TDM #5 - Paradesium [REPRINT]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette April Issue

[Find our plain text version here!] MOD NOTE: April's event for members will take place between April 12-25 and will impact the whole island. As such, any tags taking place here over that time will need to be back- or future-dated unless an alternative is discussed with a mod. Don't worry over the details of this too much--- time is soup, after all. Just something to be aware of. Thanks!

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

4/2/24 | TDM #5 - Paradesium [REPRINT]
Content Warnings: individual CWs found per prompt in "Further Details"
Forecast: Very rainy! Chance of severe storms.

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW!

By Yorick Aberdeen

Apparently the ferryman needed a bigger boat!

ACROSS TOWN - Since June of 16:53, a steady stream of new arrivals to our sleepy little town has flowed in by ferry, emerging from the fog. And it seems this trend is due to continue, as this past March is on record the highest number of new residents in a single month!

We are incredibly grateful for all of you coming to our home and filling it with life once more, even though the dangers of our local curse have significantly increased since all of you began arriving. This reporter isn’t complaining--- additional harm to my own person notwithstanding!

If you are a new arrival, please report to Town Hall at your leisure so that we can help you find work and permanent lodging. Or don’t! The Oak & Iron is happy to rent you a room for as long as you need. Best of luck to all of you, and as we say in Pumpkin Hollow, may your lanterns always be lit!

CHARITY DRIVE ENCOURAGES CULTURAL EXCHANGE

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

One of the charming toys created during last year's Doll Picnic.

FESTIVAL GREEN - Preparations are underway for the upcoming annual Doll Picnic. A charity event sponsored by the Artisan’s Guild, this picnic is an Anwyllic tradition that was brought to the island and continued with love. The first Doll Picnic was organized by Dame Meredith Idlewild of the town of Glyn Rhuthun on Kora’s Haven, with the toys being donated to the local children’s hospital after a massive landslide engulfed a local school.

The Artisan’s Guild has baskets of material available for making dolls, including fabric, yarn, stuffing, buttons, and the like. However, tradition states that sourcing materials from the natural world (for example, acorn husks to use as buttons or deadwood to carve for doll arms and legs) results in the toys being blessed by Serrenai, who will watch over the children who play with them. The toys will be donated to local children after the picnic, including those who are ill or whose families can only afford necessities.

Newcomers are explicitly invited to join in the making of toys, and the resulting picnic. As a personal note: the locals have never heard of a teddy bear before. This reporter expects to see several, as we introduce our traditions to their traditions.

PLANTING SEASON BEGINS!

By Yorick Aberdeen

After a difficult winter, the appearance of spring's sprouts lifts our spirits.

NORTHWEST HOLLOW - The spring thaw is in full swing! That means it’s time for our local farmers to begin planting. Town Hall is offering a small reward to any of our newest arrivals who would be interested in assisting with planting season for farms less than a year old.

Anyone fresh off the boat interested in making 100 Brass should seek out Eddie and Angel Kasbrak, Arthur Morgan, Cèsar Salazar, Mairi Miann, Ylva Wolfsdottir, or Muriel and offer assistance with tilling and planting. We look forward to rewarding you for your contributions!

HOT SPRINGS OPEN FOR RELAXATION

By Yorick Aberdeen

Photograph provided by the Safety Board!

CRANE'S RIDGE - After a recent earthquake opened up a hot spring on the lower portion of Crane’s Ridge, a small portion of the Pumpkin Hollow Damage Claims Assessment Corps has been working to get the area cleaned up and safe for use by the general public.

Following its recent approval for compliance by the Safety Board, we are pleased to announce that Porter’s Spring is now available for public enjoyment! It can be accessed by taking the train to the North Station or by following the central trail out of Northwest Hollow, though the Safety Board does not recommend making this journey on foot due to its proximity to Lake Sal-Co-Penn. Enjoy!

STRANGE CAVERNS DISCOVERED BENEATH CRANE’S RIDGE

By Yorick Aberdeen

A small glimpse into this world beneath our own.

CRANE RIDGE - In addition to the hot springs, the earthquake can also be credited for a major cave-in in our Crane’s Ridge mines. A large tunnel was completely buried in rubble by the inexplicable natural occurrence. For the past several months, our mining team has been chipping away at the cave-in to try and regain access to the blocked tunnels in the lower area of the mountain.

In one of these tunnels, however, the team discovered a shocking surprise as the rubble was removed! Apparently, just beyond the mine walls, there has been an entrance to Hepogaia--- a subterranean nation running below our own fair country and many others. It seems that this particular portion of Hepogaian territory is also trapped within the barrier. Brief attempts at scouting by the Safety Board have noted a plethora of subterranean wildlife, both familiar and unfamiliar. This incredible new environment, hiding just out of sight beneath our island, is so full of wonder and splendor that it has earned a fitting name--- “Paradesium.”

A recent ecology study and expedition run by Pumpkin Hollow’s own Dr. Elias Coldwood has redirected their efforts to this new location, but those interested in exploring and scouting out this fantastical new discovery independently are encouraged to pack thoughtfully and travel in groups of two or more! Any information obtained during excursions into Paradesium would be appreciated by the Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety.

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Further Details...

Charity Drive

The Doll Picnic Charity Drive will run throughout the next two months during our TDM, and there will be an event later on involving posing the dolls for a picnic. Once a photo is taken, the children will be allowed to come picnic with their new toys and take them home after!

There is absolutely no way this could possibly go wrong. Absolutely no dollmakers will be jumpscared or attacked by possessed dolls. None at all. (Okay, maybe some of them. But it’s fine. It’s for a good cause.)

