[Enjoy the sight of a slightly nervous girl on the mirror. She's nervous as she's about to do something she has not ever really tried much before, it's always been free flowing for her.]

Hey there... no. Hello, everyone. I'm not sure how I should be going about this, but... I was wondering if anyone wants to be friends? This isn't something I've ever really done before, I just suddenly figured out I lead a sad and lonely life here and that I never really got to know some people here like I probably should.

So... I guess I should introduce myself then. I'm Sayaka Miki. I... used to be a normal Japanese girl who went to school, and all that, but you know, can't really do that anymore. I think I should be around fifteen by now, but I never really understood how time around here works.

I heard something. Something very special! So I'm going to need someone to explain it to me.

Mostly I want to know how I can get free presents this month. Someone was saying something about it but I really didn't understand. But it'd really be nice if I could get some presents from other people. [HINT HINT] I could probably come up with things to give in return too.

I've got some magical equipment laying around that I could still give away. [Does that even count as a present?] It'll be a fair trade!

[And, as always, if anyone in the mansion wants mistletoe hijinks or just messing around in person, Kris can always be found still working on that pile of cake she got a long time ago. Thank god for magical preservation. IT'S STILL FRESH.]

[If you look for interaction with someone today, on the vine, you may instead find the mirror opening to drawn picture of mistletoe. It's there for a few seconds before it's pulled away, the one behind it being Alice.]

I believe it's that time of the year again, and I just want to make sure. Has anyone seen this plant yet? It hangs from above and if you happen to walk, or simply be, under it while with someone else, the two of you will be locked into place and can only be free if the two kiss. It is called a mistletoe and this is basically enforced tradition of a holiday.

I just want to know if I have to keep eyes above me now.

[The Vine shows Akiha in her sitting room, a steaming cup of tea before her.]

As our gracious host has been so kind as to give us all more sugar than any of us need and a distinctive lack of most other forms of real sustenance, I would like to take the time to provide everyone with a proper gourmet meal.

As I understand, in America, tomorrow would mark a holiday to give thanks with an extravagant feast. So, for dinner tomorrow, I am inviting all of you to the Tohno Mansion for such a meal. As I am not American, I cannot claim it will be a Thanksgiving feast as per preset standards, but I assure you, it will be an excellent meal with plenty of meat and other culinary dishes we've been unable to have at our leisure as of late.

Dinner will be served at five o'clock sharp. I ask that, as I'm inviting all of you - even those of you I do not get along with - that you be on your best behavior. If you wish to partake in alcohol, I suggest you bring it along with you that I am not keen on sharing.

Please, accept my generosity and join me for the evening.

[Akiha bows her head slightly before picking up her tea to sip.]

[ooc: If there is enough interest, I can put an open log up for this otherwise handwave it.]

Greetings, I am speaking today to ask what may seem like an odd question.

[Despite it being an odd question, Alice looks rather serious when she proceeds to ask it. The use of video was to hopefully get the attention of more people.]

For this question, let us assume the following scenario. You find yourself in possession of a life sized replica, or puppet, of someone that you know. As it is a puppet of sorts, it is not a perfect recreation, but it appears to be the same until further investigation. You are able to control it's every single motion, but it is only able to do anything that you yourself are capable of doing,

If you were to be in this situation, what would you do?

[Ky knows her last question didn't exactly go well, or get her the answers that she wanted, but this time it's not about religion, so it should go better, right?

She thinks about filtering it from Dizzy, but she doesn't need to hide from Dizzy that she's working on this, not when she'd promised Dizzy she would.]

What do you do when you know what you're feeling is wrong, in order to stop feeling it?

Just trying to focus on other things isn't working.

[Jessica sits in the orchard, a sugar skull in hand. She glares at the mirror.]

OK, this? Isn't funny. For a lot of reasons.

This is a new low for whoever is in charge. Consider this an official complaint.

At the Tohno Mansion
[A certain someone had returned home, looking a little disoriented and a bit confused. After experiencing her first death in the gardens, she had admittedly stayed away for a short while, still a bit confused about the whole thing. That and she had to sort out her own feelings on certain things. Hopefully Akiha wouldn't mind too much that she was gone for a couple of days?

Whatever it was, she walked into the front door a little dirty but nothing worse than that. Maybe she could sneak in without being noticed.]


Video
...did I miss something? I feel like something important happened and I wasn't there for it. Or maybe I was...

I don't really know.

[She tilts her head, as if trying to recall something, probably something she had attempted to forget, but lingered there with a sense of detachment. Suddenly, excitement pops back into her eyes.]

Aside from that, I'm feeling like something big! A big cake...the biggest one here. How do I get someone to make that?

[The mirror opens up to show an overturned decorative table, what looks like blood spread across the surface and a young woman with bright vermilion hair wearing a nightgown picking herself up off the floor. An observant eye might notice broken glass form the decorative table on the floor. One hand grabs the mirror, leaving a red smear on the surface, and the blue eye of Akiha stare into the mirror with horror.]

Something took her. I don't know what, but it invaded my room and took her!

[And there it is. That vermilion hair seeming to move on its own as if it was in a breeze and the horror, the fear, shifts to anger.]


[ooc: Kris was taken by the Woman in the Well.]

[Well, this is... weird. Having a head that isn't squishy and skull-shaped and covered in hair is bad enough, but the light source inside feels strangely warm. Possibly the heat from the pumpkin hot chocolate is sticking around, which is at least convenient with the cooling weather. Still, annoying.

[But Jessica isn't one to let the Gardens' embarrassing cosmetic bullshit get in her way, so she's resolutely keeping to her routine. It has to wear off eventually, right?

