+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[The journal opens to the sound of a sigh and the sight of a pink haired teenager who is looking at this new book in the same way as if they had just been presented with a very angry venomous snake.]

Um... I've never talked to a book before. I didn't even know that books could be talked to... all the books I've ever seen before are probably really angry at me for ignoring them. But I don't know what to say, what do you talk to a book about?

[There's a brief silence.]

What if it expects me to talk about something of high literary value? Or about topics that I don't know anything about? I don't think I want the responsibility of talking to this book, but I don't want to make the strange women angry either or they might start yelling.

[Another beat of silence, and with each progressive silence the next words are heightened with a growing panic.]

Or maybe this is a test? Is this a class? Something I should have studied for? Do all the students have talking books? I don't think I can deal with this right now...

[ooc: If Ragnarok appears in any threads, his speech will be in italics to differentiate it from Crona's.]

[Everyone who has seen Stiles for the past week or so may have noticed he's seemed even busier than usual, running off straight after school and work and disappearing off to god knows where. But since the morning, the fruits of his labor are finally there: everyone going to the school, the library, the cafe or the hotel lobby will come across posters, skillfully drawn, depicting a variety of... things. Things such as half-robot dinosaurs, flying cars, a polar bear dog in front of a computer - and in the corner of each poster, the very likeness of Stiles in a lab coat, holding a sign that reads:

The Modernity Club!
As cool as the Breakfast Club, which is a reference you will get if you come to the meetings, every Tuesday evening in the hotel common rooms!

And below the poster, there's a white paper, obviously tacked on belatedly:

Club President: Stiles Stilinski. Marketing and Art Executive: Haruka Nanase. First Secretary: Porthos du Vallon.

It seems Haru isn't the only one Stiles is volunteering for running the club... even though with Haru, at least he waited long enough for him to be back.

For anyone who is intrigued by these posters, or is otherwise unfortunate enough to wander along the underground tunnels to the common rooms, they will find one of the larger rooms turned into something that vaguely resembles a neat junkyard. There's pillows and chairs all over the floor, desks and bookshelves lining up the walls, with piles of magazines, books and DVDs about every single topic imaginable, along with many movies and fiction books and comics like Star Wars, the Harry Potter books and the first three volumes of the Ultimate Spider-Man.

There's also some cakes and muffins and croissants he's brought over from the bakery, with a coffee pot and hot water for tea on one of the tables, and in the big tv screen on the corner, there's a documentary of Victoria Falls playing. What this has to do with modernity? Come and find out!]

[This is a mingle post! Stiles will have a thread for interacting with him in the comments, but you don't have to tag him to attend the meeting! So feel free to make your own comments and tag among yourselves. Eat the muffins! Poke at the books and magazines! Fight over what DVD to watch! Marvel at the beautiful posters! Whatever your heart desires.]

[As early as last month, the invitations were sent out. Now that things are more resolved, Snow’s finally making good on a promise she made a little while ago – and throwing a grand, lavish party at the ballroom. It’s exactly as you would expect a ball to be like – there’s a large dance floor, fancy music, winter-themed decorations, and a large table full of food and drink.

You’re expected to dress up – but don’t worry, Miracle Country is chipping in and if it deems that you haven’t dressed fancy enough, a little magic will interfere and dress you up.

It seems that the world wants to get into the spirit of things – albeit belatedly. Because there’s little mistletoe plants that will appear throughout the night and throughout the party, inside and out, to get you into the belated holiday spirit: being caught under this mistletoe will leave you frozen until someone comes along to save you. Once two people are under the mistletoe, a wall of vines will emerge from nowhere, wrapping the two up in order to give you two some privacy. Or make you hate vines. Or both. The two of you will not be able to move from this spot until you complete the task set to you.

Being caught under this mistletoe will leave you with a few choices, which the mistletoe will let you know. In order to get free, you will have to do one of the following:
( beneath the cut )

Beyond these shenanigans, you’re free to enjoy your evening – there’s dancing, beautiful scenery, delicious food, and plenty of good company. The ball will last mid-afternoon and well into the night, and the end of the party will be signaled by some pretty fireworks (a modest display, of course, as Snow isn’t made of money).