[Mod Note: you can just make a doll without it coming to life and trying to kick your ass, that part is optional. Also the dolls will be blessed at the picnic and rendered unable to attack children.]

Planting Season

Any brand-new characters will get 100B extra on their stipend if they submit an AC-length thread with one of the existing farmers on their first Activity Check! This will be available regardless of whether the character qualifies for normal bonuses, but can only be redeemed by those who app in.

For reference for new players, threads are considered AC-length if they are ten tags in length (meaning 5 of your own tags and 5 from your partner.)

Hot Springs

Porter’s Spring is a perfectly normal and safe hot spring! However, you can encounter any number of perils on your way there if you decide to travel on foot, allowing new players to revisit some of our earlier events.

Check out our bestiary (pending update to new format) for more information on creatures such as Brutoks, the River Walker, and the Pine Devil, or stumble on Lake Sal-Co-Penn for a nasty surprise! Brutoks may also steal personal items from spring-goers on occasion. Don’t chase after them alone unless you want to be turned into a tree!

The Tristitia

In addition to the creatures in the wild, in town after dark characters may also encounter the Tristitia, Pumpkin Hollow’s newest cryptid.

She is a wraith-like spirit which haunts the island. Wearing tattered black clothes and colored all in shades of gray, she appears as a woman who walks around weeping with a caved-in chest, covering her face with her hands. Harmless if given a wide berth, but if she is set off, she will take out her desire for empathy for her grief on her target. She does this by embracing them and drawing out their own grief and trauma, leaving the target catatonic before she fades away, temporarily assuaged.

Into Paradesium

Crystals, golden with light and raw magical energy, cast what looks like sunlight down into the cascading cave. For every foot lower that the ground curls down from the entrance, the trees stretch ever-higher, carrying the raucous cries of animals unlike the surface of Marrow Isle had ever heard.

A jungle, so lush with life, sprawls ahead of any brave enough to venture into it. But what is there to see?

For Paradesium specifically, the bestiary has received a significant update. Creatures featured in prompts have their links to the accounts by Dr. Coldwood and his team marked with stars for easy location.

Below are multiple prompts for some encounters to be had in the jungle, but feel free to create any of your own encounters with any of the creatures listed! If the descriptions are short, feel free to write the creatures' behaviors however makes sense.

Welcome to the Jungle

Swallowed by dense canopies and noise, the jungle is quick to swallow any who travel within it whole.

Eyes are quick to find you, however. Perching in the treetops are a variety of small wyverns in vibrant colors, heads tilting as they try to comprehend what you could be. They squawk, chatter, and some of the bolder ones draw closer - if you sit anything aside and leave it unattended for too long, some even bolder than that will pilfer it, taking the object into the trees to admire with its companions.

Reptilian hunters with bright, keen eyes, the Plommon, consider you with much of the same interest. This interest increases tenfold if you happen to feed them.

If the prying eyes are no bother, then the forest's bounty is ripe for tending and taking. Bananas hang off trees, colorful citrus fruits catch light on their waxy peels, and bulky cocoa beans are jostled by movement in the branches above them. Even the broad leaves of the plants prove extraordinarily useful, whether you're looking to come in and quickly leave, or intend to push further within.

Wherever you go, those curious eyes follow you. Perhaps even out of the cave, should your attempts to shoo an adventurous creature away. What an odd way to gain a new team member.

Down a Few Notches on the Food Chain

(CWs: Potential for death, gore, or animal death)

Unfortunately, not all can be pure bounty and new friends in a place like this.

With the cavern sprawling widely and massively, there are many significantly larger creatures in this space, and some seem to be keen to take up opportunity for new prey. As you explore, there's a new feeling of eyes upon you, and the silence that overtakes the surrounding trees spells nothing good to come.

Any one of the massive predators in the wood has you in it's sights.

Escape is difficult, but manageable, as is fighting back. Creatures can be challenged, and hides, bones, and other spoils can be claimed from them, should there be success! If not, this is a good opportunity for familiarization with the Death page.

The silkhide chimera specializes in persistence. The longer and further you go, the more exhausted you'll get. A break is an opportunity that it will be keen to take.

The greenstalker excels at ambushing and high-speed pursuit. At top speeds of 30MPH, your party will need strategy and skill on their side to keep this beast at bay. (Or, alternatively, a source of fire.)

The elephant raptor does neither of these - the beast's sheer length of reach does all it needs to. Water and mud soften the sounds of the gargantuan creature's approach. Stay alert, and be sure that you hear it before it's upon you.

Safe travels become more difficult to manage, the further in you go. Deep, rumbling snores tell you that there's a chance you're just getting to the greater threats this paradise has to offer...

Fragments of the Past

Through great distances traveled, this "uninhabited" cavern begins to show signs that may speak to that not having always been the case.

Ruins of homes, crumbled bricks and tiles, can be found at the deepest reaches of the cavern. These dilapidated buildings, though worn with time, tell a story: the people who left his place, one that could be identified as a stenholm to any familiar with dwarvish culture, did not leave it on good terms.

Essentials were clearly taken with them, as the ruins of this place lack tools or clothing. Valuables are still scattered throughout, however. Large objects with too much history to have been left behind by indifference dot the collapsing homes. Ritual circles still waft radiant energy from them.

In the remains of a temple, an altar stands, cracking with age and covered in plants as the cavern reclaims it. Old candle-stands have rusted with age, but still stand, undisturbed.

