+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[Today, the sun is shining, the weather is perfectly nice and calm, and it's a perfect day to go outside and get active!

Are you jogging early in the morning? Swimming across the lake? Practising some swordfighting with your friends? Doing some magic training? Or maybe practicing elemental bending? If you'd been missing your daily practices, today you'll be sure to remember to get to them!

Or at least feel guilty if you skip them anyway and choose to be lazy instead.]

[It had already been a few hours since Makoto had arrived to Kiseki and he still was as lost as he was when he opened his eyes and found himself in such a strange place, with a journal he has never seen before. He decided to not pay much attention to it and instead set himself to look for his friends. If he was kidnaped and brought there, there was a chance the rest were there, right? After all, they were all together. That was the last thing he could remember.

His first obvious decision was to check the lake once he saw it. If Haku was there, it was most likely that he was there, in the lake, swimming. After all, his friend could hardly keep himself in check when there was a big body of water such as this one close by. Unknown to him, the journal had started recording him on accident, showing a rather young man, very tall and built, looking around the lake.]

Haru! Rin! Nagisa! Rei! Is anyone here?!

[He hopes to find some familiar face soon. But either way, it was a beautiful day in Kiseki and the water looked nice enough to swim in.]

((ooc: feel free to use this for any mingle needs you might have!))

["Free". What does this word mean to you? Today, it's a day to embrace freedom - as much as you can while being trapped in a different world against your wishes, that is.

Is it doing what you love that makes you feel free? Reading a book, or watching your favorite film and being immersed into adventures in another land? Learning new skills that make you feel more useful and empowered? Being with your friends?

Kiseki will facilitate these things today. You might find just what you needed set out so you can practice that new skill or sport you wanted to. You may even find all volumes of Love Touch and fulfill your dreams!]

[It's late at night, and everyone is probably already in bed or getting ready for it. But today, Kiseki has decided to mess around a little. Everyone's journals will start to insistently glow, calling for people's attentions. And so that once they open them they aren't met with empty pages, some characters might feel compelled to write down a confession, or a secret of theirs, even if it's something they normally wouldn't share. Some of them might not even be true, but can you figure out which ones are and which ones aren't?

Of course, Miracle Country looks after children (they're afraid of Snow's wrath too), and any secret or confession that isn't suitable will be filtered away from minors. But other than that, everyone is free to comment on others' notes. New secrets or confessions might even pop-up between conversations with others!]

[Snow begins the video with a decisive little nod]

Given the recent... events of the past few days, and perhaps some of the... more colorful of things happening in this world, I felt it was about time that arts and crafts class became a little more hands-on. For those interested, today and tomorrow - for both students or non-students - I'll be teaching a survival class.

I should say that, all things considered, I have some skills that are worth teaching and others that I'm admittedly lacking, but I've no doubt that others around here should be able to teach their necessary skills.

[...]

For those interested, I'll be teaching basic skills, such as tracking (and covering your own tracks), hunting, foraging, first aid, navigation, basic shelter building, fire building, and makeshift weapon making. For those of you I think responsible enough, I'll even show basic weapon training - mostly bow and arrow for me, but potentially others can show the sword or guns. Again, I repeat, those responsible and old enough.

[She smiles after that, though, sympathetic since. she knows there are some of you out there who wished they could do more, or could at least look after themselves.]

Everyone should be able to feel safe, even when there are things beyond their control. I believe that everyone has the ability to learn and to teach others, too, and keep everyone safe in these situations.

So if you're interested, come down to the park - near the lake. I'll be here all day, and tomorrow. [And with that, she ends the video with another small smile and nod.]

[And true to her word, Snow will be in the park these next two days, teaching anyone who approaches her all the things she listed, and anything else that might come up.]



[[ooc: please feel free to use this post as a basic mingle - no interaction with Snow necessary!]]

