[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.]

So, you were just minding your business. Maybe you were reading books, checking out computers, enjoying a nice meal - it doesn't matter. Things just took a turn for the odd.

After all, the earth started to shake out of the sudden: An earthquake was happening! Right at your place!

Now, were you to evacuate (which would be reasonable!), you'd find a girl dressed in a weird blue dress, a peach-adorned hat, and boots, sitting on a floating rock, her long hair whirling in the wind... ...and she'd be giggling. And pointing, directly at you. It was almost as if she found the earthquake business funny.


[OOC: Tenshi has abilities to create, well, tremors and the like. She just used that on a couple houses, prompted by misunderstanding a certain NPC.

However: She is good at this. Whatever damage this causes isn't very bad, and the earthquake isn't enough at a strength enough to cause actual harm other than to an ego - not that characters can know.]

[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.]

[ Action ; Ever since the snow melted, Vita has set herself on the task of exploring. Everywhere. She's trying to do it on foot right now, in order to not raise suspicion by flying around, and is dressed in her civilian clothes. Though, that just means Graf Eisen and her are extra careful and aware of their surroundings.

You may find her in a number of places as she tries to understand this new location. Namely, she's going to be walking around the Ruins and the Necessities. If you're in the area, she'll probably approach you. ]

[ voice ]

This place is pretty big. The taste in decoration for those kitchen and clothing places is sorta dumb right now, but the change was pretty impressive. I can't see much trace of the way it looked before. All of the buildings have different types of stuff too, like old fashion or modern. It feels like a stupid museum.  But whatever.

Hey, Hayate. Signum, Nanoha, Fate, Vivio. You heard what that little girl said, right? About the dumb dirt? Whatcha think? 

[Mirrors around the Garden come to life all at once, featuring a little girl with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face. She giggles mischeviously.] Yay, I escaped my bed time!

[As she takes a better look around, her face falls deathly serious in that way only small children can achieve. After a moment, she whines.] You guys! This place is boring! You've had sooo much time to make it fun! Look, just get some dirt from the wild places and make a wish. [Huffing.] Grownups have no imagination.

It's a good thing you have me around. I made all those boring stupid houses are much better! Try making stuff like that from now on, okay?

[Beaming.] Have fun!

[OOC: The Necessities have settled down! Characters will now find nine fixed places for their needs. ...Only they've all turned into giant playhouses, big LEGO houses, and vast bouncy castles.]

[Near the edge of the Gardens, Lulu has a group of strange black creatures lined up. They don't look too friendly, but they do seem to be listening to her, despite all their hissing and moaning. She talks to them like they're children who don't listen very well, but they're very obviously not human.]

Come on, Kokuchi-chan! You're gonna do some exploring for Lulu today, okay? And you can't get lost this time, or Lulu will get really mad!

[ The sound that comes through the vine is almost like a little sad wail - it is not human, but it's not eerie. It is an odd noise, yes, but strangely as if it has a soul. The wail dims until there's a little hiccup and a muffled voice comes whining. Oh, yes, the little bird is complaining because, boy, this cold does not sit well with a bird of fire. ]

It's so cold, too cold, I don't like this, no. [ Whine, whine, whine, almost like a petulant little child. ] I want to go hooommeee. But I can't, can't even fly away, no, no.

[ Another tiny wail. ]

Let me goooo.


(( All replies will be voice! ))

Really? Ooh, that would be wonderful, but are you certain --?

[ Giselle's voice sounds somewhat distant, as though she's not speaking to the Vine, but to someone else beside her. Someone very short. Muffled squeaking can be heard. ]

Well, all right then!

[ Her voice is clearer now, speaking directly into the Vine. ]

The bunnies, little darlings that they are, told me that we can...make things? They're not terribly clear on it, they say that it's outside the Garden, and...I didn't think we were supposed to go out there? I tried once and a wolf showed up and growled -- then he apologized for startling me and turned out to be very nice actually, and he had a lovely baritone as we sang a duet about traffic safety, but it was a bit frightening at the time!

