+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[Today is a bright, nice, quiet day in Miracle Country... Well, maybe not entirely quiet. The residents won't take long to notice the endless meowing that can be heard outside. With a mission waiting to be fulfilled, Kiseki felt generous and decided to give a helping hand. Or several paws, in this case, as the stray cats that usually roam the islands seem to have multiplied for the day, and they can be found all over the place. Of course, there are many of them at the park, but a particularly large number of them is gathering near the large sakura tree, where two people can be found.

Seeing Sebastian caring for the stray cats is a given by now, what's unusual is that Lucifer is right there with him, trying to help. "Trying" being the key, seeing how he looks entirely disgusted by the cats walking up to him. And there are many of them doing this, as the world's magic has made his usual charm work on the cats.

Now, you'd think this is beneficial for the situation. Afterall, it's much easier to take care of several cats when they're all happily flocking towards you, right? But his attempts to get anything done keep being interrupted by his own disgust at the cats' sudden affection and interest. So rather than a doing a successful, easy job, he's backed up against the tree, trying to shove the cats away from him.

Surely he'll manage to get this done at some point. At least the cats will hang around the whole day. A good time to take advantage of it and play with them, or choose one to keep! Everyone wins. Possibly.]

[[Most serious post, with a little mutations event help. Find Lucifer here, Sebastian here, or mingle on your own as you'd like.]]

[For some people, a good walk or day spent practicing their various skills is enough to feel energized after the time spent stuck inside. For others, their particular set of skills need a bit more flair to truly feel like they're being put to test. Or maybe it's just fun to do it this way. In any case, as counter-productive as it might feel to fight magic with magic, tonight some of the local magicians are taking the chance to practice in their own style.

At first it might not seem that this is the case; the pavillion in the main park, the sakura tree, and most of the surrounding areas are decorated with what looks like simply things for a party of sorts. There're colorful lights and lanterns set up all over, some snacks, plenty of drinks brought over from the bar, even its piano that's been moved nearby for the occasion.



But if you get close and try to join the celebrations, you might feel something's off about it. It isn't just the loud music that seems to be playing out of nowhere (the aforementioned piano aside), it's that the color-changing lights seem to glow with a warmth that's infectious, so staying nearby makes you feel happier, more relaxed the longer you stay there, like the whole place is inviting you to let loose and have fun.

... Or to act like an idiot, there's that too. But that might be the fault of the many drinks available, should you choose to grab some of them, right? Except perhaps even those who aren't anywhere near this party will feel like acting out in some way. Louder, dumber, sillier, bolder... At least they won't be the only ones behaving like this.]

[[What it says, + the small inhibitions loss event replay! Use the log as you'd like.]]

[Tired of being locked up, of feeling sick, or helpless? It’s been a long few days – maybe you’re still feeling sick, maybe you’re still feeling cold, maybe you’re just starting to feel helpless. Will this snow ever end? Well, don't despair for much longer! Because it’s nearly at an end.

Today the skies clear out, the sun shining brighter than before. The islands are slowly returning to normal and the snow? The snow’s melting – fueled on by the sun’s rays, yes, but also by magic – that same magic that brought this snow in the first place.

It's still rather cold for the time of the year, of course, that lingering chill in the air despite the sun. It’s almost like a day in autumn, where you can see your breath and need a coat to keep warm. Be careful, too, since there'll still be some snow remaining here and there for a few more days – be sure you don’t slip on the slush. But for now, at least, people can go outside without much trouble. A good time to stretch your legs, to check on your usual workplaces, to refill supplies, and so on. It’s been a few days of being cooped up – you must be eager for that fresh air!



To make things more pleasant given the lingering cold weather, there'll be colorful carts ran by the usyagi found all over the different islands, giving out tea, coffee and hot cocoa to anyone who'd like some. It’s the least they can do, right?]

🌸

[Dealing with the on-and-off blizzard for these past days must've been difficult, even with the times when the weather cleared out for a while and navigating the islands became possible... Hopefully you took advantage of those moments, because rather than things getting easier, it's about to get a lot worse.

It isn't only that there's been an avalanche of sorts overnight - how, given the lack of mountains around, is a mystery, but what else would you call the sudden heaps of snow currently piled up all over the housing area, drowning the individual domes so that they're barely even visible anymore?

It isn't just the fact that the power, or magic keeping things working, has been going out for hours on end, leaving the underground areas pitch-black - much more so given that the sun seems to refuse to come out, making the overall atmosphere one of dull grays at best, complete darkness at worse.

Or even that the creatures which could be found outside seem even more restless, making venturing outside for those who manage a way out of the tunnels (or who are unfortunate enough to arrive in the middle of this) even more dangerous.

No, it will surely feel like something's actively working against the people currently in the world, when several of them suddenly fall ill. With the sudden cold and bad conditions, one might be expecting possible colds and such things, but surely getting so ill so quickly isn't normal. Nor is it to be unresponsive to medication, for those who are unlucky enough to end up that way. Hopefully those left standing and able to work will be enough to handle things until it all ends...]

🌸

[It starts out as another regular day in Miracle Country, with nice weather, birds chirping, a calm atmosphere and the promise of a nice productive day ahead. Except, of course, it hardly stays this way. The first snowflakes start falling early in the morning. Not much to be concerned about, right? Unless you're used to the world's schedule (when it feels like keeping one), and remember snow at this time of the year is a little odd... It's alright, though, there won't be too much time to sit around and ponder this.