Just before the altar, folded onto its side (as best as one can be, when only pieces remain), lies a skeleton. The clothes are tattered remains of stained whites and dulled blues, and the wildlife have cleaned flesh from bones, but it's remained undisturbed by time.

There's a quiet sadness to this place that lingers, even with the people who inhabited it so long since lost.

Should you linger too long, however, there comes the distinct feeling of not being alone.

Clair de Lune

(CWs: Long-term isolation, extinction)

Golden eyes of a human face follow your every moment, and the moment you lock your gaze onto them, the face emerges from the darkness, partially covered by spilling dark hair.

What follows this face, however, is not a human face - but, rather, a feline body with sprawling, grey-flecked wings.

There's a long, tense silence, as it emerges fully. Standing easily at eight feet tall while on all fours, the size of this creature becomes more and more apparent as it emerges from the dark of the collapsed wind.

Unlike the other animals of the cavern, though, there seems to be an anxiousness to its look. The lion's chest rises and falls with short, nervous breaths.

And then, in a hushed, woman's voice, hoarse from disuse, it speaks.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?"

-------------------

The Sphinx is a new NPC available for characters to interact with, should they delve deep enough into the caverns to find the stenholm. She's wary of all the new faces, and tends to be somewhat flighty, but seems cautiously interested in what new humans being in Hepogaia have to offer. For the sort looking to understand this place, it's people, or intend to trade, she can be communed with.

To interact with her, comment on the TL provided from beastsofthehollow with her icon, and if the initial introduction isn't your speed, feel free to encounter her however you like!

IMPORTANT MOD NOTE

As of April 8th we are allowing characters under the age of 18 to apply to Pumpkin Hollow. As we begin to navigate how to approach the change, we ask that anyone posting a TDM toplevel after this date include their character's numerical age (or a general idea of their age) in the title of the comment. We may not stick with this strategy permanently, but for the time being it allows players to quickly gauge what interactions and relationship dynamics are appropriate to pursue with unfamiliar characters! Please bear with us while we experiment!

Comments

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS

[pumpkinhollow]

Dahlia Leeds || NPC || OTA

[thethirteenthchild]

-Daily Grind-
Most days, Dahlia can be found at the reception desk in Town Hall, utterly swamped in paperwork. With so many new arrivals lately, there have been a lot of vouchers to write out to the Oak & Iron for room and board, tons of job change and address assignment forms, just mountains of it. And now that she lacks a personal assistant, significantly more work has fallen on her.

When the door opens to Town Hall, her desk is front and center. "Be right with you," she calls out without looking up yet.

-Day Off-
Headed up to the hot springs? So is Dahlia. She's sitting patiently at the train station, reading something while she waits for the train. She seems to have a picnic basket with her as well. And there's no better place than a train for a captive audience.

-Lost and Found-
Near the entrance to Paradesium, Dahlia can be found running after some funny little creature that came above the surface, struggling in her fancy dress and high heels, drenched from the frequent rain. She stops just outside the cave. "You motherfucking--- Goddammit!"

She takes a moment to let out a frustrated sigh and cast around in defeat, apparently looking for help or options.

Lost and Found

[saltwaterlungs]

Out of seemingly nowhere-

"Do you not own a pair of boots?"

Hi. Resident nuisance in a pair of far more sensible shoes and a wide hat to keep the rain off, looking all dolled up for an exhibition down below.

"Like the dress is a choice but you could break your fucking ankle."

Daily Grind

[mr_jones]

Jones says nothing when the young woman at the desk waves him off. She looks like she’s having a time of it, poor thing—reminds him a bit of Rory when he’s got too many autopsies to wrangle.

So he stands and waits, surveying the space quietly. His gaze drifts across her desk to a stack of files, which appear to be alphabetically stacked save for the fact that she’s swapped the ‘M’s and the ‘N’s.

Unable to stop it, a gently sympathetic smile touches his features.

“Bugger all, those in charge really don’t give the staff a break, do they, sweetheart?” He laughs sympathetically. “I’m tempted to speak to the mayor about the lack of staffing.”

Lost and Found...

[dynamiteabs]

          With the recent discovery of Paradesium, Jamison had volunteered to patrol the nearby area. He was not only curious about the creatures but also found that the cave provided excellent acoustics for singing... And apparently cursing. A smile of amusement formed on his lips as he steered his noble steed toward the sound, eventually stopping a few feet from the smol angy woman.

          Tilting his head, Junkrat observed how she was dressed — out of her element — before hopping down from his horse and stepping closer. ❝ I regret to inform ya', this is a no cursin' zone, luv. Gonna' have to write ya' a ticket... ❞ Was he messing with her? His playful smirk gave away the fact he absolutely was. ❝ Seriously though, Enforcer Fawkes at ya' service. ❞ A slight bow of his head was given. ❝ I'm guessin' by your outburst, ya' need somethin' blown up? ❞ Oh please, please say yes.

-Day Off-

[decohere]

As she waits for the train, Ava fiddles with her thick hair that she reminds herself not to think of as unruly, trying to figure out how to keep it all up with just a thin strip of cloth. She should've asked Peter to help her braid it before she left...

She glances over at the other woman at the station, might be spying to see what she's reading. All Ava has with her is a towel folded in her lap. This woman clearly seems better prepared for the trip.

Lost and Found

[blindwatchersees]

"Careful, dear!" He offers a hand to help her catch her balance.

"Hardly the right shoes to be chasin' after Grummites in, ya know." He himself is barefoot, with a considerable amount of dried mud and grass caked around his feet. It honestly probably does provide a little protection. The rest of his clothes are almost pristine, and he gives off the impression of a well-kempt gentleman poet.

