+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[The recording shows inside of Aramis's room, the dauphin set comfortably on the bed, surrounded by marginally less pillows than you'd expect (many of them ruined during the blizzard - Elsa, this is your greatest crime to date). In turn, there're some plush toys and a cute blanket on him. He's watching Aramis, who is kneeling next to the bed, and telling him an evidently fascinating story.] [He may be holding a couple of plushies to recreate the scene, too.]

We all fought the prisoners, but then! [He makes a shocked face, pausing for dramatic effect.] Vadim had your mother! [Gasp! He holds up a plush bear against a smaller bear with a big bow] Everyone stopped and held their breaths. He wanted the gates to be open, and he wouldn't let her go. Our Captain accepted the deal, and the orders were given... [He tosses the bigger bear aside.] Vadim let go of your mother, but then as they escaped, they opened fire! She was caught up in the middle of it! [Shakes the smaller bear, it's clearly distressed! Baby dauphin responds to this moving display of deep emotion by sucking on his own fist. Aramis puffs up his chest proudly, nodding reassuredly.]

But you have nothing to worry about! I ran to her side, [he grabs a different plush, making it move over to the smaller, bowed one.] and I threw us both onto the ground! [Both bears are smushed together and flopped onto the bed.]

Bullets were flying all above us! But none touched us, and after a while it stopped. And, see, [he puts up the bears into a standing position, facing each other. Hopefully it conveys the romance of it all. Aramis smiles at the memory, ridiculously fondly] your mother was so brave, she endured all of that... [He's going to skip over the part where Vadim had a gun pressed against her head, and where he was being a creep to her. Probably not very baby-appropriate of a story.]

[He reaches over to let the baby grab onto his hand, playfully.] Later, she received Porthos and I at the palace, and she gave me this... [holds up his crucifix to him.] Because she thought I was the brave one.

[Leans over closer to the baby, smiling at him and then smiling even more when the baby grins at him too. He stays there, just being dumb with the baby for a moment and then pulls back a little again, still holding his hand.]

Ah, but I have many more stories. Did I tell you how we met d'Artagnan...?

[The residents of Kiseki might have noticed Sherlock milling about the last few mornings, early before most people are up, carrying around various bags and equipment. Or perhaps not. This is Sherlock, and he's nothing short of eccentric. If anyone was curious about what exactly he's been up to, the answer comes in the form of a letter sent out to all of the students and faculty, informing them of a "Super Sleuth Scavenger Hunt" set for Saturday morning. The letter also explains that the hunt is free to the public, if students or teachers wish to invite some friends, and can be used as extra credit for those who attend his class.]

[In each letter is a check list of the following items: A small brown chest full of gold coins hidden in woods, an old fashioned jack-in-the-box sitting on a swing in the playgrounds, a porcelain doll with in a pink gown and curly red hair hidden in the library, some glass marbles in a jar by the elephant exhibit in the zoo, a large rubber ducky floating in the swimming pool, and a gold ring that is a replica of the one seen in the Lord of the Rings films on a chain hanging from one of the branches of the infamous Sakura Tree. All of these are simple enough to find, yes?]

[Of course, this is Sherlock. Nothing is ever so simple, as some will probably guess. And in each place around where an item has been hidden, there are some carefully laid traps set to spring. One may, for example, rush to retrieve the chest of coins, step over a harmless pile of leaves, and suddenly be caught up in a net. Or perhaps before they discover the large rubber ducky, they will open the wrong door and be greeted by a bucket of ice water pouring over their heads. Water balloons, boxes that contain the wrong items, doors that lock behind people (anyone that paid attention to his lesson on lock picking should know how to escape). Perfectly harmless, but certainly a nuisance.]

[Sherlock, naturally, doesn't disclose the location of the items or his booby traps. However, he does offer a friendly reminder to avoid the more dangerous parts of Kiseki and the Winged Island. The letter ends with this: A good detective is always resourceful and resilient, no matter how benign the case may be. Best of luck to you all, and hope to see you bright and early come Saturday morning.]


