+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

Everyone! Since my arrival here, I have since learned very many things and for those I was most grateful enough to meet the first day, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and apologies for the confusion. Simon is not part of this magical book, but you all are, in a way! For that reason, I was able to learn many things.

I have learned, since, that I am strange and speak very strangely. For this reason, I would love to continue to learn so that I may be "normal", and know so instinctively.

I have also learned of grass and trees, and that they are most precious to many people!

As I am most grateful, I would love to thank you all for all of your kindness and helpfulness these last few days. For that reason, I have tried my very best to be helpful and created a feast!

[And here she begins to record a video -- and it is at first difficult to see what she's trying to do, as she does a stupendous job of recording her shoes first of all, and then hold it upside down to view a close-up of her face.]

[But then she manages to hold it properly and... behold, some very disgusting looking food. Are those leaves sticking out of that cake-like lump? Very possibly.]

I will be in front of the hotel, so that I may give a piece to everyone that I see. I look very much forward to seeing you!

[And true to her words, she'll be waiting outside of the hotel with her abomination of food, should you be brave enough to pass by her.]

[It's late at night, and everyone is probably already in bed or getting ready for it. But today, Kiseki has decided to mess around a little. Everyone's journals will start to insistently glow, calling for people's attentions. And so that once they open them they aren't met with empty pages, some characters might feel compelled to write down a confession, or a secret of theirs, even if it's something they normally wouldn't share. Some of them might not even be true, but can you figure out which ones are and which ones aren't?

Of course, Miracle Country looks after children (they're afraid of Snow's wrath too), and any secret or confession that isn't suitable will be filtered away from minors. But other than that, everyone is free to comment on others' notes. New secrets or confessions might even pop-up between conversations with others!]

[Snow begins the video with a decisive little nod]

Given the recent... events of the past few days, and perhaps some of the... more colorful of things happening in this world, I felt it was about time that arts and crafts class became a little more hands-on. For those interested, today and tomorrow - for both students or non-students - I'll be teaching a survival class.

I should say that, all things considered, I have some skills that are worth teaching and others that I'm admittedly lacking, but I've no doubt that others around here should be able to teach their necessary skills.

[...]

For those interested, I'll be teaching basic skills, such as tracking (and covering your own tracks), hunting, foraging, first aid, navigation, basic shelter building, fire building, and makeshift weapon making. For those of you I think responsible enough, I'll even show basic weapon training - mostly bow and arrow for me, but potentially others can show the sword or guns. Again, I repeat, those responsible and old enough.

[She smiles after that, though, sympathetic since. she knows there are some of you out there who wished they could do more, or could at least look after themselves.]

Everyone should be able to feel safe, even when there are things beyond their control. I believe that everyone has the ability to learn and to teach others, too, and keep everyone safe in these situations.

So if you're interested, come down to the park - near the lake. I'll be here all day, and tomorrow. [And with that, she ends the video with another small smile and nod.]

[And true to her word, Snow will be in the park these next two days, teaching anyone who approaches her all the things she listed, and anything else that might come up.]



[[ooc: please feel free to use this post as a basic mingle - no interaction with Snow necessary!]]

[There’s no fanfare, no fireworks, no sudden light sparking behind clouds – but at some point during the day, all those oni that have somehow managed to avoid being killed suddenly disintegrate into nothing, and if you decide to test your luck and venture out, you’ll find that there are no new traps, no new instances of sabotage anywhere around the island.]

[Maybe you're suspicious, despite it all seeming to be over, and want to go investigate, perhaps help out disassembling the stray traps that didn’t yet go off; perhaps you’re taking this chance to check up on some friends and see if they’re alright; or perhaps you got injured in the fights and are finally searching for someone to patch up your wounds. Whatever the case, the evil fox spirit is finally gone, so Kiseki is safe once more!]

[[This is the event aftermath mingle log! Go and, well, mingle to your heart’s content.]]

[It starts when the sun goes down. The first sign that something is wrong is the water pipe in the hotel lobby breaking and flooding the floor. This, in and of itself, wouldn’t be much of a problem… except it looks like someone has cut the electrical wires that are now sparking dangerously, only a few feet above the floor. There are similar instances of sabotage all over the island: doors locking behind you, wire traps in the park that’ll fire an arrow at you if you accidentally trigger them, the bolts in bicycles loosened so they’re in a danger of falling apart if you drive them – little things that might cause you to be hurt.

And if you’re really unlucky… you might hear something move in the shadows, and when you turn to look, they’re materializing around you; human-shaped, black-clothed warrior spirits, holding a katana and hiding behind a demonic mask. Or perhaps you will hear an incessant buzzing sound that just won’t stop until you give in…

For the next few days, dear Kiseki residents, it’s best to be extra careful, because there’s a fox spirit around to cause chaos, and he won’t be easily stopped.]

