[VIDEO]; UN: [USERNAME NOT SET]

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne's gotten good enough with her Omni that the feed only wobbles a little bit when she turns it on.  That's progress!  No one's getting sea sick.  Hopefully.

She's standing on the threshold, between her building and her garden, moonlight lighting up her silhouette.  She's wearing her gold gown, clearly eager to make a good impression.  Her long hair is unbound, falling nearly to her calves in rolling waves.  It gives her the look of some kind of forest spirit (but she's not one, Maul, shut up).

Arrayed behind her is Serenity Garden.  Which would look a bit more impressive in sunlight, but Ariadne's done her best to arrange lanterns to illuminate everything.  She does, however, continually cast a concerned glance over her shoulder.  You can't trust fire, you can't turn your back on it.]

Well, it's April.  So I was planning to announce the opening of Serenity Garden to the public.  It's just meant to be a nice place where you can sit, meditate, talk with a friend, court your lover.  Just be in nature.  All are welcome, but no violence against the other guests or the trees.

...hopefully the sun will be back soon so you can enjoy seeing it in the daylight.

[But it's Trench, so that may not be a sure thing.  She can only hope.

Although, on the subject of hope:]

Also, the anniversary of my birth is at the end of the month.  Does that mean I should expect some kind of mysterious gift?  Any thoughts on what that might be?  Just so I can...prepare myself.

Comments

video; un bluebird69

[venatoris]

Hey that's awesome, congrats. I'll have to come check it out.

What do you want for your birthday?

[demonicbeauty]

[It's immediately obvious how pleased Ariadne is to see Dean's reply. They're not where they were, what they used to be. But they're on a good path. And she's so grateful to still have him in her life.

Even starting over.]

I don't have the first idea what's right for a birthday, to be honest. We never really celebrated mine.

[venatoris]

I haven't really celebrated mine since I was four. You probably don't want a gift from me anyway... unless you want motor oil and skin rags.

un: trienemybest; video

[droptheious]

It looks great, Aridane. Really peaceful. [He's worried about the lack of sunlight, quite a bit, and he can't really hide it. ] I really hope it's not gonna be like October was in the dream. With the lack of sun and everything.

[Because October wasn't what bad in Trench, so maybe this is the new awful month.]

And maybe? It's my birthday this month too, but I got my patron gift in November. I guess it depends on if this is your patron month as well, or not. Most of what I've seen of patron gifts are...well, useful. To survive here.

[demonicbeauty]

Well, I'm all for surviving.

[She makes a face.]

But I'm with you, I really don't want another month like those Octobers...

[droptheious]

Surviving is always good!

[A very good goal to reach for!]

Me either. Maybe it's just...the sun going down and everything else will be fine? But I dunno. I don't trust it.

audio; un: doublehedgedsword

[laminae]

Man, the garden's looking great. I hope it'll be okay, I don't like how dark it's been today.

[It reminds him of Octobers back in Deerington, and he knows from firsthand experience how rough long stretches of darkness is on plants.]

Happy early birthday. If you get some kinda present from a Pthumerian, hopefully it isn't junk.

[demonicbeauty]

Thanks, Fern.

[She frowns.]

Maybe it's just an eclipse? I saw one once before. Although it didn't last nearly this long.

[laminae]

Huh, maybe it's a Trench eclipse and they just last longer?

[Seems like a reasonable guess to him!]

I just hope the sun isn't totally kaput. That would suck big time.

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

It looks wonderful.

[Maul means that sincerely. He's come to a greater appreciation of nature again now that he's been trying to change.]

I shall have to come by and meditate, see what the trees feel like in the Force. How is Riot doing?

[demonicbeauty]

[Maul meditates? This is new information.

And here Ariadne always though meditation made you calm. She can't begin to imagine what he's like when he's not meditating, then...]

Riot's doing all right. I'm just hoping we don't get another...you know. October sort of month.

He needs sunlight!

[Video][UN:A_Wesker013]

[subject_013]

[The feed shows Wesker paused while in his workspace in the Lumenarium, examining something slimy and brownish in a glass pot. He looks somewhat diminished, a bit peaked through the face as if he hasn't eaten in some time. A small smile crosses his face as he listens to her.]

'April is the cruelest month', to quote a poet from my world of origin. I have a feeling the phrase holds true here. [He glances to the dim greenish window over the work top.] People will need your grove of solace all the more in these shadowy days.

[He peers into the device.] Might I be among the first to partake in that solace? I've been resting and recuperating from a brush with Corruption and... [He glances at the membrane in the jar.] awakening from the Sleeper Membrane.

[demonicbeauty]

[Wow. He looks...terrible! And that's not something Ariadne is necessarily going to say out loud but...

