+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[It’s the new year. And with tradition, the first dream of the new year will create the foundation of the rest of that year – either well-wishes or burdens. Enjoy the fireworks as you ring in the new year – you deserve it, perhaps, after such a trying year stuck in this world. Fireworks are sounding, a spark of noise and fire, and it’s exciting… but you might feel a sudden wave of sleepiness – nothing too extreme, but expected after such a long year of various magic and uncertainties.

The next day, though, there is no bright sunny day – instead, there’s an eclipse, the moon steadily moving across the sky to block out the sun. Instead of lasting a few minutes, however, this eclipse will last the entire week. As the moon moves across the sun, lights will begin to flicker out across Miracle Country, light by light. Soon, you’ll be complete darkness.

That darkness won’t last for long, though, so don’t be too frightened… Little flickers of light will emerge, small floating candles hovering in the air and set on certain places – your rooms, the hotel reception, other buildings, and the underground common rooms. You don’t have to be afraid of the dark – these candles won’t abandon you now. You can even go about your normal routine, despite the darkness.

But remember that wave of sleepiness you felt on that first day? It’s back. Like the lights, that feeling of sleepiness won’t abandon you – and no matter how much you sleep, it won’t stop you from nodding off throughout the week.

You and everyone around you will enter a more conscious state of dreaming when you do finally fall asleep. Things will seem vivid, lucid – you’ll remember your dreams with a new clarity you never have before.

And once you do fall asleep, you will find yourself with an ability you hadn’t had before: dreamwalking.

Suddenly, you are not limited just to the landscape of your own dreams – but rather the dreams of others. It could be a simple dream or an extravagant dream – a nightmare or a passing daydream. Symbolism or straight-forward understandings – will your presence warp the dream around you or will you need to locate the dreamer in order to find a way out? There’s no set way to awaken or a clear way to tell whose dream you might stumble into. And there’s no way to keep inquiring people out of your own dream, either.

As the eclipse progresses throughout the week, you will find yourself sleepier and sleepier – falling asleep without intention or without the aid of a bed or resting. Sometimes, you might fall asleep just where you stand, or sit, or in the middle of a conversation. You will fall asleep anywhere and for longer than normal, even through nightmares.

The lines between reality will begin to blur. That strange world you visited – was it a dream or was it reality? That conversation you had with a complete stranger, a dear friend, a precious loved one – did it happen or did you dream it? Did you witness someone in your own dream, visiting you, or were they simply a fragment of your own dream passing through the night? And was it a dream at all?

The lines will only continue to blur throughout the week. This new world you’ve stumbled into – is it a dream? Or, perhaps, it is only Miracle Country transformed, like so many times before. Perhaps you’ve actually returned home, to that moment you’ve been thinking of for so long… Or, perhaps, you have found yourself in a completely different world all together. After all, Miracle Country can’t be the only impossible world out there... right?]


[our anniversary event starts right now! For a reminder on specifics and plotting, please refer to this post]

[Winter is... nearby! And Miracle Country is now shifting to reflect it. With a little extra this time. Snow will fall across the island, with occasional hailstorms now and then.

But of course, our residents won't be left to freeze. For maximum cozy points, today people will find that the hotels are temporarily gone, and the forests seem to have expanded to take over that area. Accessible through many ladders and interconnected through hanging bridges, large treehouses meant to accomodate everyone have been set up. You'll want to look around to find your own, as rooms don't exactly match: the tree houses are big, some meant to house several people in it (with only the usual mini-kitchens missing from them), while others will work the part of the common rooms such as the cafeteria and other underground locations, holding food supplies, blankets and clothes, or even the TVs and other items like books or electronics available.

You might not even notice this at first, however. Some will not be in one of these treehouses, and instead find themselves in smaller huts found across Miracle Country's islands, even on places such as the beach, deep in the forests, or outside the amusement park! Small and cozy, they can either work as more private housing, or simply be an option to take a short break in while walking around. Some of them will carry fitting items for the occasion - things like bags of marshmallows, chocolates, or even scarves and dry, fluffy socks for anyone who might've been caught up in the storm.

