TDM #7 - Haunted Girl Summer [FIRST EDITION]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette: July 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!

[Our Plain Text version is under construction. The link will be added as soon as it is available, which should be later today. Apologies for the inconvenience!]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

5/10/24 | TDM #7 - Haunted Girl Summer
Weather Forecast: Detailed report within!

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW

By Yorick Aberdeen

The crop for which the town is named.

For just over one year, Pumpkin Hollow has been fondly welcoming new residents from beyond the confines of the dreaded barrier into our quirky little town. As more of you continue to arrive by ferry to make our ghost town a true community again, we Pumpkin Hollowites extend our warmest gratitude to you! Please drop by town hall if you need any assistance at all, or reach out to one of your neighbors. We may be cursed, but we sure are friendly! Welcome to your new home, and may your lantern always be lit.

PRE-ELECTION MEET & GREET IN TOWN SQUARE

By Yorick Aberdeen

A voting reminder created by our very own Mayor Poe!

DOWNTOWN HOLLOW (Town Square) - As many of you may know, our Town Council has recently opened up a seat and will be holding an election in September. In preparation for this election, there will be a number of scheduled Meet & Greets.

Our current candidates for the upcoming election are Claude von Reigan, Lord Erik Osborne, and Miles Upshur.

Claude von Reigan is our youngest candidate at 24 years of age, just a few months older than our current youngest councilperson, Dahlia Leeds. He has been working serving our community for several months now as the shop assistant at Blackberry Apothecary and comes to us from a previous life of governing a nation during a time of political turmoil. His primary goals are to work towards a unified community in Pumpkin Hollow and serve as a voice for those who come from other worlds.

Miles Upshur is our newest candidate, having only arrived in June, which gives him a very fresh perspective of our local politics. He comes from a prior life of investigative journalism, giving him firsthand knowledge of how political action directly affects constituents. His goals are ensuring the separation of corporate interests and government, and focusing on grassroots action and the concerns of the people.

Lord Erik Osborne is both our oldest candidate and the one of longest residence. He has been deeply entrenched in the local community here due to his work as an adult entertainer and his personal involvement with citizens both new and old. With no intention of returning to his previous life, Lord Osborne’s primary goal is to create a community he is proud to live out his days in and help the island thrive despite these troubling times.

Please check the community board for the meet and greet schedule and bring your questions! New arrivals are strongly encouraged to come speak with the candidates and make their unique needs and concerns heard.

JULY WEATHER FORECAST

By Phil Connors

Clouds break over the bluffs.

MARROW ISLE - Mostly sunny with the occasional thunderstorm this time of year. Make sure to check your roofs and cellars for leaks! The rain can come on fast, so don't go tanning without an umbrella, folks. A wooden one. Not for lightning, for rain vampires. That was a joke, metal's fine.

GRAND OPENING: GOURD EN GLACE

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

Open on the end of downtown nearest the beach, as of July 3rd!

DOWNTOWN HOLLOW - Saraya Meridell of the Artisan’s Guild announced today that her daughter, Venka Meridell is going to be opening an ice cream parlor. “Stand still, you twit,” she said, as she pinned the trousers I needed tailored. “It’s not that I’m not happy for her, it’s just a waste of all the work she did to learn elemental magic. Frost and snow spells have a lot of practical uses, and ice cream is not one of the dignified ones.”

This reporter respectfully disagrees, and took the time to visit Venka after paying for the alterations to his clothing. She was very excited to see me.

“Cecil! It was actually your calzones and pizzas that inspired some of the flavors I’ve been trying. I’ve made a sweet barbecue sauce to go on top of sundaes, and a pineapple basil ice cream that you need to try!” So I did, and it was very good. I even suggested caramelized onions as a topping for future experiments.

The parlor will be opening at the beginning of July, and will be offering a sale to get people in the door: anyone who buys a large sundae with the intention of sharing will receive a 20% discount. So, help support a young woman who’s chasing her dreams this summer.

RESIDENTS ENCOURAGED TO KEEP A LITTLE DIRT UNDER THEIR PILLOWS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

By Yorick Aberdeen

A grainy photo taken of our break-in artist.

ISLAND-WIDE (centered around Crane’s Ridge) - The Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety has put out yet another alert for a danger to the public, starting on the first of July, 16:54 and going until further notice.

Reports have been flooding to the constabulary and to the Safety Board that residents have been hearing strange music at night that is not unpleasant--- in fact, many have stated that it’s a bit of an earworm. However, those who have investigated the source of the tune have found that it accompanies a strange figure in a wide-brimmed hat and long coat who is trailed by a cloud of dust. He seems to move about the town only deep in the night and his intentions are yet unknown, but his movements and sightings have been tied to a recent string of break-ins and kidnappings.

After some field research, the Board of Safety has indicated that the best way to protect oneself from this sneaky, musical assailant is to place a handful of dirt under one’s pillow before sleeping at night. Residents are advised to check on a daily basis if the dirt is still present, and if it is not, it should be replaced at one’s earliest convenience. “Don’t be alarmed if the dirt disappears,” Chief Constable Janine Kilbride has been heard stating. “It’s just the system working as intended. We’ll alert everyone once this mystery man has been apprehended. But for now, do the dirt thing. Just… just trust us, alright?”

Please report any sightings of this dark and dirty stranger to a constable as soon as possible. The station will be banding together to ensure that phone lines stay open overnight as often as they’re able. Additionally, the Safety Board is accepting volunteers for search parties to look for victims of kidnapping up in Crane’s Ridge, both from the enforcers, and civilians.

BLUE ISLAND CRAB MATING SEASON BEGINS

By Yorick Aberdeen

You can see the desire for crime in its eyes.

TAWNY BEACH - It’s that time of year again, Pumpkin Hollow! Mating season at last has begun in earnest down on Tawny Beach for our local crab species, the Blue Island crab. While not in their usual numbers after the defeat of the colony’s colossal matriarch last summer, residents of Marrow Isle can still see the miracle of life in all its glory as little blue crabs scuttle onto our shores to deposit their eggs into the warm sands.

As with previous years, residents are advised to keep doors and windows to both businesses and residences closed as often as possible. Blue Island crabs are known for their mischief and have a propensity for stealing small valuables, raiding cabinets, and pinching the toes of the unwary. They are, however, quite delicious.

Additionally, this year there have been a few mentions of residents spotting a unique crab on the shore! A little reddish-orange crab of a slightly smaller proportion can be seen alongside a mate sporting the traditional blue, apparently guarding a nest. Is this new orange friend a separate species, or simply a mutated morph? We’re not sure yet, but one thing is for certain--- he does have a knife for some reason! It appears to be a steak knife from a fancy restaurant, and he does appear to know how to use it, so mind your ankles!

TRAVEL ADVISORY: WYVERN MIGRATION

By Yorick Aberdeen & Dr. Elias Coldwood

A sketch by Dr. Coldwood

LOCKWOOD FOREST - Recently, islanders have occasionally reported seeing a large predatory creature emerging from the depths of Paradesium, the sprawling subterranean jungle found underneath our island in early spring. Due to the unique nature of this hulking beast which has only recently been discovered, the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette takes you now to a slightly abridged statement from local wildlife expert, Dr. Elias Coldwood, on what you should do if you encounter one of these specimens.

"..a brief understanding of this creature is necessary: my expedition party have called this creature Rubiginosa, due to its distinctly-shaped natural defenses. Though draconic in nature, this creature is not sapient [...]. It is keenly intelligent, however. [...] Beyond any creatures in our island's waters, this is the largest land animal that we have ever encountered...

[...] Surely this is going to kill us all and decimate the local ecosystem [...].

