+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[So, someone has discovered a particularly cozy spot in the smaller library on the museum island, and she's busy absorbed with a stack of books there when her journal's recording clicks on from across a nearby table. Too busy turning the pages, the unknowing Robin might seem unusually serious to those watching, glasses on and expression quite thoughtful.]

[After a moment, she leans back, sets the book down in her lap and sighs. A set of hands bloom almost absently from the ground up and take the book, replacing it neatly on the shelf beside her, as she turns to another one in the stack herself. The results here aren't much more promising already.]

Strange that there are no traces of anything to be found here. No single mention of this world's roots, of it's true culture, or any historical records. It's the same in the other library, as far as I could tell.

[Hmmmmmmmmm.]

Was it all destroyed?

[She continues turning pages slowly, almost frowning.] No. Even such efforts would leave signs behind. It's difficult for me to think it could have not existed in the first place, but perhaps...

[--And then as she reached for her cup of coffee, the blinking light becomes apparent at last, so she looks surprised and then smiles a little, chuckling under her breath.] Oh... Well, hello.

Maybe that's a reminder I've spent too long indoors today, hm? [Sup Kiseki, how are you all doing today, nothing to see here.]

[Happy Lunar New Year, Kiseki (or almost, at least)! Starting now until this weekend (ending on the 26th), characters will find that Kiseki has decorated itself accordingly for bringing in the Year of the Horse! All over the main island, there’ll be little paper lanterns, horse motifs, and red banners wishing good luck and happy new year! Throughout the nights celebrating, the sky will fill with sporadic, but beautiful, displays of sparkling fairy lights, shooting stars, or northern lights. Each night at midnight, there’ll be a fantastic fireworks display with bursts of light as well as the horse motif.

And at the park, there’s a little festival set up for your characters to celebrate! Enjoy some games, eat some food, or mingle with your fellow characters. There are points throughout the festival where there’s a good luck cat or a horse statue or any other number of new years staples that seem to motivate and invite, creating a warm, sparkling energy around you – and making you more likely to interact and have fun with people you know or haven’t gotten the chance to know yet!

And since the new year is about cleansing and new starts, characters will find that they can’t get back into their room easily to be grumps and avoid the holiday. It seems the door is jammed and covered with new years blessings (happiness, health, good fortune, wealth, and longevity)! Kiseki really just wants you to get out and have some fun! No going back to your room now, as it’ll smell very strongly of sagebrush and cedarwood as the room is cleansed for its new start. But you’re not getting kicked out all on your own, either. Your character will find a festival-appropriate outfit each night to encourage some good tidings, and wearing the outfit will leave your character feeling lighter and happier, perhaps.

So Happy Year of the Horse, Kiseki.]

[Reading and writing are not yet skills the little four-year-old Utsusemimaru has developed, so instead of using his journal as it was designed, he's simply hugging it to his chest while he wanders around in search of a friendly face. His mama and papa always told him not to waste paper.

As soon as he sees someone, he shyly approaches, and asks his question in a timid, polite voice.]

Where is the lord of this land? I wanna swear feel-chie.

[So, today is just another simple, pleasant day in Miracle Country, right? Everyone'll go on and do the usual routines, head to work, go to school...

But during the day, something might start bothering your characters. Something they're hiding from others. At first it might just seem like a simple annoyance, an unpleasant tingling, an uncomfortable feeling. If they just ignore it, though, it will grow. Bother them more and more, take over their thoughts, make their heart ache, make it difficult for them to move easily, even to breathe without feeling uncomfortable and achey.

Their deepest and/or darkest secrets are weighing them down, becoming a very tangible burden on them. And how do you get rid of a secret? You have to confess, of course. Telling someone what they're hiding will be the only way to rid themselves of it.]

[The first thing Natasha was taught to do in an uncontrolled situation was to assess what had happened. She remembers being back at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, and now she was here, with what appeared to be a device for communicating. A book. She felt like nothing had happened, and she wasn't hurt.

But who knows what had happened. That, and she didn't recognize this place one bit.

It only took her several minutes to figure out the functions of the device (after ignoring the ladies in the Welcoming Center, because they were blathering idiots), and once she had, turned it onto audio. The Black Widow isn't fooled so easily, so she doesn't let that she's perplexed as to how she's come to be in this place, or how she had no memory of her kidnappers. Either this is magic or they were good, better than her, even. Only very few people were better than she was.

She doesn't like being shown up like this. It's very rude. Tony Stark caliber of rude.

The audio picks up a bit after she's put the journal down on the welcoming center's front desk. Interrogation time.]

-I really don't care if all you're here for is to give me this book, I want answers. And so help me, if I have to extract them out of you slowly and painfully, so be it.

[More blathering on. Natasha's voice lowers as she leans towards the lady,almost barely audible, her voice deadly calm.] Let me rephrase what I just said. If I have to jump over this counter, I will. I'm patient. I can wait while you're bleeding out, begging for your life. And I won't blink.

[The audio cuts there, and turns back on a few minutes later when she's outside.] I need information. The morons and the place I arrived at were idiots.I'd like to know who's in charge, what's going on, how did we - I - get here. I'm interested in sensible answers, and if you can give them to me, I'd be in your debt. I honor my debts.

Hey, hey, slow down! You guys just as fast as Usagi, sheesh! I just wanna know where I am! How close is this to Tokyo? Can I just catch a train back?

