April Showers

[June Scarlet]

Jess and Taffy made their way through the maze of the greenhouse along with some of her other friends she'd made two months ago. Even now, it still felt safer to travel the paths in a pack. Jess cut a magnificent figure with her top hat, and her guinea pig was along for the ride in the satchel.

After careful experimentation, it was discovered that only people with magic could pull Taffy out of the top hat. Therefore, Jess had to have magic herself. Armed with this knowledge, Jess had began to puzzle out other things that had happened, such as Taffy being teleported to safety when she was knocked into the air. But Jess hadn't yet asked around for someone to teach her more about magic. There were many people invited to the potluck who had magic, perhaps Jess could ask around and one or even many of them for help on the subject. With Taffy the familiar at her side, Jess was eager to learn more about her magic.

Once the traveling group had reached the center of the greenhouse, Jess set a veggie tray down on the buffet table. Jess was a bit indifferent to the vegetables, but Taffy had been very excited about them. Secretly, though, Jess hoped someone had brought some snickerdoodle cookies; those were her favorite.

Taffy chirped, and looked over at a group of people standing around. Jess followed her gaze, and noticed some magic users among them. Jess petted Taffy for a moment, working up the nerve to say something to the group. Then she walked over, and said hesitantly, "Hey, I was wondering if any of you could maybe tutor me in magic? I mean, since it turns out I'm magic and all. Those I still can't do much, which is where hopefully you come in!"

SPOILER: Click to show

Jess and Taffy travel to the center of the greenhouse with a group. In the past two months, Jess has discovered that only people with magic can pull Taffy out of the top hat, therefore Jess has magic as well. After dropping off a Veggie tray, Jess approaches a group and asks if anyone would be willing to tutor her in magic.

[Rabbit ♠]

((Yet Another Collab With RielCZ ))

Riel and Rabbit walked along the streets of Uffnewt. They had been to a variety of towns and locations within the forum-state area over the years, and decided to try and take a trip together. It was a lovely little place -- obviously recovering from some sort of disaster, but the citizens they'd asked seemed somewhat hushed about the true nature other than that it was weather-related.

They passed a house where there seemed to be some commotion.

"Huh, I wonder what's happening there," pondered Riel. "Sounds like a party."

"It's probably none of our business, anyway," replied Rabbit.

***

Rachel put her cookies in the oven. They were nothing special -- just strawberry jam shortbread cookies -- but Evi loved them. She hoped others would, too.

Even though the crazy weather had long since stopped, the Uffnewt Weather Station has been getting much more traffic than it has before. The research, the new faces, everything was so lively now. Rachel was ecstatic about it all. Rachel had received a promotion not too long after everything settled down. She and Evi reporting live definitely helped with the station’s numbers. The Uffnewt Weather Station even gained an unofficial mascot; Purr-eh the black cat had gained a following after she appeared in the live report. While Evi thought it was bad luck, Rachel found it funny. The entire magic incident breathed new life into her work, giving her more motivation than she had felt in years.

Meanwhile, Evi glanced at the progress bar on the uploading of photos from yesterday's shoot to the company server: 79%. He smiled and continued to get ready for the party. It had been a crazy 2 months since that whacky weather episode, and though the weather was gone thoughts about it (and some glitter) still remained fresh in citizens' minds -- his and Rachel's, anyway.

Not The Wildest Flower had run a special issue on the wacky weather: "From Glitter To Gardens: What Really Happened." Given their proximity and first hand accounts of the event, Sherrie and Evi had been elevated to managing editor status. They closely collaborated to oversee the special issue's development and completion -- and what an edition it was. The magazine was widely circulated, and there were talks of the two being promoted.

The special issue contained many of the shots Evi had taken on that fateful day, of both the place and the varying "nice" poses of the magic-users, as well as his expose of the greenhouse and its many and diverse flora. On Evi's recommendation, the edition also used some photos captured by that citizen scientist -- Evi made sure of that after seeing how many of their photos complimented his. He and Sherrie even got Era to explain what many of them were, as well as their weather theories and research, for the magazine! (Evi thought Era was a bit... too ecstatic about it all, and had to tell them to calm down several times, but they got through it.) To cap it off, the issue featured an interview with "Iris: the woman behind it all!" conducted by Evi and Sherrie.