Well. The concern is palpable, written all across her face.]

Oh, Albert!

What happened? Are you all right? Only a "brush" with Corruption? Are you hurt?

Voice; un: ...

[opress]

[It was dark, and she was announcing a garden. That was just like her from what he had experienced. Also, the mention of mediation had him snorting. He was getting better at it, but if he was going to be doing anything in the dark, it would be hunting.]

Court your lover? Is that something that happens on your world? I'm not going to go there and find a bunch of people mating in your bushes, correct?

[This was an important question. He needed the heads up because he had seen very, very few females naked. Males all the time, but the female body was intriguing as much as it was probably dangerous.]

What are traditional gifts for birth anniversaries?

[demonicbeauty]

[Her eyes widen for a moment, before she smiles a little bit.]

I certainly don't expect anyone mating in the garden. But maybe I've misspoken? Where I come from, there's a big difference between "courting" and "mating."

[And now she's worried. Not that she has any objection to people mating. But her poor plants...

She's too unsure to even remark on the gift question. She just stares at the screen with those eyes.]

You don't think people would actually...would they?

Video; un: Uravity

[floatsaway]

[With the end of March comes the end of Ochako's godawful warmblood affliction, but the loss of the sun. She sort of hopes it's just a freak event, something that won't last long, but she doesn't want to hold her breath. Regardless, April is a special month for a special friend, and she's been mulling over what to do, or what to gift Bakugou for his birthday toward the middle of it.

Seeing the garden, lit by moonlight and gentle lanterns, her eyes widen and Ochako holds her breath slightly. It's beautiful, and she's struck silent for a moment, mouth open dumbly as she just takes in the lovely sight, and the equally lovely owner of said garden. Finally, she finds enough of a voice to just say, softly.]

Wow...so pretty...

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne grins, unable to hide the pride behind her eyes. Her garden means the world to her. And when someone else appreciates its beauty? Well, that's just about the best thing in the whole world.]

Thank you.

I'm sure it'll be even better in the sun, of course. Whenever it decides to return.

voice | un: lyreplayer

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus usually prefers to communicate via video whenever possible, but with the lingering traces of corruption still clinging to him in the form of the feathers across his cheekbones and the nubby little antlers he's got growing just above his temples, he's not sure that's a good idea. It takes him a second to figure out just how to switch to audio only, but once he does he says; ]

Oh, this all looks amazing, Airy. How long have you been working on this?

[ There's a note of melancholy to his voice, thinking about how much Eurydice would've liked to see it, even in the darkest time of year. But he tamps that down for now, as best he can. ]

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne's heard whispers about Orpheus. Enough that she's stalked the outside of his home once or twice, but hasn't gone in or made her presence known. It's been quiet.

Maybe a little too quiet.

So when he contacts her by video, she knows that at least something is wrong, if not what exactly.]

Hi, Orpheus. Thank you.

[Her gentlest tone. Sweet and careful.]

I've been working on it for months. It just didn't look so great over the winter.

Video; un: lothrat

[ezra_of_lothal]

Hi, Ariadne. Congratulations on the opening! Let me know if the trees need a little bit of extra help while the sky is like this? I can draw some of the ambient life energy around into them.

Also, what do you want to do for your birthday?

[demonicbeauty]

[She grins, always grateful to hear from Ezra.]

I appreciate that Ezra. Although I would save any plant-rescuing skills for Fern. I'm worried about what this is going to do to him.

[And as much as she loves plants, she always puts people first. Always.]

And I don't really know what to do to celebrate a birthday. I never have before.

video | un: zing zang voombah

[spiritwalks]

Wow... [Vyng smiles.] Beautiful.

[Is he talking about Airy? The garden? Or both?]

How did you grow all this? It must have been difficult.

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne is just so pleased with all of the compliments for her garden. She loves her trees. And loves the fact that other people are appreciating them.

The idea that the compliment could be for her...doesn't even cross her mind.]

Thank you.

Many of the fruit trees are actually from Deerington. They're...unbreakable, I think!

video; un; amidala

[democratically]

[There is a small thought toward the whole username not set, not aware of Ariadne and her use of these devices. She's likely just not settled on one, or perhaps is between them?]

It looks quite lovely, Ariadne.

[demonicbeauty]

[She gives a smile that could light up a room.]

Thank you! These trees mean everything to me. I'm so glad to get to share them with everyone.

[Well...almost everyone. But she hasn't come up with a polite way to explain that Anakin Skywalker is a little unwelcome, at the moment.

Ariadne's ready to forgive him. But only once he acknowledges that he did something wrong.

And he won't.

At any rate...]

I hope you'll visit. See them for yourself.