+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[For some people, a good walk or day spent practicing their various skills is enough to feel energized after the time spent stuck inside. For others, their particular set of skills need a bit more flair to truly feel like they're being put to test. Or maybe it's just fun to do it this way. In any case, as counter-productive as it might feel to fight magic with magic, tonight some of the local magicians are taking the chance to practice in their own style.

At first it might not seem that this is the case; the pavillion in the main park, the sakura tree, and most of the surrounding areas are decorated with what looks like simply things for a party of sorts. There're colorful lights and lanterns set up all over, some snacks, plenty of drinks brought over from the bar, even its piano that's been moved nearby for the occasion.



But if you get close and try to join the celebrations, you might feel something's off about it. It isn't just the loud music that seems to be playing out of nowhere (the aforementioned piano aside), it's that the color-changing lights seem to glow with a warmth that's infectious, so staying nearby makes you feel happier, more relaxed the longer you stay there, like the whole place is inviting you to let loose and have fun.

... Or to act like an idiot, there's that too. But that might be the fault of the many drinks available, should you choose to grab some of them, right? Except perhaps even those who aren't anywhere near this party will feel like acting out in some way. Louder, dumber, sillier, bolder... At least they won't be the only ones behaving like this.]

[[What it says, + the small inhibitions loss event replay! Use the log as you'd like.]]

[It starts out as another regular day in Miracle Country, with nice weather, birds chirping, a calm atmosphere and the promise of a nice productive day ahead. Except, of course, it hardly stays this way. The first snowflakes start falling early in the morning. Not much to be concerned about, right? Unless you're used to the world's schedule (when it feels like keeping one), and remember snow at this time of the year is a little odd... It's alright, though, there won't be too much time to sit around and ponder this.

Soon enough the few snowflakes falling here and there become much more, so that by midday there's snow falling abnormally heavily all over the various islands, covering the ground, buildings, trees, in piles and piles of white. The winds blow stronger and faster by the hour, as well, making it near impossible to navigate the place for a while. It would've been better to go back to safer areas once it all started, or you might end up caught on some far-away island in the middle of the blizzard, right? Unless you took a detour to make sure others were safe, or to protect important places such as your own stores, or the farms and gardens in which crops are growing...



But it'll stop, eventually. By the time night falls and the snowfall slowly ends, things become more quiet and calm, almost eerily so. Of course, the snow that piled up won't make things so easy for anyone. Buildings of all kinds might be covered so much with snow that entering or leaving them could be difficult. Some places might even collapse because of it. And, more importantly, the inevitable tense atmosphere will only invite the creatures lurking in the forests to sneak out, drawn by the trees that will undoubtedly flourish as people worry or panic (they do say snow itself is made from tears, afterall, isn't it fitting that it'd cause despair in turn?). So don't be too surprised if your trip back home, or your search for food, firewood, or warmer clothes, gets interrupted by wild wolves, or boars, or even a stray dragon. Or if such trips end up being essential during the following days, either. Because the snow won't go away just yet.]

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[It’s another beautiful day in this wasteland, isn’t it?

You know how it is here – you’ve been brought here from your own world, maybe months ago, maybe years ago, but very little has changed: the two sides fighting for the much-needed but depleted supplies, the harsh conditions of this battered desert landscape, the tensions that run high on the worst of days or simmer towards the boiling point on better days.

There’s been a tentative peace between the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth these last few weeks, though... Very tentative. You’ve all had enough on either side to warrant a ceasefire on all the fighting – not needing to interact with anyone on the other side. Nobody really knows when all this fighting started – only that it keeps going and no resolution has worked so far.

This isn’t your original world. You still want to go home – but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen anytime soon. You’ve been brought here to fight on these two sides. Hopefully you can survive this, because this place is certainly not doing you any favors.



Because now the supplies are running lower and the monsters lurking out in the sand, or beneath the water, or in the limited vegetation are getting more aggressive, fueled by their own hunger. Maybe it’s not such a peaceful day, after all.

