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ph_memes2025-12-09 10:24 pm
TDM #13 - Blood and Snow
Pumpkin Hollow Gazette
12/9/25 - 2/28/26 | TDM #13 - Blood and Snow
Winter Pokémon Types - Ice, Steel, Rock, Psychic
WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW
By Yorick Aberdeen
The crop for which the town is named.
It’s winter in Pumpkin Hollow, which means it’s time for brisk and clear weather, beautiful snowy vistas, beloved holiday traditions, and ice skating on the lake that is normally trying to kill you. Of course, these next few months will undoubtedly find a way to be as challenging as any others, if not moreso, but Pumpkin Hollow is a town of hardy people! We can’t be slowed down by a few sharp winds, sub-freezing temperatures, or whispering trees that beckon to us, hypnotizing us to wander the woods until we collapse into the snow and allow the bone deep chill to consume us! It’ll take more than that to keep this town down.
In any case, if you’re just arriving on the islands for the very first time, you’re in luck! Despite the challenges and the cold, winter is a beautiful time on the island. Indulge in our delightful winter street market and take part in interdimensional cultural exchange as native Hollowites and off-worlders alike swap traditions and stories from all across the multiverse. And, of course, who knows what the new year will have in store?
We invite any newcomers, as with all those who came before you, to enjoy your stay at the Oak & Iron tavern inn while you settle in. (Or the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House, for the newly arrived youngsters.) Please stop by Town Hall to discuss opportunities for work and more permanent housing! All newcomers get 100 Brass in their pocket upon arrival, 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!
WINTER WEATHER REPORT
By Phil Connors
Mind your step on the roads!
Winter comes again, Hollowites, and with it is the wind and snow. Keep your scarves on, your firewood stocked, and drafty windows sealed—though I'm sure you all know what to do after our little cold snap last August. Early in the season we'll only get a few dustings of snow here and there before it comes down in earnest around the turn of the year. Long nights mean dramatic sunsets and starry skies, and if you're lucky, you can catch a bit of the Aurora too! Be sure to get what daylight you can while the sun is up. Do it for me. I commute in before the sun rises and leave when it's dark.
A WINTER ABOUT TOWN IN PUMPKIN HOLLOW
By Timothy Stoker
No matter where you are in the universe, every winter needs a good Winter Market, and Pumpkin Hollow is happy to provide. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December through February, vendors will take to the chilly streets with unique goods, artisan crafts, and seasonal foods. With Givingstide near the winter solstice and Merrymeet hot on the heels of the new year, this is a great way to find a thoughtful gift for that someone special.
And of course, there's more to do than just shop. Booths peddling hot fried delicacies, festive baked goods, and seasonal favorites aim to keep you warm and full this season. Horse-drawn sleigh rides are a fun way to take in the sights of the island, or get a moment alone with someone special. Or rent some ice skates and go for a glide on scenic Lake Sal-Co-Penn, which, as Yorick stated, is usually trying to kill you. All that spooky junk is helpfully sealed beneath the ice this time of year. Just don't look down, or if you do, try not to stare.
And when you're ready to warm up after your trip through winter wonderland, stop on by Empty Pockets Music Bar, where a rotating cast of Pumpkin Hollow’s premiere entertainment will be performing throughout each weekend. Local acts like Juniper Sweetwater, Cormac and the Banshees, and the Deadwood Five will perform beloved winter favorites from the Emerald Isles, and a few off-worlders will have acts as well. Enjoy sultry baritone renditions of Christmas classics performed by Mettaton, the smooth blues stylings of Grace Holloway, or a series of holiday specials from Mr. Ant Tenna’s TV Time for Stage.
Winter’s a tough time no matter where you’re from, but there’s no shortage of ways to stay sane this season. So do this reporter a favor and treat yourself to some fun, lest the biting cold and endless grey skies drive us all to madness. Happy holidays!
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CHILLY
By Phil Connors
Beautiful, mysterious, deadly.
