[text]
Since the Powers That Be have decided that they want to give us all cavities and diabetes, I am keeping a big pot of stew going at Beaumont for anyone who needs emergency food that is not candy. If I am not there, Bulbasaur or one of the robots will be in charge of it. Do not worry, they are all sanitary. It is free to use so do not avoid it if you do not have food. There are severe health consequences to eating only sugar, which I guess the people in charge do not care about.

-----

Also if there is anybody that needs a place to stay, Beaumont has a lot of rooms open. It is by the lake on the northwest side, and is pretty convenient as far as being close to places. There are some robots here that do the housekeeping stuff. Also you will get a lot of free snacks because I bake a lot. I guess that is not much of a benefit right now but there you go. Pets are OK.

[action/video]

[Hi, Ladygarden residents. Do you like your reality TV to have normally linefaced girls curled up on the ground and crying in the middle of nowhere? Because the Vine has decided that is the hot new thing in entertainment. (The more perceptive viewers might notice she seems less opaque around the edges than usual.)

[After a moment, she notices the mirror broadcasting her. She makes a few awkward attempts to turn it off, then lets her arm flop to the ground.]

Fine. I give up.

[S'up, Ladygardens. Yumeko is currently inside the Spaceship — somewhere in the kitchen, most likely, from the looks of the background. On top of the counter she is standing behind, a number of sugar skulls are lined up. She glares at them. The names written on them don't bother her, but—]

"Excuse me," I begin, sounding irritated. [No, that isn't a sudden switch to first person prose. She's just...narrating her actions. For some reason.] "But could someone explain to me what the meaning of this is? I don't know how I'm expected to make adequate meals for Lady Shinki when all that's available to me are...these." I gesture toward the skulls. [And she does, fairly aggressively.]

I set my hands on my hips and sigh. [siiigh] "There's hardly any food to be seen, no matter how far out I go. And to make matters worse, after going too far, I wound up like this," I explain, placing a hand to my chest to indicate myself. I mean the fact that I can't seem to stop narrating my actions, of course. "Does anyone know what to do? It's not as though I don't have any food stored up, but I'd rather not be stingy..."

[When the Vine opens up, there's no one to be seen on screen. Instead, it simply displays what has probably by now become a familiar landmark in the Gardens — Jessica's fortress. Just when you might think this is an accidental video of some kind, Nue speaks. Her voice seems to come from somewhere directly below the recording mirror. The truth of the matter is that she's sitting with her back against whatever the Vine happens to be perched on on her end. This is the first anyone will have heard from her in the days since her death at the hands of the woman in the well, Nue having been staying out of sight and sleeping in public places rather than returning to what had been her home.]

Hey. This place is empty, right? I looked around inside, and all I could find were robots. [Though said robots seem to have been doing a good job of keeping the place clean. Not a lot of dust to be found, which just makes staying there all the more appealing to her.] Because... I don't think I'm going to stay at the shrine anymore. So if no one is using in this place, I think I'll just live here from now on.

[She goes quiet for a few seconds, the image on screen unchanging. Then, eventually, she says,] That's all I have to say. I just— I wanted to make sure it was empty, and I thought I should say something in case anyone actually cares where I am.

( Voice - Private to Yuyuko )

( Text - Private to Kariya & Reimu )


[ ooc: The public portion is also open to action. ]

[End of the month is right on the corner, but that doesn't really concern the unknown person who just wrote something rather odd.]

Everyone, let us talk about swords. What kind do you like? Are you someone that uses them, or just looks? Do you even like them?

I have no opinion on them, but I thought it would be good to know what others think.

[Why was this appearing to everyone as a piece of writing with no identification on it? The person who wrote it was just bored and thought 'why not'.]

[It's not been long since the Queen got involved in the confusion involving the leaves, bringing things back into the normal peace. Even not being involved with that confusion, Homura had to postpone something she had hoped to do earlier. But now, things hopefully settled, she turns to the Vine after coaxing it to hide this message from her girlfriend.

The girl appears with a little bit of a smile, though little hints of nervousness lurk here and there. Public speaking isn't exactly her forte even if she's a bit braver than she used to be.]