...It spends much of its time eating [...]. During these warmer months, it's taken to a somewhat migratory pattern around Lockwood forest. [...] From Crane's Ridge, it arcs south-east, resting at Knotter's Rock in Hatchet Lake [...]. It then follows the Paring River to Eeltooth Lagoon, [...] it moves back northeast, scaling Crane's Ridge...

In order to avoid it and becoming part of its frequent hunt for easy prey... It's best to simply wait it out.

...I suggest potential hunters contact Town Hall to lend your services. Many parts of this creature could feasibly be harvested and used, if a need to fell the beast arises. [...]

Be safe, be well, and thank you for reading!"

Unfortunately, due to issues with space, the Gazette is unable to run any more of Dr. Coldwood's report in this issue. However, please feel free to drop by Dr. Coldwood's laboratory in the lighthouse on the Bluffs to speak to him personally or drop by Greymare Library during its hours of operation to receive the full report in the form of a helpful pamphlet!

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Further Details...

Meet & Greet

The campaign meet and greets are pretty informal and self-explanatory! We just ask that all three candidates make themselves available for both July and August with a brief prompt beneath the “Meet & Greet” toplevel and do their best to respond to their voters! Good luck, candidates!

The Dirt Man

Long has the fabled Dirt Man been whispered about with reverence and terror by people all throughout the land, and today, he has come to town. All that you can do is keep a little dirt under your pillow… and pray.

In the night, characters may hear the catchy bossa nova background melody of the Dirt Man’s iconic song as he wanders the roads of Pumpkin Hollow in his long duster coat and cowboy hat in search of offerings. While this sneaky sedimentary stalker in the night might seem a bit silly, he is anything but.

Sleeping residents may find their homes broken into by this shadowy figure and may wake to a pair of faintly glowing brown eyes in the dark and a clawed hand under their pillow. If the intruder finds no offering of soil or his victim reacts in fear or violence to his presence before he can claim it, the Dirt Man will drag his victim out of bed and take them to his lair, hidden under Crane’s Ridge. There, they will be placed inside a chamber that is slowly filling with dirt like that one scene from Aladdin. The one where Jasmine’s in the hourglass? You know the one.

To avoid dying of grain entrapment suffocation, two victims who have been captured together (like, say, from a failed rescue attempt from someone who saw the Dirt Man kidnapping someone) may be able to work as a team to escape. Search party volunteers may also be able to issue some outside assistance!

The Dirt Man cannot be overpowered at night, as the moonlight gives him an invulnerable form of shadow and dust. However, in the daylight he just appears to be just a normal guy who looks suspiciously like TikTok music sensation Carter Vail, and can be attacked and defeated if he tries to prevent your escape from his dirt lair. Good luck! This prompt can be played for horror, comedy, or both, so mix it up as you see fit!

Blue Island Crabs

Also fairly self-explanatory, the Blue Island Crabs are little blue mischief-makers who have come to the island for the summer to lay eggs and to steal. They’re pretty crafty, so they cannot be caught in large numbers and can’t be used to alter food budgets for existing residents, but small quantities can be snatched up for a tasty snack! Just don’t overdo it or the island might get attacked by a giant crab again, and we just can’t have that.

Due to their reduced numbers, Blue Island crabs will be a lesser nuisance than last year and will not infringe upon beach enjoyment in a meaningful way. They do, however, come up off the shore to cause trouble in town.

As for the unique crab, our Sail CRAU crowd will recognize this little fellow as Ody, a crab from the Serena Eterna! He’s here with his new crab wife to hatch adorable mixed-breed babies and teach them how to stab. Three tiny purple crabs will be seen with their parents come August, play-stabbing with sticks. Please feel free to name Ody’s mate and children as a community!

Dragon Migration

Though the details in the paper were cut incredibly short (much to Dr. Coldwood's deep annoyance), the pamphlet's full version that can be found in the library is written below!

"While there's been several creatures that have emerged from Paradesium's depths recently, likely due to the warming weather of the surface, they've only been minor nuisances at worst. This, however, poses a significantly deeper problem to us - though, not one that many of us need worry about.

First, a brief understanding of this creature is necessary: my expedition party have called this creature Rubiginosa, due to its distinctly-shaped natural defenses. Though draconic in nature, this creature is not sapient, as many of us native to this world have come to be used to. It is keenly intelligent, however. I would liken it to the awareness of the world around it that a crow displays! This wyvern is brown and green in coloration, with deep, wine red thorns. Its typical standing height is estimated at about 10 feet, and 30 feet in length from tip of snout to longest tail thorn. It is fairly muscular, as any predator of its size will tend to be, approximately 12 feet wide, and its wingspan boasts an impressive 55 feet. Beyond any creatures in our island's waters, this is the largest land animal that we have ever encountered, and the largest that many of us will ever encounter in our lifetimes.

I know what you might be thinking, if your experience is similar to the one it looks like Mr. Aberdeen is having right now as I explain all this. Surely this is going to kill us all and decimate the local ecosystem, right? Fortunately, this is not the case, and I maybe should have worded my approach better to spare poor Yorick's blood pressure.

This creature, for something of such a menacing appearance, is remarkably docile. It spends much of its time eating, which would pose population issues in prey animals, if our local fauna weren't also bound by the constraints of our deathless home. During these warmer months, it's taken to a somewhat migratory pattern around Lockwood forest. Each pattern occurs over the span of two weeks; it's in no rush. From Crane's Ridge, it arcs south-east, resting at Knotter's Rock in Hatchet Lake for some time. It then follows the Paring River to Eeltooth Lagoon, and once it's stayed to its liking, it moves back northeast, scaling Crane's Ridge, likely to sun itself on the mountain's smooth stone cliffs. It repeats this pattern after a period of dormancy.

In order to avoid it and becoming part of its frequent hunt for easy prey, I recommend exercising great caution in your visits to Lockwood Forest this summer. There is no value in trying to be a hero, here - if you slay the wyvern, it will likely return to its schedule once it returns to life, just as any other creature does! It's best to simply wait it out.

Should it venture towards the city, however, preventative measures should be taken to deter any further visits. In that event--- and ONLY in that event, to minimize loss of life--- do I suggest potential hunters contact Town Hall to lend your services. Many parts of this creature could feasibly be harvested and used, if a need to fell the beast arises. The spines are sharp and strong, and the leather would truly stand the test of time, I imagine. Its venom could even potentially be used in medicines! Judging by how poison seeps from the beast during hunts, however, I would not recommend attempting to eat it. I believe any meals that could come from this beast would result in a swift death. Food poisoning is the best case scenario, really.

In brief: the Rubiginosa, while a indomitable force to be trifled with, is a new part of our ecosystem! It's best to take the time to learn how to live with our local megafauna with safety for both ourselves and the animals. Care and respect for our ecosystems, even in these strange times, is important to ensuring that Marrow Isle thrives. Be safe, be well, and thank you for reading!"

For prospective monster hunters, the Rubiginosa is remarkably difficult to engage into battle. Most attacks against it's thick, toxic hide do more damage to the assailants than they do to the wyvern, and it regards most strikes with disinterest, generally simply getting up to move.

Should enough strikes be landed, or a weak point (such as the eyes or inner mouth) be hit, however, it will enter a rage and fight back!

Fighting the Rubiginosa

First off: the Rubiginosa, for any unfamiliar, is a creature brought in from another world as many others have been, the Espinas from Monster Hunter!

We were able to find a D&D stat sheet, including health, attacks, and weaknesses to use for combat, should anyone want to run a brief dice-rolling combat encounter with it! The sheet can be found here, with credit to the person who created the sheet! These rounds would have the Espinas controlled by one member of the thread, so feel free to plot among yourselves and decide how it goes! (The fight doesn't have to necessarily go this way, either, if you would prefer to wing it. This is just to provide an option!)