With the turn of the season, the island has gotten a few new spooky visitors as it so often does. This winter, keep an eye out for "kesapasa." These little snowball spirits have taken a shine to many members of our colorful population. It's good luck to attract one, but you might want to keep your schedules fast and loose—once one arrives, a flock tends to follow.
But they've got a fiercer counterpart roaming around: the "yuki-onna," a snowy woman with skin and clothes of white, is looking for love. If she's interested in you, your options are death or dating. Talk about a cougar! As in she could maul me very fast. If you take her out on the town, be prepared for some very unnerving conversation topics, but at least you'll both get a nice dinner out of it.
TERROR AMONG LOCAL HORSES!
By Yorick Aberdeen
Town Hall has requested that all ranchers of Northwest Hollow stay on alert this coming winter. As the days grow shorter, and our nights grow colder, it seems as though someone or something has taken the opportunity to spirit away the beloved steeds of our farmlands. They return the following day, but not without damage; though their bodies are intact when they return, they seem rattled by the ordeal, causing the stress to be shared by other livestock, commutes by horseback to take a fair deal longer, and injuries abound. (During an interview, this intrepid reporter only nearly avoided what certainly would have been a very devastating kick!)
We've had extremely scarce reports on what these thieves look like, but each farmer has reported the same pieces of information, which are listed below.
- Every incident has occurred a mere hour or two after nightfall.
- Other animals are said to be anxious when they're checked last; some screams of animals have been noted.
- Every taken horse has been at pasture, as opposed to in a barn.
ISLE OF MISFIT TOYS GONE AWRY
By Melanie King
Pretty doll, but there's something about the eyes...
The winter holidays are always a time of gift-giving and receiving, but it seems like this year someone has taken it upon themselves to leave some extra special surprises for people all across town. Mysterious toys are appearing on people's doorsteps, windowsills, bedsides—and, according to some reports, even being handed to people directly. Children seem to be the main target of these special gifts, with parents of children in close second, but unattached adults aren't being left out of the giving spirit entirely.
Those reports we've had from people meeting this generous individual describe him as unnaturally thin and tall, with a long, matted black beard and strange eyes. The toys are, as far as we can tell, perfectly normal toys of bespoke handmade production and range from simple toy soldiers to extravagant doll houses, rocking horses and even items with limited mechanical function. However, according to one of this reporter's colleagues at town hall, they may, and I quote: "do freaky things", so buyer beware. These gifts may not be all that they seem.
PINK SNOW HEATS THINGS UP!
By Mettaton
Let's get cozy!
Love is in the air this Valentines! ... Quite literally in this instance, darling readers! We've received reports of people acting strangely after being out in the snow for some time. Something about pink snowflakes? Who's ever seen a pink snowflake before?— But we digress: By strangely, we mean lovely-dovey. Some sort of magical prank? A new form of Cupid's Arrow? Oh, the possibilities! Just mind yourself during this strange bout of snow or else you might start smooching your neighbor before you can even stop yourself! No one wants the holiday of love filled with harassment charges~
TREE-RELATED DISAPPEARANCES UNDER INVESTIGATION
By Timothy Stoker
Can you see it?
Looking for a bit of intrigue and mystery this winter? Look no further than your own yard, Pumpkin Hollow, and by that I mean you absolutely should not go looking under any circumstances. Reports have been coming in of strange, spindly, grey-brown creatures hiding in leafless trees. And you know what a waifish, spiny, grey-brown creature looks a hell of a lot like? If you guessed a leafless tree, you’d be correct.
It’s hard telling precisely what these camouflaged creeps want from us. More reports from those who come into contact with them will help, of course, but for the moment, paranormal wildlife expert Dr. Elias Coldwood has stated that they appear to be fae folk. “They seem to be tree spirits associated with the Court of Green Willows,” Dr. Coldwood said in an interview with me at his lighthouse abode, when approached for comment on a tip he left with the Board of Safety. “I’m not familiar with this particular species, but given just how many unknowns there are within the Feywilds, this isn’t entirely uncommon even among occult scholars, which isn’t the part that concerns me. The concerning part is just how inconsistent their apparent motives are.”