Vespertine || OC || Spooky Doll || [Open To All!]

[vespertineactivity]

Spooky Doll Jumpscare [Charity Drive]

So you're making a doll, and then things get weird. One of them comes to life, moves around, ends up places it shouldn't be. One of them attacks you, comes at you. It's been happening, or so they say. The dolls keep getting possessed! It's a pretty rough time to be a spooky doll, isn't it?

Well, no, not really. Vespertine's a hunter, a killer, and frankly! It's having a great time hunting these lesser imitations of what it is!

So things get a little weird and then there's a string of silver grabbing the possessed doll and Vespertine's on the other end, a fistful of bone needles in its hand. It's 'human' form, which it's wearing for these hunts just to keep anyone from making an unfortunate mistake, appears to be a girl made of porcelain, complete with very simple handmade dress. Its face doesn't move or shift, eyes opening and closing and that's about it. Ironically, its doll form has more facial flexibility.

Idle Hands... [Planting Season]

Spooky dolls don't have to sleep, nor eat, and yet... There's the deal to consider. Its presence here, its continued existence, hinges on not entertaining itself in the usual way. There's some saying out there about idle hands and work, and while Vespertine doesn't know it, it knows that if it works with people, it hurts them less, so that's just what it chooses to do.

Vespertine has a remarkable talent for directly tending a living thing, for an evil doll, but absolutely no experience with farmwork in the slightest. Negative knowledge, in fact, to the point where whatever poor farmer has accepted its help, [that's you, probably!] likely finds it struggling with something that seems like it ought to be easy.

Art Imitates Life [Hot Springs]

Much like sleeping and eating, Vespertine doesn't need to bathe so much as squishy messy living things, and doesn't have muscles to get tense... And yet it's still there, sitting in the hot springs, human shaped and unnaturally still. Is this yet another little joke? Is it getting something out of this? It mostly just responds to anyone who settles into the same pool, head tilting with a little widening of the eyes, and a waved greeting.

There's an exception however. Anyone who's met Vespertine in the sense of 'been pranked by the spooky doll' gets a litle wiggling wave which seems much more excited. Its face can't lift into a smile but that's okay it makes up for that with body language! [This is an invitation to declare oneself having been spooked by Vespertine!]

Dolls Don't Cry [The Tristitia]

Emotionally, Vespertine has shown very little beyond it's tendency for humor and affection for the act of creating just about anything. To whatever poor soul comes across it after it's encounter with the Tristitia, it will be very sorry. So. Very. Sorry. This poor soul [you, probably!] will find themself with an armful (if a small one,) of silently weeping doll. It should be immune to this. It is immune to this. It has no human soul, no living thing's heart, and yet still it weeps.

No true voice to speak, but the false one it uses still conveys sorrow, if stilted. If you know sign, it'll use that, and there the sorrow feels most genuine. Will you listen to a doll's story?

Teatime [Wildcard]

Over the course of the past few weeks, Vespertine has become a bit of a staple at any place of food. Sitting at a table, with a couple cups of tea, or coffee, or something stronger, waiting for someone to come sit beside it. Anyone who takes the implicit offer is safe from any pranks for the rest of the day, as long as they stay and finish a glass of tea.

Teatime

[saltwaterlungs]

Cautiously, at the Oak and Iron, when Darcy's on break.

Leaning in to whisper-

"Are you haunted? I'm not a narc, I just want to know."

Dolls Don't Cry

[xiaoxiuya]

Except, it seems, for when they very much do. Shen Qingqiu was not expecting to find himself with an arm full of cursed doll tonight, but now that she's here she's so small, and her misery is so palpable...and he's heard about what that crying ghost does to people...and even if it's a trick, it's not like she can kill him permanently, right?

Right.

He pats her head, his own heart breaking a little from how tiny and sad she is like a little lost sheep. "There there," he says quietly. "I know it hurts, poor thing, but it will pass. This too will pass."

Art Imitates Life

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Leon has not yet had the opportunity to actually soak in the hot springs - not for lack of trying, but it seems like every time he shows up someone else is already there, and he's just not quite comfortable enough with anyone he's encountered yet not to slink off and vow to come back later so as not to bother them, much less actually get in the water with them. This time seems different though, at least at first glance, and Leon manages to get as far as getting his shirt, shoes, and pants off, wading into the water before noticing the doll sitting in the shallows.

"Huh. Did someone leave you here?" To his knowledge, he's talking to himself more than anything else. He takes a step closer, meaning to take a closer look, only to jolt back as it moves. "The fuck?"

Wildcard...

[dynamiteabs]

          Jamison had seen the doll around town but thought nothing of it. Kids leaving their toys around everywhere wasn't out of the ordinary. But today, he noticed it had been sitting there alone for quite a while now, and the table would soon be needed. And so, since he didn't feel like going back on patrol just yet, he made his way over. ❝ This doll belong ta' any of you? ❞ he called out while looking around. Then he took the stone that he still felt silly talking into out of his pocket and asked, ❝ Hey, where do we keep the lost 'n found? Got some froufrou lookin' doll here, and no one's claimin' it... ❞

César Salazar | Generator Rex, Post Series | OTA [Including Farmer Prompt]

[pineapplesalmon]

Planting Season - newbie bonus possible
César's still got a host of activities brand new people can help with: bringing food to the cows and horse, petting his cows to get them more used to people besides just him (and that includes a wobbly BABY), and working in the greenhouse. Thankfully, César's got tasks that can all be done under a roof, because it's sure raining a lot now!