To the Victor Go the Spoils

If you and your companion are able to defeat the Rubiginosa, the following loot can possibly be taken from it:

Plate Scale - a deep green scale, impenetrable by most tools.

Shield Hide - a firm piece of hide, suitable for drying and armor-work.

Poisoned Blood - a highly toxic glass vial of blood, potent enough to kill most living creatures.

Rosevine Segment - a piece of the tail of the Rubiginosa, with the sharp spikes it bore in life. Can be used for its parts, or used as a weapon, itself, in a pinch. Difficult to handle, though.

Seeping Thorn - one of the thorns from the hide of the wyvern, still oozing with potent poisons, even after its death.

Verdant Leather - a thin, easily workable piece of hide, in a rich, vibrant green. Works well for a durable piece of camouflage.

Assassin's Horn - a horn from the wyvern, named for it's poison coating and potential to make for an exceptionally fatal knife.


Good luck, and happy hunting!

Comments

QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK

[pumpkinhollow]

Meet & Greet

[pumpkinhollow]

Claude, Erik, and Miles should post toplevels for that here!

[inaurate]

Claude is getting pretty enthusiastic about this concept of elected leadership for a guy with not just one but two inherited titles in his home world... Granted, Pumpkin Hollow is a lot smaller than either of the nations he hales from (especially after the reunification of Fodlan) but it does get his brain buzzing with possibilities on a larger scale. That's all for the future, though. Right now, he's focused on... well, the here and now.

Charming the pants off of everyone he speaks to, basically. Trying to, anyway. He's good at responding to the energy of whoever he's speaking to, personable and competent while still giving very little of himself away.

Bring your questions and concerns, fellow citizens!

[lordoftheozarks]

He has some stiff competition in Claude, he must admit. Less so in Miles, he thinks, due mostly to how new to the island that man is. That doesn't mean he's taking any chances. He's waiting to meet and greet anyone that walks up with a smile, ready with a business card in hand as well. If this doesn't pan out for him at least it's a golden opportunity to spread the word about his regular business.

"No need to be shy," he calls to passers-by. "Ask me anything. I'm here to serve you."

Dr. Elias Coldwood | NPC | OTA [45]

[arcanegrasp]

Lost in Translation (Dragon Migration)

When Elias reads the paper, all aglow with pride at his work broadcasted for the safety of the public, that delight couldn't have shattered any faster.

It doesn't take Town Hall long to get a visit to hear that displeasure, either, and to say Elias is flustered, panicked, and livid would've been an understatement on any account. Just days before, he'd been in, proper and good mannered, and now he was anything but. Shouting is muffled in Yorick's office, even as he's ushered out of it, short tangents interrupted by awkward reassurances.

"No, YOU listen to ME! I didn't say that! You took out a whole sentence that changed the whole meaning!"

Mumble, shushing, awkward laugh.

"People are going to go out there and get themselves KILLED! What are we going to do if it fucking rampages through town!? The buildings don't come back from the dead! We have to fix that!!"

Mumble, mutter, hurried reassurance.

"Next month!? Goddess' sake, man, we need to get this information out today, who knows how many people are going to decide not to listen to the papers! No, leave it to me, I suppose, I'll--- I don't know! Pin it to the bulletin board!?"

Only once he's stormed out to the main entrance of Town Hall does his outright anger fizzle to exasperation, and he's left looking thoroughly overwhelmed. He likely won't turn down a helping hand or a kind word right about now.

Knife to Meet You (Blue Island Crabs: Red Edition)

When he catches wind of a crab unlike the fare he's seen for years, naturally Elias is in a hurry to see it. He's lugged his heavy camera, several magically-charged bulbs stowed in his satchel, and flags down the nearest person he can find as he begins to set it up, not all too far from the weapon-wielding crab in question.

"Excuse me, friend! Might I borrow you for a minute?" He calls over, gesturing to the crab. "I'm trying to document this little fellow here, but I need someone to keep it distracted!"

Yes, that is 100% right: he is absolutely asking a potential stranger to get a knife flailed at them so he can get his shot. Surely they'll understand how important recording these sorts of things can be, though!

Tastes of Summertime (Ice Cream Parlor)

Having always fancied himself a fairly adventurous eater, Elias has met his challenge, it seemed.

Something about caramelized onions on an ice cream sundae are deeply, deeply troubling to him. It's a textural nightmare just waiting to be experienced. The girl at the counter was so enthusiastic, he couldn't just decline her offer to try her newest recipe, but, well... some regrets were had.

He looks to whoever's nearest to his seat, a bit sheepish, and cracks a tentative smile.

"Interesting things they're trying out here, aren't they?"

Knife To Meet You

[i_ink_therefore_i_ammy]

Okami Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to us all, is used to all sorts of strange requests. That they come at the oddest times is nothing unusual, either. Oh but the crabs are so interesting though! She wants to bark and chase and bother them, just a little, just a little tiny bit.

But the request! She mustn't be so easily distracted. "Certainly, allow me.." She pauses, noticing the knife in the crab's hand. "Oh! He is armed, how adorable!" Genuine delight settles into her voice, ears perked up. "Does he know how to use it?" She wonders aloud, before padding close to the crab and having a little swipe taken out of her fur as a reward. "Oh he does!"

Perhaps she's already been distracted by her own delight, or perhaps this is how she will keep the crab distracted?

Tastes of Summer

[lasthumanvoice]

"Would you want them to stick to standard, normal, average, everyday flavors?" Cecil grins shamelessly. "Though sorbet might actually turn out better with the onions. I think Venka was considering some adult beverage sorbets for later in the summer. Red wine supernova or something."

Lost in Translation

[incomingchoppers]

It's been a slow day up at the Leeds estate, so the short, bespectacled guy who's become a fixture around Town Hall is --

"Here's your flyers for sticking up around town, Dr. Coldwood, it's got all the extra information on 'em you wanted. Oh and they got little pockets on the bottom so you can put extra brochures out for everybody, too."

-- appearing right next to Elias out of nowhere and handing over a stack of flyers, like he's had them prepped and ready to go for the last two hours.

Lost in Translation

[lovinglefthand]

Waiting in the lobby for his turn to speak to Yorick, First Aid manages to look sheepish even with his mask up.

"So, um..." He taps the tips of his pointer fingers together before saying to Elias, "I guess actually we agree that people shouldn't be forming groups to go hunt the large, dangerous predator?"

Dedue Molinaro | Fire Emblem Three Houses | Age 21 | Sail CRAU

[glassaxolotl]

Arrival (OTA)

From Dedue’s perspective, he had only just left the Serena Eterna. Now the taciturn knight-in-training finds himself not back in the land of Fodlan nor on a doomed cosmic cruise ship but instead on an unassuming ferry that he is fully aware will take him to a new kind of purgatory.

But even so, once he approaches land, he is amazed to see a land teeming with life. Trees, crops, farmland. The first thing he does upon leaving the harbor and wandering towards town is to reach out and run his hand along the bark of the nearest pine tree and examine its needles. Just to make sure it isn’t yet another plastic decoration.

Once he is satisfied of its realness, the second thing he does is ask the nearest passerby in a low, cautious voice, “Where is Dimitri?”

Bastion E54 | Overwatch 1 | Turning 33 next week

[configuration_birdwatcher]

That passerby is a very recognisable figure, albeit with a new look in stone grey and ghostly purple. A few patches of moss are growing on their armour. They have a wicker basket hooked onto the handle-like metal bracket at the elbow of their gun arm, half full of mushrooms and berries. It's Bastion, at home in a forest at last.

