+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[After a particularly cold day in Miracle Country the sun sets at least and it seems like the perfect day to just call it early and go into your warm, warm bed and hope that the next day isn’t as cold as this one was. But at always it seems the place has a different idea.

Just barely a couple of hours after the sun sets, the power goes out. Yet one quick look through the window makes it pretty obvious that there is some sort of light source out there. And it’s definitely worth a look.



Northern lights, brighter than what they usually would be, are lightening up the sky. It’s certainly a sight to behold and it makes stepping outside a bit easier. After all, being a little cold is worth it to see something like this. After all, they are only going to be there until dawn.

To help those brave enough to fight the cold just to watch the lights, there will be small carts moved by the Usyagi that carry all sort of warm beverages: hot chocolate, coffee, tea, anything you might desire they probably have it.]

[Many are probably not even aware that Miracle Country has a skating rink in it, right? Now it'll be a little harder to ignore - even if you ignore the hand-written flyers detailing what's going on, and placed here and there among common buildings (the welcome center, the underground cafeteria, the school) asking people to go over there, there's now also a video that'll make the journals alert you soon enough.

This video shows the rink itself, and the smiling!!!! face of the journal's owner, as he waves cheerfully.]

Hello! Please come over to the sports island! Not only is it fun, of course, but just for today, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from me! [And maybe he rather needs to be able to teach someone, but that's just a small detail.]

I'll be here until the evening, so don't be shy! I can't skate and record myself at the same time, so you'll have to see it for yourselves, alright? [MORE SMILES and then the recording stops.]

[[A little log so he can get his special custom skates here! Poke him in his thread or use the log as you'd like!]]

[It's a certain someone's birthday - not that he's told anybody - but instead of celebrating it, he's decided there's an opportunity to celebrate everyone! Once the rain has let up, at least a little, there's a giant message-board near the new houses. It seems to have everyone's names on it, and above is written -

HAVE A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!

"What's an Unbirthday? Why, that's a day that's not your birthday! You deserve a chance to celebrate yourself, because you're amazing! And if you think someone else is amazing, be sure to let them know!"

With all the pens and markets waiting at the bottom, it seems to indicate that you're encouraged to write compliments under people's names. Try to be anonymous? Get caught in the act? Only compliment yourself? Give it a try!]

[Ah, such a lovely day to... stay indoors, most likely. Since early in the morning, it's been raining non-stop, washing away any rests of paint left over from before. Any customization to the houses and other important places seems to be fine, though.



Maybe it's a chance to really get some use out of the new houses. Or to roam the underground tunnels - the cafeteria will have plenty of hot chocolate to combat the bad weather. Maybe you're one of the poor people caught outside while the rain gets heavier and the winds chillier... Well, there isn't a new pavillion out there for nothing.

Or did you choose to be out there? Maybe you don't mind the rain, however cold it might be. Maybe you're checking on the new stables, or your own shop, or don't trust Miracle Country not to start out a new monster attack while everyone is indoors trying to get cozy. No one said those new trees would be out of order in case of rain, afterall.]

[Halloween dawns a bright and sunny day – crisp and cool, but pleasant. There are appropriate decorations everywhere you look today – jack-o-lanterns, cartoony ghost decorations hanging from trees, candy apples & candy corn, and all that cheery Halloween décor.

The most notable decoration for the day is that you are being haunted… but don’t worry! You have a new friend who’s following after you! These little spirits take the form of an animal that fits your personality – anywhere from a mighty tiger to a little vole – and they aren’t going away any time soon. They’ll interact with you but are impossible to banish. In fact, trying to run away from them just makes them all the more eager to stay close!



If you’re paying attention, however, you’ll know that maybe not everything is well. The trees that have been growing around Kiseki ever since the flood receded are beginning to bloom, slowly, those strange lantern-like plants glowing as the day progresses. Don’t pass too close. Remember – it feeds off negative energy, and it won’t make you feel great.

