+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[Rejoice, Kiseki residents, as today the massive flood finally comes to an end. Starting early in the morning, the water levels will slowly start to go down, faster and faster, the extra vegetation that had grown all over the place receding with it. Eventually, the usual Miracle Country will reappear, just the slightest signs of rust remaining for a while. The tree houses will gradually disappear in the following days, once its inhabitants go back to their usual lodgings.

Not all the water will disappear, however. Now, near the Sakura park, a small lake will show up, and connected to it, a narrow stream that will go all the way up to the ocean, widening as it approaches it and becoming large enough to allow people to swim in it or travel it by boat or other means.]

[After the recent flood, things have somewhat settled down. Or, at least, the water has.

It seems as though it's been forever since the change, at least looks-wise; the old buildings now buried underwater have been corroded and invaded by corals and other marine life. If you dive deep in, you might even start finding treasure here and there - not just the old abandoned items in the hotels and shops, but things like weapons or even gold. Banks of fish are swimming around at ease, their number increasing more and more (and of course the areas where the forests are now submerged home much more dangerous sea creatures). And near the area where the beach was, a gentle, massive manatee-like creature will be found, ready to carry people around, be fed vegetables or simply be happy to play around in the water.

The vegetation is thriving, embracing the change, trees growing all around buried buildings, those which hold the tree houses seeming sturdier, their tops getting thicker and thicker leaves, almost camouflaging the houses from view, but at the same time making it easier to travel above the land, as branches from different trees connect to each other.

The rafts are still around for anyone's use, and during the night, fireflies will show up all over Kiseki to help illuminate the way of anyone still awake.]

[Video]

Hello, Kiseki.

[ Yuuki is inside when she comes into focus. It's clear she may have been outside earlier, though, if the pretty white sundress, parasol in her hands, and sunglasses is anything to go off of. She's been spending most of the daylight hours inside, but if she wants to get anything done she has to venture out still, at times.

And she doesn't like staying in when everyone else is out enjoying themselves. It's clear she's exhausted though, an arm wrapped around her waist. She puts on a smile, though, and the shades help veil her eyes.]

I heard that there might be magicians, or wish-granters here in Kiseki. [Outside of Watanuki-- she hesitates to use his name, though, when she knows that Himawari is mourning his loss. ]

If you are one of those people or know someone who is one of those people, please respond. It's important. Thank you.

[ She bows politely before cutting the feed. ]

[Action]

[ Yuuki was trying to find an area not currently affected by the antics of Miracle Country. If they find the train stations, will they be unaffected? Are all the other Islands currently in the same state?

It was her intention-- but she's not feeling like her typical, stronger, self right now. And the sun really is unrelentingly hot. Which is why anyone who finds her in the raft she procured will find one pureblood vampire passed out, her eyes spinning, and overheated. ]

This Saturday night, when it’s quiet enough and nothing around you is moving, as the night progresses and you look up at the sky, you see that the moon is, slowly, turning red and then fading from sight – an eclipse, blocking out the moon entirely.

Along with this eclipse, you might begin to hear the steady drip-drip-drip of moving water. Quiet at first, just a few drips and drops, like rainfall or a faucet that forgot to be turned off. And then the sound of water grows louder, and louder, and suddenly the ground feels a little wet. And steadily, as the night fades into morning, the water just keeps on rising, flooding everything. It starts ankle-deep but it slowly begins to rise, inch by inch. There’s no use going for higher ground, though, because the water just keeps on rising.

Soon, as the day progresses, everything is underwater. The buildings crumble down due to sudden erosion, and the entire island is covered. Plants, trees, grass, walkways, hotels… it’s all gone, beneath the water. There are parts, throughout the island, where the water is shallow enough to stand in, so don’t fear drowning. There are other parts, though, that are deep as can be – and if you peer down into the water deep enough, you can see the ruins of lost ships and lost cities, and if you peer even deeper, you’ll see the underwater caves, settled down beneath coral reefs and underwater vents.

There are pockets of dry land, only large enough to hold a few people at once – but fear not, for it is dry land. But don’t be surprised if it suddenly disappears beneath the water and resurfaces elsewhere throughout the day or night. But it isn’t your only means to get out of swimming: there will be rafts floating throughout the watery paradise, and when it comes to sleeping and eating – there are large trees growing high from the water, with tree-houses for your convenience.

Afraid of going under the water? Anyone who braves the deep dives will find that they can hold their breath for much longer than they thought. It might also seem like they’re basically breathing under water. But certainly it makes exploring all the things under the water much easier.