[A pause.] Yeah, figured as much. It's not like a girl can help save the world and then get automatically transported to some crazy place with magical books and speed-talking ladies.

[More pausing. The ladies are still talking. At this point, Minako's eyes are glazing over, just like they do when she's at school. The Welcoming Center ladies pretty much sound like Charlie Brown's teacher.] Uh-huh, sure, okay... I'm just going to take this pretty book that does things and go over here now, okay?

[And that's when Minako gets the hell out of there. Minutes later, she's talking directly to everyone.]

So hi, I'm Minako. Uh. Maybe someone else who's here can help me. What in the world is going on and what's the quickest way back home?

[It's New Year's! Time to recharge your batteries, start fresh, make resolutions you won't follow through, or curse your luck that you're still stuck in a goddamn sparkly island. Whichever your choice, Miracle Country is set to celebrate and get everyone together.

Starting during the evening of the 31st, the park in the main island, as well as the shopping district and other main areas all around (the Welcome Center, the hotels, etc) will be decorated with lanters, christmas lights, and other colorful things. Even a few stray mistletoes might be found among the mix, although they'll be more rare than before. Tables with all sorts of holiday-themed food and drinks will be set all over the park & shopping district plaza, as well. And by the time midnight strikes, there'll be a huge fireworks display, visible from any point in the islands.

But that's not it!

A few days ago, everyone would've gotten a little note from a Kiseki lady, instructing them on a gift exchange the place has decided to have. How does this work? It's easy - everyone is assigned someone to get a gift to at random. They're meant to attend the end of year celebrations, in order to give that present to whoever was assigned to them.

If they fail to follow through (either they don't get the present or they do but don't go to the party), they'll face some retaliation. Since not wanting to participate in these means you're most likely a big grump, you'll get your own personal grey cloud following you around, in the spirit of old cartoons - it'll randomly rain or snow on you, and getting angry at it will only make it worse. Only through an act of sincere happiness/cheer can you make the cloud disappear.

And that's about it. The list for the gift exchange can be found HERE. Just mingle and have fun, and - because the date matches - happy 6th anniversary, Kiseki!]

[Late in the evening, there's a video showing Sakura over at the Penguin Island, sitting on top of the slide that gives it its name. She has her staff in her hands, and she's also holding a big fluffy teddy bear she picked from the place, and she's watching Flower happily dance together with Wood around the place, showering everything in small flower petals.

Sakura looks happy to watch them, although when she glances down at the bear to brush petals off of it her smile turns melancholic for a moment. Still, being there it's difficult to be too upset, and soon enough she's laughing a little as the cards twirl around together]

[Meeting or replying to the video is just fine, otherwise you can mingle in the various islands as you'd like o/]

[Happy First Day of Winter, Kiseki! To celebrate the winter solstice, Miracle Country has, of course, decided to let it snow all over the island(s), a fluffy white snow. It'll be snowing lightly throughout the day, but be careful of the ice on the walkways or the icicles hanging off the over-hangings. It's been snowing a bit lately, but now it's in full-force, and there's a few cute snowmen hanging around already, just to help get you all in the mood for playing in the snow.

The light snow will stop about mid-way through the afternoon and it'll clear up, sunny but plenty cold - the perfect way to motivate you to get out and play to warm up, right? And don't worry about running out of snow - if it gets too packed-down, the snow will seem to magically fluff back up again!

Afraid of being cold in the snowy weather, though? No worries, as Miracle Country has graciously provided each room in the hotel with a pile of warm coats, mittens/gloves, scarves, hats, and winter boots, with a cheerful little note that says simply "Let it snow!"; there's also some sleds just outside the entrance to the park, in case anyone wants to take advantage of a small hill.]

[It might not be exactly unusual for Kamui to sleep in these days (a bad habit perhaps to have picked up, not that he cares all that much), or for him to just spend the day bumming at home... but it's certainly an odd sight when the recording turns on late into the day and he's still practically buried under the covers. It makes even less sense when it's clear that he's alone for now (Fuuma has a job and all, somehow the more responsible of the two of them), seemingly dead to the world.]

[When he stirs, it's clear this is not a turn for the better in his case. He groans.]

Hnn.

I am... absolutely... not in the mood for this.

[Those watching can certainly hear his weak grumbles, just as his hand reaches out from the bed and -- bumps his journal onto the floor. Fuck. That gives way for a pretty clear view to Kamui's bleary and red face, his bangs messed up and sticking to his forehead from the attempts his body makes to try and sweat out this sudden fever. He stares at nothing for a while, groans again, before opting to ignore writing in the journal for help, not realizing it's doing the job for him already. Another grumble follows.] Can't concentrate like this, anyway.

[Through some great display of effort (or more like stubbornness?) he finally drags himself to sit up on the bed, pausing again at the dizzying feeling this brings. Even marred by sickness, his entire demeanor seethes with annoyance.]

Stop it. There's no sense to this... kind of stupidity still, is there?

... Ugh.

[Damn it, Kiseki. And of course, as Kamui finally stands up and stumbles his way over to the bathroom, the cherry on top of his incredibly unfun start to this day reveals itself--]

[--When he's stopped halfway there and can't take another step. Not because the magical sickness is too much, no. One of those troublesome little plants from the past few days wanted to say hello too! And leave him stuck there in the room to collapse again as the video cuts out just before he can let out an unpleasant curse for everyone to hear.]