[It starts when the sun goes down. The first sign that something is wrong is the water pipe in the hotel lobby breaking and flooding the floor. This, in and of itself, wouldn’t be much of a problem… except it looks like someone has cut the electrical wires that are now sparking dangerously, only a few feet above the floor. There are similar instances of sabotage all over the island: doors locking behind you, wire traps in the park that’ll fire an arrow at you if you accidentally trigger them, the bolts in bicycles loosened so they’re in a danger of falling apart if you drive them – little things that might cause you to be hurt.

And if you’re really unlucky… you might hear something move in the shadows, and when you turn to look, they’re materializing around you; human-shaped, black-clothed warrior spirits, holding a katana and hiding behind a demonic mask. Or perhaps you will hear an incessant buzzing sound that just won’t stop until you give in…

For the next few days, dear Kiseki residents, it’s best to be extra careful, because there’s a fox spirit around to cause chaos, and he won’t be easily stopped.]

[[Stiles is back, and with him, the nogitsune and his Oni are wreaking havoc around the islands! For event details, go here. The event will last through the weekend, and there will be an aftermath post around the 29th or so.]]

[It is Friends' Day today, and Miracle Country is joining in.

Those who do, indeed, have friends here or elsewhere will notice a white string leading to them, or broken if this friend happens to not be in this world.

That aside, the theater will be showing friendship-themed movies, and many other films may be found available in the underground common room for anyone to watch. Shops and locations like the zoo or amusement park will be offering discounts if you bring someone along. And by the evening, the familiar picnic-like set up will be found at the park near the lake, with blankets and food prepared for everyone to share together.]

[It's time for candy! All around Kiseki, for the following three days, Welcome Center ladies will be offering samples of candy for people to give away. And everyone will receive a little pamphlet, explaining the idea behind this - when someone gives you a piece of candy, you should thank them through a kiss! Kisses on the cheek, hand, etc. are perfectly fine, of course.

But what if you're a grump who refuses to participate, or too shy for it, you happen to not trust Kisekians with anything, or simply don't care? Well, don't worry, because this tradition is just awfully tempting. Your character may find that they simply can't resist giving away candy to others, maybe even to their worst enemy! And sometimes they simply won't be able to stop themselves from thanking this gesture through the necessary kiss.]

[It begins in the park, in the shade of a tree to avoid the light of the sun. He has been to his room, to the library and school. He is angry with you, Kiseki.]

It is cruel to tease.

[Distracted eyes fall on the journal beside him, recording his every movement, his fingers reaching out to touch its cover and binding, concealing its magical pages. One of the many things he doesn't understand, wants to understand, but right now, he can't bring himself to care. There is a heavy disappointment settling on him and a passive expression that could mean any number of things.]

I would have liked to have slept a while longer still.

[For just a second, something wavers in his gaze and he smiles a ghost of a smile, bitterness and annoyance hidden beneath the empty gesture.]

... very cruel indeed.

[Waking, no matter how long, never ceases to remind him of that burning thirst. He finally takes it in his hand, and as he lifts it, so too does the pretense of pleasantness that he is so very good at.]

I hope things have been well, Kiseki. Has it been eventful?

[Waking up in an unfamiliar place, without knowing how he had even gotten there, was something that he was sadly used to. Despite everything the ladies had told him, he was still quite confused. The difference this time was that he could clearly remember everything that happened before. He remembered Yato, Hiyori, everyone he had meet… He could remember walking the halls of Hiyori’s school and wanting more than anything to be just a normal person who could go to class, have friends and be normal, not a weapon or a God’s servant.

But now Yato wasn’t there. Did that mean that he was… free? Maybe this was a new chance, a real second chance. He just had to try, to see if people could see him…]

Hello? Is anybody there that can hear me? This place is really cool! It’s huge, and Yato is not here to boss me around, so that already makes this place great.

Though I really have to ask what is this journal for? Do I have to write in it, talk to it…? I hope it isn't some kind of thing this place forces you to do, I'm really tired of being told what I have to do and what I can't do. And what’s up with all the eggs with wings around? Are they supposed to fly or something? And is there always so... flooded here?

Now, I just wonder… can anybody see me?

[He sounds hopeful and excited, despite the strange environment. ]