Coldwood went on to describe the behavior he’d been observing in reports gathered from the victims of these spirits after they returned from their harrowing encounters. According to these statements, victims who made eye contact with one of these silent spirits found themselves wandering disoriented and aimless through a woodland that didn’t seem “right,” like an uncannily stretched version of our own Lockwood Forest. Some of them were gone for hours or even days, losing their sense of time, until suddenly encountering another person at last. Each victim reports being overcome with the impulse to do something to this other person, ranging from things like stealing an object from their person, divulging a personal life detail to them, kissing them, or even physically attacking them with murderous intent. While some were able to overcome this intense urge, others were not so fortunate.
After the interview, the good doctor was kind enough to offer this reporter a cup of coffee and an opportunity to be given a comprehensive toy collection tour by his adorable, spooky, eldritch daughter. He leaves us with all the information he has, as well as one vital safety tip--- do not look into the trees, lest they look back. The Department of Supernatural Affairs will continue to collaborate with Dr. Coldwood on a potential solution, but until then, best keep your eyes to the road.
Thank you for reading!
Winter Market
The Winter Market taking place throughout Downtown Hollow is a seasonal staple of winter TDMs each year in PH! Givingstide, which takes place on December 21st, and Merrymeet, which is always the second weekend in February, are two important local holidays that take place during this time where gifts are often involved, with Givingstide being a Yule/Christmas analogue and Merrymeet being a romantic flower festival welcoming the impending spring. The selection of goods on offer will gradually shift depending on which month you’re looking in, but wintery decorative items and food will be available for the duration.As usual, food booth costs are considered applicable to your food voucher/grocery budget for the month, and ice skate and sleigh ride fees are considered negligible expenses that don’t have to be marked on your bank ledger. For gift purchases, please reference the price chart seen below:
Kesapasa & Yuki-Onna
These two snow-spirits share a wintery theme and an origin in Japanese folklore, but little else.Kesapasa, which are little drifting puffballs who roll through the snow or float through the air, have round black eyes and black stick-legs. They are harmless, and in fact will bless you with good luck if they take a shine to you, granting you small boons such as finding an interesting marble in the snow, showing up to a food booth when a fresh batch of your favorite treat just got stocked, or spotting a stunning herd of deer on your sleigh ride. However, once you have one, others are likely to join it, following you around all day and clinging to your person or invading your home. So, you win some, you lose some. They will usually lose interest within a day or two.
The yuki-onna, however, is another story. A prop NPC that can be played by any player as they like, yuki-onna is a beautiful but malevolent winter yokai known for luring her victims to their death. But this year, she’s looking to change her ways and find her true love--- by whatever means necessary. If you encounter her, she will demand you take her on a date, and the punishment for declining is death. So dress nicely, and treat her with the respect she deserves, because as long as she remains pleased with you, you’ll survive the encounter.
See someone on a date with yuki-onna? There are ways you can help! Wingman from the shadows to help ensure the date goes off without a hitch, try to seduce her yourself to take the heat (or the ice, as it were) off her current victim, or assist the victim in orchestrating an elaborate excuse for needing to cut the outing short. Yuki-onna is also open to double-dates and polyamorous dates, so feel free to get creative!
Unfortunately, you won’t end up being yuki-onna’s true love no matter what you do. At the end of February, she will meet her soulmate in the form of a monster from a previous TDM. The Dirt Man, a sinister shadowy cowboy who makes his lair in the nearby mountain and occasionally demands offerings of loose earth, will whisk her off her feet. They will have a spring wedding and it will be beautiful. (You’re not invited. Awkward.)
Horse Thief [cw: animal harm/temporary death, claustrophobia, being eaten by a monster]
This specific prompt contains spoilers for the 2022 film NOPE by Jordan Peele. It is an excellent film and it’s highly recommended that you check it out before reading this prompt if you haven’t already done so. (Please check the content warnings for the movie and enjoy safely!)Do you ever pay much attention to the clouds? If not, maybe you should start. It’s harder to catch with how overcast it tends to be during the winter time, but on clear days you can spot the strangest thing if you look. A big, puffy nimbus cloud that never moves, hanging over the farmlands in Northwest Hollow.