Be sure to attend, otherwise later you might have a disappointed Snow to deal with.]

As would be expected, the last few days at the Bridge Between Worlds has been complete and utter chaos. Korra and Aang have spread themselves thin, using their magic in order to keep the world stabilized and not collapse in on itself and plunge the three worlds into thousands of years of war. But things are only getting worse the longer things go on – the barriers are weakening between the worlds and the dark spirits keep rushing in. Peace Talks have derailed completely, everyone looking out for their own and in-fighting becoming prominent as sides are chosen and paranoia and confusion mounts.

The Bridge’s lack of total collapse is the only reason that anyone can still exist. With all the Bridge Keepers’ magic focused entirely on keeping the Bridge stabilized, the barriers between worlds have all but collapsed and locked down, preventing everyone leaving and finding sanctuary in their own worlds, perhaps an unexpected side-effect to those who plotted for this. Everyone is trapped, and it’s only a matter of time before the world destroys itself.

Or so you might think.

Because within all this infighting, this plethora of magic, this confusion – there’s still Aang and Korra. And they absolutely won’t let this world die. There’s no time to speak of it, no time to really say goodbye, just the understanding of what they have to do—

So anyone looking towards the Bridge will see Aang and Korra alighting there, their eyes aglow, a grand display of their magic and their abilities, hand-in-hand as they finally understand what needs to be done, in order to keep everyone from disappearing.

And that’s to disappear themselves. With their magic combining, they smile at one another one last time and then close their eyes, disappearing in a wave of light and magic that stretches across the entire world – and vanish.

There’s barely any room to breathe, because with Korra and Aang’s disappearance in a blinding light, the aftermath is this – a beautiful, calm world yet again, untouched by the fighting and the violence, with a strong and stable Bridge at the center of it. And no Bridge Keepers in sight. They’ve become the Bridge.

And with it, perhaps, peace.



But that moment of peace does not last long… because soon the world is shaking all over again. This time not with explosions, but with something else entirely: the worlds are colliding, curling into themselves and merging as one—

Because Miracle Country is returning, and the worlds are condensing yet again to the world you all know and remember. Miracle Country returns, and just in time to celebrate a new year – as the worlds shake and collide, as the familiar sights disappear and reappear again, there is a release of light and fireworks from the cracks of the worlds, the barriers exploding in shimmering lights, and a sweep of paper lanterns lighting off into the sky and across the water – everywhere you look, there’s a paper lantern to light your way. These will last throughout the night and well into the morning.

And what becomes of you? Whether you were angel, demon, or otherworlder, you now remember the life you truly lived before arriving to Miracle Country – only you now hold the memories of another life, everything fresh with these memories. It’s part of you now.

So Happy New Year… welcome back.

The day is finally here – the day that everyone has been waiting for after so long. It’s the day for the Meeting of the Realms, The Bridge Between Worlds finally open to all three worlds. For those who have never attended the meeting before, it is a formal affair, and many arrive to the Bridge in order to discuss these negotiations for peace. The main point of this meeting is for the rulers of the three realms to negotiate for peace and establish themselves this way – and these discussions will span over the course of days. The rulers and a small contingent of their closest advisors and strongest allies will accompany them for the official meeting, but the Bridge is open to all members of the realms who wish to attend and meet within that world.

It’s a formal affair, certainly, but also one of celebration – for many, this is the first time in centuries that a Bridge Meeting has even taken place, and being able to witness the temporary collapse of borders is one to be remembered. The last Bridge Meeting was short and brief, due to a collapse in negotiations – but many are hopeful that this time will be different. It’s a chance for everyone to come together on neutral ground and meet with the other worlds, exchange cultures and understandings – it is, after all, the overall hope to achieve peace and acceptance. What better way to do so than to truly get to know your world neighbors?

