[The sound of something ripping and tearing soft tissue from bone in a rather quick succession followed by the gnashing of teeth again an unknown material echoes through the vine for several minutes. Though there is no imagine to accompany the symphony of gratuitous and disgusting noise, the rather brutal nature of noise itself would be more then enough to unsettle the stomach and minds of an average person. One would normally attribute such actions to a bear or other large predator, but such speculation would quickly be put to rest as the voice of a certain zombie-girl sounds through the feed, filled with a dejected tone laced with the endless pangs of a desperate hunger.]

If you girlies can hear this... I need something and am willing to trade anything for it. If that sounds good, send me a message, we'll work something out.

[Hi, Gardens! It's Feferi. She's looking pretty perturbed at the moment.]

One short question for everyone.

I think it's better if one is...intimate with someone else for the first time when you have strong feelings towards the other. SOMEONE is claiming it's just another option in a ruler's playbook.

What do you all think?

[Claire waves a little when the mirror appears. She looks a little different today....namely because instead of blue, her hair is bright pink. But she doesn't seem bothered by this at all.]

Hello, everyone--now that things have settled down again, I'd like to extend an invitation. But first...has anyone seen Miss Canada lately? We agreed to do this together, but I haven't been able to get in touch with her.

Some time ago she made an ice skating rink, and it would be nice to all skate together before it gets warm again, don't you think? I've made some refreshments, too.


[ooc: and the log is now up!]

Ah, guten tag. If it isn't too much trouble, ladies of the gardens, I have a bit of an inquiry. I'd like to know what nations exist in each of your worlds. I've noticed during my time here that some of you recognize me, or at least my name, as a nation, but some of you do not. I've found myself curious about the nations that presumably exist in the worlds in which they are unfamiliar to me. Also, I am curious as to the state of the nations I know in other worlds as well.

This is all just idle curiosity, but I would be grateful for it to be indulged. Thank you.

[There's a sigh emanating from the other end of the vine.] ...I'm talking into a plant. Great. Wish I could say this was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me, but what the fuck ever.

May as well just make myself comfortable until I wake up or the cavalry gets here. Whichever comes first. You guys have fun with your whole hippie commune thing you got going here.

[There's one more annoyed grunt, and the distinct sound of a flower being crushed before cutting out. She's not in the most talkative mood, clearly.]

[Voice]
The greatest certainty is change, for it flows like a river, leaving nothing untouched.

[The voice that speaks pauses for a moment.]

I was trapped before. With no confidence that there was a return possible. Until with great suddenness I once again found myself home. And so several seasons passed. Festivals, the building of another temple, births, deaths, the bringing down of a great beast that had terrorized us for years, and so on.

Then once again, I awoke and found myself here. But this time, I knew that captivity here is not endless. At any time, it might change. The winds of change flow, smoothly and continuously. At times they form a great tempest, but for the most part they are so quiet and gentle that you do not notice the changes occurring until you reflect upon what has passed and how much has transformed.

Ah, but such philosophical musings are a character defect of priests such as myself. There are other matters at hand. I have returned, and I have prepared a feast for all.

[The video suddenly switches on, revealing the plump green-skinned woman in colorful, loosely flowing robes. She makes a sweeping gesture across tables loaded down with dish after dish. Just how long did it take her to make all this?]

All who wish are welcome to come here, to where I have set up tables outside the Temple near to the Arena, and treat themselves as a guest. Partake, enjoy, rejoice!

((OOC: details of the Temple's appearance can be found here.))

I. video.

[Utena had been scarce after the night of the fireworks - the cold did not agree with her, and even her basketball court had been abandoned for the time being. The Vine unfurls to show her using the magic dirt for something, perched in the window sill of one of the high, arching windows of her room. A piece of the Tower, here in the Gardens. It looks as if she just got back in the room - she's still dressed for the outside, with her jacket and gloves, not caring that they are covered in dirt. Her cheeks are flushed with cold.

There are birds outside of the window, a number of them, and if one listens carefully, they are singing a familiar song. Finally, Utena speaks:]

Would you cut it out? Geez. I can't even count how many snowballs I threw at all of you. [The dirt in her hands changes shape into what looks like a picture frame. Utena makes a triumphant noise, goes to place the frame with a set of others. The Vine pans in on the frames - primarily images of other teenagers with strangely colored hair, and continues to follow her, until she eventually catches sight of it.]

You might as well make yourself useful. [She kneels in front of the mirror.] Say, does anyone know how to get rid of these birds? They've been following me all day.

II. action.

[A little after Utena makes her last picture, she's headed outside again for a walk! Unfortunately, her new feathered friends are following her around too, trilling the "Happy Birthday" song. One perches on her shoulder, and she irritably waves it away.

She'll be all over the Gardens today, trying to escape the birds. Bother her! Or throw a snowball at her...or build a snowman! Or just wish her a happy birthday, that works too.]

[ooc: Utena's birthday is today, so...the birds are wishing her a happy birthday. Or maybe messing around with the magic dirt has got them following her, whichever works.]

[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))

[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.]

Hello, everyone!

For those of you who don't know, my name is Ema Skye. I'm a forensic-investigator-in-training; I'm due to be assigned to a precinct once I finish school. I've already worked with prosecutors and defense attorneys to help find the truth and fight crime! [Well, working with Phoenix Wright clear her sister and helping Miles Edgeworth that one time both count, right?] Like the little girl who was on this thing before, I think there's been a lack of imagination in these parts. A lack of scientific imagination!

So, who wants to come with me to investigate the wild places and experiment with the dirt we can get from there? I want to get a team together--I can't be the only scientist here!

[Pause.]

Someone who can fight and protect us would probably be good, too. I... I'm not really well-equipped for wilderness.



((ooc note: Gotta run for now, but I should get to tagging later this evening! ♥ ))

[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.]

[ somebody's not looking too happy. That's because somebody's been hit by a wildcard while out exploring, and seems to be more than a little muddled up. The language centre of her brain isn't holding up too well ]

There is something seriously potato salad with the sarcophagus out there. I was wandering around, chainsawing my own business, when bam! Now I can't even talk without getting unicorn in the overgrown shrubbery.

Argh! Machungwa!

[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.))

...this isn't so bad.

[Have a rare moment where Santana doesn't sound royally pissed off. You can find her gazing at the sky from the orchard, if you want.]

[Larry starts up her video, looking... really, really happy with herself.]

Alright everyone! I think it's time I get to work on a few things, and I'm looking for a little help. As we so recently saw, this place can get legitimately dangerous - and no one knows how it'll happen next time if it happens again.

To that end, I think we need to make sure the people who never had a reason to learn how to survive stuff like this know what to do. I'm gonna keep working on being able to reliably make more guns, and finding anyone interested in helping me out with that or anyone who wants to learn how to shoot. We need people who can teach some kind of self-defense techniques, and people who know a thing or two about running away.

Right now, I'm just looking for people willing to help teach others. Feel free to tell me you're interested in learning if you can't teach though!

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.)

[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?

[A cheerful woman, dressed in lavish royal blue robes, is grinning on camera]

Why, hello everyone. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Iono Mito Archeline. My interests include various maidenly amusments, tea time, flirtatious chit chat, and you. <3 Yes. you, whoever you may be. You see, I know without a doubt each and every one of you is special and beautiful, and I want to know you better.

So, please, won't you be my sobame?