Their voice is as distinctive a feature as their silhouette. They reply, // On a farm.

Not an answer that will take him right there if this isn't the Dedue they know, but they clearly recognise who he's talking about.

Don Quixote ~ LIMBUS COMPANY | early 20s | OTA

[suenoimposible]

ICE CREAM??????????????:

At the very minute the place opened, Don already had proudly barged into the door and demanded for at least three different flavors of ice cream. She intended to try every flavor, EVERY flavor in this Gourd En Glace. She'd never gotten the opportunity to have such a feast during her time in Limbus Company. 'Tis a cruel joke of fate that she could not have even tasted the flavors of U Corp's ice cream!

Oh, but 'tis a sale too if thou shares one's sundae? Barbecue sauce glazed double-chocolate with red-hot sprinkles and pineapple! Such an exotic flavor, she'd never heard of such things being used to flavor ice cream, she simply had to try such! Alongside the large sundae are countless other glasses of various flavors

"Dost anyone wish to partake in a delicious sundae with mineself? I must complete this quest to try all of the flavors of this noble establishment!"

The Evil Defining (OTA):

Still high on what could be understated as a metric shitton of sugar, Don has immediately set it upon her self to slay this Rubignosa of sorts! This is how she shall prove the name Don Quixote to the inhabitants of Pumpkin Hollow by slaying this great beast!

Though, even Don knows better than to simply strike at a great beast on her lonesome. Instead, she rushes towards the Oak and Iron, eager to recruit any daring souls who'd care to join her on this quest. A 5'4 lady wearing a damn sick looking trenchcoat with several pins affixed to it, a massive lance in one hand, and a very non-matching pair of yellow and brown sneakers aggressively pushes open the door and loudly shouts. "AHEM! AHEMMMMMMM! AHEMMMMMMMMMMMMM! NOBLE WARRIORS OF PUMPKIN HOLLOW, I ASK OF THY TO AID MINE QUEST TO SLAY THE FOUL POISON-BEARING DRAGON OF LOCKWOOD FOREST, RUBIGINOSA!!!!!!!!!!!"

Evil Defining

[when_a_grids_misaligned]

Moiré looks up from a half-finished bowl of mushroom soup with a wide-eyed expression, although with the eye colour that they have, they always look a bit stunned. "Right now? Is it attacking or something?"

Gerry Keay | TMA | 36 | Existing character

[skeletonkeay]

-Dirt Nap-

When the first newspaper comes off his printing press, Gerry grabs it to read it while running the next one, and squints at the article on the front page.

God, what kind of Buried bullshit is this? If he didn't know any better, he'd think it was a meme.

He puts the dirt where it's meant to go. No sense playing dumb. But the paranoia of a potential break-in sets off his Eye senses something fierce, and he ends up unable to sleep. And when you stay up half the night from restlessness, it's not hard to accidentally end up seeing the home intruder you were expecting. And Gerry can hardly be blamed if he, for example, hypothetically screamed and tried to chest kick the guy.

The question is, will you find Gerry thrashing and kicking as he's dragged through the streets by an invincible dirt cowboy, or will you find him planted like a spudding potato, up to his shoulders in bits of dry soil?

-Time For Crab-

Ah shit, here we go again.

It occurs to Gerry, as he grips his lighter tightly in his pocket, that it was around this time last year that he first arrived at the island. The newspaper wasn't kidding, this definitely isn't as bad as last year, but still. He already woke up to a crab that had broken into his print shop and tried to make off with his whole box of thick book binding needles.

So now, as Gerry sits on the pier and tries to enjoy a peaceful morning cigarette, he's so focused on clutching his lighter that he doesn't realize that a crab has already gotten into his pocket and dumped his cigarettes all over the dock. In the wake of its own chaos, the crab is sitting next to him holding an unlit cigarette as if to smoke it, staring off into the same patch of distance as Gerry.

-We All Scream-
[ For existing CR! ]

Gerry chuckles and shakes his head at the menu of the Gourd en Glace. This has Cecil Palmer's influence written all over it. Hands in his pockets, he scans the menu for something that sounds like it might be palatable as he awaits the arrival whoever agreed to hang out with him here today.

Why are we screaming?

[lasthumanvoice]

"I hear the bruleed pear ice cream works well with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese." The comment comes from behind Gerry, from one utterly shameless Cecil Palmer. "I also hear the lavender lemon tastes just a little bit like soap, but that was from someone with a local palate."

Annabel Lee Whitlock | Nevermore | OTA (20-ish)

[witheredpeonies]

1. I got my red dress on tonight [Whitlock Needleworks]
The yard sale a local had thrown gave Annabel a brilliant idea for creating reasonably-priced clothing for newcomers--she's visited locals to buy (and some abandoned homes to pilfer) clothes that belonged to those now in the graveyard, spare sheets and blankets, and other fabric not in use.

While what she's creating might be a little piecemeal, it's definitely going to be well-made and affordable. Right now, she might be pinning a pattern to floral bedsheets, or picking lace trim off a dress. Do you need something made for you?

Alternatively, if someone battles the Rubiginosa and returns with spoils, Miss Whitlock is paying top brass for any Verdant Leather or Shield Hide that hunters are willing to part with. It may be a long road between seamstressing and leatherworking, but she's interested in learning!


2. Dancin' in the dark, in the pale moonlight [Dark and Stormy Nights]
There is no catnip to a gothic heroine name after a poem by Edgar Allen Poe like bad weather. Clouds gather on the horizon, the sun dips low, and Annabel Lee gets restless. Fortunately, she has a spectre form that is pallid and glowy, with a long white dress and veil that whip in the wind. Those who end up hanging around town at night may encounter her in her inhuman glory.

Just don't mistake the ghost bride with the hollow heart for another late night menace like, say, the Dirt Man and try to wrangle her.

Or do. Of such things are good threads made, right?


3. Done my hair up real big, beauty queen style [Crab Season]
Neil had taught Annabel the joys of crab dip last year. This year, she's doing a New England-style crab boil (her time in America before her firstest death had taught her the little pleasures) on the beach in a nice large pot. The smell of cooking seafood (as well as potatoes and corn and onions) can be smelled well down the beach. There is very clearly enough to share.

All you need to do is ask.


4. High heels off, I'm feelin' alive [Wildcard]
[Find me at darkersolstice on discord to plot, or just throw yourself bodily at me. Note: as a career Artisan, a thread with Annabel that reaches AC length can be used to justify buying an outfit from her without paying in earned brass.]

1.

[decrypter]

The person who comes through the door is certainly new, dressed plain as all the new ones are. The cane in her hand gently tap-taps as she walks, and her fingertips brush the edges of things to orient herself, though her bearing is impeccably polite. There's something exciting about actually being here now, after waiting and considering for a while.

"Hello - this is Whitlock Needleworks, isn't it?"

The confirmation is needed, though.

César Salazar | Generator Rex | FARMER, OTA [28]

[pineapplesalmon]

1. Ice Cream [OTA]
César's actually excited when he starts to hear some of the flavors. Different flavor combinations he's never tried! Oh! Even if no one else likes it, he's going to try to keep the place in business.

He does come out with a pineapple basil ice cream cone, letting out a little "MMmmmmm" as he takes his first bite. "This is amazing."


2. Crab Season - Hat [OTA]
César can't think of a better way to understand the crabs except to be a crab using Wild Shape. He's gotten permission to sit on the counter at the Oak & Iron to watch people. And he even has a little paper hat he made to look civilized as he sits almost perfectly still. Then, suddenly, when you are looking, he wipes his eyes.