[[OOC: This is an open mingle for everyone! And if anyone has ideas for other silly traps their characters can run across, feel free to include those! So long as they don't harm anyone, it's fair game ^^]]

[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?]

[The snow has piled up to the point where it's difficult to move outside, and the wind is relentlessly howling day and night. Most areas look something like this.

It's cold now - the stone walls of the castle can't quite keep the wind out, there's frost creeping up the walls even inside, and blankets and sheets, being the only extra fabric around, can only do so much. Better make sure the fires in the common room don't go out during the night... especially considering some people seem to be having an almost unnaturally difficult time staying warm as the days pass.

By now the food supplies left in the castle are almost completely gone. Hunting for food is still technically possible, but how easy is it to find, much less kill, a prey in this blizzard? Those who have been outside in the last few days can also confirm that the strange snow monsters, previously found mostly near the forest and away from the castle, have been steadily moving closer to where people are staying. There might even be more of them around now.

In spite of all this, someone is likely going to have to try gather more food anyway - the storm shows no sign of letting up. Try to avoid frostbite, however: there's not much to be found in the ways of medical supplies.

But hey, small mercies? Magic works again. Isn't Kiseki gracious?]

[Not bad enough for you? Remember there are events that can be replayed to make this all even worse. Here are a couple of suggestions. Elsa's thread can be found here.]

[It starts out as a normal snowfall.

Or maybe not, if anyone happens to be outside to see the ice spreading over the ground unnaturally fast, even creeping up the buildings in its way. Starting from somewhere on the main island it makes its way out to sea, freezing the water as it goes. By the end of the first day the ice has spread to all the outer islands, although the trains are still running at that point.

Perhaps you find it enjoyable at first. There's certainly more than enough snow for snowball fights, for sledding, for building snowmen... but as the day goes on, the snow gets heavier; by the second, the wind picks up. Neither lets up as the days pass - on the contrary, they intensify, and the temperature steadily drops.

The hotels? Mysteriously gone, on every island. Instead, on the main island there's a castle some of the older residents might remember, although this time, everyone will find their own familiar bed in one of its room, complete with their personal bedding items. Maybe they'll want to forgo the single rooms, however, as there's no electrical heating in the castle, only the stone walls to keep out the cold. All the shops are shut down, the Kisekian NPCs suddenly nowhere to be seen, and the old castle certainly doesn't come with a cafeteria. There are some supplies to be found, however! A few cooking utensils, some flour, dry pasta, cans of dried, reheatable food... nothing fancy, and nothing much, so better ration those portions while they last. That is, unless you're prepared to go out hunting - there is game to be found around the islands.

Outside? The wind is howling, the snow piling up more and more by the hour. It's getting harder to move outside, and those that venture farther than just outside the castle? They might run into one of these snow golems. They look frightening, but won't attack anyone as long as distance is kept - being created out of fear, however, they might lash out at anyone that provokes them... and sometimes, just getting a little too close will be enough to anger them.

If anyone is still not convinced that this is Kiseki having fun at the characters' expense? For the entire first week of the event, magic powers won't work, although bending still will.]

[Plotting post for the event! The next log will go up in a week from now. Interactions with Elsa can be done here, otherwise thread to your hearts' content!]

[ The handwriting is slanted, practiced, fluid and feminine. She does not write much, but she has been taught well. ]

My name is Lady Morgana, ward of King Uther Pendragon of Camelot.

I'm afraid I don't quite understand how I came to be here. The maids who were sent to welcome me were very entertaining, but they seemed unwilling or perhaps unable to answer many of my questions. I fear that something dreadful may have happened - the last thing I remember is going to bed in the palace as normal. Was I taken ill?

The maids could not tell me where Guinevere might be, my own maid; or even Prince Arthur or the King himself. If I am truly able to speak to another by writing in this book, then I hope somebody will answer.

[ Something is written and scratched out, then written again. ]

Is this magic?