Or you could be someone who just wants to visit. He doesn't mind visitors, especially since he's gotten himself situated into sharing the work properly with his new employees (thanks to help from Magne). César can now take moments out of his workday to be social!

He'll cheerfully wave to visitors onto the farmhouse's covered porch. "Come quick, the rain's about ready to get worse!"


Hot Springs
César Salazar has made it to the hot springs. This is NOT a drill. He's actually there, relaxing in the hot water. Maybe relaxing a little too much, because he's starting to doze off while he's in a pool by himself. Someone should... probably wake him?


Outside Paradesium - general fun but possible discovery of yerba mate
César's not going in. He can't, not by himself. But that doesn't mean he can't stand near the entrance and let himself feel the wilds. They've been calling to him ever since Mairi helped him properly feel out magic for the first time.

He stands at the entrance, hand on rock, staring longingly, as if trying to will someone to be able to safely take him down there on his day off....

Porter's Spring

[wailingbell]

César is being watched very closely. If he doesn't wake up of his own accord, perhaps he will sleep through the anomalous sound that comes through the trees: breathing clotted by mud and fire, and the gentle rattling of a bell. The smell of the spring may not fully mask that of blood and fire that follows those sounds.

There is an itch in invisible fingers, once clenched so tightly around a weapon fashioned after a grisly crime against a man that deserved the punishment he got. A weapon that isn't here. The man bathing by himself is safe.

For now.

Planting season

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy's making their rounds past the farms, just to check in and see if there's anything that needs doing. They've gone through lean times back home but never enough to actually starve, and they don't care to actually experience it. Not a method of death they want to undergo.

This one is one that Darcy hasn't made their way to, but since the others are rained out, they may as well try it. Their broad hat and the jacket keeps the rain off, but beyond that there is a very cautious bubble of water being kept away from them, sliding off just before it hits their hat.

Of course, at who answers the door, there is a moment of Darcy freezing solid in place, and then a cautious-

"César?"

Shen Qingqiu (Yuan) | Existing Player | OTA

[xiaoxiuya]

First Day

Freshly-released from the mayor's office, a young man with Asian features and strikingly long, lovely black hair stares blankly across the square before slowly wandering over to a bench. His fine features seem oddly slack; his eyes stare at a distant point on the horizon.

It's so strange, so very strange. He's free now, if not in movements then at least in purpose. The danger he faced is over. So why does he feel so desolate?

The fair skin around his eyes begins to ever so slightly turn red -- but if someone speaks to him or sits on the bench he'll startle, gaze suddenly turning direct and alert while an obvious mask of serenity settles over his face. His right hand twitches, moving towards his belt, before it checks itself and returns to its mate, folded decorously in his lap. He smiles and says softly, "Please pardon me, I'm afraid I was wool-gathering. Were you speaking to me?"

[astrogator]

Arilanna Tayrey doesn't remember every face she saw on the Serena Eterna. Some of them she's making every effort to forget - but she'd know this one anywhere. A man she wishes she'd been able to do more for, who slipped away quickly, who she hoped had gone to peace and not the indefinite torture that was the fate of the disappeared on that nightmare ship.

'Citizen Shen!' It's what he'd told her to call him. 'Yes, yes I meant you. It's so good to see you. You look so well.' That wouldn't be difficult. When she'd first met him he'd been a ragged, bloody mess with a missing eye, and that ship hadn't exactly had advanced medical facilities.

She realises with a start that she must have looked just as bad, if not worse, when she died. Covered in bandages. Of course their second chance here is one they can begin with their bodies healed. It's only right. She gives him an encouraging smile as she stands before him, a young woman in bright blue coveralls, dark hair in a neat bun.

Ruby Rose | RWBY (V9 + CRAU) | Current Player/Character

[littlefairytale]

oak & iron

There is a one-eyed young woman disassociating in the Oak & Iron. She's probably meant to be eating, there's certainly a half-full plate of food on the table in front of her, but right now all she's actually doing is staring into space. Her food is no doubt going cold. She may be unwittingly staring directly at someone with her surprisingly piercing silver gaze. The unnatural stillness may just be kind of concerning.

This is unfortunately a not-uncommon occurrence while Ruby is staying here at the inn.

making dolls

Now she has access to more tools, whilst the charity drive is ongoing Ruby occasionally takes some time to chill out by working on some simple dolls and figurines. She's not experienced with sewing, so she works with wood and takes advantage of all of her experience as a designer and engineer for far more complicated things than dolls to build them with proper ball-joints.

The work's delicate enough that she has little choice but to drag the part of herself that feels off-centre back into place and focus. It's satisfying. Working with her hands again is starting to feel better, with time and practice.

Maybe you find her whilst she's focused on carving, putting a doll together or testing their motion. Maybe you find her whilst she's taking a break with a half-finished doll in her lap. Or maybe you find her holding up a finished doll, smiling proudly, then furrowing her brow as she mumbles, "I've really got to solve the fact you're all being left naked..."

forest

Occasionally, Ruby can be found out in the forest. She only goes out into the shallowest areas, most of the time; she doesn't need to go deeper to do what she's out there to do, which is to get in touch with the plant life and get used to drawing on her Contracts.

It's... both easier and harder than it used to be. The plants here are real and alive and respond in a way that simply wasn't possible on the ship. But after the Ever After, the leaves, the tree...

Well. It's complicated.

Regardless, she practices. Manipulating the plant life around her, flowers and fungi and trees alike. Occasionally talking aloud to things.

