+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[It’s been a long week, what with the monsters and the new powers to adjust to, and now there is an eclipse occurring – the sun and the moon meeting in the sky and blocking each other out so that you can only see stars in the sky, and the ring of the eclipse.

And to celebrate the end of a long week, you and everyone you know are cordially invited to attend an eclipse ball! You’ll just suddenly appear at the ballroom, as if by magic! You’ll be dressed for the occasion, of course, and given a mask for the masquerade ball – either with a sun or moon theme to them to fit the style of the last week.

There might still be a few monsters lingering in the garden, but for the most part you’re just urged to enjoy music and food and dancing. That same urge you once felt towards your opposite type, either attraction or repulsion, will still remain – and it might manifest itself in the need to dance or the need to get away for some fresh air. The ballroom will be darker, with little lights & lanterns floating throughout, just like stars, to guide your way.

And as the night continues, you’ll feel your powers slowly starting to seep away – rejoining the sun and the moon in the sky and leaving you as you were before. As the night passes and the morning comes, the eclipse will pass and the sun will rise just as before – and you will all be returned to normal.]

[Something strange is happening in Miracle Country. For the next week… strange creatures and monsters will begin to appear all over the islands. They seem to have originally started in the forest, but the barriers have dropped, and the creatures are exploring wherever they can find. These creatures come in a variety of different forms and will attack indiscriminately. But they seem to be divided into two types: lunar powers and solar powers.

How convenient, then, that you seem to have gone through a transformation, too. Suddenly, you possess powers based on the sun or the moon. You’ve been granted with brand new powers, either defensive-based or offensive-based. You might have any power you can imagine up, or something based off what suits your personality best. To mark the transformation, you’ll find yourself wearing an outfit that reflects your new powers, or you’ll be marked with an earring or a necklace or some sort to indicate whether you’re sun or moon.

But be warned, you’re stronger against the opposite of your own power: if you have solar powers, you’re better off fighting a lunar monster, and vice versa. It’s possible to fight your own type, but it’s difficult. Don’t worry, though. Sometimes the monsters fight out in the open, where you can get away easily and search for help, or take them down with minimal effort. The stronger creatures, though, the stronger monsters who seem to appear more and more often as the week progresses, they’ll only appear to you if you make a wrong step into a kekkai, a magical barrier set up to keep you and the monster in. Sound scary? Don’t be too worried – the kekkai going up is something like a resounding cry to the other powers that might be nearby. If you stumble into a sun kekkai, your friends with their own moon powers will feel it calling to them, and come to assist you.

As time goes on, it’ll be clear that the two sides are responding to each other. You’re drawn to the opposite type. There’s a mutual calling, a pulling and a drawing between one another. A lunar power will always feel drawn to a solar power. A solar power will always feel drawn to a lunar power. Working together makes you stronger. But it will also drain you faster – even if it’s someone you know and care about, being too close to them for too long might make you start to feel uncomfortable, drained and ill, or even unsettled.

It’s best to stay strong. And you will start to feel depleted. The best way to do that is to walk under your own power source: solar powers will always feel stronger during the day and lunar powers will always feel stronger during the night. Being under direct sunlight and moonlight will recharge you, so it’s best not to stay inside. Especially because not even the hotels are safe. It’s rare, but kekkais have been known to catch you and others even in the hotel. The creatures will become more bold as the week progresses, seeming to seek you out. Are you feeling tired? They’ll know and they’ll exploit your weakness.

Better to stay on guard, stay strong, and stay together no matter where you are.]

[ Video ]

It worked...?

[ It's a little late when the feed turns on. The lights are dim, but even in the candle light, Yuuki can be seen sitting upon her knees atop her bed, already changed into her nightgown for the evening. Although it's late, she's still wide awake, despite doing her best to change her schedule. She'll always be a bit of a night owl.

She looks surprised right now. Eyes widening, she lifts a small, metal rod up. Pushing up onto her feet in bed, she gives a flick of her wrist, and in a blur the rod extends out, until, in it's place, is a gigantic scythe. ]

AH-! It really did work! [ Her weapon is back, all thanks to a little note. Twirling it around in an arc, she gives a fanged grin. ] Am I glad to see you, Artemis. I'm not parting with you again.

[ Action ]

[ Dressed up and out of her nightgown, Yuuki can't help but make her way out doors. It's not far from the hotel. She really isn't all that fond of wandering off on her own in such a weird place, but it's on the roof top of the bakery, where she assumes she wont bother anyone. Besides, most would be in bed now, wouldn't they?

She hasn't been able to practice going through her basic forms lately. And it feels good to move and stretch in the semi crisp evening air. If anyone is out and about and should see her, they'll see the silhouette of someone with a large weapon high above them. ]

[The video happens outdoors. There's a blond boy who you might not have seen before, surrounded by a couple of Usyagi as he pets them happily. He seems relaxed. He's actually waiting for someone to find him, his soul and presence is reaching out to three people in particular. You can't tell that by the video, of course.

They'll find him. This time he's letting them get to him first. They never got to search for him formally anyway, so it's fine. But just in case, it's good to have a backup plan since he's starting to get hungry. He stops playing with the bunnies with one hand, and waves at his journal.]

Hello, hello~! Where can I get some food? Or is it hard to find?

Hey, Happy Hungry Bunch, Zeno is here! I can feel Hakuryuu and Seiryuu and Ryokuryuu, so come find me.

[A man with a green ponytail here is very bothered by being stalked by a book, though he can only be seen from behind.] I've seen many things in my life, but that's definitely a first. Somebody, please tell me that I am dreaming. I'm not seeing that right, am I? What's up with that?