I did mention it to the cats, but they just asked me if I wouldn't rather go play a few rounds of that unicorn game with the rainbows and the beautiful music. Which would be such fun, but first I must be certain that there are enough cups for -- er, I mean, I find this subject fascinating in a purely hypothetical sense, and would like to know more about it in case I should ever have need of it!

So if, say, someone -- a hypothetical someone -- might hypothetically happen to be interested in creating something, would any of you kind souls have some advice that might, hypothetically, help them to do so? Hypothetically, of course!

[The gardens has a new resident this morning a rather glassy eyed young girl with purple hair and wearing what appears to be a school uniform of sorts. She is milling about the landscape with no clear goal or purpose, simply observing the world around her and starring into space with an intensity one would not normally associate simply looking at plant life. Her monotone, almost, robotic voice eventually sounds alongside its video counterpart, spewing forth mysterious speech for all to hear.]

Data analysis suggests this dimension exists on a different plane of then that of the Earth. This also implies my phsyical form has gone through some kind of dimensional shift and, further, that my connection with the Integrated Thought Entity has been severed. Further analysis is needed to confirm these conclusions and then form a plan of action to return the point of origin...

*Satsuki is wandering about in the dead of night again. While she's able to move around during the day it's still easier for her to be around at night. It's much less exhausting this way.

What she's found for the very first time is a lake full of blood. A human might not be able to tell right away in the dead of night that it is indeed a pool of bodily fluids this isn't a problem for a vampire. In fact she could smell it quite a ways away before seeing it with her eyes which were designed to see in the dark.

She calmed herself down, taking deep breaths. Satsuki's vampire instincts are going insane at the sight of the blood but she has to do her best to calm herself. After all, she would hate to attack someone who managed to find her. Taking a few more breaths, she looks around and then kneels down slowly. Still in control, she dips one hand into the lake and begins licking the blood off.*

... Thank goodness. This will make things much easier for me.

[ooc: I've been doing a terrible job at keeping Satsuki's vampirism a secret so I just decided to go ahead and do a post like this. Maybe we could also get some fellow vampire cr up in here? I would like to not have Satsuki attack anyone but if you really really want it to happen I can work something out. If you would like to have her attack you, check this permission post! You can comment there or drop me a line on aim at marbledoll.]

[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.))

((Haunted House info here. Picture of the outside, for reference. Also, most magical powers don't work in the house.))

[Oh no! Before you know it, you (and likely someone else who you were with or who you bump into in the fog) have wandered into a thick mist. You're not sure how his could have happened.]

[A flitter, a flutter, but not anything alive. The last little petals of cherry blossoms are falling off of the largely skeletal tree branches above you. Some of them have many blossoms still, others... almost fully bare. There's a path at your feet, and through the haze something tall and dark, perhaps shelter, stands deathly still.]

((The haunted house's mists have summoned you and likely another (or perhaps you wandered its true body near the Rapids). The haunted house changes as it pleases, and you may control these changes to try to scare your characters (perhaps into clinging to each other <3) as you wish. The house will not harm your characters.))

((Unless you specify in your thread's subject line that you DO NOT want me to do, I may pop in with additional magical house haunting, or with Quattro's illusions.))

[There's some hesitation to see if the Vine is working as its supposed to, and then Japan clears her throat a little before speaking.]

I've been rather quiet since I've arrived here, haven't I? Ah... for those of you I haven't met yet, allow me to introduce myself. I am Japan. I came here quite some time ago, but I've been busy...

Ah, you see..! I'm quite skilled with creating things. I have been trying my very best to see what sorts of things I could put together in order to return us home, but I am not sure if a place like this really has anything. ...I have also been attempting methods like clutching a very important item and chanting while waiting for a transformation sequence, and spinning to see if I have gained any powers--!

However, nothing seems to work. So while I continue to ponder this... I'd be very happy to meet you.

