TDM #10 - Wither and Bloom [FINAL REPRINT]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette: Spring Issue

We ask that all toplevels include the age of the character (or at least a rough estimate) for TDM posts, to ensure that players both old and new can quickly make informed decisions about how to interact with a given character. We also ask that if someone lists a prompt as having an age preference, that it be respected. This is specifically for TDMs unless otherwise stated. Thank you!

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

12/13/24 | TDM #10 - Wither and Bloom [First Edition]
Spring Pokémon Types - Grass, Fairy, Ground, Bug, Normal

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW

By Yorick Aberdeen

The crop for which the town is named.

Greetings, Hollowites, old and new! We are pleased to bring you yet another riveting issue of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette. Or perhaps this is your very first one?

For nearly two years now, the mysterious ferryman has brought new and interesting faces across seas and stars and dimensional planes to reach our fair island. Since then, our community has grown larger and infinitely more interesting--- and we’re glad you’re joining us! Just in time for the weather to be just lovely.

This time of year tends to be a bit lighter on town-wide events due to this being a vitally busy time for our local agriculture industry, but we urge you to get involved with planting season and spend some time in nature. Who knows? You might even catch sight of our goddess of Land and Spring if you spend enough time among plants! Just don’t look into the trees--- they look back.

We invite you, as with all those who came before you, to enjoy your stay at the Oak & Iron tavern inn while you settle in. Please stop by Town Hall to discuss opportunities for work and more permanent housing! All newcomers get 100 Brass in their pocket upon arrival as well, so we encourage you to take advantage of this as well. Reach out to your neighbors for help if you need it, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette whenever you need the local news!

SPRING WEATHER REPORT

By Phil Connors

The breeze will make your clothes smell great!

Start dusting those homes and beating those blankets! The days are getting longer, and with it, the winds are getting warmer. Spring is here! We’ll see some days that are still chilly and windy, but the more warm and temperate phases will get more common later in the season. We’re also entering the rainy period, meaning flowers are springing out of the ground and we’ll be seeing some very beautiful sunrises on misty mornings. Color is coming back to the isle, the frogs are in the rivers, and the insects and lambs are in the fields. It’s a good season to be outside.

Which means it’s also a good season to do laundry! Join us for our Community Laundry Day, where we all do our much-needed chores together and hang-dry our laundry in the warm and breezy weather! Join us on the green for some team washing. Water provided. Bring your own tubs, soap, and of course, clothes!

COMMUNITY EVENTS KEEP TOWN LIVELY ALL SPRING

By Timothy Stoker

The gazebo in town square, beside the festival green, is the place to be this season.

Legend has it that this time last year, a packed ferry arrived with a mass influx of offworlders, and an emergency potluck dinner was held to welcome the crowd. Now, this reporter wasn’t here just yet when that happened, but stories tell of a gathering of epic culinary proportions that heralded a new age of prosperity for Pumpkin Hollow. Sounds like something worth celebrating! Now that the weather has turned lovely once more (as elaborated on above by our own Phil Connors), the town has decided to celebrate the anniversary of the newly dubbed “Harbor Day” by revisiting that potluck idea. Drop by the Temple of Sacred Roots every other Friday from now until June to sample the cuisine of your new neighbors and local businesses. New residents need only bring themselves!

Also, in the spirit of spring cleaning, residents will also be selling or giving away their old items every weekend, weather permitting, in a series of mass yard sales. Some of our more modern residents supplied the term “yard crawl” for the event, which was deemed to be fitting. So come out on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons to see what useful used items you can take off your neighbors’ hands! It’s a great way for new residents to decorate their new homes cheaply and get some new clothes.

And finally, on Wednesday evenings the Festival Green will be hosting “Swift Social” events (to be held in the Oak & Iron in the event of rain). A reimagining of last year’s popular charity speed dating event, this new Swift Social is expanded to include individuals seeking platonic relationships as well--- though that doesn’t mean romance is off the menu! The 10 Brass will be used to support the town’s medical community and the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House for Young Residents. So come out and make a friend or meet someone cute--- it’s for charity!