3. Crab Season - No Hat [OTA]
César managed to get up on one of the tables at the library (what better place to figure out how a crab can see than at the library?). He walks up to you and holds out his little paper hat, maybe even politely tugging your sleeve, curious if people will put it back on.


4. Dirty Pillow Talk [OTA]
"So, ah, the part about the dirt disappearing? Actually true." César taps the newspaper you're currently reading. "Put some under my pillow last night, and it was gone this morning."


5. Farm Help [OTA, Few days' food for 1/2 day's work]
It's the usual deal for help with one of the following: harvesting one of his smaller plots (acorn squash, zucchini, and early tomatoes), filling up the cows' water trough and feed bin, and picking soybeans early off their plants for edamame (is it really a César toplevel if he's not doing something for Magne?). Also, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can milk a cow. There also cheese, eggs, and various green leafy plants to take home in addition to the food being harvested.

The meal for this month is going to be cheese enchaladas made with fresh corn tortillas topped with chile rojo (either mild or spicy) and served with refried beans. Something simple that at least most Americans can recognize. Substitutions can be provided upon request.

2

[actuallyawolf]

Ylva squints at the crab on the counter, which no one seems to be bothered by, and is not behaving like an ordinary crab, and passes her insight check.

"You're not an ordinary crab."

It's not a question.

Valdis | OC | 2500+ | Current Player

[redlightgreenlight]

1. Around Pumpkin Hollow

a) Ice Cream

If there’s something food related she’s been missing, it’s ice cream and the announcement in the newspaper makes her heart jump in excitement. For someone who lived without ice cream for over a thousand years, Valdis cannot wait for the grand opening. So here she is, looking over the flavors, trying to decide which one she wants to try first.

“What’s your favorite flavor?” she asks the nearest person.

b) The Temple

Doing her best to avoid Degas, Valdis does eventually find herself at the temple, trying to speak to Mortanne with increasing frustration. People always said it was just like a conversation, but it’s difficult to speak to an entity that fails to communicate back. There were reasons for the silence, but she feels alone in a way she’s not used to. She’s always felt alone when it came to her magic, her necromancy, her abilities…whatever someone wanted to call it.

Perhaps that’s why she’s so angry at the gods. Even the supposed good ones.

“Neil says you’re the cause of my dreams and I can’t even talk to you.”

Finally, too frustrated to continue trying to find the right words, she turns to leave.

2. The Return of Ody.

When Valdis heard of the unusual crab on the beach, she hoped that like the others from the Eterna, her little pet had somehow made it here. The crabs weren’t exactly friendly, but when she sees him gleefully wielding his little knife, she decides to approach them anyway. Ody scuttles toward her, leaving his blue companion behind. Unlike his potential greetings with others, he simply sits at her feet.

“So you made it, Pal would be pleased.”

3. The Dirt Man Part 1

In the early morning, after Max has gone to the bakery to start the day, Valdis senses a presence in the room that shouldn’t be there. She feigns sleep, unable to grasp the lifeforce of whatever entity has entered the room.

The last time that happened, it had been Ava, but this wasn’t Ava. Ava was gone.

There’s no time for sorrow as the presence is too close, her eyes open and she reaches for the knife kept next to the dirt. Faster than any human, she slashes out at the creature stalking the town, only to find the knife hits nothing. All it did was piss him off. Shasta, her nine tailed fox creature, snarls and lunges at him, but she’s no more successful than Valdis. Her angry yips and howls follow them both as the Dirt Man continues to drag her out of the house.

Perhaps it was more than they both bargained for as useless fighting continues every time she regains consciousness, so by the time she feels a trickle of dirt on her face, it’s sticking to still wet blood from fully healed injuries. This time, she’s the one who’s pissed, but at least she isn’t alone…

4. Wildcard

Valdis is often in the library researching old newspapers and the history of Pumpkin Hollow, on patrol around the town, or running around as a Hound on her time off.
PM, Plot on Discord or just go for it!

Ody!

[ss_buttcrack]

"Well I'll be god-dammned," Crichton proclaims as he comes down the sand and sees the crab sitting at her feet. "It really is the little bastard, isn't it?"

Even the crab survived? Now he's seen everything. Which is why there's no excuse for him not seeing this next part coming. Ody rears up on his back legs and thrusts his knife into Crichton's shin.

"Ouch! Son of a... yeah, missed you too Ody."

Jane Doe | Doctor WHO | OTA |906

[justanoutofplacedoctor]

The Dirt Man

Picture if you would, some odd soul, simply finding somewhere to sit. It's a lazy enough day. They're just resting, just watching the world go by! It's a lazy day, and they intend to follow it up. Until one catches a glimpse at the eyes. Wild things. Improbable things, moving and dancing about with a fervor and an eye for detail that borders on the edge of lunacy, real and true.

Imagine that. Someone who could look feral, simply sitting. Doesn't seem quite right. Nor then, did the incongruity of them holding a newspaper of all things, but both these were to be held true. An odd girl in an odd world, trying to take up every detail she could.


"A dirt man. Now there's a tall tale. Then a gain. Place is filled with them," She muttered aloud. "Suppose it's not going to get any more sensible waiting around here though. Best to get a move on and start looking."


". . ."
". . ."

"Whereinthenameofsensedoyougolookingforadirtmanthough!?" Oh, it was going to be a day and a half.

[thaumatophage]

Kitty shrugs. "The dirt? That's where I'd be looking for a Dirt Man. Unless he's not from the dirt and trying to throw us off the trail..." She taps her chin.

"Maybe at some of the farms around here? There's heaps of dirt there! Really nice dirt, too!"

Hatsune Miku | Project SEKAI COLORFUL STAGE! | 16 | OTA

[future_sound]

a. miku, miku, you can call me miku | arrival
At first, Miku thinks this is another SEKAI, albeit a weird one. Mortanne isn't the usual type of person, and she hadn't left an untitled.mp3 on the device of anyone recently - at least, not anyone she isn't already helping with their true emotions. And this doesn't look like a SEKAI, even the Empty SEKAI. Most of them are set in Japan, being reflections of their creators' worlds. You're not in Shibuya anymore, Miku.

Maybe she and the rest of the VIRTUAL SINGERS (legally no longer Vocaloids) have been...forgotten. Maybe she'd been deleted from the internet again. For whatever reason, she's here, and has been consigned to the Great Recycle Bin In The Sky. In a manner of speaking.

She's wandering around town, and asks the nearest person, "Excuse me, do you know who this SEKAI belongs to?" Her voice sounds somewhat synthesized. Not quite auto-tuned, but it's definitely computerized to a degree.

b. blue hair, blue tie, hiding in your wi-fi | craaaab! no! craaab! big craaaaab!(cw: crabby stabby)
Miku is absolutely enchanted by the crab migration. She's picking her way through them on the beach, giggling a little, when she encounters the shiny orange crab. With a knife.

Having zero concept of actually being in danger due to simultaneously being a virtual pop star and a concept, she leans over, holding out her hand. "Hello there!"

The crab lunges forwards with the knife, and something strange happens. A small cut appears on her palm, and it's bleeding. She withdraws her hand, standing up and darting out of stabbing range, and examines it, watching the blood flow. Physical pain is new to her. Emotional pain is her stock in trade. And blood? She knows about it, but she's never seen it. Or bled before. Or been attacked.

She prods the wound with her other hand, yelps "Itai!" and looks at the blood smeared on her fingers.

"What?"

c. open secrets, anyone can find me | ice cream
Being a VIRTUAL SINGER, a creation of ones and zeroes and human emotion and whatnot, Miku doesn't eat. She cooks for the denizens of the Street SEKAI in the cafe, and she's bad at it (sorry, MEIKO, she's trying), but she doesn't eat.