Wildcard

Hit me.

making dolls

[vespertineactivity]

There's a doll at the end of the table that Ruby didn't make. It's there for a minute, and then it's gone. A little spooky, but maybe someone just left one in place? And picked it up when she wasn't looking? A few minutes later there's a small dress, sized close enough to fit. If Ruby has any experience with sewing she can probably tell it's been given a simple little patch to make it fit, actually.

This happens a couple more times before Vespertine is caught in the act. Vespertine can't look very bashful, but it can look friendly. It freezes momentarily, before giving a little smile, wave, and a gestured ||Hello?||

If she doesn't respond to the sign, it will say hello with its false voice too, though.

Ginko | Mushishi | OTA

[bugreport]

Paradesium
It's a stupid idea, to venture down into some strange underground ecosystem with no knowledge of the local threats, no access to his equipment, and no one to watch his back. So of course, where else was he going to go?

The golden glow and lush scent of life drew him like a magnet, and it wasn't long before his meandering pursuits of the flickering shapes in the trees have him thoroughly lost in the cave. Currently, however, he seems far too absorbed in staring at a double handful of mud to be bothered by this fact - or by the quiet approach of an elephant raptor sneaking up behind him.

Paradesium

[vespertineactivity]

The elephant raptor comes so close, head tilted to gauge the distance, beak open in anticipation of the strike, before a streak of silver crosses across its vision. And then another, and another, and it's probably about then that the sound might catch Ginko's attention.

Vespertine pulls itself up and over the raptor in a maneuver that almost seems like it was just for fun, trailing silver thread with one hand, and throwing new needles with the other. Notably, few of the needles land in the raptor, instead embedding themselves into trees. When that massive beak takes an aggrieved snap at it, Vespertine giggles and it's 100% the spooky doll giggle.

The size difference between the two is makes it all a little bit comical, too, considering that Vespertine's true form measures one foot tall at most. "You are very easy to sneak up on, did you know that?" It says, voice coming from beside Ginko even though it's definitely not there.

Felix Gaeta | existing player/character | OTA

[not_a_traitor]

when we arrive, sons and daughters [library]

Gaeta made the nugget mistake every non-librarian makes: he looked at the town library and thought, what a great place to work, it'll be so quiet and I'll get to read all day!

Granted, it's still Pumpkin Hollow, so it's not that rambunctious by library standards. He still has time to select a few books on local history and astronomy, take them to the circulation desk, and read a page or two at a time before he's interrupted by a patron. Mostly, they're looking to check out books; occasionally, he has to heft himself out of his chair to locate something in the stacks for them; sometimes, apologetically, he has to direct them toward the head librarian if they have a question he can't answer.

But if you're one of those patrons, Pumpkin Hollow's new circulation clerk will greet you with a professional, practiced smile as soon as you get within a yard of the desk.

"Can I help you?"


making this cold harbor now home [around town]

After poker night at Dr. Pierce's clinic, though, it's even odds whether he has a book with him or a small sheaf of paper.

The top page is covered with row after row of neatly-drawn hexagons. With care, Gaeta's penciling in the design for what looks like a deck of cards: there's a clear pattern to the symbols on each hexagon, as well as the narrow series of lines around each border. He's added equally tidy notes here and there denoting what colors should be used during printing.

Recreating a Triad deck from scratch requires enough attention to detail that he works on it outside his library shift, too. You might catch him at the Oak & Iron, one of the other cafes around town, sitting on a bench, or even lounging in the grass as he picks away at his new project. (Never too far afield, though; his limited mobility keeps him close to the apartment he's started renting downtown.)


Wildcard

[Hit me up if you've got other ideas! This is basically his catch-all for the month around event-related things.]

making this cold harbor now home (Oak and Iron)

[saltwaterlungs]

There's a particular cadence of crutches when someone's missing a leg that Darcy picks up like a shark scents blood, all the way from the kitchen. They ask Max to cover them, hurrying out, equal parts dead terror and hope-

And they find theirself standing in front of someone who is distinctly not their mother. Their eyes dart over the crutches, then at Gaeta, looking for just a moment like they've seen a ghost... but it fades quickly, and Darcy lets a little breath escape.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

Anders | Dragon Age | Existing | Just a Silly

[thedayisyoung]

There is a man wandering through town followed by a literal parade of cats. Primarily kittens, but some adult cats as well. He is holding a bag that stinks of fish, which is probably why they're following. He has the stinky fish bag in one hand, a walking stick in the other, and a kitten on each shoulder. He appears to be in a state of utter bliss.

He takes a seat on the ground under a tree, and the cats swarm him in an attempt to acquire treats. But Anders doesn't fork them over right away--- instead, he pulls one into his lap and produces a makeshift wooden comb from his pocket, bribing the cat to stay for brushies. Considering how matted they are and all the dirt coming off the one being brushed, this is probably very necessary. Seems like these kitties would be better off in loving homes.

[redlightgreenlight]

The smell of fish and the mewling of many kittens clamoring for food draws her as surely as the cats. Not because she wants raw fish, but because kittens are cute and Anders was pleasant enough the last time they interacted.

"You're like the pied piper," she says, sitting down across from him and trying to coax a kitten into her lap.

Max Maximum | OC | Current Player | OTA!!

[maximumcake]

Hot Springs [cw: Potential Nudity, aka Max might be nude in here, dealer's choice, Alcohol]

Ever since he found out about these hot springs, Max has made it a point to go up at least once, if not twice a week to relax in the late afternoon. "This is the life," he sighs to himself as he leans back against the rough edge of the pool.