Fearsome Fae Antics Cause Town-Wide Trouble

By Melanie King

Up to no good, probably.

Things have been getting tricksy around town as, apparently, the fae population are staging the prank war to end all prank wars—or so local experts are telling us. If, like this reporter, you thought you were just having terrible luck with forgetting where you put things down or waking up with horrible bedhead, surprise! You've actually been caught in the crossfire of the fairies' games and may be entitled to financial compensation. (Not really. That's a joke.)

It looks like their antics are escalating significantly over time from harmless inconveniences to active dangers, so beware of any unusual sounds, behaviours or visual phenomenon you may encounter. Alluring or pleading voices from the woods, ghostly lights, critters acting oddly—if it's out of the ordinary, think twice. Or it might be the last time you think at all (at least, until tomorrow morning).

Fiendish Floral Figures Take Root Around Town

By Yorick Aberdeen

How eerie!

Spring is a time of year characterized by new life and by fresh floral blooms. It’s said that the land is Serranai’s canvas, and flowers are her paint. There is no debating that watching the Spring goddess’s artistry come to life in her season of power is an activity beloved by all! However, the Department of Supernatural Affairs is currently investigating some strangely behaved plant life.

While sightings have been somewhat rare, locals have been reporting eerie structures made out of flowering vines or woven flower stems that take the shape of hollowed out humanoid silhouettes. The poses seem to indicate motion and appear capable of springing to life at any moment, but the strange figures never seem to actually move --- at least, not that anyone has actually seen. However, many have cited that upon looking away from the figures and looking back, they appear to be closer. Those who have had direct contact with these floral armatures of people are also reporting some kind of ongoing allergic reaction from the encounter. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, unpleasant itching that feels like it is coming from beneath the skin, and intense bouts of emotion which vary from person to person.

The Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety is currently investigating long-term effects of contact with these beings and advises residents to avoid them. They seem highly resilient to fire, impact, and tearing, and while cutting with a sharp implement seems to have some success, it’s inadvisable to get close enough to the things to use such tools in the first place. Local alchemist Aeryn Sallek and local non-magical chemist Sally Boyle are currently working together to develop an herbicidal blend that is safe for human skin contact and potentially consumption to try and deal with the flowery menaces, which the Board of Safety has begun calling “Hanahilators”. But don’t let the name frighten you--- steering clear of these freaky floral followers should be a more than sufficient safety measure until the threat can be dealt with. Probably, anyway!

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Further Details...

Yard Crawl

Participate in the Yard Crawl as either a buyer, a seller, or both! When you take on a job in Pumpkin Hollow, you are supplied with permanent housing outside the Oak & Iron as part of your start-up kit, and most of them are full of old and worn furniture and clothes left behind when they were abandoned. Get rid of some of it or find something new at the Spring Yard Crawl! Plus, some of the native residents will also be selling or giving away their own old things.

Here’s how the Brass shakes out:

• Buyers can spend 50 Brass and get a haul of their choice of used or free clothing, furniture, or small decorative items. All of it will be of decent to low quality and relatively unremarkable design, so nothing extravagant. (Although a lone exciting knick knack could be considered passable!) Reminder that newcomers are given their first stipend of 100B upon arrival, so new characters are welcome to participate--- you’ll just need to mark that on your ledger if/when you app in. Ask for help if you have questions about this!


• Sellers can make 50B off of their participation but must make a toplevel. Only apped-in characters that are not Laggards can participate as a Seller.


• Those who are both buying and selling end up with a net zero of Brass, but all the aforementioned rules apply!


• Transactions related to the Yard Crawl can be applied to a character’s ledger three times --- once per month for the duration of this TDM!