In the bedroom, the photographer fastened his vertically-lined dark dress pants with his leather belt and looked at himself in the full-length mirror. "Awesome," he said to his reflection. Unfortunately, unlike in the desert, this one wouldn't talk back -- to compliment him on his fashion sense, assuredly.

He heard the oven door open in the next room, and the fresh warm smell of baking filled the apartment. "Mm, is that a batch of your Uffnewt-famous shortbread I smell?"

Evi entered the kitchen and smiled at Rachel. She was wearing a green sundress with white ribbon at the trim and some heels. An apron laid on top of her dress, though she quickly removed it once the cookies were out of the oven.

"You bet," Rachel replied as she dolloped some locally-sourced jam in the centre of each one.

"You're one of the best cooks I know, Rae dear," he said as he went to the bedroom closet. He grabbed a zoot suit jacket that matched his pants and draped it over his red dress shirt. Perfect.

"Everyone there is going to love those cookies!"

The weather girl giggled. "And what did you bring, dear?"

"I went to store and bought some strawberries," he replied as he gelled and slicked back his hair. "I cut off the leafy part and they're all in the fridge."

"What? That's kind of simple," she teased.

"Yes, simple -- AND effective," he countered. "Who doesn't love strawberries? I even added some mint leaves to a few! And they'll match your cookies!"

"Uh-huh, I see." Rachel walked into the bedroom and smirked. "And darling, sweetie, you sure are taking a while to get ready. Don't you think you're a bit overdressed?"

The photographer hesitated and thought about this. "No," he answered as he finished his hair styling.

"I'm pretty sure it's a casual event."

"Come on, babe!" he turned to face her and twirled his finger about the curls in his thin handlebars. "I even bought this special styling cream for my moustache!"

She looked at him sternly. "Please don't embarrass me in front of our friends."

He gestured to her outfit. "Hey, if you dress like that, then you'll be the embarassing one." He shot her a teasing grin.

She playfully smacked him onto the bed with Bella. The two of them laughed before heading out the door.

***

As predicted, today was a beautiful day. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and an occasional breeze blew by. A few people were milling about as Rachel and Evi walked to Iris's house. Evi and Rachel gave a quick smile and wave to Norma- Princess Sunshine, and the latter shot a wry and almost teasing glare at the flamingo, as the two made their way into the greenhouse. Rachel went off to find a place to put her cookies. Meanwhile, Evi spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"Hey, Jess!" Evi called out as he walked over to her. "How's it going? Want a strawberry?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Two randos walk across the street noticing the hubbub, but decide not to check it out.

Rachel and Evi have been successful since the entire weather incident. It's been busy, but fun. The weather station has been getting more popular and even has Purr-eh (Celestial ) as the unofficial mascot. Evi had worked on a special issue of Not the Wildest Flower with Sherrie (Ginz ❤ ) with pictures from Era (Gelquie ) and an interview with Iris herself (Pixie / Lizica ). The two get ready and go to the party. Rachel and Evi wave to Norma (PFA ) and the former goes to find a place to put the cookies. Meanwhile, Evi says hi to Jess (June Scarlet ).

I am so sorry for all the tags, everybody. :'D Era, Sherrie, and Purr-Eh written with the permission of GLQ, Ginz, and Celestial respectively -- but please let us know if there's something about your characters that you don't like and we'll change it!

Evi and Rachel are both available for interactions.

[Pixie]

The flamingo watched in a mixture of amusement and dismay as Norma was hauled to the front gate by a dog that was now eagerly barking at him in a cacophonous chorus of a greeting. "Oh no! The party! I totally forgot!" Norma exclaimed suddenly in realization.

She smiled sheepishly at the flamingo. "Uh, I'd like to stop by and say 'hi,' but... are dogs allowed inside?"

“Hmmmm...” The flamingo leaned away in slight apprehension and gave the dog an appraising glance at a safe distance. Even on the more welcoming days, he tended to be generally wary of pets, especially the overly enthusiastic ones. Just because he and the greenhouse plants had begun to acclimate to having more visitors over the past two months didn’t mean that he could just let everyone in willy-nilly. The flamingo conceded that this was, however, supposed to be one of the more welcoming days, at least.