Beside him is a picnic basket with some bread, cheese, and an uncorked bottle of wine. He's brought more than one wine glass just in case anyone joins him. Drinking alone is less fun, anyway.

But, until someone does join him, he will be there reclined in the steaming water with two leaves over his eyes like cucumber slices at a spa, and two leaves over his nipples, too, like pasties.

Full Moon at the Hot Springs [CW: 100% nudity in this prompt]

Everything seems fine and normal during this day's dip in the hot springs until...

"Hey! Put those down! Hey!"

A gaggle of Brutoks cackle as they run away carrying various pieces of Max's clothes, including his underwear and one of his shoes.

"Stop!" Max is running after them, completely naked in all of his Maximum glory. Two choices here: help out or enjoy the view?

Full Moon

[misbegottendreamer]

The Dunmer feels something whoosh by her and hears the shouting, and it's enough for her to put two and two together. There's suddenly a sound like something between a lullaby and a lament, throat-sung and played on an oboe, and the Brutoks are hit with a powerful sleep spell- not quite as powerful as it would normally be, given the womer's unfamiliarity with the local magic, but enough to stop them in their tracks for about a minute.

Luo Binghe (PIDW version) | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System | OTA

[papapanacea]

a. Making little dolls is not the kind of group activity Luo Binghe would ordinarily choose to subject himself to. He considers it below his dignity, and besides, when he was a tragic little child no kind strangers made toys for him. Why do the patients at the children’s hospital deserve any better?

…But he is at least self-aware enough to know that this is not the kind of attitude likely to win him any allies in a land full of strangers, and that making little dolls for sick and injured children is in fact exactly the kind of group activity he ought to undertake if he’s interested in demonstrating he is a pleasant, community-minded young man with a good work ethic. And demonstrating the is a pleasant, community-minded young man with a good work ethic is absolutely vital if he wants to rise to a respected position here and eventually seize absolute power for himself without too much complaint...

So, here he is, making little dolls and charming the local little old ladies who have turned out to do their bit too. Luo Binghe rather likes to be fussed over by little old ladies, so it’s easy enough. As for what he’s making… Well, his doll skills are sort of middling. They’re well put together, with neat and careful stitches, but he’s clearly much better at sewing than he is at designing a doll that’s, like, good to look at. The cloth tiger he’s made already has sort of weird proportions and an offputting face, and the doll whose head he’s stitching together now doesn’t look like it’s going to be any better… But that’s okay. What’s important is that he tried.

What’s really important is that the aunties all think he is a nice boy, and so far that’s going just as he intended –

– That is, until the cloth tiger stirs in place, rearing up on its (slightly uneven) back legs and making an ominous gurgling noise. Luo Binghe reacts without thinking, his hand shooting out to seize the possessed toy tiger by the neck with an iron grip. His expression is offputtingly intense. When it wriggles in his clutches, his eyes flash momentarily red, and with a burst of demonic qi the cloth tiger is obliterated.

Scraps of fabric drift down around him. The old ladies exchange troubled glances and start to shuffle away.


b. Thank god there’s also mysterious caverns to explore. After the doll business, this feels positively relaxing. He’d like it better if he had his sword, of course – but he can take care of himself without it. He’s already run into some of this underground jungle’s dangerous wildlife and dealt with them handily, although he did give the great slumbering wyvern a fairly wide berth...

Now he’s reached the abandoned stenholm, not that he’d be able to name it as such. He moves through the ancient buildings with the confident caution of someone who’s fairly practiced at exploring ruins, although it seems like there are actually fewer puzzles and traps here than he’s anticipating. No beautiful maidens so far, either… Not that it seems like the kind of place you’d find a buxom young woman in need of assistance or looking to assassinate you or something, but in Luo Binghe’s experience those can crop up basically anywhere, and in a more significant-seeming place like this, with all of his usual companions out of the picture for the time being? It’s practically a guarantee.

He’s not sure how he feels about the prospect, honestly.

He steps over some rubble into what looks like it might have been a home, or perhaps a small shop of some kind; the style of architecture is unfamiliar enough to him that he can’t really be sure. Inside, he brushes some debris off a table in the vague hope something will shoot spikes at him or present a series of arcane symbols that need to be arranged in the right order, so that he'd know there was something worth looking for in here, but alas, nothing seems to present itself.

As he straightens up, though, he senses a presence somewhere outside the building. An explorer like himself? Or some kind of long-buried cave dweller..?

Well, obviously we know it's going to be the first option, but Luo Binghe doesn't. He moves quietly to a gap in the crumbling wall to peer out at whoever it is. If they're a beautiful young lady this might be a little bit awkward.

A

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy's creations are, to put it into words, nightmare fuel, if only because it doesn't appear that they actually know what they're doing. Their 'dolls' are sort of wrapped bits of cloth that they have attempted to sew a smiley face onto.

When the old ladies move away though, Darcy doesn't, coming over to look at the remains of the tiger.

"Aw. I hear if you love one of those enough eventually it'll become real. Guess we'll never find out."

Jean-Marie Dantalion | Original | OTA (Newcomer)

[rococorake]

I. Arrival
The mayor's office may have given him lodging and temporary work (fine, fine! Needs must and all that), but what they have not given him is a proper wardrobe, despite Dantalion's insistence that a man of his caliber cannot go out into the world in such an improper state. Nevermind that he spent most of his youth clad in naught but gore and sand and dust; he is who he is now, and at this point he would gladly lop his other arm off and exchange it for a proper justaucorps and stockings and a nice laced jabot and silk shoes and perhaps a nice hat and of course a stylish cane. Or even those twenty-first century clothes! He'd quite liked those — not as much as what he wore in France, or even centuries before in Italy, but at least something more befitting of a man of style.