With everything looking so accomodating for the most part, it might come as a surprise if certain events happen during these days, given the chances of them happening seem to be a little higher than usual. Perhaps you'll be lucky and simply get to enjoy the changes as they are. ... If you're not the type to enjoy sharing a space with others too much, though, you'll have to learn to manage - the treehouses and huts will remain this way until Sunday 20th!]

[During Friday, there'll be an easy way to relax after the week. Miracle Country's taking advantage of the last few days before the winter, and so the Usyagi will be flying around, handing out little cards encouraging people to take a boat ride. Even if they don't get one, it'll be clear they're set up specially for the evening, all of them looking new as ever and decorated with small lights around them, ready to take those who feel like accepting the offer over to the beach. The ride will be slow and let them enjoy the peaceful trip over to the beach (or the company of anyone riding with them). Maybe you found yourself on one of the boats with someone you didn't mean to take the trip with? Well, it's either enduring the ride, or jumping into the cold river. The choice is up to you.

Once there, they'll find the beach is also set up to receive them. Lanterns light up the way around seats under parasols, some fancier and set up with tables and plenty of food to be shared, some cozier and meant to be used by fewer people. There'll even be a few bonfires you can gather around, if you'd like.

Late at night, the lights from lanterns or fires will seem to dim, allowing the starry sky to be seen more brightly. It might look a little strange, however. Is that constellation meant to be a pig? Perhaps that one's a rabbit, then. Some might make even less sense. At least it's still pretty to look at, right?]

[ less apprehensive about the journal function this time, he narrates with a few scrawled words and allows the video to speak for itself like a running silent film. it's parsed together not unlike an old movie montage anyway, of tony and his trusted bot helper dum-e. now that his free rent has run through in the hotel, he's moving his lab to a commercial space. ]

Amazing what you can do on credit in this place. [ he's used to throwing money at his problems, of course, but it was usually of the tangible variety rather than loaned to him by a mystical bank. he's determined to make this work though, and so he's made a few exceptions to the ideas he'd had upon first arriving.

as the video goes on, clearly spliced together through several days, leo also arrives as a mainstay. at first he helps tony stock various equipment but then at some point he seems to just be sticking around. tony seems okay with this arrangement. ]

Stark Mechanics is officially open for Business (?).

[ whatever come see him, profit etc. he can fix pretty much anything or if you want something specific he'll commission anything that's not a weapon. all prices negotiable.

OR if you just want to come bug him or leo or see what the hell they're up to (hint: it's making iron man suits), then have at. ]

[The tremors from the earthquake may be over but things are shakier than ever in the days that pass since the ball. Exposed vampires and their motives have been brought into question. Humans have been turned and fed from in the bloody mess of it all, and even the balance of the kingdom is at stake now. Hunters gather to decide how to handle the situation, while vampires with the most to lose from the leaked secrets must be frantic to keep anyone looking to flee Samara from escaping. No one can simply leave, not now.

But the fact is that neither side can hold out for long either. What will those caught in between do? There's plenty of injured (and vampires crazed by all that blood, even more likely to lose it and attack) and visitors that had nothing to do with the conflict and now dragged into it beyond anything they could have imagined. The rumors are running wild among those recovering and there's the feeling that they all have only moments before hunters and vampires are facing off against one another. Samara may well be on its way to becoming the location of sparking a full out war.]

[Beyond any skirmishes that break out, they won't get to decide -- A powerful wind of black flower petals sweeps through the world in a blur and with that everyone returns! To themselves and their own memories and the familiar landscape of Miracle Country. Typical cutesy Halloween decorations hang everywhere in sight, most so at the park where they'll all return to, greeted by food and drinks and candy alike, and costumes of all kinds courtesy of the same magic. Hope you enjoyed the drama... and Happy Halloween.]

[It is a cool night in Samara, but the night is clear. If you look up, you can see stars, and there are lights lining each path that’s leading towards the center of town. After the flurry of activity and hard work to get the ballroom prepared, you can now see the fruits of that labor: tonight, you are cordially invited to welcome Queen Anne of Leridae in a grand ball.

