in shape in case she has to punch the hell out of the Queen. She's going through some basic forms, some kind of martial art that focuses a lot on punching. Her form is shaky, her blows lack power, and her accuracy leaves a fair bit to be desired, too.]

[Then again, she's not the one who she's really worried about being in shape.]

[Looming in the air directly above Ichirin is twenty feet of purple clouds, condensed into the shape of an enormous woman. Each blow Ichirin makes is mirrored by Unzan, except her versions are hard, fast, and unerring. Some of them are strong enough to send invisible shockwaves of force rippling out into the air beyond the end of the fist. She's being mindful to generally avoid damaging anything in the Garden, because communion with nature blah blah Buddhism don't be a dick.]

[If someone were to approach, Unzan would be more likely to notice them than Ichirin, who is mostly focusing on her partner...]

[Saber had been missing for a week after wandering into the jungle and through a stitch in time, but to her the only change was the sudden assortment of decorations that had gone up over night.]

[All the snow, bright colors, stars, and the festive greenery (especially the mistletoe, not that she recognized it) came as a pleasent surprise to her, really~ She hadn't an idea what the occassion was, but it certainly did make her cheery.]

[Ever since the wishing stars happened, she'd kept a red bag slung over her back, full of tools and art supplies. Right now Saber was sitting on a blanket laid over snow, leaning back against a tree. She hummed to herself as she, with a knife in her hand, worked on wood carvings. She had a few already: a bear, a decorated tree, and a ... wooden snowman. Whatever she was working on now wasn't far enough along to clearly recognize yet.]

((Mistletoe event stuff optional; if you want to just say so OoCly, Nero will be rather easy going about the whole mistletoe thing.))

[The mirror pops into view, flickers a few times, then reveals the Queen of Hearts once again, still against a dark background. This time, there's a holly wreath perched atop her hair.]

I'm sorry I haven't had the time to listen to all your helpful suggestions, darlings! It turns out creating a world is hard work...ahahaha, who knew?

Besides, I'm feeling a bit...

[She trails off, looking absently to the side, then quickly readjusts her wreath and continues.]

Anyway! One of my less tame incarna has shown her face, has she? I may not like her attitude, but I think she had a good idea this time. There are so many ways to enjoy this season, but this might be the best!

Now, I have work to do. At this rate, the whole place will fall down around my ears while I'm working on opening the dungeons...ah, it's enough to drive a girl crazy!

[And the mirror shrivels back up. But the mistletoe, that remains, wherever you are...]

[OOC: The Queen won't be replying to comments directed at her (she is, like she said, busy), but this post is free to be used for general mistletoe antics and mingling so that everyone who wants to make use of the mistletoe doesn't have to make a whole post.]

Mmmmmnn!! This is the best~! Truly we are living in a paradise lost~

[To say the least, Nero was ecstatic. Stars were falling left and right, because the greedy emperor could hardly stop making wishes. If nothing else, she got to see a star fall, so any frivolous thing would do. Charcoal, canvases, smelling salts, bath oils, paints, books, model ships ...]

[Jumping back and forth in the orchard with the energy of a puppy Nero keeps diving after her stars. She doesn't even mind if she doesn't get what she wants exactly; after all, deep down she just really loves watching stars fall]

[ America appears holding her baseball bat. She wished to go home, but got this instead. ]

Hey! Who wants to play baseball with me? I can, like, teach the aliens how to play too! [ If you don't know what America is, she considers you an alien. ]

Baseball is one of the best American pastimes, so it's up to me to teach you. Don't be too disappointed when I beat you, hahaha!

_{[Nausicaä stands atop one of the taller pieces of ruins, one leg up as she peers away from the mirror. A breeze whips at her flying jacket, the dark blue cloth rippling around her legs. She finally turns back to the mirror, looking thoughtful.]}

These ruins... they remind me of some of the ones back home; the cities and towns that were swallowed by the Sea of Corruption. Except here there's no miasma. No spores. I wonder what happened...?

_{[She pauses and shrugs.]}

At least we're not going to starve to death anytime soon. But still....