“...I guess that depends?” he answered cautiously. “Is she the kind of dog who might like to dig up flower beds, or bark at people, or provoke the tetchier plants?”

Catching Norma’s note of anxiety, he also added with a nonchalant shrug, “And don’t worry, Princess Sparkles, even though I’ve already let several people in, you aren’t late or anything. The Lady of the House said it was sort of an...ongoing evening party? So I have no idea when the thing’s supposed to be over. You should be fine.”

Evi and Rachel approached, spruced up and surrounded by the scent of fresh cookies. The flamingo opened the gate for them, and spared an eyeroll in response to their teasing glare. “Better be careful around the orchids in the rainforest biome, their aerial roots might mistake your shiny hair for a drink.”

SPOILER: Click to show

The party bouncer flamingo asks Norma (PFA) if Sundrop is well-behaved, and adds that Princess Sparkles Princess Sunshine Norma’s not late to the party, don’t worry--this shindig’s probably gonna go on for a short while.
(As long as Norma vouches for Sundrop or she otherwise demonstrates that she is a good dog who won’t start another boss fight, feel free to have the flamingo begrudgingly let them in! xP)
Evi and Rachel (RielCZ, Rabbit ♠) come by, and the flamingo lets them in, though makes a comment about Evi’s gelled hair as they go.

[Gelquie]

Era let out a quiet whoop of triumph as they sent an email attachment with their latest report to their supervisor. Phew! That one was harder than they expected, but just as Era had hoped, their supervisor at the Uffnewt Weather Station always put them up to productive challenges for their internship. After all, they were wanting to break new ground too, and the more people interested in weather and magic, the better!

It was perfect for Era. And very timely too! It wasn’t too long into their work for Iris that they saw a posting that the Uffnewt Weather Station was looking for interns to help make sense of the strange weather, and see how they could integrate it into their reports.

It was almost like the station had a hole made just for them! They had to go!

Era, of course, was still unqualified for many of the higher-up positions. But they had their skills, they had their resume, and they had everything they collected on this, and more that they found that they started working for Iris, and they were gonna show that they could do this!

There was a very loud cheer when Era received the news that the station agreed, and told them to come by to accept an internship.

They had been here for about a month now. And the work was so cutting edge, it was like a dream come true! And Era was picking up so much! There was still so much specialty training that they couldn’t get just anywhere, that people were so good at filling them in about! It was just internship pay, but it was something and exactly what they wanted to do and EEEEEEEE!

Of course, the work they were doing for Iris was helping immensely, to help put the pieces together for them and--

Iris.

Oh shoot, that puzzle mystery invite-only casual brunch party slash gala for friends potluck was soon!
(Did they remember that right? Was it brunch or dinner? Was it actually invite-only? No matter, they were going!!)

And now that they were done, they could! They cleaned up and hurried to the work fridge, where they had better find all of their ready-to-go pasta salad intact!! ...Okay, it was, phew! Era took the sealed bowl and set off!

There was no time, after all! They had to get there a bit early before the party so they could check on the instrumentation they moved there to get the humidity levels in each biome, because if they were right then that would confirm for sure a certain magical effect and thus a pattern that would tell them so much and would help them with their report and then they would be that much closer to pinning down the magical precipitation events and they were not going to put that off for ten minutes!!

Oof, oh no, they almost tripped there… Right, they almost forgot.

Era stopped just outside the station and set their stuff down on a bench, before rummaging through their pack and taking out a medicine bottle.

Things had been improving for Era, in general. Thanks to the money from the internship and the bit of money Iris gave them when they mentioned they were looking for a job and before they got hired for the internship, they were starting to shift towards a more stable living situation. They still couldn’t replace the anenometer with anything of high quality; it was an unfortunate miracle that Era could afford as much as they could for weather station parts at all. But they were closer. And besides, they had to take care of their own needs first…

And thankfully, that visit to the doctor paid off. They didn’t quite have a diagnosis yet, but they did seem on the right track. Era was able to get a few things; some medicine to take whenever things acted up, some special eyeglasses when they needed it (because they suspected a sight issue)… And a firm note to please take some healthier living habits that Era will probably take to heart eventually but for now they were sure that they could make exceptions here and there. After all, there was so much to do!!