Um... I hope everyone is back to normal now. I'm not sure exactly what was going on but...in any case, I have a little request for everyone, if it is not trouble.

Madoka's birthday is coming up in a week, so I was hoping to plan a party for her.

But, um... [She looks a little uncomfortable for a moment, nervous about how she might be seen for what she's about to say, but she pushes it out anyway.] I have never really thrown a party for someone before... so I was wondering if anyone could help me out a bit...

Miki-san, especially, if you have any ideas...I hope we can make something unforgettable for her.

[Madoka's birthday last year had been just a private thing, Homura not knowing what to do. But just a few months later Madoka had gone through such a trouble to throw a surprise party for Homura, it's hard not to want to see Madoka enjoy the same kind of thing. Still, even being a different Madoka, it's her 15th birthday again. Maybe in a way it's like another chance to throw even a better one this time...]

If anyone can help, please let me know... I look forward to working with you. [She gives a bit of a bow.]

[The Vine turns on to a very distressed-looking Yuyuko, her robes disheveled, her fingers threaded through her hair, her hands trembling violently.]

Youmu, where did you go? Did you leave? Youmu, help me...

I...have lost something? I think I have. I don't...know what it is. My memories? Did I...lose them? I can't remember what it was...what it was like, when...

[She stops speaking abruptly, and stares at a something off in space.]

I wasn't always a ghost...was I?

[action]

[Kariya Matou is a woman on a mission. Sort of. She's interested in finding out all she can about the Gardens, in exploring as much as she can. It's slow going. She's hampered by her poor health and often has to sit down and rest when she's tired or out of breath. She lies down in the grass or leans back against a tree, the veins in her face pulsing.

The worms have been quieter, but they're still active, and they still hurt. She was only supposed to live a few more weeks, at best, but her progression toward death seems to have been halted, or at least slowed, and she's heard that she can't really die here. She's gotten better at meditating and working her way through the pain, and some days are better than others. So she keeps going. She sleeps in a structure if she happens to wind up near one, but she doesn't mind sleeping under the stars. She thinks of playing outside, in the park. It's like that. If she listens, she imagines she can hear the creaking of swings, the laughter of children. Sometimes the birds come to pull at her hair and sing, or the rabbits nibble on the sleeves of her hoodie. She doesn't mind.

She doesn't exactly know what she's looking for as she wanders, but she's looking for something. Answers, maybe. When she meets someone along her way (and she might show up anywhere), she doesn't hesitate to nod and smile crookedly, only the right side of her mouth rising.]

[vine; video]

[Kariya addresses the Vine quietly, but not nervously. It's simply hard for her to marshal her thoughts at times.]

I was wondering if--it's possible to speak to the Queen. Or anyone who knows her, anyone who has some power here, who's from this place. Or even someone who knows a lot about it. I'd like to... [She trails off for a moment, then smiles hopefully.] Ask some questions.

Thank you. I'd appreciate it very much.

Oh! [She almost forgot.] And can anyone tell me if there was ever anyone here named Aoi-- [A pause.] Tohsaka, or Sakura, or Rin?

Vine ||

[ Madoka is situated somewhere in the gardens, having just spent her afternoon tending to her own flowers and searching for others to help her garden. She usually keeps oddly busy, still in a happy daze after being plucked from her unhappy timeline, that this thought hadn't occurred to her before... She's been here for months and there are still so many people she doesn't know very well, if at all.  When it crosses her mind that she's been a bit neglectful, she's quick to tap a Vine. ]

Hello, everyone! Sorry, I hope it's not too early to use the vine? I didn't wake anyone up, did I? [ Her smile is a bit soft, dampened by thoughtfulness and a tinge of worry. ]

This is probably really sudden and kind of weird and random, but I've been thinking lately that I don't know everyone's names! I don't even know what kinds of foods everyone likes or what hobbies they have... I think it would be neat to see what we have in common and talk about things like that, or maybe try new things we never thought we'd try, you know? [ She giggles lightly, perhaps losing confidence in these random thoughts. ]

So... I'll start? I like gardening and crafts! And eating! And I guess I can play the recorder too, if that counts. Oh, and my name is Madoka Kaname! um... what about everyone else? I mean, um well, disregard this if you're too busy but I really am curious!  I really would like to become better friends with everyone...