[A few steps later, he sighs.] Okay, this has gone far enough now.

[He turns around, his face now visible.]

Alright, I know I'm extraordinarily beautiful, but that is no reason to follow me around like that. I don't appreciate being pursued, okay? Try another tactic.

[Then, in a smaller voice, as if he is talking to himself.] I can't believe I am saying that to a book.

[A few steps later, Jaeha becomes a bit more frustrated, even if it is not exactly visible on his face.] Hey, you still haven't stopped it. Just what kind of book is that?

[He jumps, leaping right into the sky.]

Hehe, I told you, I don't like being followed around! Give up! [... though he'll learn his escape won't be too successful.]

[The rain from the last few days is finally starting to clear out – and a good thing, too, because it’s April 1st! As is tradition with Miracle Country, the world wants to help celebrate this important birthday – both Sakura and Syaoran’s, as well as missing friends – so what’s that in the sky?

As the clouds clear out, it’ll become clear that there are… presents hanging around, quite literally.

There are presents hanging mid-air and all around today, with little tags attached with “catch me” and “gift me” or “for Sakura-hime”, as these presents are meant for her. Inside, there are replicas of all of both Sakura’s precious memories – you might find a stuffed animal shaped like Mokona, or plushes of puppies or kitties, or perhaps something more simple like a hairpin from one of the worlds she visited. There’s the possibility of finding an old lantern, kitty memorabilia, toy replicas of racing dragonflys, or flower crowns. There’s a little bit of everything, and some generic items, too: hair decorations, flower bouquets, pretty decorative boxes, jewelry, or new shawls and scarves – all with specific themes from the worlds they come from.

They’re everywhere today! Hanging in the air (and there are plenty of hot air balloons around in order to guide along and retrieve them), as well as scattered around the park, near the lake, along the bridges leading to the other islands, as well as at the other islands themselves. The presents might even move around, following you along to try to encourage you to catch them and give them to Sakura – or you can keep them for yourself, or gift them to someone else. They might knock against your head if you prove to be particularly stubborn, then float away before you can make a proper grab for them.]


[ooc: Open mingle for everyone - and obviously backdated to April 1st. Sakura will have a top comment for those who'd like to interact with her specifically. Otherwise, go wild and have fun!]

[Good day, Kisekians! We hope you weren't planning to go outside too much today, because after a very cloudy day yesterday, today will be raining almost non-stop. With most of the sakura washing away in this manner, it's a pretty scenario, even if it's very wet. What a better moment to take a break, and make good use of the common rooms? Watch a movie with your friends, catch up on your homework, complain about being stuck inside via journals...

Or, if you're the type to enjoy days like these, grab your umbrellas and head outside. Places like the zoo or amusement park won't be open, but the shopping district will run as usual, there's the other islands available... You could be brave enough to head to the gardens, but if you return to the hotels area and cover everything in mud, you could find yourself facing a very determined Usyagi who wants you to mop it up.]

[As you all know, spring has arrived! Long gone are the days of snow and blizzards...

Of course, Kiseki loves this season. Fittingly for the time of the year, all the trees will bloom... pink, as temporarily most trees in the land will change into cherry blossom trees. Everywhere you look, it'll be covered in the pretty pink flowers, the weather sunny and comfortable, perfect for walks or having a picnic at the park or forests.]

[The video opens with Snow standing in front of an empty crib, untouched for some time now, running her hands along the edge of it]

Perhaps I should give some of these things to Anne... if she can get some use out of it--

[She murmurs to herself, but cuts herself off. She knows it'd be too difficult, ultimately, for her to do that - and she's sure it would just make Anne and Aramis feel awkward to have second-hand things from her own child.]

[Still, she picks up one of Neal's baby toys, it jingling with little bells, and her expression wobbles for a moment before she forces it down and takes a deep breath. It won't do any good to be upset about it.]

[She sighs out, taking a step back from the crib, and moving to pick up some laundry - all Snow's clothes, although there's a man's cape draped on the bed, Charming's cape from the Enchanted Forest, which she lingers on - picking up and just hugging it close before she shakes her head and goes to the closet, hanging it up amongst a collection of men's clothes - other things she's not willing to pack away, but still feels unweighted whenever she sees it]

[Once she's finished with that, however, she returns to the table - where there are cut-outs of flowers and birds and bunnies, her own little decorations for the school now that spring has arrived]

[She doesn't realize that the journal has recorded up until now, so she schools her expression and smiles pleasantly as she picks it up, thinking she's turning it on, and holds up a few of the cut-out flowers. If the journal hadn't been recording, the smile might have almost been enough to be convincing.]

For those interested, I'll be putting up some decorations at the school later. If anyone wants to come and help, the door is always open.

And happy spring. [u_u] Hopefully we're in store for some warmer weather. And we really need to bring in some more students, don't we?

[Arts & Crafts works better when the students are children... as it is, she's teaching mostly adults or teenagers.]

[And true to her word, she'll be at the school for most of the day, hanging up flowers on the walls and on string from the ceiling.]

[Just when it seems like it may be a typical night in Miracle Country, you'll be bound to notice otherwise as the evening hours get suddenly lit up with many beautiful red and yellow lanterns all floating along the river.

Is it some sort of celebration? There's no such indication as to why, but it might seem that way. Every lantern has a dragon motif, and the color gives the whole area an atmosphere very much like the sunset. If you got used to the lingering cold weather of the past few days, tonight will be noticeably warm and pleasant, and everyone will have a pretty yukata to wear for the occasion.

Come enjoy the sight?]