+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[As early as last month, the invitations were sent out. Now that things are more resolved, Snow’s finally making good on a promise she made a little while ago – and throwing a grand, lavish party at the ballroom. It’s exactly as you would expect a ball to be like – there’s a large dance floor, fancy music, winter-themed decorations, and a large table full of food and drink.

You’re expected to dress up – but don’t worry, Miracle Country is chipping in and if it deems that you haven’t dressed fancy enough, a little magic will interfere and dress you up.

It seems that the world wants to get into the spirit of things – albeit belatedly. Because there’s little mistletoe plants that will appear throughout the night and throughout the party, inside and out, to get you into the belated holiday spirit: being caught under this mistletoe will leave you frozen until someone comes along to save you. Once two people are under the mistletoe, a wall of vines will emerge from nowhere, wrapping the two up in order to give you two some privacy. Or make you hate vines. Or both. The two of you will not be able to move from this spot until you complete the task set to you.

Being caught under this mistletoe will leave you with a few choices, which the mistletoe will let you know. In order to get free, you will have to do one of the following:
( beneath the cut )

Beyond these shenanigans, you’re free to enjoy your evening – there’s dancing, beautiful scenery, delicious food, and plenty of good company. The ball will last mid-afternoon and well into the night, and the end of the party will be signaled by some pretty fireworks (a modest display, of course, as Snow isn’t made of money).

Be sure to attend, otherwise later you might have a disappointed Snow to deal with.]

[[The journal opens as it lands in the ground, showing first shins, then knees, then finally a face as Wan sat down in front of it's open pages after the strange ladies showed up and handed him the book.]]

Um... hello?

[[He rubbed the back of his head, eyes wide from both confusion and a lack of sleep.]]

I was told I should... talk... into a strange book thing... I'm being tricked by the spirits aren't I? The women that brought this were just... some strange vision they made me see.

[[He put his head into his hands and let out a long sigh.]]

I just want to eat without half the forest trying to kill me. I know I saw an oasis just now. It had fruit and clear water. Just let me have a little. I won't cause any trouble. I swear. I'll be quiet and stay away from the spirit-wasps if there's a nest there. I won't step on any frogs. I'll be careful.

I wouldn't be out here if I didn't have to be. If there were anywhere else for me to go, I'd go there. But there isn't.

I haven't slept all night. I haven't eaten in days.

Please.

The day is finally here – the day that everyone has been waiting for after so long. It’s the day for the Meeting of the Realms, The Bridge Between Worlds finally open to all three worlds. For those who have never attended the meeting before, it is a formal affair, and many arrive to the Bridge in order to discuss these negotiations for peace. The main point of this meeting is for the rulers of the three realms to negotiate for peace and establish themselves this way – and these discussions will span over the course of days. The rulers and a small contingent of their closest advisors and strongest allies will accompany them for the official meeting, but the Bridge is open to all members of the realms who wish to attend and meet within that world.

It’s a formal affair, certainly, but also one of celebration – for many, this is the first time in centuries that a Bridge Meeting has even taken place, and being able to witness the temporary collapse of borders is one to be remembered. The last Bridge Meeting was short and brief, due to a collapse in negotiations – but many are hopeful that this time will be different. It’s a chance for everyone to come together on neutral ground and meet with the other worlds, exchange cultures and understandings – it is, after all, the overall hope to achieve peace and acceptance. What better way to do so than to truly get to know your world neighbors?

The world in which the Bridge resides is a small little bubble of a world in comparison to the expansiveness of the other three realms. To explore the entire world, it takes only a few hours’ trek across fields, around the lake the Bridge stretches across, or navigating the mountains. The world, though small, is mountainous, and the air is crisp, clear, and clean. The Bridge and its lake lies centered in what appears to be a valley, surrounded by mountains and beautiful sky.

The Bridge itself is an old-fashioned relic of past cultures long since lost, the remaining remnants of an era of peace and prosperity. It’s old, but sturdy. Korra and Aang, maintainers of this world, have done well to preserve it and prepare it for the many new arrivals to this tiny realm. They’ve taken all they’ve learned of the various worlds and incorporated it into this realm to make everyone feel as safe and welcome as possible – there are clusters of trees reminiscent of the Otherworld, the waters of the lake are the purest and cleanest outside of Heaven, and there’s even a fire pit similar to the one found in Hell.

The first day of the Meeting is taking place on the winter solstice – and it’s clear wherever you look, the entire world dusted with a layer of snow, and the clouds above threatening more at any moment. There is definitely more snow incoming. It’s chilled and crisp, so perhaps best to keep warm or stay warm with someone else.


[ooc: Again, if needed, check out info & plotting for this event in regards to what will go down during this meeting - and please keep your top levels to the appropriate subthreads.]