Large livestock, particularly horses but also cattle, pigs, and sheep, can be heard shrieking in the distance. When you run to find them, they will already be gone. Or, maybe if you’re unlucky, you will spot them being sucked up into an inexplicable wind vortex and vanishing into the cloud. What resides under the cover of this cloud looks a lot like the classic image of a UFO, but is in fact a living being, known to some as Jean Jacket. And she’s hungry.
Animals revive just like people do after a day, despite their corpses not disappearing in the same way, so farmers and riders will find their animals safely returned to them the following day, but with an inexplicable terror of wide open fields with no cover and a particular wariness about that specific, ever-present cloud. And while Jean Jacket prefers animals with less inorganic matter on them, she’s not against scooping up people as well. And given that she’s the size of a house, she has a big appetite. Crowds are welcome targets, as well as someone riding a horse she’s after, and the process of being eaten and digested is slow, painful, and cramped. Not to mention she’ll spit out anything she can’t eat (mostly metal) along with a shower of blood. And she’s terribly petty, besides.
She’s big, fast, capable of flight, and extremely hostile, but that doesn’t mean she’s undefeatable. Tricking her into eating things that are dangerous for her tends to have the most success, but significantly powerful individuals may be able to deal harm in other ways. If she’s killed, she will take off for a couple of days once she resurrects, but eventually her appetite will drive her back. However, as many other threats do, she will vanish on her own come March.
Heinrich Unheimlich [cw: paranoia, haunted dolls and other toys]
Heinrich Unheimlich, bist du in den Dielen?
Heinrich Unheimlich, oh, bist du in Sicht?
Heinrich Unheimlich, iss meine Eltern nicht.
Did you ever have a toy you wanted as a child, but never got? Or maybe you have a sentimental one from your childhood that you sometimes miss? Maybe you just like the look of a rustic, vintage, handmade toy. Whatever the case may be, you’ve received a gift. Whether you spotted the uncanny toymaker delivering it or not is up to coincidence, but it’s yours now, and it won’t let you throw it away.
The toy can be anything, regardless of time period of origin or design, but you’ll immediately be aware of something off about it that will slowly instill an unshakable sense of creeping dread in you every time you see it. It moves on its own, and will even appear in public places as the encounter escalates. As previously stated, the toy cannot be burned, smashed, thrown away, abandoned, contained, hidden, or permanently destroyed/disposed of in any fashion. Seriously, if you can imagine it, this thing can either survive it or come back from it. Your only option to get rid of it is to wait until Heinrich Unheimlich has gotten his fill of your terror, or to gift it to someone else. If you can persuade them to take it, that is.
Ironically, so long as you remain frightened of the toy, you’ll find it to be mostly harmless. It may start escalating its nonsense if you become desensitized, however, and if you try to stand up to it or call its bluff, then you’ll need to check out our death reference. Heinrich's creations don't take kindly to heroics. Eventually, though, the toy will move on and vanish entirely from your home, taking your sanity with it. Feel free to play this for genuine horror or for creepy comedy, and get as intense with hauntings as your heart desires!
Snowflakes[cw: loss of autonomy, potential for NSFW]
Oh, the weather outside is frightful! Pink snowflakes are on the loose, and you might be their next victim.During any regular snowfall, there will occasionally be a tiny, subtly pink snowflake fluttering among the normal flurries. If it lands on you, it'll bring out your affectionate side. How it manifests varies by victim, and it doesn't necessarily have to be overtly romantic, but you'll see effects ranging from making you cuddly, emotionally vulnerable, lonely and clingy, grandly romantic, or maybe even a little spicy…
Despite Mettaton's warnings, the urge isn't so strong as to drive you to cross boundaries against your will, so be nice! Or at the very least, only be as naughty as everyone involved is up for. Maybe you'll get a date for Merrymeet out of it! Happy cuffing season, and let it snow!