Which means, by default, everything here is the best goddamn thing she's ever tasted. Nobody put her near cinnamon buns. If she's anything like an Andalite, she will be an absolute menace about them.

Caramelized onions and barbecue sauce and whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top of a pineapple-basil and rum ham sundae? Incredible. Godly. A taste sensation.

She runs up to the nearest person. "You have to try this! It's amazing!"

'Amazing' is...certainly a word for it.

d. hear your music running through my mind | dirt man
There's music. She's not sure where it's coming from, but she harmonizes with it as she wanders through the night to find its source.

"Keep a little dirt under my pillow for the Dirt Man," she sings, "in case he comes to town..."

She's sung weirder songs. This does not even register on the Weird-O-Meter. Besides, that's what she was made for - to sing for humanity.

e. i'm thinking miku, miku, oo-ee-oo | wildcard!
[just hit me up. just do it.]

you can call me miku

[configuration_birdwatcher]

She's approached another artificial intelligence, but one designed for a very different purpose with the looks to prove it, all blocky armour and exposed pistons and heavy weaponry. The sack of chicken feed sitting in a basket hooked onto the elbow of their gun arm is somewhat at odds with the rest of their appearance.

// Define SEKAI?

Bastion's not familiar with that acronym, but the blue-haired possible-human's voice is pleasantly reminiscent of an omnic vocal processor more full-featured than their own. They haven't heard that sort of voice in a while.

Ylva | Original | OTA (nebulously adult)

[actuallyawolf]

Blue Island Crabs

The crabs are a delight. Ylva, having grown up away from the ocean and not having spent much time near it before coming here, is fascinated. She hadn't known crabs did this! Having come down to the beach, she squats on a piece of driftwood to watch them come ashore.

(That oddly familiar red one? Hm. She's not sure about that one.)

She's brought a canvas bag with her, full of various things she needs and wants, like lunch or a sharp knife. She'd draped it over the driftwood beside her, but it doesn't take long for an opportunistic crab to make a grab for it. They're surprisingly fast, too; possibly she could use some help.

Hunter's Bounty

There's a wagon in a square in town. It's full of food. Oddly, there's no sign of a horse, just Ylva looking over what she's got to sell or trade or, heck, give away for free.

She's not an uncommon sight. She does show up in town from time to time with a load of supplies. Ylva has an assortment of food: she's brought some bundles of fresh wild greens, various types of berries, and mushrooms, both fresh and dried (morels, chanterelles, even a few young puffballs). There's also meat: rabbits and game birds, and a large blue crab barely contained in a bucket, if you haven't had any luck catching one yourself.

The truth of it, though, is that Ylva is not terribly good with prices. She will take whatever you offer in trade or brass, so long as it doesn't seem insultingly low.

Wildcard

You know where to find me.

Hunters Bounty

[redlightgreenlight]

She's on patrol with Roheryn when she finds Ylva bartering in the square. The stallion heads over to the druid of his own free will, either sensing her care for Ylva, or simply taking a like to the wolf woman.

"Hey, you've been busy. This all looks wonderful."

Eleanor Lamb | Bioshock 2 | 19ish? | Existing Player

[seethesun]

March of the Drowned | Arrival

Four lasses step off the ferry, and they've had better days, really. One, clearly the eldest and therefore the leader, is tall and lanky, with straight brown hair and a deeply, utterly, exhausted expression. Her eyes scan everyone that comes close, wary, suspicious; her hands keep straying to track marks on her arms, scarred with evidence of a lifetime of needles and needles and needles and surgery and fucking needles...

Walking ahead of their shepherd are three smaller girls, who are almost certainly the older one's family. They share their older sister's sorrow, but not her suspicion, looking all around this new place in a kind of sad wonder, breaking out into bursts of wonder and amazement. When they spot a butterfly, the quartet stop walking towards Town Hall entirely, and even their exhausted caretaker watches it, tears welling in her eyes, until it takes their leave.

If you're not the gregarious type, worry not, the little girls are. One, wide-eyed and bright of voice, in truly clean clothing for the first time in her short life, runs up to you with her hands politely behind her back and asks, "Will you be our friend?"

This gets the attention of the older one. There is something deeply violent in her eyes.

Sea's Claim | Around Town

Eleanor does not in any way feel qualified to be a caretaker for three small children but here she fucking goes. For the time being all three of them are bunking in the - orphanage? That doesn't seem to be the right name - but they're barely present there, hauling themselves in with the ragged edges of daylight dying on the sky after days full of exploration and activity. If you run a business and you might be hiring, odds are good this quartet has shown up with Eleanor inquiring about the work, the pay, the expectations. The little girls are quiet and polite when their big sister is having Grown-Up Conversations. Eerily quiet and polite. Are they even blinking?

You might catch the four of them around town doing many other things as well. Every now and again Eleanor is in Oak & Iron on her own, nursing at a glass of vermouth and doing her best to radiate malicious intent, but sometimes she just doesn't have the energy for malicious intent - slumped on her stool, letting her eyes trace the grain of the wood, looking miserable. Every now and again when the four of them get lost, Eleanor will vanish in a cloud of purple, fog-like light, and reappear on a nearby roof so she can get her bearings and direct her sisters with gentle but quite loud shouted directions and hand gestures, the better to assure them that Big Sister is On The Case and is No Longer Lost.

The little girls have light fingers too. It may well be that Eleanor knocks on your door or shows up at your place of employment, sternly but still gently encouraging one of them forward as she guiltily offers you back something of yours. They like pretty things. They're very sorry they were bad.

Wildcard

Fuck me up

March of the Drowned (or: You Know I Had To.)

[maskedstarbunny]

Oh, more new arrivals. The town seems to be a flurry of them, even after those from that one world. But these ones... Ryja is glad they have a protector already. Her own hands are full with just Dawn and Tarantulas. And yet, the suspicious way she watches everyone around her, the edge in the way she moves, neither are unfamiliar to Ryja.

She intends to introduce herself, perhaps, say hello, but then one of the little ones is running up on her own and Ryja's heart breaks a little bit because there's a version of her that remembers a young Dawn, and- Well. She's glad for her half-mask, again, for the ability to have that reaction and let it flow away. A short moment of silence, followed by leaning down with a smile.

"So long as your guardian takes no issue with it, little one." She says this, turning toward the older one, and straightens for a proper introduction. The violence in those eyes does not go unnoticed. Much like a bear, one does not touch the cubs without permission, no matter how friendly they are. "I would ill want to make her mad, after all." She even gives a little wave, ears perked. "Well met, lass."

Imbros | D&D Tabletop | 330 years old | Existing Player (OTA)

[mindflayed]

1. Amateur Biologist

Despite looking like a squid that grew hands and feet, Imbros has not actually spent much time near oceans. He's more familiar with the subterranean lakes of the Underdark which do have little crustaceans, but nothing like this. Thankfully he has shoes now thanks to Crichton and their run through the House of Cards, because one of the crabs cruising along the beach decides to pinch the shit out of Imbros' feet. The thing gets levitated off the ground for it's trouble and held mid-air, flailing all its legs and snapping it's claws in a threatening manner.

Imbros is currently unaware that a few more crabs are on their way to rescue their buddy from floating in zero g's.

2. Dirty Dancing

He is absolutely not going to sleep with dirt under his pillow, and the only thing that's saved him from being kidnapped is that he only sleeps a few hours a day and generally mid-afternoon when it's hot out. Which means during the night he's out wandering the town and being accosted by the Dirt Man's signature song. Imbros is not a fan.