You’re all in need of supplies. One side has the water and vegetation, what you desperately need to survive another day. But the other side has the clothes, medical supplies, shelter materials, hunting materials. Supplies on both sides are running low – it’s “spring”, after all, and so the plants haven’t yet started to grow back fully, and the underground locations in the old city are running low on the stockpiled medical supplies. You’ll have to find a new cache soon.

But not all hope is lost…

A large sand worm – the first of the season! – has been spotted near the border between the two territories. It’s a good chance to get a leg-up on the other side: the meat can be used for food, its poison for weapons and antidotes, its skin for clothing or shelter, its teeth for tools. Of course, it is dangerous, so it’s important to be cautious. Especially if you run into the other side while hunting! Or maybe you’re sneaking across into enemy territory to steal supplies by force. It’s been known to happen. But you better make sure you don’t get caught or there could be real trouble.]


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[ooc: Our (belated) anniversary/CLAMP day event begins - CLAMP AU! Go here for information/plotting.

Happy CLAMP Day!]

[It's just a series of short videos that post intermittently throughout the day.

The first, the sakura trees in the park all starting to bloom, there's even a fuzzy out-of-focus shot of a close-up on some of the flowers before the camera adjusts and it comes into focus.

The second, the horses on the farm island, snorting softly as they walk along the fence. Porthos' hand reaches out to offer an apple and one of the horses butts into the other in an attempt to get there.

The third, Aramis napping. He's also maybe snoring.

The fourth, the way the sunlight's filtering in through the leaves of the trees on the forest path - in the distance, one of the forest huts, little birds on the roof tweeting.

The fifth and final video is just a recording of a pile of papers. Porthos' hand appears again, brushing aside a few on the top layer to get to one at the center. The camera moves in close, and up close, it's clear it's a note from Robin, addressed to Porthos. It's nothing too special - just a quick note asking if he'd meet her at the library.

Why is he recording and posting these videos? Not certain. Maybe ask him about it?]



[ooc: feel free to use this as a mingle post! Porthos has his own thread as linked above.]

[Today is the first day of spring. You might have noticed the lingering snow is gone and there are flowers blooming throughout Kiseki. However, beyond that, it’s actually a rather gloomy day. The Usyagi might occasionally be spotted today, leaving little messages of “out with the old, in with the new.” A common springtime motto, although perhaps it’s taking on a more unsettling tone today…

The shopping district still hasn’t opened up again and there are shops boarded up. But there are new shops joining it today. The flower shop, the potions shop, the sheriff’s office, the Charming’s house, and the school have all been closed and boarded up. This plus the message will soon make it clear – some familiar faces are gone for now.

To make matters worse, with the springtime blooming all around, there are the negative energy trees that might be spotted today. None are fully grown, but if you remember the last time these trees showed up, you might want to be on guard. There might be a few outbursts of monsters today, so best stay on your guard. Beyond that, negative energy trees – once you get too close – might cause some unexpected results.

Anyone venturing into the forests today might notice the dragons are particularly uneasy. What’s the matter with them? Hard to say. Too bad there’s no one around who can talk to them, huh? Just be mindful not to upset them or get underfoot.

So be on guard today – even though it’s a new season, you might want to make sure everyone you care about is safe – or still here. Feeling strange? Better destroy those trees, if you can focus on that.]


[ooc: if your character is interested in taking over one of the closed-up businesses/house, be sure to have your character claim it, otherwise they will be permanently closed and eventually disappear from Kiseki. ]

[Today for anyone who's walking around the shopping district, they'll see Yuuri pushing along a cart. There's a sign he's written on and attached to the cart, with just a simple message: Free Katsudon!]

[He's feeling utterly absurd, but is also rather determined - and he might even start steering the cart directly towards you if he spots you, which may or may not be alarming. At the end of the day, he's been here for over a month but hasn't really spoken to many people - mostly keeping to himself. Seems now he's trying to change that?]

[He'll be going around throughout the day, timid at first but more determined to approach people as the day goes on. It's important he shares this katsudon, after all! Which is when he gets an idea... He fumbles a little with his journal - he's had one for the time he's been here, obviously, but he hasn't actually paid that much attention to it. But if it's true that you can record messages through it, then... But sigh. He doesn't really do things like this. Does this count as some kind of strange magical social media?]