_{[Feel free to come upon her. Or just talk.]}

[When she sees the mirror appear, she smiles warmly at it.]... Nice to see that this Vine appreciates my charms, too...

[Lou has altered her plain white dress to be much more revealing than it used to be. She's also been experimenting with some of the berries she's found in the orchard since she's gotten here, and painted with them across her chest in big, block letters: 'For Rent.']

Hope no one minds that in light of some of the Queen's having some younger guests, I'll have to use a few euphemisms for this.

It occurs to me that some of you ladies here might be ...in need of some special attention while we're here. I have to imagine that at least some of you enjoy the more ...risque activities. If you're hormones levels are climbing anyplace near mine, well, I'm happy to offer my services.

I am Louisa Dem Five of New Hong Kong, owner and proprietor of both franchises of the Velvet Fist, and a fully licensed sex professional.

And I'm here for you for as long as you need me, ladies. Or even if you just want me. [Wink.]

[ there's a young, cheerful woman in the mirror, white as a sheet. Around her neck hangs a silver ankh, and in one hand she holds an umbrella ]

Oh, this is wonderful!

You mortal types – and not-so-mortal types – and your pocket dimensions, I mean. Your little rolled-up universes tucked away into the corner of who-knows-where. Y'know, they obliterate any sort of logic that ought proceed them, mess around with the very foundations of time, and completely shatter any hope we had of keeping continuity, well, continuous! In the end, though, none of this really matters. It's like a drop in the ocean, compared to everything that's come before it. Still, we all have a tendency to believe that the world, that all worlds, revolve around us. Like the Universe or the Creator or whatever you believe in purposely did this to mess with you, and you alone, and everyone else has fallen by the wayside. Not that this isn't important. Not to you, anyway.

But what am I saying? Listen, it's like this: take a moment to step back from it all. Stop with the whys, wheres and hows, and all those other question words, and breathe it all in. Some days, I feel as if nobody appreciates life anymore. Not even the little things, like being able to enjoy the chemical aftertaste that follows food, and, oh, I already mentioned something about breathing, didn't I? So take a look around, take a moment to relax! I promise you, nothing's going to fall apart while you all kick back.

Anyway, it's great to be here. I hope we can be friends!

[When the video first starts, Mitsuki is a bit startled, as if she wasn't expecting the mirror to pop out just like that. However, she manages to compose herself after a few seconds of staring at it.]

Is-- Is this someone's idea of a joke? Because it really, really isn't funny. I'm glad that I got out of that place--but this isn't right! Kidnapping is illegal!

[A beat, and just when she looks like she's about to just get up and leave, she sighs and continues.]

Are we really supposed to love staying at a place like this? There isn't any technology in this place at all, not even a place to buy new things. What are we going to do like that? Stare at a tree and pet the animals?

[Pauses.] --And... Are there really no men here? Because that's a bit...

[Curious, Mag touches the Vine, and is shocked to see the mirror unfolding from the leaves]

M-My goodness... This is... so much to take in. [As if on cue, her eyelids flutter, drawing attention to her biomechanical eyes, and the fact that they still seem to be recording.]

But it is definately an improvement on the graveyard...

I-I... am allowed to stay here? Indefinitely?  [The implications of that are all too much to think of at this moment. As it is, she can only look amazed, and then a very rare smile crosses her face.]

...Thank you.

[managing to totally ignore the memo as she gets caught up in wonder and her own thrilled theories, Saber rises out of her bed of flowers, staring at the landscape.]

...!

These fields, this grand sight of an earth unsurpassed in beauty...!

... Mm! Mm! [She seems thrilled as a little girl on Christmas.] My greatness has been affirmed...! Accreditation verified for all time...!

[She looks proud as she recites]

And those that have three times kept to their oaths,
Keeping their souls clean and pure
Never letting their hearts be defiled by the taint
Of evil and injustice,
And barbaric venality,
They are led by Zeus to the end.

No doubt, these must be ... the Elysian Fields! Ahh~! [A satisfied sigh <3]

[... ... she's so thrilled that she's frolicking through the fields now. Hardly paying attention to the scroll carrying cat chasing after her]