King-dono's List of Birthday Activities

Item 1: Eat a lot.
Item 2: Drink a lot.
Item 3: Dance more with everyone.
Item 4: Keep making out with my boyfriend.

[Twenty minutes after the list goes up, Utsusemimaru, still not aware that he had posted it, edits to add in:]

King-dono's List of After-Party Activities

Item 1: Teach Utsusemimaru how to prepare King-dono's favorite foods.

[Another edit goes up only a minute later written in illegible scribbles:]

どうか拙者の事をお許しくだされーーーーーーーーー！！！

[Tonight, after an uneventful, peaceful day, it'll be the perfect moment to sleep and relax and get ready for another morning in Kiseki.

Except not, because apparently someone doesn't want people to be able to sleep. Late into the night, coming out of various places around the hotels and outside of them there will be a probably familiar sound. If you bother to look it up, you'll find cuckoo toys hiding in cupboards, under beds, on top of shelves, and so on. These will not only do the usual cry, but carry a sign around their necks saying feed me.

If ignored for long, their crying will only get louder and louder. Can you simply destroy these? Absolutely, but only to be replaced by others eventually. So the solution is, obviously, to feed them!

What do they like? It depends. Some of them will take any kind of edible food, others might be pickier and want specific things - sweets, or vegetables, and so on. How insufferable or not your little bird toy is, is up to the players. And yes, the toy will physically eat the food given to them, although they won't be too responsive beyond that. Once full, the bird toy will close its eyes and seemingly fall asleep.

And more importantly, it will shut up.]

[The video opens at the beach, where you can see several tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and red plates with all kinds of food. This, of course, includes a birthday cake, assorted sweets and lots of ice cream. Because Daigo is a good boyfriend. Besides, since it's technically an adult the one who organized this, there is also lots of booze.

A large banner hangs over the tables, and it says: "KING'S AWESOME DINOSAUR SAMBA PARTY" in colorful capitals and made with crayons. Rest assured Daigo made it himself. As well as most of the food.

Then, Daigo appears on the video.]

Hello, everyone! Today is my birthday, so I planned a surprise party on the beach! [A beat] The surprise is for you, of course. [Laughs]

Everyone is invited! Please, bring your friends!

[Then, he proceeds to take off his shirt. Hey, it is the beach.]

This is going to get wild! Try and stop us!

[Today, Kiseki feels like having a little music! Or maybe a lot. At any given time during the day, as your characters go on doing their usual routines, all sorts of fitting (or not) music will play around them!

Music from any genre or time (even instrumentals) may play, of course. Your characters joining in and singing along or even dancing - I'm looking at you, Daigo is entirely up to them.]

[With less experience using the journals, it's taken a while to figure out there's a way to make a PSA that Pan can't interfere with. But he has managed it]

I know this might sound odd, but for anyone who's met Peter Pan - that blonde kid who arrived recently - you need to be careful. He's the nastiest person I've ever met, and he's ridiculously powerful. We don't really know what the hell he might be up to, but you don't want to mess around with him. Or get caught up in his crap. [BASICALLY JUST STAY AWAY FROM HIM HE'S THE WORST.]

[He sighs, looking at what he's written down. He... hopes it'll be enough. It's not like Emma and her parents can't cover whoever doesn't believe him, they've got enough friends between the three of them]

[It's just Himawari in the candy shop today - as it has been for the last few days now. She keeps waiting, and hoping, but... since both of their things have disappeared, it doesn't seem likely, does it?]

It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? [She sets out a sign outside the door, on a sandwich board, advertising 50% off chocolates today only - and goes back inside]

[She's organizing a shelf, but her movements lack a lot of luster, and even though she's smiling, she's undoubtedly sad. Tanpopo chirps sadly from her shoulder and she shakes her head]

Isn't it interesting, Tanpopo? That I could be here for so many years and yet... never get used to it. How many people have I had to say goodbye to, over the years...? [it seems that, no matter what happens, she's always saying "goodbye" without the proper chance to. How many friends has she lost along the way, too? Kohane, Yumi, Mong Ryong, Hideki, Rikuou, Fay, Shara... Eventually, anyone who gets to know her just disappears, never to return. She's not so presumptuous to assume it's her fault, but...]

[... she really has gotten used to Doumeki's aura keeping things relatively normal. Being without it now...]

I guess saying goodbye - or not getting a chance to - is something you never get used to. Maybe you shouldn't get used to it.

[She touches at the necklace around her neck - a little sunflower in a jar, given to her by Watanuki - and then fiddles with the ring on her finger, given to her by Doumeki.]

[...] [She wipes away one betraying tear]

... Happy Anniversary, Watanuki-kun. Shizuka-kun.