+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[It's New Year's! Time to recharge your batteries, start fresh, make resolutions you won't follow through, or curse your luck that you're still stuck in a goddamn sparkly island. Whichever your choice, Miracle Country is set to celebrate and get everyone together.

Starting during the evening of the 31st, the park in the main island, as well as the shopping district and other main areas all around (the Welcome Center, the hotels, etc) will be decorated with lanters, christmas lights, and other colorful things. Even a few stray mistletoes might be found among the mix, although they'll be more rare than before. Tables with all sorts of holiday-themed food and drinks will be set all over the park & shopping district plaza, as well. And by the time midnight strikes, there'll be a huge fireworks display, visible from any point in the islands.

But that's not it!

A few days ago, everyone would've gotten a little note from a Kiseki lady, instructing them on a gift exchange the place has decided to have. How does this work? It's easy - everyone is assigned someone to get a gift to at random. They're meant to attend the end of year celebrations, in order to give that present to whoever was assigned to them.

If they fail to follow through (either they don't get the present or they do but don't go to the party), they'll face some retaliation. Since not wanting to participate in these means you're most likely a big grump, you'll get your own personal grey cloud following you around, in the spirit of old cartoons - it'll randomly rain or snow on you, and getting angry at it will only make it worse. Only through an act of sincere happiness/cheer can you make the cloud disappear.

And that's about it. The list for the gift exchange can be found HERE. Just mingle and have fun, and - because the date matches - happy 6th anniversary, Kiseki!]

[Wow, what was that massive wall of fire just now that manages to melt all the snow and singe some of the grass underneath? Why, that's just Zuko being his regular, moody self -- but wait, said moodiness seems less grumpy and more... sad.]

Wasn't I just telling you it was going to be both of us? [F- frand.]

[He starts blasting out more and more firebending, frustrated, angry, maybe even feeling a little betrayed -- even when he also knows that, really, it wasn't Aang's fault. It couldn't have been Aang's fault. If Aang had a choice, he wouldn't have left Zuko behind.]

[But without him--] What am I supposed to do?

[And just like that, the fire stops, abruptly. He blinks, surprised, because that obviously wasn't what was meant to happen--

-- and when he tries to do his firebending again, there's nothing but the slightest little puff of smoke]

[.............................]

[He sits down, heavy, and leans against a tree, folding into himself.]

I hate this place.

[Happy First Day of Winter, Kiseki! To celebrate the winter solstice, Miracle Country has, of course, decided to let it snow all over the island(s), a fluffy white snow. It'll be snowing lightly throughout the day, but be careful of the ice on the walkways or the icicles hanging off the over-hangings. It's been snowing a bit lately, but now it's in full-force, and there's a few cute snowmen hanging around already, just to help get you all in the mood for playing in the snow.

The light snow will stop about mid-way through the afternoon and it'll clear up, sunny but plenty cold - the perfect way to motivate you to get out and play to warm up, right? And don't worry about running out of snow - if it gets too packed-down, the snow will seem to magically fluff back up again!

Afraid of being cold in the snowy weather, though? No worries, as Miracle Country has graciously provided each room in the hotel with a pile of warm coats, mittens/gloves, scarves, hats, and winter boots, with a cheerful little note that says simply "Let it snow!"; there's also some sleds just outside the entrance to the park, in case anyone wants to take advantage of a small hill.]

[The Mistletoe event is back! The older residents might remember our magical, moving pesky little plants which forced people to do certain actions in order to become unstuck from under them.

If your character gets stuck under them with someone else, here's the new list of possible options to become unstuck. They might have to:

1. - Kiss the other person
2. - Tickle them
3.- Give them a compliment
4. - Punch them
5. - Confess a secret to them
6. - Hug them
7. - Dance with them
8. - Sing to them
9. - Make a promise to them
10. - Make them blush
11. - Make them laugh
12. - Make them cry

How your character decides to fulfill the condition is up to them, although the mistletoes can be picky! So no back-handed compliments or anything like that.

The mistletoe will show up randomly starting today and until the 21st.]

[Tonight, all artificial lights in Kiseki will go out, to allow for better viewing of the shooting starts that will fall during the entire night! The park(s) will have blankets and some cushion set out, and everyone is welcome to go outside and watch them.

And it's not just the pretty lights, no. If your character makes a wish, there's a chance it will become true. Even if they wish for impossibles perhaps it'll be granted even in a small way.