Soon enough the few snowflakes falling here and there become much more, so that by midday there's snow falling abnormally heavily all over the various islands, covering the ground, buildings, trees, in piles and piles of white. The winds blow stronger and faster by the hour, as well, making it near impossible to navigate the place for a while. It would've been better to go back to safer areas once it all started, or you might end up caught on some far-away island in the middle of the blizzard, right? Unless you took a detour to make sure others were safe, or to protect important places such as your own stores, or the farms and gardens in which crops are growing...



But it'll stop, eventually. By the time night falls and the snowfall slowly ends, things become more quiet and calm, almost eerily so. Of course, the snow that piled up won't make things so easy for anyone. Buildings of all kinds might be covered so much with snow that entering or leaving them could be difficult. Some places might even collapse because of it. And, more importantly, the inevitable tense atmosphere will only invite the creatures lurking in the forests to sneak out, drawn by the trees that will undoubtedly flourish as people worry or panic (they do say snow itself is made from tears, afterall, isn't it fitting that it'd cause despair in turn?). So don't be too surprised if your trip back home, or your search for food, firewood, or warmer clothes, gets interrupted by wild wolves, or boars, or even a stray dragon. Or if such trips end up being essential during the following days, either. Because the snow won't go away just yet.]

🌸

[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.]]

[Anyone who knows Arthur knows that he tends to get a little... upset at this time of year. Withdrawn, sad, the usual. Well, that's because it's his birthday - a date he'd rather forget about, in the end. Which is why he's rather determined to treat it like it's Just Another Day. Maybe if he ignores it, nobody will bring it up.

Which is why he's working at the flower shop like usual. You're free to visit him there, if you'd like. He'll either be working at the front or fussing over Guinevere's gillyflower (which are, thanks to Sakura's help, growing back just fine).



However, it seems that someone wants Arthur - and everyone else - to celebrate a little. In fact, it might be something your character recognizes when they find it raining flowers.

Depending on the color that falls into your hair, you'll influenced by the color. It's subtle and the effects are light, but undoubtedly there. The effect is very light, so it shouldn’t make your characters behave too much out of the ordinary – just influences general mood. It will last only for a short time before the flower will fall from their hair to the ground, perfectly harmless.

Red will make your character feel flirty & romantic.
Pink will make your character feel timid & shy.
Purple will make your character feel cranky & irritable.
Yellow will make your character feel silly & playful.
Blue will make your character feel gloomy & sad.
White will make your character feel relaxed & dreamy.

Are these some sort of flower-special from the Flower Shop? Is Merlin screwing around with magic again? Or is it just one of those random occurrences on someone's birthday? Hard to say. But the flowers will appear all day around the main island, especially close to the flower shop.]

[General mingle for Arthur's birthday. Arthur's thread is here but otherwise feel free to use this post as you'd like.]

[It’s been a lovely couple of days, hasn’t it? With the onsen, and the advice everyone was supposed to kindly get from each other thanks to Miracle’s Country little push. But the nice things don’t stop there. Doesn’t the beautiful day that it’s outside give you an overwhelming desire to express nice feelings? To grab the hand of the one you love or care about, or simply touch them? Even if you’re not the kind of person who is a big fan of public displays of affection, the feeling is still there.



To give everyone another reason to go outside aside from the nice weather, the Usyagi will be giving out invitations for a little food fair on the main island near the shops. There are many different mini-shops with food from many places and worlds. Maybe you’ll find that favorite kind of soup you hadn’t had since you came here or your favorite homemade food; anything kind happen and that’s kind of the point. Time to expand your culinary horizons and, most importantly share some love!]

((Event replay of the hand-holding event! Have fun!))

[The Candy Shop (as it is best known) has grown by one employee today. Anyone passing by or on their way to visiting the café next door may see Lancelot welcoming Connie to the shop, both aproned and her ready in the designated employee uniform. The tour doesn’t take long and the two will be soon seen working together or taking up separate jobs that morning.]

[Connie is tasked with the broom and in the front, Lancelot handles register as usual – or well, at least as he is usually used to doing so. It’s really more of a bag of money than a register. While sorting out and making sure it’s all there, he walks to the back and hears some... training drills?]

Connie? Is everything all right in here?

Ah, yes! [she hurriedly stops the drills she's running... with the broom itself. She swears she's actually working, welp.] It's just... it was already clean, so...

[... He can't help a smile and comment.] Good form. That's fine, I'm only getting to the back here. [Meanwhile the money kind of jingles in the bag.]

Alright, then -- [here she stops abruptly, seeing the bag for the first time. Uh.] ... Sir Lancelot? Is that the store's bank?

Ah. That's right.

But... [......................................... b- but.] That's not -- Shouldn't you use the register?

Well- [Aha, see about this.] I'm afraid I was not able to learn how to use it.

... [suddenly she has the most srs!!1 face] That won't do at all! [and she marches behind the counter and studies the register for half a minute before she hits the proper buttons to get it to open with a little ding. ta da!]

[He looks impressed and surprised at once. Then- rather sheepishly, he asks:] ... Perhaps it might be best if we trade, my lady.

Ah... [she hesitates for a moment, looking at the broom, but then holds it out to him and gently takes the bag of money from him. cause honestly.] That might be a good idea for now...

[Chuckles a little, accepting the broom with a small bow to her.] Agreed.

[And so, Lancelot is left to the sweeping, diligent as ever. Connie handles the (actual) register without trouble. They’re working things out.

What better way to welcome another pair of hands on board? That’s right, it’s time for a candy sale! There will even be a sign hanging up outside as a display to alert others, simple but cute and the window as ever shows several different candies and chocolates for extra appeal. Come on by.]