ph_memes | Pumpkin Hollow Pen-Pal Program

PUMPKIN HOLLOW'S PEN-PAL PROGRAM

Welcome to the Pumpkin Hollow Pen-Pal Program!

Letters have been something that has brought people across Concord closer together in spite of great distances. Being cut off from the greater world has not only left people lacking in outlets to write to friends and loved ones they may not have time to see every day, but left our local post office alarmingly dry of service.

That's where you can help!

By joining Marrow Isle's Pen-Pal Program, not only can you assist in revitalizing our postal service and help to keep our couriers on the move, but through our pen-pal lottery, you'll have the potential to write to an acquaintance, an old friend, or perhaps a new friend entirely! Participation in the lottery is entirely optional, of course, as you're always welcome to simply register and write to your current companions.

To participate, all you need to do is provide your mailing address via the form below, and the post office will provide you envelopes, paper, and ink, free of charge! We look forward to seeing new bonds formed through writing!

-Created with love by the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House, graciously hosted by the Marrow Isle Postal Service.

To sign up for a pen-pal, all you have to do is:

Create a toplevel for your character that will serve as their pen-pal inbox, filling out the form below! For addresses, you may either the specific address you picked from the reference sheet or just their neighborhood if you haven't picked one.
Reply to the Lottery comment to be entered into the lottery before the listed deadline. New lotteries to be assigned a new pen-pal will occur monthly, so feel free to sign up every month, just once, or as desired! (Be sure to have your toplevel comment inbox set up before pen-pals are assigned!)
If you do not want a randomly assigned partner, no worries! You can simply have one of your characters send a letter directly to another character's inbox.
When you are given your recipient, send them a starting letter in their inbox, and you will receive one from whoever was assigned yours! It will work like Secret Santa, resulting in two letter threads.
Letter threads can last as long as you want, but if you sign up again the following month, you'll get two more. Budget your energy appropriately!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The letter, in a crisp envelope and paper folded just-so, is hand-written with great care. Even so, there's a few small smudges - a tell-tale sign of someone getting used to writing with ink, but has, for the most part, gotten the hang of it.

Hello Captain Rambo,

I hope this letter reaches you well. I've received your assignment for the pen-pal program, and though I'm very glad to have gotten it, you'll have to pardon if this isn't the smoothest letter to begin with. I've never had the opportunity to do join one of these programs until now, but I'm looking forward to it.

I don't think I've shared much about myself in our prior exchanges, and I'm sorry for that. I'm from London, England, but I grew up in Bournemouth. I've dabbled in hobbies here and there, but never quite found any that have stuck as much as I might like them to. I've been an avid reader all my life, enjoy documentaries (topics that I gravitate towards depend on mood and circumstance, but all in general), and though I couldn't find many opportunities to do so, playing tabletop games, particularly Dungeons and Dragons, was a favourite pastime.

These days, I've taken up a bit of gardening when I'm not on the fishing vessel The Mipha's Grace, but I don't think I've gotten a green thumb as of yet. My flowers continue to live, but the zucchini plant is miserable - such is life. I'm not much for drinking, but the game nights at the Oak & Iron are frequent stops of mine. It's nice to find little ways to feel like a part of a community, especially with work that keeps me out of town as often as it does. I've considered trying to write a novel, or possibly take up painting. I'm not nor have ever been particularly artistically inclined, but if there's ever been a time to try, now would be it, wouldn't it?

I hope things have been alright on your farm. I noticed a few horses during my visit - are you keeping them as a hobby, or working towards being a horse breeder? They're beautiful animals, I can see why someone would want to work with them. What was your home like, before you came to Marrow Isle? Do you take up any hobbies during your free time, or spend the time relaxing instead? Has anything particularly exciting happened lately? I'd be happy to hear about any and all of it.

I apologize if this letter has rambled on a bit, but I appreciate you reading even still. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Sims, your pen-pal

The response comes on simple, smaller pages clearly torn from a notebook, written in pencil, in bold cursive...