Tree Fae [cw: loss of autonomy, unreality]
LYou could find one in any tree. The old oak by the temple, its sacred roots entwined with the holy space it shelters. The young birch that marks the halfway point on your commute to the market. The gnarled maple by the train station. Or any of the naked trees hidden among the towering pines of Lockwood Forest. Almost impossible to spot when still, these emissaries of the fairy court known as the Green Willows will only move when they want to draw your eye. And if you meet their gaze, beady emerald gleams amid the bark of their skin, you are already under their spell.The descriptions laid out in the article were pretty much what you needed to know. Once you are enchanted by one of these tree spirits, you will be away with the fairies in the most literal sense, wandering deliriously through an endless woodland until you encounter another person. A fellow victim, or a random woodland wanderer? It won't matter to the magic that binds you--- the trees demand an offering. A stolen item, a stolen kiss, a terrible secret, blood, or even a life.
If the person you've met is a fellow victim, they will be overcome with an urge that either matches yours or conflicts with it. Perhaps you can fight it off together, or perhaps you will succumb together. Or if the person you find is just an unrelated stranger, they may be able to help you snap out of it. Use of dice is not required, but highly encouraged to determine success or failure! If you're able to shake the spell, you're in the clear aside from having to walk all the way home, but otherwise you'll find yourself outside your own door somehow once the offering's conditions are satisfied. If you survive, that is.
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Dormitory. He tries to search up the word in his head, the way he used to be able to when someone said something he didn't understand (though North had to tell him to stop looking up things South said) but obviously he can't, so he just has to try and use context. Which there isn't a lot of. Uh. It must be a building, at least?
The confusion is blatant on his face, a kid who clearly has very little control over his facial expressions (he didn't used to have a face, after all). It only goes away a little when Pennyburrow describes what's clearly a comm device of some kind, except it looks like a rock? That doesn't make sense.
"I-I guess so. Though I don't really understand how a rock can do that. S-Sorry." Still, if it does somehow work like that and this will get them closer to getting him to North... "...he's Agent North Dakota."
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He's just taken a breath to start on his upbeat ramble about what a sending stone is when Theta continues on, and that thought is thoroughly derailed by nothing short of sheer delight.
"Wait— North Dakota? I know him personally! He's been a good friend of mine for just a little while now!" Teddy enthuses. "Here, I can absolutely call him for you. And it'll be a good demonstration for the sending stones! Here, let's see..."
Teddy takes just a moment, shedding his coat and offering it to Theta with a quiet instruction to put it on - after all, a few extra minutes in the cold won't bother him beneath all his fur, but he doesn't want to keep a poor boy out in the cold. It's fortunate now more than ever that he's about as short as some of the teenagers he works with, because he holds his stone out between them, clears his throat, and speaks.
"Call North Dakota, please."
And, without more than a beat of delay, the stone begins to shine with a soft chime, giving Teddy a moment to flash Theta a grin.
"See? They're enchanted devices we use to keep in touch over distances," he explains. "Once we've reached the dormitory, the place where I work and where I offer rooms to our local youths without a home of their own, I'll give you your own, so you'll be able to call him or myself any time you need. Ah, if only he didn't take an eternity to answer the thing..."
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"Well, I think an eternity is a bit of an exaggeration, there, Ted," North jokes. "What's up? Did you change your mind about ice hockey on Lake Sal-Co-Penn this weekend?"
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Almost all lingering confusion or hesitance disappears from Theta's face in an instant when Pennyburrow recognises the name. That means this is one of North's friends, like York or Wash. Oh, good. That's good.
He manages to shrug into the coat with some small effort (takes him a second to figure out the armholes, mostly) and is surprised when he stops feeling so... that must be cold, he guesses? Why does cold make you kind of shake a little?
"Enchanted," he echoes, sounding the word out. It's a little more familiar than dormitory, if only because the Freelancers watched movies sometimes. He's bouncing on his heels, now, anxious and excited at once. "O-Okay, I guess that all makes sense. I hope he picks up quic—"
And then North does answer, and Theta... forgets how to talk. Immediately. Totally jams up in his excitement.