For centuries, the three worlds – Heaven, Hell, and the Otherworld – have been separated, often at war, sometimes in stilted tension waiting for the next war, but never, truly, in harmony. Thankfully, between the three worlds, there is a neutral ground – the Bridge Between Worlds. The purpose of the bridge is to be a connection point for all three worlds, in which peace treaties can be negotiated and signed on a neutral platform without having to invite potential enemies into one’s own realm.

For the first time in decades, the Bridge is being opened and the three worlds are meeting – and everyone is waiting in anticipation for that moment. The barriers between the worlds have slowly weakened over the years, making it easy for demons, otherworlders, and angels to drift between the worlds if they so choose (and some certainly have), when means of communication through magically-connected journals no longer seems enough. In addition to this, there have historically been long, grueling wars between the worlds that have only recently started to wane in intensity. With this weakening of the borders over the decades and the long war, the need to reach agreement between the worlds couldn’t be stronger, and sorting out those differences is goal number one.

… Or so it might seem. Because there are rumors that Hell isn’t as on board for peace as the other two worlds are. In fact, there are whispers that the Demon Queen has perhaps had her hand in disruptions. There’s no way to prove this, and certainly anyone to suggest as much would unleash another decade of war. Still, things are tentative and tenuous between the three worlds, and the success of the bridge meeting is imperative.

Still, such rumors give light to a truth – things are tense between the worlds, and not even the entire worlds are in agreement. There are rumors, too, that the two Otherworld rulers are in disagreement about how to proceed with respect to the other two worlds – one wishes for connection, the other for isolation.

And while things may seem good and peaceful in Heaven, perhaps not everything is as it seems there. Heaven is very powerful, and very populated – more and more angels are being born every day, and there are stirrings within the Otherworld and Hell wondering if Heaven is truly as good as it seems, if they aren’t planning some form of invasion themselves with their gathering numbers, their protection of their barriers, their secretive insistence on peace. Perhaps there’s something more selfish hidden behind the guise of kindness and compassion.

But things aren’t going smoothly already. With random attacks happening every day across the worlds, things are more and more uncertain – and there’s no telling what will happen at the bridge meeting, or even if everyone truly wants peace.

And it’s no good to go into negotiations feeling as if you’ve been pushed to be there, after all… The Bridge Meeting is only a few days away and, regardless of one’s position on it, there is a quiver of anticipation – the opportunity for peace or, perhaps, for the opportunity to meet others who have, until now, been separated from one another.


[ooc: Please check back with the info & plotting for the event if need be, and if you want a list of where everyone is, check this thread. Please note that this event is a full AU, meaning that your character has no knowledge of Miracle Country or any details from their old life. This post is purely for characters to interact within their world – the bridge will appear in a few days time with a new log; characters can move between worlds, but it’s difficult to do so at this time, emphasizing communication through journals or through messages sent through Korra & Aang, and interaction with one’s own co-worlders. Each of the three worlds has its own individual thread.]

[The novelty of winter rolling in as it does in Kiseki, sudden just like many other changes in the world, also has its quieter, darker points. Literally. The days are shorter, and today a few hours are spent with the sky as a deep gray even before daylight time is done. It's something cloudy and gloomy, if not even too consistently present all over the islands.]

[But with the bitter cold of it, there's something else too. It might incite the wrong thoughts along the way: Loss, death, regrets. . . . You might get a fleeting reminder that falls away as quickly as it was there. You might hear it like an intimate whisper too difficult to ignore.]

[You might not notice it at all, really. Maybe it's just a cloudy day that got a little too chilly to you. Even still, in the midst of all of it, two briefly missing people will end up showing back up again in Miracle Country, the winter and the dark like symbols to each one respectively.]

[ooc: Small canon update post for Art and Bucky, same timeline but slightly further on for both. Shenanigans here are totally optional, so feel free to use the post as you like otherwise.]

[There's an accidental video of Esmeralda's face, still with the same half-smile half-grimace it's been sporting since her conversation with the WC ladies.]

Hm. Cute.

[She flips open her journal to doodle a butterfly. And then a flower. C:]

What do you say, Djali? Is that enough "writing to our friends"? [Baa.] I think so, too.

[Urgh, but she really is going to have to talk to a supposedly magical book? About her supposed kidnapping?]

...Someone's got nerve, that's for sure. Not to mention a nice supply of smoke and mirrors. I might even be impressed, if you're not careful. Oh, or is this the secret back room of the cathedral? Someone like me wouldn't know, right? [Not exactly a regular church-goer, is she.] Who knows, maybe "the way to the Heavenly Kingdom is through the church" was always more literal than I thought. Wouldn't that be unexpected.

[Cocks an eyebrow at the journal, that same unamused half-smile back in place.]

There! I've talked. You can't go to all these lengths to promise me conversation and then not deliver. [Let her out of here, you jerk.]

[OOC: Esmeralda most likely doesn't know how to read. If your character responds with text, please let me know somewhere in the comment?]