[Kariya is not far from where she first appeared, kneeling in the grass, still dressed in the white shift.

She appears on the Vine, staring at the mirror without fully comprehending it, her face twisted, her right eye wide. The other side of her face hangs slack, save for what seems to be something moving beneath the skin, and her pale left eye cannot widen very far. Her breath comes quick and uneven.]

Is this--

[She breaks off, shaking her head, her hand on one of the Vine's tendrils, which has snaked out as if to steady her. Her hand, too, is shaking.]

A Reality Marble? It must be. I-- [Her expression shifts from surprise into anger, her mouth twisting, and the faint movement beneath her skin increases, until it is undeniable that something is there. The anger colors her tone, too, and her voice nearly breaks. If she's caught within something like a Reality Marble, what can she do? She has nothing that can destroy an entire constructed world.] Who's responsible for this? Show yourself. I'm not afraid to fight you. Face me now.

[Her voice is weak, but there's great conviction in it. She grasps her left hand with her right.]

Berserker! Berserker! [She screams, bracing herself for the rush of pain that will come as her Servant appears, but no one comes. Then she can't call anymore, losing her grip on the Vine, the strength fading from her body.] Berserker...

[She doesn't understand why he doesn't come, unclasping her hands and staring down at the Command Seals on her hand in frustration and bewilderment. They're still there, so they should work. She tries to rise, but falls back to her knees almost at once. She speaks again, more to herself than to the Vine or her imaginary opponent.] I have to, to keep going.

[Well, look at that, a new arrival.]

[But you wouldn't know it by immediately looking at her -- The first thing she did when she found herself here, aside from freak out at the new clothes and who undressed her and read the weird letter that answered nothing about what the hell was going on, was... spot some weeds and bend down to pull them out.]

[Leaving weeds like that is a sin, she's just doing a favor to whoever's gardens these-- wait a second there are some more over here...]

[So now she's crawling around the flower patches, pulling some sparse weeds and tossing them in small piles. What a great first impression.]

Wretch.

[It is a single withering syllable before the mirror takes form, the voice piercing through the silence with its anger. As the image solidifies within, the Warrior Princess waits, expression dark.]

You will return the Damsel to me, or I shall take out your still-beating heart.

[Again she waits for an answer, one which is not forthcoming. That stormy expression, shadows brooding across her brow, soon becomes hardened and stony. She is resolved, and her eyes lift, looking out at whoever has gathered as her audience.]

I will not tolerate this slight to our independence. These Queens, for all the good their 'nobility' does for them, have refused to resolve this situation. I will resolve it for them. I will lay waste on she who dares pluck the Damsel from this grove.

I call upon all of you, all of you who hold friends and loved ones near to your heart, to take up your swords alongside me. If you do not wield one of your own, then I beg you put your spirit behind mine: there is still much work for hands such as yours. The blacksmith is no lesser a warrior.

Come together and we will form something unbreakable.

[She takes something from her belt, a scroll that she begins to untie as she continues to speak.]

I need scouts to survey the Garden while preparations are being made, and I will need these. [She holds up the plans to what appears to be a flying machine.] She is quick and she is crafty, but so shall we be.

Who is with me.

[It is not a question.]

-The vine unfurls, the image displayed being a rather distraught Akira.-

I went to investigate the missing birds. I wanted to ask Mugi if she'd come with. Wasn't home. No big.

But when I actually get to the place I was going to scope out, I found a bottle in a tree. Inside... well...

-Akira holds up the bottle, pulling out its contents. Rolled up in the bottle are two pieces of parchment, lined for sheet music. The first page is a letter written in a neat cursive, with the words laid out in the space between the blocks for notation. It makes makes the spacing kind of awkward.-

( ooc cut for image )

-The second page is a page of haphazardly sketched musical notation (meant for piano, as those familiar will notice). There are lyrics, too, which are awfully cheery when you consider the fact the author was kidnapped! The title is "Dreams Dancing in the Clouds". Yeah, there's no questioning that this is authentic.-

... Is anyone else missing?