Turns out those rumors about Queen Anne were true. Don’t worry, you won’t be required to talk to her if you’re shy or not too keen on royalty, as the ball is expansive enough and with enough people that it might actually be difficult to approach her so easily, what with all her bodyguards.

But that’s alright, because the party itself is well underway. There’s the beautiful lilt of music to dance to, floating candles that dart away just beyond reach – a little trick of magic to keep the ambiance – and the beautiful gardens out beyond the balconies, for those who need some fresh air. There’s a distinct lack of food to partake in, but that’s just as well. All the better to not be distracted from the beautiful sights, the beautiful costumes, and the beautiful company.

However, not everything is glitter and loveliness tonight. What is promising to be a quiet, delightful night full of politeness and dancing will take a sharp turn towards midnight – where the ground will suddenly start to shake in a massive earthquake. Perhaps at first you think it’s some kind of attack, the force of it all so sudden and debilitating.

The earthquake is so extreme that the walls buckle around you, the glass in the windows shatter, and the ground beneath your feet begins to crack. There’s falling debris everywhere, so try not to get hit or pinned beneath falling beams. Hopefully you aren’t standing too close to the glass windows and get shattered glass hitching against your skin.

That is to say: you probably aren’t getting out of this party unharmed. That is, of course, unless you’re a vampire with healing powers. Quite the inopportune time for your secret to be revealed, isn’t it? And what do you know, hunters – all this time, you were in the company of so many vampires.

How are you going to reconcile all of this?]


[[More information here]]

[Fog rolls into the town of Samara – another cool autumn day, the sky murky and the tress shedding their leaves. The nights are longer now, the moon hanging low in the sky – and that can only mean one thing: stirrings. With the darkness creeps the dangers. You’ve likely heard those whispers all your life – those murmurs of caution, of danger, of otherness. Be mindful not to step out into the shadows for too long and risk losing yourself entirely.

The little town of Samara might appear quiet at first, unassuming, gentle even – a far outpost and a far cry from the Leridae kingdom’s capital. But it isn’t too far-flung from there, although hidden away in its own little haven, the trees growing closer and closer to its city lines with every passing year. No, this town is not as unassuming as it might seem. You might have grown up here – you’d know as much. Or perhaps you were drawn here for the same reason so many others have been drawn here:

Here in Samara, the rumors are simply that – just rumors. After all, who would ever think that vampires would prey upon such an unassuming, quiet town. But those who whisper the rumors might just shake their heads, looking out towards the forest, towards those darkened alleyways between the old, rickety town. Vampires are one thing. Hunters are another. And Samara has long since been the established epicenter of hunter activity – their meeting ground, so to speak, their headquarters. The hunters, of course, are branches of factions, individualistic in some ways and community-based in others. There is no set leader but there are clans within those hunters, those who strive for certain aspects of the hunter code – and others who operate well outside the set parameters of that.

This place has always been quiet, despite the heavy hunter presence. Few vampires risk staying too close within this town simply because of the danger to them. For years now, decades and decades, the hunters and the vampires have been at odds. Recently, these fights and tensions have only grown more devastating, with loses on both sides – tearing friends and families apart. The hunters hold pride in their abilities and the vampires, secretive and hidden, search for a means to survive in a world that rejects them. Or, perhaps, there are those few who seek the living for the sport of it. Just as there are hunters who seek to kill for the sport. Each side has had its demons and its loses.

And in this, the sleepy little town of Samara is mired with one rumor that just keeps being whispered again and again: that Queen Anne of Leridae is coming – or is already here, as the rumors indicate. Rumors speculate to her purpose – many assume that it’s her wish to form a formal alliance with the hunter factions. Others aren’t so sure. A few more believe that the rumors are just that: rumors. What purpose would a queen have to visiting this quiet little town where absolutely nothing ever happens ever at all? What purpose could such a queen have to coming to a town known for its hunter populace and devastating vampire attacks? Will peace come at last?

Despite this, the large meeting hall at the center of town is undergoing some sprucing up, some redecorating. There’s a grand ball planned, set to be open to the public and the higher-ranking hunter guilds within the next few days. That seems indication enough that something important is underway – or, at the very least, a royal visitor is imminent.