Good people,

I can only hope to appeal to the better nature of those that may somehow read these words beyond where I write them, for I am in need of answers. To many questions, truth be told.

Though kind, the young women that greeted me would not extend what I needed, and I turned to this journal instead. It was the only suggestion they could give, so it would appear that this is my only resource in a strange land. I am not entirely certain yet that this isn’t simply a dream I will wake from before long.

Even so, I cannot simply stay still without action so long as everything seems very much a reality.

I ask for your guidance if you would give it.

You have my thanks.

[Anne signs her name simply but with the usual formalities of her status; no matter where she may be, a queen must carry herself as such, after all.]

[Action/Accidental video]
[There's some pacing going on, here, and there has been for a little while. Someone's...talking to themselves? Riiiiight...]

Okay, Anna. It's okay. So you've been kidnapped! That's...that's fine. [There's some nervous laughter for a second.] Everything's fine...here...so let's just calm down, and--bwah?!

[...And that's when she gets close enough to the WC ladies for them to cheerily bid her "welcome!"...something she wasn't expecting seriously at all. Startled, she jumps back with that aforementioned undignified yelp. Unperturbed, the WC ladies continue with their explanation and hand her a journal.]

...Wait, wait! You want me to use this? For that? Really? But that's the craziest thing I've ever--! [...Okay, that's not exactly a princess-y reaction. Pause. There's a small sigh before she clears her throat and offers a little curtsy.] ...I mean, um. Thank you...very much? For your...assistance. [I guess. :x;;;]

[Obviously confused and a little lost, she wanders over to a bench and starts writing in the journal.]

[Text]
[The words are written in neat script, nice-looking but a little shaky, and there are several words scribbled out before anything legible is written.]

Can anyone actually see this? Please tell me someone can see this. The people here haven't exactly been that helpful, so I'm kind of confused.

I need to How do I get back home? I was kind of in the middle of something, um...really, really important. [S-sigh, Elsa...she pauses for a minute, biting her lip, before writing more.] ...And I'd like to get back to it! [uh] Sooner would be better than later.

[...] So, um. Please let me know if you can help.

( Filtered to Asami; unhackable )

[She's concentrated enough to make this next part completely anonymous: there's no pictures, no way to identify her through the writing. It's all filtered away.]

What do you do if you're seeing things that aren't actually there? If you can't sleep, if you keep getting nightmares, if you keep remembering all the stupid things from the past? [The island she's camping out on isn't helping that, but she doesn't know that.]

Is there a magical solution?

[Bending isn't doing any good, nothing at home was doing any good, going to the Tree of Time did nothing. She knows she has to figure it out on her own, but, maybe there's a solution that she can find here...?]

How do you know you're not just going crazy?

[All replies, except to Asami, will be filtered like the entry - there won't be a way to identify it as Korra unless she identifies herself personally (castmates past her canonpoint can feel free to guess it's her, if they have the ability to do so)]

[So today, it's a bit chilly outside, so maybe you don't feel like going outside too much -- thinking of maybe just hanging out in the underground tunnels beneath the hotel -- there's the cafeteria, and a few common rooms with televisions and couches and fluffy places to relax.]

[In one of these places, you might find Arthur and Merlin, who were attempting to spend a peaceful afternoon but have now, as usual, descended into Arthur's frustrated grumbles/shoutings. Merlin's all cuddled up on one of the couches, noming on some popcorn and curled up in a big blanket and Arthur is kneeling down in front of the DVD player and television]

[Arthur, for his part, looks grumpy -- this is his attempt to help Merlin relax a bit, since the deal with all those loses before ended up shaking him up a lot more than might be immediately noticeable. But this blasted modernity!!]

I don't understand! I made it work before! Emma showed me.

[The video doesn't really demonstrate it easily, but anyone super observant will be able to see that Arthur is putting the DVD in upside down in the machine, although he doesn't realize this]

It goes in, see! It should work now. [Stares at the screen, which stays frustratingly blank.] I press this button, and...

[Nope, blank screen. On the couch, Merlin says I could just--]

Shut up, Merlin, I can figure this out. The movie's 79 minutes, so I just... [he presses 7 and then 9 on the remote and then suddenly the screen goes fuzzy] [asdlghasld;] What happened?!

[Merlin sighs behind him and says yes, Sire all the while grinning obnoxiously, in his "you are dumb and cute" kind of way and keeps eating some popcorn, watching as Arthur continues to struggle and adds, I believe in you, Sire.]

... Shut up, Merlin. [Arthur blushes a it as Merlin continues to smile oh so innocently and wiggle his toes a bit under the blanket]

[Maybe you'll have more luck than these two, though. Feel free to hang out with everyone, have some fun or just relax... or put these two out of their misery.]


[ooc: Post is open for mingling! If you'd like for Arthur or Merlin (or both) to respond to your comments, just note in the subject line or as an ooc note in your comment!]