[[ ooc: Transcibed:

Dear Madam:

The view of the Gardens is breathtaking from above!
There is so much to see and learn, even here.
I am being treated well. There are others with me.
I wish that I could share it with you all, so I have
attached something special to that end!
I hope you are doing well.

--Tsumugi ]]

P-P-Pirates?! I scoff at the very idea! Surely we are not so gullible as to be bought in by their ilk!

Tis a trap, I'll presume. No good can come from trusting a Pirate Queen.

Well, with Reimu announcing the flower viewing and Subaru making ice cream and stuff, I guess I should make my own announcement, huh?

Um, well...

Anyone up for a slumber party?

-How awkward...-

[ Madoka sits up suddenly. Waking in a strange dress, surrounded by a beautiful garden and peaceful sounds... a sharp contrast from the scene she saw before she closed her eyes. The gunshot ended abruptly and suddenly she was here... no longer laying by Homura. ]

Homura-chan... [ She bites her lip. She can't cry, she can't frown. She asked for it and Homura fulfilled her final request. Madoka brings her hands together and takes a deep breath. Wherever Homura is, whatever she's going through, Madoka hopes she can hear these thoughts; ] Thank you...

[ Then she stands up. Only seconds later, she finds the vine and figures out how to use it-- thanks to helpful cats. She hesitates, then draws in a deep breath... and speaks the proper command. ]

[ Video ☆ Vine ]
Um... hello there. Sorry, this all a bit new for me... [ She breaths in. Calming her nerves, sorting her thoughts for now, and putting on a big smile. ] I'm Madoka Kaname! I seem to be new here? Um, the cats... they told me how this works. The vine? I'm not really sure what I'm doing here, but if anyone else is out there... well, it's really nice to meet you. I hope that we can get along.

[ In the back of her heart, Madoka is wishing that she could call for Homura. But as far as she can tell, she's here because of the favor Homura fulfilled for her... but maybe... ] Mami-san? Sayaka-chan, Kyoko-chan... Are you here? [ She laughs softly at her own hoping. ] I hope you are... if you could be in a place as pretty and peaceful as this after everything that happened... I think I'd be able to forgive myself, just a bit. [ Her smile became sad, but Madoka Magica tugs it up into a more cheerful grin. ] Sorry! Anyway! If you're listening, and don't mind, I'd love to talk for a bit if that's okay? Thank you.

Attention all members of Gensokyo. I am going to be holding a lunch-in at my shrine this weekend. I request that all of you show up, for I want to discuss some very important things.

Also, everyone bring a dish. I'm not cooking for everyone.

By the way, has anyone seen Marisa? I haven't seen her for a while...

[ No monstrous alien mermaid show today--nothing but handwritten Tyrian purple text showing up on the Vine's Mirrors ]

The 'queen' seems to be losing her grasp on things, don't you think?
This goes to show just how shallow her actual control is.
She fancies herself a collector, but she can hardly keep the aquarium TOG--ET)(--ER!

It's so ---EXCITING!! )(--E--E )(--E--E )(--E--E!!

Glub! Oops.

Look at this! Do you know what happens when you try to bake when know NOT)(ING about baking?

YOU GET BURN---ED!

And it is showing! She is no almighty god queen. )(er recipe for 'paradise' is failing and she is burning herself as she attempts to hide her failure.

SO. V---ERY. ---EXCIT---ED!! GLUB!! Oops.

So, who would like to reconsider rebellion? Escape?

I could not possible care what others do once she is dethroned, whether you stay, return home, or go elsewhere, so W)(Y NOT use this evidence of weakness as an excuse to begin cooperation?

Consider this an official royal invitation to all.

Sincerely,
)(er Imperious Condescension

 [First thing in the feed is a finger. Just that. The tip of a nail poking the screen curiously.]

Oooo. This is so...odd. But interesting. I'd like to meet this architect. 

[The finger pulls away to reveal...a semi-transparent woman floating in midair, her hair floating about as if she was underwater.] Oh, can you see me now? Hello! 

How strange this world seems to be. So very different from Gensokyo, but at the same time I think it has the same homey feel to it. [She giggles.] Tell me, does anyone watching this recognize that name? 

[She seems to think about this for a minute.] And if someone could inform me of a place to get food, that would be appreciated as well. [Priorities: Yuyuko has them.]