[ooc: WOO went on an unofficial slowatus thing of sorts. I haven't been tagging around, but I hope to now!]

[Upon awaking, Romana had been lead to the vine, walking in a daze as if she was sleepwalking. This was all a dream right?

But after fiddling with the vine, she finds herself surprised when a small mirror appears. In her shock she mumbles to herself, lips pursed in annoyance] Cats that give letters, plants that that can be used as phones... why do I get the feeling that that puttana Inghilterra's behind all this. Definitely witchcraft after all.

[Scowls slightly, poking the vine hard enough to make the mirror shake slightly, before drawing her arm back quickly as if the plant will hit her back. Nothing happens, yet, so she settles for frowning, arms crossed, clearing her throat and speaking]

Right. So does anyone whose human, and actually meant to speak want to explain this? I feel like I'm going mad, trying to have a conversation with something that has paws.

And what the fuck are we supposed to building? I have enough to do as is, I don't need some do it yourself project as well.

((ooc: ahh sorry her intro post is so late, I just got lazy over the Chrissie break orz. But never fear, I am here!))

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.]

[A rather curious figure slowly, almost calculatingly appears before a newly sprung mirror.]

...Strange. [The voice is distinctly feminine, giving way the gender of the person regardless that any facial or bodily features are concealed with a heavy, tattered cloak.]

There is more than one mirror carelessly placed. [The tone barely darkens, the faintest hints of irritation and worry.]

No. Not "carelessly" at all.

What kinds of games to people play outside?

As long as I can go outside whenever I want, I ought to learn how to enjoy it properly.

I need a better budget for this...

On the next exciting episode of "Etna's Mysterious Garden!"

Our heroes have survived a sudden, nightmarish onset of winter, whose details shall no longer be spoken of!

*A giant photo of a censor block*

However, just as they begin to progress into the mysterious Wilds, something goes horribly, terribly wrong!

*A photo of several random Gardens attendees, dressed like men to the point of being reverse traps. Feel free to assume your character's one of them, or not. How'd she get this photo?!*

A strange spell drains feminity from the heroes, sapping ratings and ruining our mainstream appeal!

How will we regain our fanservice?! And what has caused this terrible fluctuation that could kick us out of our prime time slot?!

Find out, on the next exciting episode of "Etna's Mysterious Garden!"

(OOC: For those of you not in the know, Etna's very short on fourth wall. And does this all the time in her canon, and every crossover she's been in so far.)

*For anybody who might be passing by Tenshi's floating home, you might notice something a little different about it today*

*A 'stair' system has been added, which looks like a number of Tenshi's trademark keystones merely leading up towards the floating island.*

*Anybody who goes up onto the island itself may notice that the shrine is a bit larger than before, to accommodate three new rooms. The first new room has a futon, an HD TV with a few modern video game systems hooked up to, and collections of various Japanese media from games to manga. It's more or less Kazumi's room, so don't go rifling through her clothes like a pervert*

*and there's yet another room that had been added on the other end of the shrine, which is more or less a modern Japanese kitchen*

*... the last is a bathroom*

*a number of electric sockets have been added, though how they get any electricity without any wires running to it... well, don't sweat the small stuff. It's magic~*

*lastly, in the main room, there's a kotatsu... where a sleeping Kazumi can be found after her hard work renovating Tenshi's home*

[Having found a nice place to stay, Hiling begins to settle in. She finds it quite a relief that the threat is over, but she's still on her guard. Not knowing anyone around here, she isn't sure who can be trusted, but she intends to find out as soon as possible. Gaining allies is another goal she has in mind. The last thing she wants is to be caught alone next time something happens.

Reclining on her couch, she activates the vine and smiles into the mirror. She still wears her green flight suit and her helmet sits nearby on a glass table.]

So I suppose we're safe, for now anyway. It wasn't very nice taking me here in the middle of all that. I wonder if it was some sort of test... or a game. Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Anybody up for a game?