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"No, no, I think I should still be free to come with you! Someone's got to make sure you come back in one piece," he teases. "But, if you've got just a moment, I've got a new friend here who's very excited to speak with you."
At last, Teddy offers the sending stone over to Theta gently, offering him a warm smile.
"It's all yours when you're ready for it. He'll be terribly excited to hear from you."
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Theta tries to stop bouncing as he accepts the stone, kind of worried he's going to drop it or something, not really trusting these new hand, but he succeeds for all of two seconds before he's going again.
The relief and excitement at the sound of North's voice (he's okay!!) doesn't help him form words any quicker, mind running too fast in a brain still not quite as fast as his old one, and what ultimately comes out is a:
"...h-hi, North."
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"Theta?"
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Stupidly, he nods at first—actually, no, the first thing he does is try to reach out to North mentally, a reflex that comes easy as breathing apparently does, except there's no connection there anymore. It makes him kind of sad, for a moment, but excitement wins out.
"Yeah, yeah, it's me! I-I just got off this weird ship and I told them I needed to find you and your friend said we could call you and— and—" Oh, wow, he doesn't get that much air out of a breath, does he? He has to catch his breath for a second, then repeats: "...hi."
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"Uh— we're not there yet, but we're going there, I think!" He looks at Pennyburrow again for confirmation, then starts bouncing even more animatedly and actually seems eager enough that it bypasses his nerves entirely, because he reaches to pull Pennyburrow's arm a bit as if to ask to hurry up. "That does sound cool. I-I've never even seen a horse before."
Obviously North knows that, but he doesn't want to stop talking.
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North can't stop grinning as he saddles up his horse, a dappled grey mare by the name of Pearl. He hops onto her back.
"Okay--- gotta ride to get to you. Talk to you in ten minutes, alright?"
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"I can do that! I think!" How do you take care of plants and animals, that wasn't part of his programming... but he can figure it out, right? Yeah, with North here he thinks he can figure out just about anything.
He doesn't really want to have to hang up, ten minutes suddenly feels like hours even though objectively ten minutes now feels shorter to him than it used to (AI time, it's... complicated), but if North needs his hands free then...
"O-Okay. Ten minutes. See you there."
It's so weird, not just... being there with him already, but it's not that long. They just have to get there. That's easy. Even if he almost trips over his own feet a few times from trying to walk so fast without being used to his legs.
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Once he's explained each piece, he takes a moment, wide ears swiveling for a moment, before nodding to himself. They've got just a minute more - just enough time for him to open one of the drawers of his desk.
"Alright, he should be here in just a couple of minutes, so we haven't got too much more time. But the last thing you'll need is a sending stone of your own. I've got a few spares I keep for new arrivals just like yourself in here, so take a look and pick your favorite," Teddy explains, finally taking a seat just to the side. "We'll get to see each other during the weekly classes you'll have, but I want you to know if you need anything, you feel free to call me, alright? I've got my name in your notebook, as well as a few other important ones and some other information, so make sure to check it when you've got a moment. Oh! And you'll need some gloves, of course—"
He's fully rambling now, but in his defense, when has there been such a tight time-table to make sure one of the town's new arrivals had everything they need? (It isn't as if North doesn't know where to find him if he needs anything else, but goddesses damn him if he doesn't make his best effort to be as thorough as possible.)
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"Hey, fellas, I'm here for a pick-up!"
As much as he tries to play it off, be jovial and funny, he can't help the massive grin when he sees Theta. He doesn't even look like he used to, no longer a tiny projection of blue and magenta light wearing UNSC armor. But somehow he still looks... exactly like himself.
"Holy shit," North murmurs, stooping and opening his arms. "C'mere, bud!"
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Theta spends the whole time Pennyburrow is talking to him extremely distracted. He answers questions ("Uhhhh—I don't know. I didn't used to wear clothes.") and he takes the things he's handed, he might even be mostly processing the information he's being given thanks to his generally-quicker brain, but every few seconds he's looking toward the door and he can't stand still for the life of him.