Still… Era did find that they didn’t always need to be so physically frantic in order to be on top of things. After all, they didn’t need to for the final battle in order to be helpful. They found space to rest there, and they could in other places too, when they needed it. There was always a spot, when they really looked. And they were better about taking those spots.

And it was helping. They could feel it.

They took a more casual pace as they walked to Iris’, while still mentally going over the suspected pattern in their head, and really hoping that it was what they thought it was because that would be really exciting and they would have so much to tell!!

And of course, they knew Iris would be a great audience. She always was. They couldn’t be more grateful to visit and help each other out.

They soon made it to Iris’ house, and they walked right up to the bouncer, even though they often came in back and forth as they pleased.

“Hey, I’m here, sorry for being behind! I brought some pasta salad, just something I threw together, but it should be good and I hope you all like it and I look forward to trying everything, and also be are be once I get in and set this down, I need to check something in the biomes very quickly and see if we’re right about the humidity but I’ll be right back!! This all sounds fun and I just can’t wait!!”

SPOILER: Click to show

Era has a job!!! Studying the weather!!! And they’re having so much fun at it and at Iris’ and are learning so much!!! WOO!!!!

Oh, and Era’s doing better medically; still a work in progress, but they’re getting an idea of how to handle things, and they have some medication they can take before things get bad. Era is learning to pace themself physically.

They arrive and walk up to the bouncer and show what they brought; pasta salad! They’re gonna set it down and then check on something they’ve been working on and looking for, and then they’re gonna come back and enjoy the party at a place they love with people they really like.

[Celestial]

Two months had flown by at the speed of a hurricane wind for Aggie. The reconstruction had kept her busy: everyone needed various tea blends when building and fixing things, whether it was for strength, endurance, healing or even the ability to jump very, very high for those tricky roof repairs. Non-magical tea and snacks were also very welcome, and the Tea Witch happily provided those too. This was when having familiars came in handy: Purr-eh and H-oolong were often seen dashing around carrying various little parcels, albeit with the attitude of "I was just passing through" that all creatures as independent as owls or cats possess.

H-oolong had recovered his sleep schedule enough that he had much more energy and strength to dedicate to aiding her. He often spent much of his time hanging around critical repairs, watching, making sure Aggie was always there when she was needed. Purr-eh was harder to find. She wandered around here and there, giving encouragement, receving pets, happily basking in her newfound fame from viewers of Uffnewt Weather Station. People did not forget a background cat any time soon. She made sure to remind Mr. Snuggles of that fact whenever she visited him, which was often. The two cats could be found hanging out together, with Purr-eh forcibly cleaning his long, tangly fur, whether he liked it or not.

All this activity meant that whatever time Aggie was not out in town, she was in her kitchen or the garden, creating new tea blends and tending to her plants. Hearing of Era's diagnosis and the doctor wanting them to have healthier habits, Aggie had taken to try making a blend to at least temper their overflowing energy when it was detrimental to their health and take breaks. Of course, with Era's boundless enthusiasm, it was doubtful that she could ever make anything that could ever slow them down, but for a friend, Aggie was willing to try.

The kudzu cutting had settled in well in its hanging pot, and so far was not showing any explosive, overwhelming growth. She was, however, careful to keep an eye on it and keep it away from the prying eyes of Rose. Oh, they would be so cross with her, but Aggie thought it had so much potential for tea! She had already taken the first few samples and was drying them. One could not rush good tea, doubly so when it came to magic.

Iris has been immeasureably helpful, with gardening tips aplenty. Though they had not had much of a chance to properly enjoy a day together due to the hustle and bustle of remaking the town, Aggie nevertheless greatly looked forward to every chance they got. Perhaps at the pot luck, she could corner her and they could finally have an in-depth conversation on gardening.

She had loaded up her basket with an overflowing supply of jams, clotted cream and scones, both of the sweet and savoury variety. Cheese and herb, raisin, plain, or her favourites with cinnamon sugar, Aggie had spent the better part of yesterday baking them. And of course, she was bringing tea. One could not have a good party without tea, at least she thought so.

