+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[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.]

[After the recent battles, it's a good time to destress, and on this occasion Miracle Country has something different planned out. Rather than spas or food buffets as usual, today people will find that there are art stations scattered around the islands. Go up to one of the large tables full of colored papers, markers, glitter and other things to make card or collages of any kind, or head near the lake to take over a canvas and the oils provided in order to draw a painting, even pick up the buckets of paint surrounding the new houses and decorate your own so its stands out!



... Or simply grab a paint balloon and start a war - there're plenty of these in baskets, along with protective clothes in case you care about that sort of thing (hey, plenty of people around have precious uniforms and expensive suits). You could even take out your frustration at the world by aiming those balloons at the buildings around you. Getting messy and colorful is a great way to relax, right? ]

[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.]

[Throughout the day, Lucifer will have made sure to tell everyone (minus kids, but then why would he talk to kids, right?) about an event happening the same night, asking everyone to come over to the bar. If you're more the type to be uninterested in that sort of thing, or even just reluctant... Well, he's very obnoxious persuasive, nevermind stubborn. He'll have insisted plenty.

By nighttime, the bar will indeed be open as usual, except it's now looking a little different. Not only has he made an effort to make the place's lighting more dim and perhaps (hopefully?) more inviting to things other than simply chatting with others while you're there, along several of its walls one can now see big screens displaying several videos of dancing women (and men) in various states of undress. Some of their outfits are rather fitting for the world, while others might look a little too specific. Others might be questionable all around.

Should you want to greet him, laugh, or punch him in the face, Lucifer himself can be found alternatively at the bar itself, serving drinks now and then, or, more likely, by the piano where he'll be playing a few pieces throughout the night.]

[[... Don't open the links at work. Feel free to make your own threads in the post!]]

[It’s a relatively lovely day which means that two people are bored and grumpy and looking for something to do. If you happen to be leaving your new domed house today, you might spot both Fenris and Isabela hanging out on the very top of their domes, doing what seems like people-watching. Wander close enough and you’ll be able to hear what they’re saying. If not, you’re in luck – the journal is video recording their conversation. You see, they’re in a middle of a very important, very informative game and they simply can’t be interrupted!]

[Isabela perks up as someone does pass by – gesturing over towards Lucifer and smiles oh-so-sweetly towards Fenris, tilting her head]

Definitely.

Hmm. [He raises an eyebrow and though one might expect he’d be annoyed as anything with this kind of game, but Fenris simply rests on his elbow and shrugs his shoulders.] Given some quiet… I don’t disagree.

[Isabela rolls her eyes] Being loud is part of the fun.

[There’s a moment of pause as they wait for someone else to walk by. When Aramis and Porthos pass, talking to one another and not necessarily noticing the two of them up there right away, Isabela laughs and makes a rather lewd gesture, lifting her eyebrows towards Fenris]

Been there, done that. [Not that Luci isn’t a ‘been there, done that’, either, but.]

Somehow I’m not surprised. [He looks in that direction a moment longer, half smirks. Yeah, he can see why. This, of course, just makes Isabela smile wider, clearly amused by his reaction. Normally those sorts of remarks would get her to be a little snarky back, but she accepts it from Fenris.]

[They continue on this game for a while, deciding hot or not for each (appropriate) person they spot. The last person the recording shows is Bull, heading out towards the shopping district. Here, Isabela gets a bit tight-lipped, not looking quite so relaxed. She waits until Bull is well out of earshot before saying, simply,]

Definite no.

[He knew her answer before she says it, and his own is perhaps just as simple but from a complicated thought.] ... I wouldn’t say that. There is something.

[She snorts, not looking that surprised or insulted - more amused that there's someone he'd go for where she wouldn't] You have your spiky armor, of course you'd go for the horns.



[ooc: If you’d like to thread with one or both, Isabela’s thread is here & Fenris’ thread is here]

[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!]