Um... [erm.] If you feel like katsudon, then maybe--

[No, that's not inviting at all. He'll never sell these if he talks like this! He looks visibly uncertain, staring down at his journal with a look of confusion and horror. But this is important. He can't back down now.]

For today only, you can try a Japanese pork cutlet bowl. [From a cart. Which is weird. But whatever.] It's delicious and filling and for a good cause. So please consider it. I highly recommend it.

Oh-- it's also free.

[There, that sounds okay, right? He frowns down at the camera, momentarily forgetting it's still turned on. He hopes this works. He looks oddly determined and insistent about this - which may or may not be worrying.]



[ooc: Context here - help Yuuri get Makkachin for Victor! Yuuri will be here so feel free to use this log for a mingle, if you'd like.]

[Most people around are likely familiar with the cute flower shop in the main island - it's been around for so long, even to those who aren't customers of it, it should be a place they've seen in passing. Now, it's looking rather different, as there's a whole new building next to it!

An old-fashioned sort of place, this funny-smelling store is full of all sorts of strange bottles, varying in sizes, colors and contents. Some are labeled as remedies, some appear to simply be ingredients for other things. There are some more familiar items - things like containers with various sorts of teas, spices, and so on... The common theme is clear once you browse a little: all these items are made out of some sort of herb or plant, and of course, many are made with flowers and the kind of thing the flower shop itself sells.

If you decide to come over and investigate, you'll find the place's new owner, busy checking everything, and... perhaps looking as confused as anyone else might be. Surely he'll manage.]

[[Merlin can be found here, otherwise use the post as you'd like! Feel free to say a bottle's contents had a certain effect, or burned your character's hand, or whatever else.]]

[It's a certain someone's birthday - not that he's told anybody - but instead of celebrating it, he's decided there's an opportunity to celebrate everyone! Once the rain has let up, at least a little, there's a giant message-board near the new houses. It seems to have everyone's names on it, and above is written -

HAVE A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!

"What's an Unbirthday? Why, that's a day that's not your birthday! You deserve a chance to celebrate yourself, because you're amazing! And if you think someone else is amazing, be sure to let them know!"

With all the pens and markets waiting at the bottom, it seems to indicate that you're encouraged to write compliments under people's names. Try to be anonymous? Get caught in the act? Only compliment yourself? Give it a try!]

[After the recent battles, it's a good time to destress, and on this occasion Miracle Country has something different planned out. Rather than spas or food buffets as usual, today people will find that there are art stations scattered around the islands. Go up to one of the large tables full of colored papers, markers, glitter and other things to make card or collages of any kind, or head near the lake to take over a canvas and the oils provided in order to draw a painting, even pick up the buckets of paint surrounding the new houses and decorate your own so its stands out!



... Or simply grab a paint balloon and start a war - there're plenty of these in baskets, along with protective clothes in case you care about that sort of thing (hey, plenty of people around have precious uniforms and expensive suits). You could even take out your frustration at the world by aiming those balloons at the buildings around you. Getting messy and colorful is a great way to relax, right? ]

[Here comes a thought…

It’s funny how the mind works, isn’t it? Always working, thoughts constantly coming in and out. Seeing something triggers a memory and a thought along with it, something that might make one smile or sad. Or perhaps it’s the possibility of something happening or whatever weights on your mind as the day pass. They are usually easy to dismiss or even forget by getting distracted by anything else that comes by.

But it’s rude to ignore them, right? So today, instead of them just being locked inside your head, they’ll be everywhere, represented by butterflies of different colors.



Each color might represent what that thought makes you feel, so they might be as generic as blue for a sad one or red for one that makes you happy. Or they could also be colors that make you feel something: if you hate the color green, that might be the one that comes along with your bad thoughts. It all depends on the person and their experiences. After all, thoughts affect everyone in a different way. Which is why the amount of butterflies that follow you around for the day really is up to you and what your mind is usually up to.

You’ll get used to it. Or you should, at least, because they’ll be there, following you, during all day. No shouting or no ignoring them will get them to go away. Have fun with that!]