The world in which the Bridge resides is a small little bubble of a world in comparison to the expansiveness of the other three realms. To explore the entire world, it takes only a few hours’ trek across fields, around the lake the Bridge stretches across, or navigating the mountains. The world, though small, is mountainous, and the air is crisp, clear, and clean. The Bridge and its lake lies centered in what appears to be a valley, surrounded by mountains and beautiful sky.

The Bridge itself is an old-fashioned relic of past cultures long since lost, the remaining remnants of an era of peace and prosperity. It’s old, but sturdy. Korra and Aang, maintainers of this world, have done well to preserve it and prepare it for the many new arrivals to this tiny realm. They’ve taken all they’ve learned of the various worlds and incorporated it into this realm to make everyone feel as safe and welcome as possible – there are clusters of trees reminiscent of the Otherworld, the waters of the lake are the purest and cleanest outside of Heaven, and there’s even a fire pit similar to the one found in Hell.

The first day of the Meeting is taking place on the winter solstice – and it’s clear wherever you look, the entire world dusted with a layer of snow, and the clouds above threatening more at any moment. There is definitely more snow incoming. It’s chilled and crisp, so perhaps best to keep warm or stay warm with someone else.


[ooc: Again, if needed, check out info & plotting for this event in regards to what will go down during this meeting - and please keep your top levels to the appropriate subthreads.]

For centuries, the three worlds – Heaven, Hell, and the Otherworld – have been separated, often at war, sometimes in stilted tension waiting for the next war, but never, truly, in harmony. Thankfully, between the three worlds, there is a neutral ground – the Bridge Between Worlds. The purpose of the bridge is to be a connection point for all three worlds, in which peace treaties can be negotiated and signed on a neutral platform without having to invite potential enemies into one’s own realm.

For the first time in decades, the Bridge is being opened and the three worlds are meeting – and everyone is waiting in anticipation for that moment. The barriers between the worlds have slowly weakened over the years, making it easy for demons, otherworlders, and angels to drift between the worlds if they so choose (and some certainly have), when means of communication through magically-connected journals no longer seems enough. In addition to this, there have historically been long, grueling wars between the worlds that have only recently started to wane in intensity. With this weakening of the borders over the decades and the long war, the need to reach agreement between the worlds couldn’t be stronger, and sorting out those differences is goal number one.

… Or so it might seem. Because there are rumors that Hell isn’t as on board for peace as the other two worlds are. In fact, there are whispers that the Demon Queen has perhaps had her hand in disruptions. There’s no way to prove this, and certainly anyone to suggest as much would unleash another decade of war. Still, things are tentative and tenuous between the three worlds, and the success of the bridge meeting is imperative.

Still, such rumors give light to a truth – things are tense between the worlds, and not even the entire worlds are in agreement. There are rumors, too, that the two Otherworld rulers are in disagreement about how to proceed with respect to the other two worlds – one wishes for connection, the other for isolation.

And while things may seem good and peaceful in Heaven, perhaps not everything is as it seems there. Heaven is very powerful, and very populated – more and more angels are being born every day, and there are stirrings within the Otherworld and Hell wondering if Heaven is truly as good as it seems, if they aren’t planning some form of invasion themselves with their gathering numbers, their protection of their barriers, their secretive insistence on peace. Perhaps there’s something more selfish hidden behind the guise of kindness and compassion.

But things aren’t going smoothly already. With random attacks happening every day across the worlds, things are more and more uncertain – and there’s no telling what will happen at the bridge meeting, or even if everyone truly wants peace.

And it’s no good to go into negotiations feeling as if you’ve been pushed to be there, after all… The Bridge Meeting is only a few days away and, regardless of one’s position on it, there is a quiver of anticipation – the opportunity for peace or, perhaps, for the opportunity to meet others who have, until now, been separated from one another.