You know what you’re meant to do in these situations. You’ve been warned of this. You better start that hunt. And don’t worry – your new friends are here to help! If you head into the forest to fight or meet a loose creature elsewhere, your little spirit guide will transform accordingly – to a weapon, to a shield, or perhaps fluctuating between the two. You have options, of course - you can go looking for the monsters, hang back and risk being surprised, or just sit back and let others take care of the mess. Maybe you just want to hang out with your new friend, after all.

The spirits will linger until they are no longer needed. Once they deem that all is safe and that you are alright on your own, they will start to fade until they disappear completely.]

[And one morning, it's over. The water starts disappearing as mysteriously and as quickly as it first showed up, retreating into the river and the sea. By the time it's left the main islands' surfaces, and once people have left their shelter, the treehouses disappear as well. All should be back to normal... Except it's clear that there've been some changes.

Some are easy to notice right away: perhaps the most obvious one is that the big hotel buildings have disappeared, leaving behind a series of domed houses for people to live in. They'll find that their belongings have been placed in certain houses. If they were sharing a room before, then those people will get a house together, and others who were alone might find they've been assigned a single house for themselves, or even been paired up to live with others.

Other more blatant changes would be easy to notice, as well. The brand new aquarium, accessed via the east-side of the beach, its massive structure going into the sea itself. Like the housing areas, the aquarium is split into areas that are above ground, and others that go deep underwater. Some areas are built to hold freshwater creatures and look a lot like regular aquariums, but many of its tunnels go deep into the ocean and allow people to watch the different animals straight from the waters surrounding the place. You could even be lucky enough to spot some of the dragons left over from the past events! Among the places on the surface, there's a lounging area with a small giftshop, the more typical fishtanks, and even some open areas where you can pay a small fee to fish (equipment can be rented or bought from the giftshop) or even dive underwater, for the enjoyment of watching the many fish and other creatures, or yet again as a way to fish or hunt for prey. Just remember, the more you stray away from the beach, the more dangerous these waters become.



There's the newly added farm island which means people can ride horses around now, if they wish to, or take care of the new animals in it. A few familiar locations have been moved around, others removed entirely. The forests' caves now hold a mysterious shrine, radiating pure, positive energy.

With an addition of positive energy, comes negative one as well. The Usyagi will be quick to drop notes explaining the existence of certain trees now growing on different areas of Miracle Country, signaling potential monster outbreaks. People's help to contain these outbreaks will be needed, and of course it's not only a matter of helping Kiseki itself out. Should these be left unchecked, there's a risk of a new monster invasion which could hurt or kill those around, so adding a full-time or temporary job as part of the patrols or the guard ready to deal with these monsters might be a very appealing idea.

Overall, there're plenty of new things to see, plenty of things to do, but no one will blame you if, after weeks of dealing with the flood, you simply wish to retire to your new house and sleep for a while.]

[[The Flood Event ends! Further info on these changes to be found here.]]

[The days pass, and the water remains as it is, covering the world people were used to, seeming unlikely to change soon. While some supplies might be running short, there's still plenty of water at the reservoir, and the fish from the expanded sea as well as fruits or vegetables found at the treetops don't seem to be about to run out any moment soon. So, while there're obviously some difficulties, this night could be a peaceful one, to enjoy the unusual view with others for a while, try to manage a fire to gather around, nurse any existing wounds, or simply settle in whichever shelter one's found and try to rest until the following day.



But there's the fog. While the days have so far been clear and rather sunny despite the increasing cold of Fall, tonight there's fog creeping up everywhere, growing thicker and thicker by the hour, coming over from where the most dangerous areas are known to be. With it, comes an unsettling, restless feeling. You might find it difficult to fall asleep. Perhaps you'll be llured by the call of this fog, inexplicably drawn to navigate the dark waters despite the late hour. You might follow this call to the dragons' lair around the reservoir, to find them assigning you a new task, even more difficult now due to the lack of visibility. Perhaps you only end up lost. Or wandering off to areas where an attack might happen... It might be wise to not leave alone, but this fog's influence might strip you of any caution.

If that's the case, well... There's only so many hours until dawn, right?]

[[The Flood Event continues! Go here for any questions!]]