H-oolong sat on her shoulder as she wandered into the greenhouse before taking off, roosting on the highest perch he could find. Purr-eh wound around everyone's legs, purring and nudging her head against them. Especially those that smelled of Mr. Snuggles. She made sure to cycle around to Rose and others several times, every time screaming like she had not eaten for days. Aggie did not like it when she lied, but if she could taste their chicken treats, she would understand. Besides, Mr. Snuggles was getting plenty. Why shouldn't she?

The Tea Witch herself laid out her mountain of scones and picked one up so that nobody else would feel awkward about being the first. When a toast was called, she lifted up her cup of tea. "To healthy gardens...but not too healthy," she cast a glance at the golem. It was not belligirent today, thankfully, but the memories were still there.

After the singing, Jess approached. Aggie smiled broadly as she recognised her.

"Hey, I was wondering if any of you could maybe tutor me in magic? I mean, since it turns out I'm magic and all. Those I still can't do much, which is where hopefully you come in!"

The smile grew into a beaming grin. "It would be a pleasure, dearie. I am not sure how compatible our magic styles are, but perhaps I and some others could teach you a few tips and tricks," the Tea Witch took out a bundle of herbs she was going to make into tea as a demonstration. "I work by infusing objects with magic..."

SPOILER: Click to show

Aggie is busy running around helping people out with magical and non-magical foods. Her familiars are up to their usual familiar shenanigans in between helping her help. She is also experimenting with new tea blends, including one to help Era(Gelquie) have some chill, and growing the kudzu cutting while keeping it secret from Rose(Liou). She also wants to have a proper catch up with Iris to discuss gardening.

Aggie brings a mountain of scones to the potluck and adds to the toast. Purr-eh tries to scam chicken out of the various party goers. After all the singing and fun, Aggie offers to teach Jess (June Scarlet) some of her magic. Can't hurt, even if their magics aren't the same, right?

[Liou]

Rose slammed the mailbox shut and opened it again. Still empty. That would not do. They ran their hand over the inside in search of invisible mail, but found none. They gave the box a rattle and a pat on the back. Perhaps something was stuck back there?

Still no sign of mail.

The squirrel that watched them shamelessly from the bird feeder could not have taken the mail, or it would be flaunting the fact.

Rose had answered Myriam's last laconic postcard with a copious letter detailing Uffnewt's meteorological adventures in several pages of their exceptionally large handwriting, adding news and blessings from Aggie. In her next reply, Myriam had announced that - for reasons completely unrelated to the said meteorological adventures - she and the wife had suddenly decided to prolong their already extended honeymoon-anniversary trip. But, Rose had replied, then they would miss the greenhouse garden party! Surely they could not miss a greenhouse party, not when the pitcher plants had been rehearsing so assiduously!

Rose offered the mailbox a throat lozenge. It stayed on the tarnished floor inside, unswallowed.

They rolled up their sleeves, stepped up behind the mailbox, braced themself and wrapped their arms around it. Rose had only performed the Heimlich a couple of times and only one of those times had been on a mailbox. Still, if the poor thing had choked on whatever Myriam had sent through this time, it needed rescuing.

They gave a heave, but the mailbox only let out a rusty squeak of protest. Nothing jammed in there, then.

So Myriam would miss the party. No matter, they would simply take notes and send Myriam a detailed account of the event. After all, this was Rose's own pack of magical friends with whom they had saved the day. They were the one who had been invited!

Rose would have spent a lot more time with the said magical friends over the past weeks, if there hadn't been so much to do. Odd jobs were more plentiful and odder than ever, what with everyone fixing and improving and accidentally breaking things anew. They had to schedule carefully around the move-ins and the move-outs, and they could not forget to spruce up the old cemetary flowerbeds, as Iris's flowering plants had left them full of inspiration.

Through all of that, they always made time to help Era carry things around. It was probably their funnest job at the moment, because Rose never knew what Era would need them to carry or where they would ask it to be taken or how many times they would change their mind, or how many things they would suddenly remember and send Rose to fetch - so much fetching!