When the knock finally comes, he turns around so quickly it's a miracle he doesn't make himself dizzy.
"North!!!"
It's strange, he thinks, how quickly the instinct to run over and throw himself into North's arms comes to him, despite how impossible all of this was for the rest of his entire existence. But it just... makes sense? He never even considers any other course of action. North opens his arms and Theta jumps to meet him. No hesitation. Just a bright laugh full of both excitement and relief. (He's okay!)
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Maybe they could be a whole family.
"Look at you! Have you seen yourself? You look awesome!"
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Theta clings onto him tight as his admittedly rather weak arms can manage, and might never even stop laughing if he didn't need to catch his breath. Even then it's hard to stop, cheeks already hurting from how wide he's grinning—that's silly, isn't that a design flaw? (He doesn't really mind, though.)
"I-I haven't got to look in a mirror yet," he says, between laughs and catching his breath. "But I can sort of see my uh— hair when it falls in my face so I know it's kind of the same colour as yours."
Which he likes. He likes that. Imagining something like this, before now, was— it's a dangerous thought, for an AI, the urge for humanity is what turned Sigma into what he was, made him do what he did, but that didn't mean Theta didn't think about it, once or twice. Think about what it might be like, about what he might look like. He always thought more of North than— than the other face, the face that he can't quite remember.
He's so happy he gets to look like North.
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Oh, jeez, where are your manners, North? He helps Theta down and then gives Teddy a clap on the shoulder. "Thanks a ton, Ted, I owe you one. Honestly, I owe you like, ten. I'll be back in town for the market tomorrow, I'll bring you fresh eggs!"
He's practically halfway out the door, though, eager to get Theta back home. "This is the coolest, Theta. How the heck did Mortanne pull this one off, I wonder?"
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Theta waves to Pennyburrow on the way out, shouting back a, "Bye Mister Pennyburrow! Thank you for the help!" as he does. He's nice. North picks good friends.
He has to jog a little to keep up with North's long legs, and he's still struggling to not trip over his feet—having legs is kinda weird, actually, how are you meant to keep them from knocking into each other?
"Is that the nice lady, from the office? S-She didn't really explain that much, but she told me you were here. I-I guess she knew you needed me."
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Tied to a post beside the building is a grey horse with white speckles and a white mane, who seems to be staring pensively at a brick wall and swishing her tail aimlessly. She is clearly doing some very deep and profound pondering while waiting for North, only disengaging her gaze from the wall when she hears footsteps crunching beside her.
"Theta, this is Pearl. She's gonna be our lift home."
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Theta looks up at the unfamiliar animal with eyes that are equal parts fascinated and kinda scared—wow, horses are tall. (Well, so is North, but North actually seems less tall now that he's not only a few inches high, and he already knew that anyway, so...)
"Wow. She's kinda big. W-Which I guess she needs to be to carry people and stuff. Are we both going to fit okay?"
Still a nervous kid, some things don't change.
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"Yeah! Check it out." As before, North stoops and hoists Theta, this time helping him onto Pearl's saddle. Then, using the stirrups, he does the same and plops down behind Theta. It's a slight squeeze, but they'll be fine, and Pearl seems unconcerned as ever by the extra bit of weight. With some calculated use of her reins, North steers them toward home, following the set of horse tracks from their way in. "You okay?"
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Theta lets himself be hoisted without an issue, trusting North's hands implicitly at every turn, and though he looks a little hesitant as he sits there alone, he settles once North is up there with him. Trying his best not to get in the way, he still loosely holds North's sleeve.
"Yeah, yeah, I-I'm okay. It's just kinda high. But I-I guess we've been higher." Jumped out of Pelicans and actual crazy stuff like that. He's just usually only hitching a ride. But, still, this is okay. He's adjusting quickly, with North right there to help. "...I missed you too. A-At least I did when I could think like me."
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"...So you did end up part of the Meta, then."
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