The man himself is easy to spot, slinking from shadow to shadow and picking houses at random to break into. He floats nearby, watching in disbelief as the Dirt Man triumphantly exits a house with a handful of dirt, clutching it in his fist like it's so precious he can't lose a single speck of it.

"Is there something about the dirt here I don't know?" said under his breath to anyone else who might be around to witness this.

Sure he's supposed to report this to the constable but 1) He doesn't know who that is. and 2) He doesn't care.

Wildcard
Hit me with anything.

1. Don hates crabs

[suenoimposible]

As the crabs begin to approach Imbros, the very loud, angry, and high-pitched shouting of a woman comes from the distance. "BEGONE AT ONCE CRUSTACEOUS GUILD OF THIEVES! THINE CRIME OF PILFERING MINE PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS SHANT BE FORGIVEN!!!!"

A yellow and brown beach umbrella soars through the air as if it were a javelin, crushing one of the crabs near Imbros on impact and embedding itself in the sand. Out of its dead claws rolls a small metal pin painted with three swords, a purple tear, and circled by a purple serpent.

Running over frantically to retrieve the pin is a short, yellow-haired lady. She'd be wearing a fairly standard swimsuit... were it not for the fact she were wearing an incredibly wet pair of yellow and brown sneakers as well. She carries a black leather coat in her right hand, and on a closer inspection one might also see the coat adorned with a few other pins as well.

As she closes the distance with surprisingly quick speeds, she once more shouts at the crabs approaching Imbros. They begin to frantically crawl in every direction looking for safety as she picks up the umbrella and aggressively whacks at the crabs. "FIE! THOU EVEN HATH THE NERVE TO ASSAULT A FELLOW CREATURE OF THINE SEA. 'TIS TRULY UNFORGIVABLE!"

Demona (1000+) | Gargoyles | Old player new character

[angelofthenight]

[ooc: Please specify night or day as Demona's form will be different based on time of day (human by day, gargoyle by night). Also, real talk, these are some major come-bother-me prompts, I know, so I am more than happy to write a personalized starter or go with any wildcard option. Jump in at any point in any of these prompts, too, time is soup.]

In her heart there's a hole - Daylight
In the glare of the afternoon sun, a pale woman with wild flame-red hair steps barefoot onto the dock. She lifts a hand to shield her green eyes, grimacing as she peers out into a village that seems like its been ripped right out of her past.

"I'm supposed to live here?" she snarls to herself, loud enough that others could be forgiven for thinking she was addressing them. Her French accent is thick even if what comes from her mouth is the shared language of the island. "This must be some kind of mistake."

There's a black mark on her soul - After Nightfall
She'd been seen to her room at the Oak & Iron, where she introduced herself as her human alias, Dominique. But, the moment the sun sets and her body completes its painful transition back to her true and rightful gargoyle form, she yanks open the bedroom window and dives out of it.

Her leathery wings open with a fleshy snap as she catches the sea-breeze and rides it up into the air. Now, finally, a smile appears on her face. If she closes her dark eyes and just listens... it's almost like being back home. How she missed the silence of the night before cars flooded every street and electricity seemed to keep every living soul up well past dark. Perhaps this town isn't all bad.

She spends most of her nights for the first week gliding overhead, sometimes appearing as a shadow silhouette against the moon and clouds, sometimes skimming low over the waters off the shore, and other times making her way through the darkened forest to hunt for small animals.

Every time, however, she returns to the roof of the Oak & Iron before sunrise. She'll sit up there like it's her personal roost until the sun is just threatening to appear over the horizon. Only then does she retreat back through her window and into her room. The sounds that come after are a muffled cry of pain, a long sigh of exhaustion, and, finally, the thunk of a body hitting the mattress.

In her hands is my heart - Night [cw: animal hunting/mild gore]
(ooc: okay, my idea for this one is that some people might catch glimpses of her out in the woods and mistake her for the dragon they are hunting. Groups welcome <3)

There's a new beast hunting in the woods. She's fast and stealthy, her blue skin especially good for helping her blend into the inky night, but every now and then someone might catch the swish of a long snake-like tail, or see the edge of a leathery wing protruding from a bush. Those brave enough to venture closer may even hear the sounds of flesh ripping in her teeth as she goes in for the kill on a rabbit or deer.

Is it the dragon you've been hunting for? (No, but that doesn't make the situation any less dangerous.)

And she won't let go till it's scarred
Wildcard! Feel free to pitch something without talking to me first, or message me for a custom starter.

In her hands is my heart - night [cw animal hunting/mild gore cont.]

[hadnoright]

When Daisy hunts strictly for work, she hunts in the daylight. That's when most of the town is busy with work, anyway, and there's less chance of interference from creatures that only come out at night. But sometimes the day's hunt just hasn't left her feeling... satisfied, enough, and so she slips out into the night to try and take more of the edge off.

Before long there's blood stains in her hunting clothes and on her hands, around her mouth—from a kill or two that would be wasteful if the animals didn't come back too. She's almost ready to head back when she hears someone nearby.

The strangely distinct sound of leathery wings moving through the forest makes her think Dahlia? at first, but she does have the sense not to call her name. Still, she doesn't bother to be quiet about her approach, either, as she breaks through a row of trees to find...

"—Demona?"

Sally Boyle | We Happy Few | 31yo, feat. 11mo baby | Existing!

[sunshinesally]

-Is the Jar of Dirt Going to Help?-

The store front of Blackberry Apothecary, there is a new item! In light of the recent Dirt Man epidemic, the woman who keeps going out into the woods to dig for roots and plants and shit and who also lives on a farm with her fiancé has taken it upon herself to assist in dirt collection for the townsfolk.

On her shelves are neatly packaged jars of "Pillow Dirt", sold at an affordable price (since most dirt is generally free anyway) and is advertised as being "already de-bugged and de-wormed, rock and root free." Some of them are even scented with essential oils known to aid sleep, such as clary sage, eucalyptus from Paradesium, lavendar, rose, cedarwood and peppermint. They each come with a little wooden scooping spoon! A disclaimer on the label warns the buyer to make sure the jar is tightly closed and placed away from the bed, lest the Dirt Man just take the whole jar. Interested? Stopping by for something else? Come say hi!

- Down at the Ice Cream Parlor -

Sally's used to weird flavors, since Arthur gave Cecil permission to put up the pizza oven on their land, so she's got a pretty open mind about the ice cream parlor. There's something very nostalgic about it, being that she did the last leg of her growing up during the 50's. She was well past school age at that point, but a girl in her 20's could still find plenty of reasons to hang around at an ice cream shop. Usually something to do with a guy, but they also make good places to read.

Sally skips out on the double deal (aside from a date with her fiancé) and sticks to a smaller portion of applesauce-flavored ice cream to share with her soon-to-be one-year-old. But she and Gwen would both love it if you sat with her!

-First Responder-

When she hears about the dragon hunt, Sally immediately begins assembling a large first aid kit, and will attend any hunting parties she knows about with her case of emergency supplies. She can't fight, but if you keep her safe, she'll do the same for you!

jar of dirt.

[abhorrently]

"You're selling dirt now?"

The words are light, amused - Fever doesn't need anything, she's just dropped by to say hello to her friend, and has picked up one of the jars to turn it over in her hands.

"Has anyone even bought any? Or have they all figured out they can scoop up some from their window boxes?"

lorenz | fe3h | 25 | ota

[hotproblems]

iced creams

Admittedly, Lorenz isn't much of an ice cream person. Helping a young woman chase her dreams is wildly compelling to him, however, and so he felt a rush of wanting to see this - this ice cream parlor, whatever that is, succeed, and suddenly he found himself faced with a sundae far too big for him alone. As a person who could probably not finish more than a scoop of ice cream within a reasonable time frame, this is... overwhelming...