On the way, they would stop to greet the greenhouse denizens and nod vigorously at their ramblings. Between plants, witches, familiars and other enthusiasts, there was much magic to discuss. Rose was content to nod in the background, but every now and then, a scrap of knowledge would emerge from some memory of theirs - whether magical, botanical, magizoological, post-mortal or pre-natal.

It was easy to forget just how much they had seen. They could find themself a place in conversation and mediate between at least three kinds of beings. Perhaps they would have more to contribute today, when the gang finally got back together and caught up properly.

Rose did not bother to prepare any cat treats, because anything prepared specifically for cats would only be worthy of being ignored by cats. Rose did, however, prepare cheesy chicken roll-ups that happened to be safe for cats to eat, albeit forbidden.

Since they'd opened a new bag of flour halfway through, they might as well test a new recipe for pizza rolls. Two types of rolls, though, might mean not enough variety for people who were not fond of rolls, so they also whipped up mini quiches. Then, three types of savoury foods had to be balanced out, and cheesecake bites did the trick.

It was all just a reasonable amount of food, really, which would need to be piled up in Rose's pull-along wagon for them to cart. They had planned to bring their favourite sets of frisbees and tennis balls to play with the plants, anyway. They had started to teach them badminton. It was so much easier to play badminton when the plants could shake the shuttle out of their branches and throw it back to you if it got caught. Maybe they could organise a tournament soon!

Rose nearly forgot to add a parcel to the wagon: a souvenir sent by Myriam to Iris, after learning of her greenhouse. It contained seeds and bulbs collected from wherever two grizzled witches were anniversary-honeymooning. Rose had no idea whether those seeds were even legal to possess or gift in any part of the world. Not that such things had ever mattered to Myriam and her household, really, but Rose wondered if it would be wise to gift them to Iris.

Then again, the woman kept a full-grown kudzu golem and sweet-talked to it. She could take any monster seeds.

Rose looked especially smart wheeling their wagon down to Iris's house on that day. They had on a jersey with no holes in it under their denim dungarees, and their soft pigtails were tied with ladybug hairties, and they walked in their wellies with the frogs on them, and they were wearing their biggest, pointiest straw hat.

Oh, the weather was very nice. Rose had barely noticed Holiday's good work over the past weeks, which meant that it was outstanding work. They had set up a pretty display of pinwheels in their garden for any passing breezes that might wish to play in them, but were not sure what to bring to thank the sprite, aside from more freedom-energy.

Rose was a lot more focused on the people they were going to meet. The weather did not matter so much, when you had people you could count on in any weather.

SPOILER: Click to show

Rose has been very busy with odd jobs and repairs and being handy! Particularly enjoying helping Era (Gelquie ) Their mailbox won't cough anything out, so no Myriam returning to be introduced at the party! But Rose is sufficient as a party guest. They're bringing a big cart loaded with homemade finger foods and games for the plants to play, helping them get some exercise. And suspicious seeds that Iris could add to her menavegetarie, who knows. Lizica pixie

[Lizica]

Holiday was flying back to visit for the potluck, and Airin had caught news of it in midst tracing wild patterns in nature and decided to fly to meet her. They were determined to intercept her, to remind her that Uffnewt wasn’t only her domain.

“Haha, race you there!” Holiday said with a laugh and a friendly wave.

“Oh, I shall be victorious, ya doltish blueberry!” Airin jeered, before darting off.

Holiday hung back a little bit, curious to see how fair Airin would get before realizing she wasn’t actually racing.

“Well, that’s the spirit!” she cheered, as they returned scowling, and then dashed off to race them for real. The two darted through the sky until they landed in front of Iris’s gate. The results of this race would fairly be determined as a tie, but each spirit was convinced they won.

Holiday was much happier to reunite with the flamingo, who brightened immediately when he saw them both approach. Opting to ignore Airin’s presence, however, he swung the front gate wide and called, “Holiday! I’m glad you could make it. You won’t believe the number of people who are inside the greenhouse for the party.”

“Oh hey, Flamingo, glad to see you again! Is today’s weather to your liking? I left out the sideways waterspouts just for you.”