Swift Social

Under the Swift Social toplevel posted from the mod account, join the fun by posting a starter with the provided code to create a profile card! Then comment on someone else’s starter with one of the following icebreaker questions to get started:

Which would be more surprising to see on your doorstep, a unicorn or a walrus?
If you could commit any crime with no consequences, what would it be?
If you were caught in a trap and the only way to escape from it with your life was to do something genuinely impressive, what would be your approach?
If you had to live on only one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
If you were held at knife point and instructed by your assailant that you must call someone on their sending stone, and if they do not answer, you die, who would you call?
Which would be most frightening to encounter in a dark alley: a ghost, an alien, or a horse?
If you could have any wish granted for you, no matter how big or small, what would it be? (Cannot ask for more wishes, that’s cheating!)
What’s a subject that you could confidently teach an hour-long class on with no preparation?
If you could instantly become an expert in any skill, what would you choose?
Make your own!

Be advised that you must post a comment with your profile card so that any Swift Social partners you have can reference it for your age and preferences.

Fae Pranks

It’s a fairy prank war! A few of the local fae courts are using Marrow Isle as their battle ground, since the demons made it trendy. They’re mostly out to prank each other--- but they’re also happy to practice their tricks on you! And fairies have some very odd ideas about boundaries when it comes to pranks. Here’s a few examples of some of the tricks you might encounter, ranging from silly to genuinely dangerous:

• A truly outrageous amounts of butterflies


• Sightings of Edwin the Headless Postman, a Dullahan (this is a played character that a mod will tag out with, please leave an OOC note if you’d like to opt out)


• Will-o-wisps that lead you in circles or into danger


• Fae dance parties that will have you dancing yourself to death!


• Missing objects


• Mysteriously spoiled milk


• Your hair got braided or extra tangled while you were asleep


• Weird sounds in Prague Mill after dark. Is it haunted?


• Strange women crying in the forest or by the Bluffs, but when you approach them to try and help, you find yourself suddenly in life-threatening danger!


• Create your own! Have fun with it, get spooky or goofy as you see fit.

Floral Fiends [cw: body horror, death]

Loosely inspired by the Hanahaki disease and the film Annihilation, Hanahilators are uncanny figures made out of flowers that move when they are not being watched. If they catch you, they will grab you, but seemingly have no interest in harming you as they will relent as soon as they’ve touched you.

However, once you have pollen on you, the effects begin to take hold, and flowers begin growing within your body, first in your lungs and then pushing into the rest of you. These parasitic blooms feed off of your strong emotions and are influenced by the emotions which define you. (Feel free to use the Victorian flower language to determine what kinds of flowers you get!) Once strong enough, the vines begin feeding on your body, destroying it and leaving behind a brand new Hanahilator. But don’t worry, you’ll be back to your old self tomorrow, so enjoy the opportunity to explore the island as a ghost! Apped in characters should remember to fill out a Death Certificate! It’s a relatively rare encounter, so don’t worry about running into one if you don’t want to.

Pokémon

Each season, new types of Pokémon can be found in nature around the island! They cannot be captured as the technology does not exist on Marrow Isle, but they can be befriended and kept as pets. Since there is no PC, each person can have no more than six. You can befriend any Pokémon whose primary type matches the list at the top of the newspaper. (Eevee can be caught in any season.) Legendaries are off limits for obvious reasons, and mythicals can be encountered for fun but not kept! Evolutionary stones can be found in Paradesium, the magical subterranean jungle beneath the mountain to the North. Every type will be available at some point throughout the year, so if you don’t have access to your fave yet, check back next season!

Comments

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ Ah, the simple joy of being able to shoo away someone's cynicism for a little while. ]

We are! All different sorts. Our subspecies seem to coincide with those of Earth, interestingly. We've come to believe we have an intrinsic connection. The reason we went to Earth after our planet was destroyed is because Earth's moon gives off the same celestial magical energy as our own did.

[withthemooninoureyes]

Sure did! I was in there for a whole year, and my body got all squishy and gross. But it was the only way for me to transform from a fuzzy little potato into the moth I am today! I think it was worth it, don't you?

[carefulinspekshun]

[ One glance through of their card is enough to put Hector on edge. Oh, cripes, a psychic? With the way he likes to keep things under lock and key? It'll probably be fiiine. He's good at putting on a good face! He just needs to put it on on the inside, too. It's fine! ]

Always nice to meet somebody else on the fluffier side! Yew new in town? Love yewr haircut, by tha way.