Hi, Jon!

Small world, huh? Glad to have someone I know as my partner in this thing. The guy I drew I only met once, and I don't really know him well, but having talked to you at length I feel better about this thing.

That game, think I've heard of it. Thought it was for kids or something, but maybe I'll have to check it out someday. Might be biased, but I met a guy from London during the war. He was pretty cool, so I trust your judgment.

I get it about hobbies, though--I'm friends with the weapons smith in town, River Lacroix? She took me on as a hobbyist apprentice so I've got a forge on the farm I use for little things. (Fun fact: if you head over to her shop and order some nails? You'll get a free gift with purchase. Tell your friends, but keep it discreet.)

I do wanna see if there's a market for horse breeding here--I grew up on a horse ranch so they're near and dear to my heart. Right now it's a hobby, but I'm looking to breed one for a friend of mine. For fun, I don't really do much. I hunt, hang out with my chicken. Like I said before, my contact with people has been pretty limited for over a decade so I struggle with socializing and a lot of stuff that's really fun is kinda communal. I really do just spend a lot of time keeping to myself and trying not to bother anyone. I did learn a lot about sexual orientation at this seminar a while back--guy named Gerry held it. Realized bisexuality was a thing, which is me.

~~I thought I met someone I could date here once. It ended badly~~

Most exciting thing that's happened to me here, and I know this sounds crazy? I've met a couple of the local goddesses. They're pretty great, especially Serranai. I guess you could say I'm having a sort of spiritual awakening or growth or something. It's good.

Anyway, I'm kinda taxing the limit of interesting things to say? But if you write, I'll write back. Or hell, if I don't have anything to say I'll send you a little something. I'm pretty handy, and you did like that dandelion wine.

Take care,
John Rambo

John,

It is a small world! I'm glad I decided to participate, though. Between knowing you a bit, and my other pen-pal being a dear friend from home, this has been much easier than I was expecting it to be.

I think, maybe when it was originally marketed, D&D was aimed towards children. When I was in college in 2005 onward, they definitely started a different approach for a much more all-ages experience. Even beyond that, they began aiming it more towards a mature crowd. Maybe I could write a short story to give you and a few of our friends a shot, see if it's of interest? I certainly wouldn't mind doing so.

Forging is fascinating, though. Have you gotten anything in particular you enjoy making? I don't know that it's a craft I'd be any good at, myself. I tend to lean more academically. Arts are mostly even out of my range - though I do try, at times.

I understand slowly participating in socializing, though. I've been trying to get out there more at the behest of significantly more social friends of mine; I was a bit reserved back at home. That's an interesting coincidence, though, I know Gerry! I met him only briefly back home, but we come from the same world. He's a good man. Bit of a hard-ass. I didn't make it to that seminar, unfortunately, but I've known I was bisexual for most of my adult life, so it's always nice to hear someone else figure out the same.

(Don't stress yourself too much about relationships, especially if it's in lieu of this. Everything will happen in due time.)

I don't think you sound crazy at all, though. A couple of the Goddesses saved my life once; it's strange, though, I didn't have any such spiritual awakening. I guess I haven't dwelled on it all that long. I'll have to tell you the story sometime, granted you won't go sharing it around. It was horrifically dangerous and an incredibly bad idea in hindsight, and I don't want other people getting ideas to do the same.

I wanted to thank you again for all your help with the tape, by the way. I know I wasn't exactly at my most coherent when we got it open. I probably sounded a bit like a madman, but I appreciate your patience with me all the same. I'm still trying to understand it, myself; I've got some assorted notes all over my house. I'm worried I'll run the tape-recorder dead, trying to understand what it means.

I've also rattled on a bit, now, and should let you get back to it. Maybe soon I'll have to stop by to properly meet your animals. I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up to any dandelion wine, either - it was terrific.

Talk to you soon.

Best,
Jon Sims

Pumpkin Hollow Pen-Pal Program

Penpal Letter (August)

Penpal Response

no subject