“Well, thank goodness,” the flamingo said with a relieved eyeroll. “But yes, the weather’s been really pleasant today, and wonderfully calm. No bears, perfume smog, wooden spoons, or what have you. People have been complimenting and chit chatting about your nice weather all day.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear. Sounds like no one was causing you trouble either.” Holiday spared only a passing glance at Airin, who was busy making faces at the two. “Any interesting sorts I haven’t met yet show up at your gate?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it!” the flamingo moaned. “There were a few townspeople who got the wrong memo, thought it was a costume party, another thought we were solving a fictional crime, of all things, one person even brought their dog.”

“Aw, a puppy! Where? I don’t see anyone lined up at the gate, though. Do you want to head in and visit Lady Iris?”

“Let’s! It feels like almost everybody in town must be inside by now. Maybe you can meet the dog there--hopefully she hasn’t made a mess of things…”

They went in through the rainforest entrance, as it didn’t make the flamingo climb and didn’t require tracking any mischievous spirits through the house, and journeyed through a biome that was recently groomed to be a bit less labyrinthine. There, they met up with the crowd, and the Lady of the House, and her familiar.

Mr. Snuggles was presently weaving in and around the party crowd, occasionally rubbing against people’s legs, occasionally purring, and occasionally giving wide-eyed stares and pitiful mewls if someone happened to be eating anything particularly tasty-looking that could be easily parted with. The next time he ran into Purr-eh, she was sure to be jealous and impressed by the amount of chicken he had wheedled off the guests. And between the admiration, skritches, and scraps of entrees, this was heaven. He definitely had to convince Iris to have guests over more often. He knew there was plenty of space in Iris’s new day planner.

Meanwhile, two snake plants wound throughout the potluck, prodding the partygoers for selfies. They were on the hunt especially for the two photographers who had originally inspired them to the art form. Not too long ago, Mx. Newton had persuaded Iris to get one of those fascinating, newfangled “cellular phones.” It had worked reasonably well for the first week or so, before the greenhouse plants (the snake plant especially) had gotten ahold of it and flooded the phone’s memory with flash photos and selfies. And after the snake plant had split, there was now twice the demand for selfies.

But Iris didn’t mind--on the contrary, she had been delighted with her plants’ creativity, and had even invested in a nice sticker app for them. Having more visitors at the greenhouse recently had definitely been an improvement for everyone. It provided more conversational enrichment for the plants, better weather monitoring, and more time for tea; it allowed Iris to learn more about the newest innovations around town; and it was just lovely to have company, besides!

Iris--who had been jovially flitting from one conversation group to another, checking in on everyone, laughing and generally spreading good cheer while recommending various potluck dishes--now raised her glass with a flourish.

“A toast!” she called out, in a tone maybe slightly tipsy but still overflowing with earnest excitement and zest. “To teamwork, and persistence, and a good cryptogram!”

“Hear hear!” someone called back.

“To a warm winter coat and someone to share it with!” someone else added.

“To the Good Kids!” another called, while petting Mr. Snuggles.

“To broken windows being fixed!”

“To a good set of gloves!”

As the laughter and rousing cheer decrescendoed, the soft buzz of conversation picked back up and was complemented by a gentle humming that filled the greenhouse air. The four pitcher plants were happy, healthy, and full of song.

“Ba dum dum dum,” began the bass in the quartet, and the other three quickly picked up the tune.

“Every maze has its finish
Every cipher its key
We can bombard you with puzzles
And that’s just our cup of tea

As the rain swirls about
And the snow drifts on down
There’s nothing that can stop you
Not here in this old town

You’ve solved ev’ry problem
And beat back ev’ry foe
You’ve won over verdant hearts
Just as sure as storm winds blow

If you’re far away from Uffnewt
And your voyage sail deflates
Remember all you’ve done for us
Along with your teammates

Though the glitter all may fade
And each guest will journey home
Thank you for your audience
From ours to your biome.”

[Kat]

[slaps down a placeholder for when I am not working]

[Pixie]

Huzzah! Thank you for helping us save Uffnewt, everyone!

The April Showers OOC chatter thread can be found here, featuring a character roster and puzzle solutions.