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ This person is, in a word, stiff. Bronwyn can immediately feel his stress burning holes in his weird fake energy. They resist the urge to sigh, trying to put on a good face themself so as not to make him uncomfortable. They want to make a good impression, after all, and would hate to make anyone feel ill at ease around them. (The irony of this is lost on them, of course.) But part of them does wish that people wouldn't force themselves to button up like this. (Irony also lost.) ]

Yes and no! I came a while back and hid out in the jungle for like ever. The feelings got a little too loud for me, but I eventually stopped being a weenie about it.

[ They fluff their hair, feigning bashful. ] Thank you! Same to you, by the way. The curls are so cute.

[carefulinspekshun]

[ So far so good! He's positive that they don't even notice. Hector, 1, psychics, 0.

...Unless it's not psychics zero? No, it's probably fine. That's usually a hoax. Pretty sure that one guy at the Cove that one time was trying to get me to buy real estate. ]

Aw, yew think so? [ He fluffs his own hair, mirroring them with nothing short of delight. The compliment gets a little bit of genuine ease, like a cracked-open door, the person behind it peering out a bit. ] I can't say I blame ya for the jungle escape, though. It can be a lot up here! How is it down there, though? I heard somethin' about a dragon? ...That ain't yew, is it?

[tisnotthehouse]

[Tarantulas holds back his wheezy cackle, not wanting to frighten the poor child, but it really is delightful, watching Webber play with the scarf -- and it's a good test of his enchantment's robustness! Maybe he should invite them to field test more of his designs.]

Isn't it though? There's nothing quite so refreshing as a little change in appearance, I find. It does wonders for the perspective.

[This 'Constant' sounds like a surprisingly normal place, by Tarantulas's standards. Perhaps it's another region like Pumpkin Hollow, where the laws of death have been warped by magical or supernatural interference? There is so much behind the mechanisms of such things that he still has yet to learn! If only he was speaking to an expert, instead of a child...ah well.]

A bifurcated personality might be described as a person who is of two minds about everything. Although they have only a single body, they possess two separate wills, personas is the preferred research term. These personas may choose to cooperate or go to war with each other, but the salient point -- the important part, that is -- [Don't get too carried away, professor. They're still little, after all.] is that they must choose to do so, just as two people in separate bodies must make deliberate choices in how they treat each other. There are various ways such a personality can come into being...I recall reading once, a case study of a newspark that was accidentally split by a careless blacksmith's foot...Eventually they built a second head for him, so that at least his coworkers would know what was going on when he began to argue with himself.

Bronwyn Thysania (they/them ONLY please!) | Equivalent of mid 30s |OC

[withthemooninoureyes]

For the past several months, there has been a big ass moth person hiding in Paradesium.

On their version of Earth, the Lunari people are refugees from a long-dead planet, taught from a young age that they are to remain always hidden from humans. They conceal their secret colonies with magic and technology, and flee from the eyes of any human. So one can imagine the stress this might place upon an absolutely enormous Lunari plopped onto an island full of almost exclusively humans or similar-looking creatures and not a single other Lunari.

Valiant attempts were made to socialize (OOC note: a previous TDM lol) but eventually nerves drove Bronwyn to the subterranean jungle of Paradesium, where they've made a life for themself quietly. But it's been pretty lonely down there... Maybe it's time to give this another go?

-Yard Crawl-

It can be pretty hard to find clothes for yourself among humans when you're a rail-thin 9-foot-tall person with wings and digitigrade legs. The stores have definitely been no help. But Bronwyn really isn't about this plain-linen life, so out they go to the yard crawl to look for things to wear.

So far, so good, actually. They found a cute corset, a pair of trousers that manages to fit their waist without going past their knees (which bend very sharply back to accommodate the digitigrade ankles), and a gaggle of fun scarves. Due to the furry ruff around their neck and the wings, they generally cannot be bothered with shirts, and it's uncommon for Lunari to wear them anyway. However, in a pile of nicer clothes, they find someone's old Merrymeet dress from a few years back. A scooping neckline that would expose their ruff and allow their wing joints to be free adds to the appeal. They lift it, holding it up to themself, then look to a fellow shopper. "Whatcha think? Too much?"