[[Stiles is back, and with him, the nogitsune and his Oni are wreaking havoc around the islands! For event details, go here. The event will last through the weekend, and there will be an aftermath post around the 29th or so.]]

[Today, when you wake up, you’ll find a little glass jar with a stopper beside your bed with a little note that says “do good deeds to fill me & make your wish come true”. From today until Friday, you’ll have this jar by your side and whenever you do a good deed or something kind, a little konpeito will clink into the jar. The better you are, the more it will fill.

But be careful, because bad deeds and cruel things will make the konpeito disappear piece by piece, and you’ll never make your wish come true that way! The more the jar is filled by Friday, the better the prize you’ll get, or ‘your wish’.

The prizes range from little tokens from home to larger tokens. Filled it halfway? You might find a little trinket from your old room, something you remember and often wished you had with you. If your jar is almost full or completely full, your prize will be something larger – a token from home of more substance, something you’ve longed for but couldn’t have here – a picture of a loved one, an old family heirloom, a prized possession.

If you were a bad person this week, and your jar is mostly empty, then sadly you will not be receiving a token from home. But maybe you’ll have one or two konpeito to munch on. For those who don’t have a pressing desire for something from back home, the konpeito can be exchanged for money or other goods.

And throughout the week, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to do good deeds. Suddenly, the stray cats around Kiseki have a tendency to get stuck in trees. Perhaps you see a friend carrying more grocery bags than he can handle. There’s a kid struggling to get something down off a high shelf. Just taking a look around reveals plenty of opportunities and possibilities to be a good person.]

[The video starts from what would probably remind the modern-era characters of a shooter game POV. The journal is being held up with one hand, as Aramis's other one holds his gun, and fires to one of the wooden targets he's got set up near the lighthouse at the beach, hitting it right in the centre.

Aramis then turns the journal to face himself, and shows that he's got that blue cloth he usually wears around his waist tied up around his eyes.]

I was told I should say something about this, so here we go. What you just saw, while obviously very impressive [he smirks, pleased, like the insufferable show-off he is, and there's a chuckle that's clearly coming from Porthos who's also there with him] is also the result of many, many years of practice and training.

It should be obvious, but we [he turns a little to pat his shoulder guard proudly] are trained soldiers, the best in all of France.

Any beginner attempting the sort of things they might see me doing, well... [He holds out his hand and grabs another pistol he's handed, carelessly pointing it towards the targets area without looking. When he shoots, the shot misses and hits the lighthouse's wall] They'd be lucky to do that much, if they don't manage to blow off their hands.

As soldiers, we know what we're doing, and we know our weapons and our skills. And we do need to practice often.

So if you see us doing this, or shooting at something on our heads, or even [He hands back the pistol to Porthos but tugs his hand close to press the gun against himself, not seeming the slightest bit bothered as the barrel presses against his throat] something that looks more dangerous, it is by no means an invitation for you, and especially children, to try and do the same. And we are not in any danger, despite what it may seem like.

I hope we're clear on this. [He smiles politely and ends the video]

[It's time for candy! All around Kiseki, for the following three days, Welcome Center ladies will be offering samples of candy for people to give away. And everyone will receive a little pamphlet, explaining the idea behind this - when someone gives you a piece of candy, you should thank them through a kiss! Kisses on the cheek, hand, etc. are perfectly fine, of course.

But what if you're a grump who refuses to participate, or too shy for it, you happen to not trust Kisekians with anything, or simply don't care? Well, don't worry, because this tradition is just awfully tempting. Your character may find that they simply can't resist giving away candy to others, maybe even to their worst enemy! And sometimes they simply won't be able to stop themselves from thanking this gesture through the necessary kiss.]

[There's a short video recording in Merlin's journal, showing him in one of the common rooms underground, snoring softly as he sleeps awkwardly bent over an open book, a few others piled up next to him.]

[When she arrives to Kiseki, Freya seems scared and overwhelmed, unsure of what had happened in the last couple of hours. She remembers getting ready to run away before Merlin came back; leaving the strawberry colored flower and the dress he had gotten here there in the catacombs. But then, next thing she knew she was in a strange place, with a journal in her hand.]

Kiseki… I’m not sure if this is anywhere close to Camelot or not… But it has a lake. It almost seems like a place taken from my dreams or my memories… Like the place Merlin promised me to take me too. I’m sure he would have loved this place.

I wonder if he already noticed that I left Camelot without him… I hope it didn’t hurt him so much, but he had a great life and it wasn’t fair for him to leave it because of someone like me. There is so much I owe him. I’ll make sure to repay him one day. Somehow…

[She's pretty much talking to herself close to the lake, thinking about everything and trying to take it all in.]