[(Definitely lodging a complaint with the management of the cafe, though.)]

[Here, have a "new" arrival. Her scarred visage may or may not look familiar to you, but boy does she look pissed.]

This again? I thought I was done with- [She makes a motion to encompass, well, all of the Gardens.] -this ridiculous place. What possible reason could warrent me coming back?

[A sigh.]

[Then, as an after thought:]

Are Kiriko and my house still here?

[Gal is sitting at the edge of the lake, one of the grassy parts where the bank is higher than the water, her knees drawn up to her chest. Martha the robot dog is "napping" in the sun by her side, tail waving idly. There's a fishing pole stuck in the bank, and Gal reaches over to test the tension of the line while waiting for the mirror to appear.]

Hey--everyone.

[she's getting a little better at this mass communication thing.]

I can't help feeling like...with everything handed to us here, I'm getting a little out of touch with practical stuff. So, if anyone wants to learn how to fish? I'd be happy to teach you. I know a few other tricks, too, if you're interested. Travelling around the world, you pick up a few things.

[she waves a little, to dismiss the mirror.]


[Private to Akiha and Kariya]

I've been--kind of putting this off, so--look, I think we should talk.

[Shinobu sat and peered into the bloody pool laying before her. To a blood-sucking-demon such as herself it was an invitation to gluttony and avarice. To drink your fill and then some of the sweet liquid that sustained her kinds very existence. Though she was different from most vampires. Older and more powerful then all but the most ancient of oddities, and immune to the addiction to blood that plagued her kind since they first pray upon humans millennia ago. She was still not above indulging every now and again. Savoring the iron-rich liquid as if it was a fine wine.

To that end she began to stir her ring finger in the seemingly bottomless lake causing small ripples to dance upon it's surface. After a moment of child-like play, she withdraws the her finger and slowly trails her tongue across it; taking care to savor its unique as she went along. It was a fine taste, to say the least, though, for a moment, she questioned where so much human blood could come from in a place as cheery as this. With a shrug she quickly dismissed such thoughts. The blood was pure, there was no need to question its source for the time being. Find it to her liking she begins the task she had came to this place for in the first place.

Dunking several glass bottles wrought from the magic dirt of the outer-edges of the garden into the sanguine pool, she begins to bottle the vital liquid for later use. Intending to feed when the fancy struck her while still projecting an aura of fear onto those who may actually believe she would be more then willing to drain their body and leave it a empty and useless husk. Though their fear was not new, it was one of the few things that amused her in this technicolor mess of a place. After a few minutes all the bottles were now filled to the brim with crimson liquid. A smile on her face, Shinobu scoops the glass containers in her pale arms and begins the long walk back to where she now called home. It was a pain, that was for sure, but all of this was preferable to stalking pray like somekind of wild animal.]


[ooc: Feel free to stop her as she leaves the cave or during her stay in it~

[Gavril is...Bored. After a week of wandering around like a drunk at 3 a.m. and her memories floating too and fro on falling leaves. its time for a little bit of relaxation. Relaxation, in this case, meant laying down and doing nothing for a few days. With nothing better to do she adresses the mirror upside down from the edge of her bed.]

Ok, I'm guessing most of us are a little strung out since the Queen-Bitch decided to rip our brains out of our head and mix em' up in a blender so let's share a little to take the edge off of things. So, you girls got anything that turns you on? You know, like fetishes and all that good stuff.  I'm pretty sure all you know what I'm into -that being blood, power, and money- but I wanna know what your into.

I'll be looking forward to hearing from ya all~

-Here we have Akira, sitting at her piano, playing a little tune as she speaks, addressing the gardens.-

Heh.

It's a good thing I decided to stay in a few days ago, I guess. Wouldn't want to catch anyone in compromising positions, and whatnot. Besides, I'm just not that kind of gal.

Though I suppose I owe some apologies. Having that many dates in one night got me into a pretty big heap of trouble. And beyond that, I let myself go all to hell during the Pirate Queen's little escapade. I've been a damned fool lately... and for that, I am truly sorry. To my friends, my loved ones, and anyone else that gives a care.

Speaking of... I believe I owe one Miss Akiha Tohno a date. I think it would do my karma well to make good on that. So, if she's willing to have me for the evening, I'd love to take her out. Whenever's convenient for her, of course.

Summer's just about over... makes me wonder just who out there in the gardens took advantage of the heat of love, eh? Ha ha...

-She continues playing to the end of the song, turning the Vine away with a wink once she was finished.-

I should have done this a while ago...

[Oh, look. There's Holiday again, this time with her normal clothes (orange shirt, black skirt, knee high boots, and a lab coat because why not) on and walking around the garden.]

Well, first off, I should introduce myself more properly, I guess. My name is Doctor Rebecca Holiday and I thought I should offer my services to the Garden. I am a doctor of theory, but I also practice medicine, so if there's something that the snakes can't or won't help you with, I'll be happy to help you out in any way I can.

Also... while the cat's were accommodating, I think... I should start looking for a more permanent place to stay. Trying to find a way out was, as everyone's told me, useless.

Anyone have any selections of places to live?

[Shinobu is a bored vampire this night, though she looks serene as she admires the stars twinkling admits the night sky she, in truth she had grown tired of such a view centuries ago. Being as old as she was meaning many things most saw as beautiful and wonderful had for her long ago lost their luster. Such was the burden of immortally.  Though, when in doubt, it was best to turn to others as a source of amusement, and so that is just what she did.]

A simple question for you all. Say you were given the chance to live forever. Would you take it?