-Making Friends-

It's bug type Pokemon season. You know what that means. Caterpillars galore. And for a giant moth, the cuteness factor of caterpillars is such that it is utterly irresistible. And so, on the grass outside Greymare Library, Bronwyn sits with a massive bag of leafy greens from the market--- lettuce, cabbage, arugula, kale, and more! A gaggle of Caterpie, Wurmple, Snom, Scatterbugs, Venonats, Burmy, Sewaddle, and Larvesta climb all over them, attacking them for the green treats.

"One at a time!" Bronwyn insists to no avail, laughing. "There's enough for everybody! Oh my gods, you guys are nuts--- Hey, don't push! Oof---"

It's too late, they're knocked over. Completely under siege. Help! Death by cuteness is imminent!

Bronwyn's Booth of Truth

On sunny days, Bronwyn can be found in a tent of their own construction near the festival green. With permission from Town Hall, they've set up a structure of scrapped construction materials and old sheets they got from the yard crawl, dyed and painted by hand. "BOOTH OF TRUTH - PSYCHIC SERVICES" reads the sign.

Inside the makeshift tent is a surprisingly ethereal space created from candles lit with enchanted light, found beads and sea glass, an impressive collection of crystals from paradesium, and handmade charms and ornaments hung from twine. Bronwyn sits at a small table with a crystal ball and lovingly hand-painted tarot cards. "Hi, welcome," they say gently, voice a murmur so as not to disturb the space, handing their prospective client a handy leaflet.

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ The thought about the real estate is loud enough that Bronwyn hears it and laughs so sharply and abruptly that they have to play it off as a cough, coughing several more times for good measure. ] Gosh, 'scuse me! Allergies. [ Smooth. ]

It's nice, though! So warm. It was really nice during the winter. It was just me and Esmeray, the sphinx that lives down there. She's a sweetheart. And no, the dragon is--- different. We don't talk to that guy.

yard crawl

[closureisformovies]

Alice barely even blinks at the giant moth of it all, just immediately gives them a once over of assessment. "Nah, I think it works. Granted I'm the kind of person who's scale for 'too much' might be broken, but I think it's better that way."

[incomingchoppers]

[loyally, with a small laugh] Hey, no, you're still a person even if you're being shy. That don't change. But -- I get wanting to go somewhere quiet for a while. I think it gets noisy here too and I'm not anywhere near as good as you with being psychic.

[he brightens]

I've gotten lots better, though! You know I can even sometimes hear ghosts? And see stuff, not just hear it now?

booth of truth!

[abhorrently]

Said prospective client is wary, curiously poking her head in and getting distracted by it being lovely. The lights, the way the candle flame reflects off the various objects - it's pretty enough to have her initial uncertainty around psychic deflected.

The leaflet pulls her out of her reverie, with a murmured thanks to the large moth. Simple, to the point, but...

"Exactly what you need is a pretty big claim."

[withthemooninoureyes]

"Y'know, I think you're right. It'll only come down over my knees, but I think that makes it a good frolicking outfit," Bronwyn agrees, pleased with this decision. Alice's lack of distress at their presence is also having a positive effect--- she's being genuine in her easygoing-ness and Bronwyn can tell. They turn to pay for their new acquisition.

"I like your hair, by the way!"

[withthemooninoureyes]

Bronwyn offers a coy smile. "I can make good on it if you're feeling adventurous!"

[closureisformovies]

"Ain't that just the way when you're all leg. I mean, I'm not that tall," compared to a someone as tall as them, especially, "and I still sometimes pick up skirts and wonder if they think everyone's a hobbit."

Her hand goes automatically to her hair, twirling one of the three-toned strands around a finger. "Aw thanks, I did it on a bit of a whim, really. Haven't done more than one colour at a time in years."

Back then it was less mental breakdown chic and more experimental university student but y'know, same difference.