Say someone wishes to meet a friend who's back in their world, for example. They wouldn't get to meet that person, but they might receive a small token of them - maybe a picture, or a personal item of them! You can wish for other things, of course, food or clothes or whatever. Get creative, and if you're unsure it's always fine to simply check with the mods.]

Hahaha! Actually, I didn’t really understand any of what you just said. Except… this isn’t Namimori? It doesn’t really look like it…

[At first, there is nothing but this audio of a boy’s voice, cheerful despite everything. But soon after this a video follows, of a dark-haired boy standing in the Welcome Center, turning the journal in his hands.]

Ohhh? I’ll write in this and others will see that? [He beams at the ladies] Wow, that’s pretty amazing! It’s like a mini-computer. Is that some kind of new technology thing, too? I guess things are developing pretty fast, now that the box technology is out…

[He laughs, as though all of this is somehow entirely normal to him.] Alright! I’ll try it!

[He does as he says, writing:]

Yo! I don’t really know what this place is, and I didn’t get what those women said, but this seems interesting! It’s a bit like time travel, isn’t it? [But he wasn’t hit with the Ten Year Bazooka, so it can’t be that. So it’s not going to be as simple as waiting five minutes…]

Anyway, I’m sure this is a great place… but I can’t really stay. My friends need me back home. They’re in a tough situation, I can’t just abandon them, no matter what. So I really need to find a way back! So, I guess if you know of one, I’d be really grateful if you could tell me!

[Hello, Kiseki residents! Have you had enough with the constant changing already? Were you done with this world before it all even began? Well, Kiseki doesn't care.

This time, it's even the usual setting that seems different. The trains are now announcing each island as they stop on them. The shopping district now has a giant bunny fountain in it.

And more importantly, the school has been altered entirely. No longer the small, humble building it once was, it now offers a much larger variety of lessons (the usual - maths, science, history from various worlds, and so on), taught by creepy voices in monitors. Students will now have uniforms, and share lessons regardless of age...

And even if your character doesn't want to attend it, they might not have much of a choice. Some of them will be randomly sorted into attending classes (fully or part-time), or even into teaching a class.

Whichever it is, feel free to explore the revamped areas, complain loudly, and mingle as usual. ... And maybe notice that there're small baskets with toasts available at various places all over the islands, each with a little note on them saying "You're late".]

[We find Giselle in the forest, looking almost cartoonishly surprised.] Oh my... Well this doesn't look like New York at all. Where in the world am I? Robert? Morgan? ...anyone?

[A pause; she puts a finger to her cheek while she thinks] Hmm. I don't remember falling into another portal, but I suppose anything's possible, isn't it? [...!!] Then I wonder...!

[Her eyes are wide, surprised, slightly hopeful. These woods don't look particularly familiar, but all woods are very similar in some ways. There are trees, just like in Andalasia. There are vines, too, and underbrush, and it even sounds like there might be some woodland creatures about! All just like Andalasia. So...could it be...? Did her ode to true love light the way back to her home? In that case, maybe--] Edward! Are you here? Have I made it home? [Oh, Edward! Her true love! Now it's her turn to find him! Her heart is singing...and after a momentary swoon, so is she: literally, singing a wordless tune that soon brings a few cute fuzzy animals running to her side. I'm totally serious here.]

Oh! Hello, little friends! Would you like to help me in my quest? I'm looking for a dashing prince...not just any prince, of course. He's tall, and handsome...he has beautiful blue eyes--and perfect hair! [He sounds so amazing, even the animals sigh wistfully.] I don't know exactly where to start, but...well, if you don't start somewhere, you'll never get anywhere! Will you help me, little ones? [Oh, no, she's almost so excited that she forgets something important! Turning back to her little fuzzy friends, she curtsies a little and offers a charming smile.] Please.

[Giselle will be in the forest if anyone wants to run into her! Or of course she'll check the journal at some point too 83]

[As previously announced, Kiseki will be undergoing some changes for this year's Halloween!

Enjoy the pumpkins, the misty forests, the ghosts, the abandoned castle and the killer bunnies, because Miracle Country clearly will.]

[There's a young girl walking around and taking pictures with her cellphone of everything--and possibly everyone--that crosses her path. She doesn't look scared or confused at all.]

There. Don't move.

[She takes a moment to look at the photos she's already taken.]

It's not as hardcore as usual, but it can make a pretty neat album, I think.

[She frowns.]

It's not an insult or anything. It's just that it's hard to be as hardcore as my other photos from the last year, promise. Details are on a need-to-know basis, so that's all I can say about it.