In the end, though, this quiet little town is certainly just meant to be quiet… But with the promise of Queen Anne’s arrival, there’s a new flurry of preparations: decorations everywhere, preparing housing for guests, trying to clean up the streets – and trying, so desperately, not to be bitten when the moon is high. And with the rumors of Queen Anne’s arrival come all the other new arrivals, seeking different desires: to join the hunters? To escape hunters in other regions? To find lost friends? To try to meet royalty? To find something to eat? To be turned? Or, perhaps you are more innocent in all this – just a bystander dragged into these strange happenings, torn between this conflict that seems to have no end.

Perhaps, then, there can be hope – and perhaps, someday, peace. Welcome to Samara.]

[[Our vampire AU event begins! Find more information here.]]

[As the days pass, the colder weather becomes more evident, and Miracle Country's taken note of it. People around the islands will find colorful flyers around, indicating there's a sale on warm clothes! Anything from blankets to sweaters, hats, jackets, gloves and even fluffy socks, now's a good chance to stock up on these. The shopping district will appear to have more clothing stores than usual, with varied styles and different items on sale.

So why not take advantage of the weekend to stroll around and get what you need? Perhaps even take pity on those newly arrived and get them some gifts, too. It'll be quite peaceful for the time being, no tricks, no magical clothes doing anything... Although it might seem strange that with Miracle Country's love for themed holidays, Halloween decorations and items aren't really set up this time.]


[[Little lazy mingle! Use as you'd like.]]

[It's late at night, probably time for everyone to call it a day and head off to bed. Nothing too unusual. In fact, even those who usually stay up late might feel the need to get a good night of sleep today, so it'll make for a quiet night everywhere...

Only after a couple of hours, they might realize there was some movement, possibly even wake up from it if they're light sleepers. Surprise! You're not alone, if you went to sleep on your own. Or you're not with the person you were sharing with, if you were already accompanied. Hell, it might not even look like it's your bed you're sleeping in - beds all over the hotels will have changed, to fancier ones at times, other times to smaller, more cramped ones, maybe even just sleeping bags. You could even find yourselves in one of the many locations outside, on a hammock, or a more elaborated set-up, even inside a bubble of sorts.

Whichever the switch is, you'll have to learn to embrace it for a while (or embrace your new bed partner, we don't judge here), because it'll be impossible to get away for at least some time after the change. Not only that, but the switching around isn't limited to the one night. Lasting for the weekend, the general sleepy feeling will come back again (sometimes during the day, as well) and provoke random naps from people... who might end up in a bed with other victims yet again.

At least Miracle Country worries about hurt sensibilities, so of course if your character might lean towards lighter clothing while sleeping (or none at all - again, we don't judge), the magic of the world shall provide them with cute, warm pyjamas to wear once the switch has happened. Even if it happens during the day, they wouldn't want anyone to be uncomfortable. Of course, should they find themselves ending up wearing something less appropriate, that's just their bad luck.]

[[Replay of the bed sharing event! Mingle as you'd like. The plotting post for it can be found here.]]

He needs his shield. It is an extension of himself. The longer this goes on the more Steve has to acknowledge that this could be real. This could be an actual place where Bucky is both alive and well. In that instance, he needs to be prepared to protect him and everyone else residing here. The way to get it is surprisingly simple. All he has to do is promote the park and get three adults to have some fun there. The trouble was he was fighting with the only adult he actually had any history with. He has to rely on the kindness of strangers on this one. Maybe he'll be better off for it.

Regardless, Steve uses some of the money he converted into yen recently to get some decent poster paper and colored pencils. He draws up some fairly realistic sights from the park along with some information on other attractions at the park and posts them around. In case you are wondering yes he is hesitant to write in the journal despite how much easier it would be.

Once the job is done, he heads out to the island and essentially waits for someone to come along. He is going to convince you to play here even if he has to join you. Steve is kind of stubborn that way. Eventually he does crack on his journal stance and hesitantly draw up images from the park sans people into it and waits to see if anyone actually does respond.


((ooc; Will match writing style accordingly! Also be aware Steve may have a bit of a learning curve with the journals and likely will keep updating his with drawings. This may even include people eventually! It will all be unfiltered and text based for the time being.))