"You there." Dantalion snaps his fingers imperiously at the first passerby he sees. "Where can one purchase a proper wardrobe here?" Nevermind that he has no money at the moment.

II. Charity

Well, children are the future, after all, precocious little creatures that they are, even if Dantalion thinks it's a little too much fuss for hospitalized children when there are plenty of healthy children around too. Survival of the fittest, and all that.

Still, he will join in, as a man of principle and an artist. However...this is much more difficult with only one arm. Dantalion balances the little doll on his thighs, spool gripped between his teeth as he stabs at it with the needle. Bah! His skilled hands are meant for coaxing chords from pianos and moans from women, not for this kind of fine work. But Dantalion also refuses to be defeated. Won't you help him out?


III. Paradesium
He had meant to go to the hot springs, to have a relaxing dip and regroup, but the sharp scent of strange magic issuing from the cavern stops him in his tracks. Dantalion sniffs hard, clearing his sinuses, but his track is already set--he can't simply ignore something like this. Dignified, principled, and sophisticated he may be, there's something in the magic that sets off his territoriality, putting aside the fact he's only been here a couple of days.

Though the air coming from the cave is absolutely saturated with magic, sensitive nose picks up the smell of something living--

--and a moment later, the underbrush explodes as an Elephant Raptor bursts out. Dantalion means to avoid the foot and then return with his own lightning, the burst already heating up in his throat, but his missing limb throws off his balance and instead of a skillful dodge he overbalances and goes rolling into a tree. He's already getting back up, but the monster is practically on him--blast!

IV. Wildcard
[Hit me up in DMs or at vaderetro!

Dantalion's cause of death is also what caused the loss of his right arm, so he's very much unused to these circumstances.]

Wildcard

[misbegottendreamer]

Carrying over the hills in the early evening comes some of the most sublime music he's ever heard. It's a woodwind, possibly an oboe, singing a lover's lament to the heavens above.

Somewhere in the distance, a lone figure stands in an open field, silhouetted by twilight. Perhaps the Monsieur will approach?

Klaus Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy (CRAU) | OTA

[busball]

Charity Drive

Of all the things Klaus expected in the afterlife (having been to his own void), he had to admit, this was an odd one. But then again, no more odd than the time they found themself in the bouncy castle out of nowhere, so maybe not as odd as they expected.

There is a sigh as he settles in at one of the doll making stations - or whatever they're supposed to call them - and starts to pick up some of the fabric. "I'm not gonna lie, I've never been very crafty. Even when we had to do arts and crafts at the rehab, I never was all that great at it. Do you think the kids will care if whatever this is is lopsided? Are cursed toys still okay? Like the Island of Misfit Toys isn't something I need to worry about?"

He's still carefully picking what fabric to use and trying to decide if it might just be easier to tie sticks together, give it an acorn hat, and slap some fake clothes on it.

Hot Springs

Klaus was given the general run down on the 'do not walk to the hot springs', which they take seriously given the whole ship situation they just showed up from. Kind of sucks given they can't find their way back to Nobunaga this way...but maybe it's fine. Or maybe it isn't. It's less weird to go from being dead to being in a new place that makes almost no sense than they thought it would be.

At least they were given money to use for the train. It's odd to think about paying for anything anymore when the ship had everything for free, but this is the nature of apparently showing up somewhere else.

He squints slightly at the springs before shrugging and climbing in. What could go wrong? He does decide to keep at least his underwear on for this. If only to avoid potential unknown things from happening. This wasn't a hottub on a cruise ship. This was a natural situation and there could be water creatures. "This is much more my speed. I'd say I needed a vacation from my vacation, but this place seems a lot more like work and I've never worked before."

Wildcard

Hit me with whatever. I'm kingdonkey on both discord and plurk if you wanna check on anything, but I'm pretty easy anyway.

Charity Drive

[lasthumanvoice]

"It's not like there's a Toys'Я'Us on the island, with perfectly mass manufactured toys for them to compare to whatever we make."

The man speaking a.) managed to somehow pronounce the backwards R in a way that sounded like a backwards R, and b.) has a very smooth, silken, warm voice like the richest cup of hot chocolate Klaus has ever imbibed.

Greg the Garlic Farmer | Epic NPC Man | OTA

[helloadventurer]

Patch Notes
In a quiet corner of The Oak and Iron, a man mutters to himself as he scribbles on a piece of paper. "Hello Adventurer, welcome to Hone- no. Hello Adventurer, welcome to Pumpk- no they know where they are. My shee- nope, don't have any sheep. What am I doing?"

He throws down his pen in frustration. He hates updates. Especially ones where he's been forgotten again and has to write his own scripts and hope no-one notices. Then again the updates where he hasn't been forgotten aren't much better either. Possibly worse.

Greg sighs picks up his pen again.

Fetch Quest
Greg stands in the festival green a little ways from anyone else, holding a bundle of sticks and string in one hand that doesn't look like a whole lot right now. Although it's clear it's supposed to be something

A large orange exclamation point hovers above his head.

Anyone who makes eye contact gets greeted in the same way, "Hello Adventurer! I'm making a doll for the picnic, but I need a few more materials. Do you think you could help me?"

Patch Notes

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy's stepped out of the kitchen occasionally to run some dishes out and bus some tables when the waiters hands are full, so she's been by a couple of times. This time she actually overhears what he's writing and...

"Uh," she says, "what are you... is this like... a welcome wagon thing you're writing?"