[ooc: Please check back with the info & plotting for the event if need be, and if you want a list of where everyone is, check this thread. Please note that this event is a full AU, meaning that your character has no knowledge of Miracle Country or any details from their old life. This post is purely for characters to interact within their world – the bridge will appear in a few days time with a new log; characters can move between worlds, but it’s difficult to do so at this time, emphasizing communication through journals or through messages sent through Korra & Aang, and interaction with one’s own co-worlders. Each of the three worlds has its own individual thread.]

[In the spirit of obnoxiously early holiday decorations, Kiseki is getting an early winter! That's right, days are shorter, nights are cold, and snow is starting to fall every day. The lake has yet to freeze over, but it's definitely not suitable for jumping in anymore (sorry, Haru), and the overall scenario is clearly fitting of the season, with most trees finally losing their last leaves (save for that one sakura exception, as usual). Even the native Kisekians are looking the part, now dressed for a colder climate.

Some of the shopping district areas have began to be decorated, even, while others might be offering sales on things like warmer clothes, thick blankets, or comfort foods such as cocoa. They might notice that many of these clothes have feather patterns on them, although for anyone who's spent a long time in Kiseki, feathered-themed things shouldn't seem too out of place...]

[Oddities aside, winter is here! Stock up on comfy socks, get your coziest blankets out, and start planning out awkward family dinners! You might not have a chance to do it later on, afterall.]

[ Three years. Jinora hasn't seen Miracle Country in three years. She'd completely forgotten until she appeared in the Welcome Center again. The names and faces started surfacing. Her stomach twists unpleasantly. It's been three years for her, but how long has it been for them? Are they even still here or does she have to start over? Jinora takes a deep, calming breath. Things back home weren't great, but they could wait now that she's sure that time does in fact stop for her. ]

[ So she faces the matter at hand and addresses the network yet again, this time three years older and an Airbending master. But, like before, she's sitting in front of the cherry blossom tree in Sakura Park. ]

Hello [a slight smile] again. I'm sorry if I worried anyone. It's been three years for me, but I think it's only been a few days here. Time in Miracle Country isn't very straightforward.

If you've never met me, my name is Jinora. If you have, I'd really like to hear from you.

[ She turns off the video and leans against the tree, waiting for replies or maybe even visitors. ]

[Look at that calendar, dear Kiseki residents! Do you see what day is today? Do you?

Exactly

It's Harry Dresden's birthday! Yay!

It's such an important date that the land itself decided to throw a themed party for him, in which he's trapped and unable to leave before midnight. Therefore, starting at around 10 am, a big section of the park starts resembling Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

That'd be the wrong wizard named Harry but who cares as long as the food is good, right?

We have, among other things, a Quidditch field with brooms that don't fly - unless except MAYBE if you ask an actual wizard to enchant them -, a TARDIS-sized Shrieking Shack, and a replica of the Great Hall where there are tables with lots of food and cake and more cake and the ceiling is just like the sky… No, wait. That is the actual sky.

Oh, oh. I guess it's Halloween too. Thus, some of the characters who wander inside the party zone may have their clothes changed to the Hogwarts house they'd be in if they were students. Even if they have never heard of anything Potter.]

((OOC: Everyone is welcome to the party! And welcome to mingle, of course =) You can give your good wishes to the birthday boy in his thread here))

[The video feed starts with a young boy talking to one of the welcome ladies. Or at least, attempting to. He looks quite frustrated already and he hasn’t even realized that the journal is recording him.]

Hey, look. Whoever thought this was a good joke, they can drop it. I need to get back to my mission. The Earth Kingdom needs our help, I can’t be kidnapped in some strange place like this! And I’m supposed to believe this is a completely different world?! If this is the Spirit World, then there must be a way out, but if it isn’t…

[The welcome lady process to tell him about the multiple uses of the journal, and the boy sighs.]

Look, I know these journals are for speaking to others, I got that the first one hundred times you said it, but I don’t want to talk to others! I want to go back! See? I’m an airbender! I’m on a very important mission to help restore the Earth Kingdom!

[Instead of answering, the woman smiles and turns away.]

These women are helpless…