[abhorrently]

"That's an invitation I can't help but take you up on."

It doesn't feel dangerous, so why not? Maybe they're a psychic in the sense that Radar is, knowing what you say before you'll say it. Maybe some greater insight.

[withthemooninoureyes]

"It's a shame, we'd definitely have stuff around my colony that'd fit you just fine," Bronwyn muses. "You're about the height of a sunset or a comet. Maybe a particularly tall garden tiger. 'Course, Lunari sizes really vary, so we have a really wide range of clothes sizes compared to humans, I figure."

[withthemooninoureyes]

"Comin' right up!" Bronwyn comes to the other side of the table. "Can you turn to face away from me, please? And pull your hair back?"

[abhorrently]

"All right." She's curious and does as they ask, gathering her hair aside in one hand. Confusion probably is all too apparent to Bronwyn, but she's giving them a fair chance.

[withthemooninoureyes]

Bafflement wavers off of her like heatwaves off pavement, but Bronwyn seems confident. Setting their hands on her shoulders, they press their thumbs deeply into a point on either side of her neck, right at the juncture of neck and shoulder, and make small circling motions.

Then, after about thirty seconds of this, they do the same to two similar spots right where the base of her skull becomes the top of her neck, long fingers reaching around to press into spots at the inner corner of each eyebrow as well.

[carefulinspekshun]

[ Was that a laugh? Cough? Cough-laugh? He's done that a dozen times before, when something catches him off guard, which means...

Oh no. Nope. It's fine. It's fine! Just think about... bugs? No. Too on the nose. They don't even have a nose. Don't be rude. Even if it doesn't matter. They can't hear it, probably. Elevator music? Oh, gods, he'll have that Clack Tower music stuck in his head for a week now. Anything else? There's gotta be something better. Cripes, what should he do for dinner tonight...? ]

Oh, is he... a jerk or somethin'? I mean, I never met any drag-guns, myself, so I wouldn't know.

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ Okay this time they're laughing outright. ]

Gods, I'm sorry---- If you're worried that I can hear your thoughts, you really just have to stop thinking so hard! Just think about what we're talking about and then it won't make any difference! Also my antennae are my nose, as well as my ears.

[carefulinspekshun]

Huh? I mean, that's--- yew're actually---? Aw cheese okay uh.

[ Clearing his throat, clearly embarrassed, he flashes an awkward grin. Yep. Only think about what I'm talking about. Don't think about all the things they could dig for. Gods, they could hear anything in here. They'll know. Like---

He takes a moment to derail that train of thought by chugging some water, letting out a wheeze, and then splaying his hands in a small, exaggerated gesture. ]

Sorr-ee! I... never met a real sigh-kick before! And I'm not exactly good at, uhhh. Not thinkin' real hard! But I'll shore try!

Antenn-y, though! That's neat. Never met any-buddy with those, either! I'd ask how different it is, but yew never ex-pier-ee-antsed it any other way, so...

[ Nailed it. ]

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ His discomfort is palpable now. Anxiety and self consciousness buzz around him like a swarm of insects. Bronwyn quickly gets fidgety, talking faster and faster. ]

Hey, it's okay! I'm sorry I laughed. I-I don't want to pry, I just end up--- I mean, I can feel emotions, and I only hear thoughts that are thought--- forcefully, if that makes any sense? Something you're really focused on. I honestly don't dig unless I absolutely have to, I-I really don't like invading people's privacy! I just can't turn it all the way off so sometimes things slip through but I really don't mean to make you nervous and I can leave if you want me to! I'm sorry!

[withthemooninoureyes]

Hey, don't sell yourself short! I got an advantage because I knew from the jump that I was born psychic. But I'm excited to hear you're honing it! You ever use tools for it?

[abhorrently]

What they're doing is odd, but then the relief hits like a small wave crashing itself into foam, quietly coming up the beach. The pain that she'd been trying to ignore, a dull weight inside her head that always heralded worse, was falling away. An unconscious sigh leaves her lips, and her eyes half shut, feeling herself relax.

This really is what she needed. They didn't lie.