He casts a desperate look around for anyone else who has yet to buy ice cream, gesturing them closer in a way he hopes looks less dire than it is. This sundae is the size of his head, please help.

"Might I offer you a portion of iced treat?" Please Goddess help him eat this thing.

crabz

At this point, Lorenz is convinced crabs are evil little monsters. Out to get him personally today, even, the way he keeps getting pinched or reaching for a pocket only to have to bat away a pincer or two. Awful! The nerve of these things! The gall!

Presently there is one latched onto his hair with one pincer, the other clinging to a nearby windowsill, such that Lorenz is stuck in new and undignified ways. He yelps (shameful, embarrassing) when he first feels the yank of crab in his hair!!! and tries gingerly to pry the thing off.

"Unhand me at once, do you hear me? I will not stoop to wearing a hat simply to avoid you and your fiendish cohorts!" The horror.

wildcard

(hit me......plot w me @ orbitallaser on discord!)

crabz

[suenoimposible]

Well, if there was another person who believed crabs were evil monsters, Don fits the bill. Too many a valiant day at the beach hath been ruined by such abominable crustaceans. Though... from where she's at, she doesn't really know anything of the situation at the moment. She simply has to save this eloquent victim from whatever trouble may be plaguing them in the name of justice!

Don promptly rushes towards where Lorenz is located... and then loudly and enthusiastically declares her intentions. "FAIR CITIZEN, ART THOU UNDER ATTACK BY UNRULY VILLAINS????? I DON QUIXOTE SHALL SAVE THY FROM THINE OPPRESSOR!" She poises herself ready to strike with her lance at whatever is gripping this person... yet there appears to be nothing there from her perspective. "I IMPLORE THY TO ANSWER THOUGH... IS THINE ASSAILANT INVISIBLE OR IS THIS OF THE MAKE OF VILE WITCHCRAFT?"

Deon Wilson | Chappie (Ryslig CRAU) | 28 | had him on an earlier tdm but let's start fresh, shall we

[craftlife]

a. showtime! motherfucker it's on [arrival]
Being told he's dead was, to be honest, a likely thing to happen. Especially with the gods being locked in a fight, the graveyard dropping into the World-Eater's maw, and the stars all winking out of existence...

...yeah, he's not surprised that he's dead for real this time. And to be honest, it's a little bit of a relief, even if he's still in the monstrous body he's been stuck with for years, complete with brand new robot arm and spine. And even if he is now dressed like, what, David Copperfield?

Actually, everything here looks a good sixty-some years behind the woefully inadequate tech level that Ryslig was at. Is he doomed to never see a piece of technology more complex than a Street Fighter II machine again? To never experience the joy of a cute cat video? To never use the internet? (Wait, that last one may be more of a net good.) To never again taste a Red Bull?! (Man hasn't had one for years. He's got a Craving.)

After following the directions and stopping in Town Hall for his welcome packet, he's wandering around the city with the air of a newbie, peeking in shop windows (is that a Hatsune Miku statue?!) and feeling the new-arrival stipend of Brass jingling in his pocket. He feels very acutely out of place here in a way he hasn't in quite some time. The caracal ears atop his head are flicking to and fro, catching all the new and unusual sounds.

b. apocalypse now i'm droppin' this bomb [crab time]
It's really astounding how relaxing it is to see waves after a long period of not-waves. The sea being unusually glass-still for about a month had been beyond eerie. Deon's taken off his shoes and is wiggling his toes in the sand, letting the tide lap at his feet, when...

Snap.

"Ouch!" He jumps, a little blue crab clinging to his toe. He bends down to pull it off. "You stop that--ouch!" You left your flank unguarded, Deon, and now there's a crab hanging from your tail. "You...you little rotter," he says incredulously, and snaps his tail like a bullwhip, sending the crab flying. Another one, deciding to avenge its comrade, comes for Deon's other foot, and the manticore decides that discretion is the better part of valor. There's a little motion like a shiver-hiccup, and a caracal with wings just books it through the oncoming crab rave.

"Oh, bother," he mutters a moment later, catloafing on a nearby rock, safe from crabs. "My shoes."

They belong to the crabs now, Wilson.

c. you know me, maar ek ken jou nie [dirt man]
Yep. Nope. Deon knows better than to scoff at the unusual. He's been present for too many bizarre-sounding events and invasions and interlopers before. But he's not going to put dirt under his pillow. Oh no.

He's going to catch the Dirt Man.

The manticore is perched in a tree, ears pricked, eyes peering into the night, on high alert for some kind of humming dirtnapper. Maybe he can use the hunting skills he's acquired for something useful instead of murderous.

Of course, his hyperfocus on this one task means that he is extremely easy to startle. Ten points to anyone who can get him to fall out of the tree.

d. i don't got beef 'cause i don't eat no meat [icey creamy]
Deon's certainly open to trying the many and varied flavors of ice cream, and pineapple basil? Sure! Sure, why not, it is definitely not going to be the worst or weirdest thing he's eaten.

And it tastes pretty good! He hasn't had tropical fruit in quite some time, given that Ryslig had quite a Scandinavian bent to it. It makes him a little homesick - for South Africa, surprisingly. The taste reminds him of warmth and sunshine and the few 23°C days there had been before everything went right to hell. There's dust in his eyes and nose and mouth and he's dying outside of an abandoned power plant in Soweto--

Enough of that. He might be dead, again, but he has ice cream. Too late he realizes that when he'd spaced out some ice cream had melted and dribbled down from his spoon onto his left hand. "Ah--!" He licks his napkin and starts trying to dab at the melted ice cream, trying to get it out of the nooks and crannies in the robotic hand. He'd designed it himself, so he knows it's not going to short out. He just doesn't want it to get sticky.

Neill Blomkamp's makin' me a movie star [wildcard]
[if you want to plot, hit me up on plurk at Chatvert, poke me on the discord, or just hop in!]

C

[mindflayed]

Imbros doesn't float in order to be stealthty, but it sure is a nice side effect. Assuming Deon isn't more than 20 feet up that tree, he's getting an Illithid levitating right up there behind him, trying to see what he's looking at.

"Are you waiting for something?"

Julie Joyful | Welcome Home | Early 20's | New Player

[joyfuljulie]

[I] ICE CREAM!

Oh golly!

[Julie has been utterly and completely sidetracked from anything else she was aiming to do by this ice cream parlor. In part because it reminds her of Howdy's bodega save without all the other stuff and in part because someone or other has ordered a real eye-catcher of a sundae!]

That's got an awful lot of ice cream to it!

[Julie is all of 3'3" so you're excused for not noticing her until she speaks up!]

[II] CRABBY CRABS!

[Julie has ended up on the beach somehow and some way, shoes discarded and those green and blue legs of hers on full display. She's digging the toes of her paws into the sad, giggling as she does.]

I've read about beaches but never got to go to one of them. I'll have to make a bathing suit to bring with me next time!

[Oh? What's what? It's a blue crab of course but Julie's never seen a crab in real life. So of course she immediately hunches down, hands on her skirt-covered knees and eyes wide.]

There was something in the paper about these, wasn't there?

[III] WILDCARD

[Feel free to hit me up with any prompts you like. PMs and PPs on plurk (goodluckstarfighter) are open for plotting.]

Crabs

[worstorganplayer]

[Snakes is on a usual patrol when he sees this potentially concerning scene. He goes over, trying to walk carefully so he won't startle the crab.]

Be careful; those things like to pinch people.