[Nothing seems out of the ordinary at the start. The season has changed with the date, abrupt as ever, bringing with it clear signs of the beginning of Fall, a chilly atmosphere replacing the warmth of summer. However, that isn't the only change today – and to anyone finding themselves near any of the many bodies of water around Miracle Country, the difference will become apparent very quickly.

The ocean, the river, the lake, it all slowly but surely rises and overflows, flooding the surrounding areas more and more every second. Good luck finding shelter, as the water level will continue to rise until the buildings, the forests and part of the caves around the islands are all submerged. The trees will seem to expand underwater, until makeshift bridges form from the tangled growth of branches, surprisingly sturdy. In lieu of the usual places to go, people may notice that clear domes will start to rise out of the water, each with supplies inside like blankets, pillows, and bandages. Be careful not to drop them into the sea! Others may find treehouses above the waters with similar basic supplies, none too cozy otherwise. And in the worst case scenario? There are the usual boats to be found.



Food will be available in the varied amount of fish and other animals to be caught in the water. For those who frequent the river or beach, it'll be clear there's a much higher amount of them, of all sorts of colors and sizes. One thing that doesn't change is the rising danger the closer one gets to the area of the forests, and deeper waters may hold even more frightening enemies, even monsters. More rare fish and other creatures live around these areas, as well. Careful where you fish. For those that can get around, there are a few islands here and there, the most important of which is at the location of the Sakura tree, of course. These hold some large containers for drinkable water, some are full and others empty but refillable.

There's a catch, though. Water dragons will be appearing near the island that usually holds the pure water reservoir, guarding it. Anyone that approaches will find that these dragons telepathically make requests of visitors in exchange for the water. Things like fishing for a rare type of fish, bringing them a specific fruit from the trees in the forests, looking for an item that's lying underwater, maybe seeing a specific type of magic/skill or hearing a story. They can be pretty creative, so it's best to be ready for anything – that is, if you're not too intimidated to approach at all.]

[[Our flood event starts! Go here for any questions.]]

[Here comes a thought…

It’s funny how the mind works, isn’t it? Always working, thoughts constantly coming in and out. Seeing something triggers a memory and a thought along with it, something that might make one smile or sad. Or perhaps it’s the possibility of something happening or whatever weights on your mind as the day pass. They are usually easy to dismiss or even forget by getting distracted by anything else that comes by.

But it’s rude to ignore them, right? So today, instead of them just being locked inside your head, they’ll be everywhere, represented by butterflies of different colors.



Each color might represent what that thought makes you feel, so they might be as generic as blue for a sad one or red for one that makes you happy. Or they could also be colors that make you feel something: if you hate the color green, that might be the one that comes along with your bad thoughts. It all depends on the person and their experiences. After all, thoughts affect everyone in a different way. Which is why the amount of butterflies that follow you around for the day really is up to you and what your mind is usually up to.

You’ll get used to it. Or you should, at least, because they’ll be there, following you, during all day. No shouting or no ignoring them will get them to go away. Have fun with that!]

[A few days after Porthos' birthday party and things are... a little sticky and messy. It's what happens after a party, after all. And don't worry, Porthos has certainly been enlisted to clean up his share of the mess. Mostly because he was Scolded by Snow.

But it seems that there's a clean-up happening throughout Miracle Country today. Or at least, encouragement. Whistle while you work, everyone? Maybe not. But there are birds chirping everywhere and swooping along where the fruit or spilled drinks are. Easy enough to dismiss - birds like fruit, right? And certainly the rodents and woodland creatures are scavenging, not actively cleaning up or anything like that.

Okay, no. The animals are definitely helping to clean. That's... interesting.

What could be the cause of all this? Well, there's a brief video actually showing Snow sweeping the front pathway leading to the new Town Hall Meeting Area, humming to herself. There are a few birds on the awning and the windowsill and they're chirping along with her. She starts singing and the birds start chirping louder, definitely singing along with her. Never forget that you actually know a literal Disney princess, everyone.]


[Feel free to use this as a mingle as you see fit! Or, if you'd like to help Snow clean up some of the mess, you can find her here.]