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TDM #8 - Harvest Havoc! [REPRINT]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette: October 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 available here!]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

9/19/24 | TDM #9 - Harvest Havoc! [Reprint]
Weather Forecast: Detailed report within!

WELCOME TO PUMPKIN HOLLOW

By Yorick Aberdeen

The crop for which the town is named.

TOWNWIDE - Hello and welcome, one and all! As time marches on and the ferry continues bringing newcomers to our fair land, we start our newest edition of the Pumpkin Hollow Gazette with a warm welcome to anyone who has just made landfall in our accursed but cozy little town. It’s autumn, which means you’ll be just in time to join us for festive fall affairs such as Pumpkinfest and the Dance of Celestine! And we are predicting with 87% certainty that they will not go horrifically wrong in psychologically traumatic ways, per the recent numbers provided by the Pumpkin Hollow Board of Safety.

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

WHO’S HUNGRY? AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON BEGINS!

By Timothy Stoker

A brief glimpse into the orchards of Starr Farms.

NORTHWEST HOLLOW (Farmlands) - Each season has its own unique charms, but few will argue the fact that fall is, without a doubt, the best season for food. And that’s never more true than when you’re living in a town with home-grown feasts finding their way from a local farm right to your table. Over the course of this year, Pumpkin Hollow’s farmers have been hard at work to provide for the town, and these next couple of months are when we’ll be seeing the payoff of their efforts here in town.

Due to high demand, it’s recommended you get your pumpkins early! They’re in no short supply, of course, being Pumpkin Hollow’s most iconic and abundant crop, but trust us when we say you’ll want to beat the rush for Pumpkinfest. There is a fantastic selection of pumpkins for carving and for cooking available at the market.

Last but not least, Pumpkin Hollow now has its very own u-pick apple orchard! The Mr. Mime of the former owners of Starr Farms, who were called back to the ferry some months prior, has turned their apple orchard into a lovely community feature with some help from friends and neighbors. For a small donation of wild berries for the little guy running the place, you can get yourself a hefty bag of fresh apples picked right from the tree by your own hands, including the first crop of “ghost apples” developed specially by the orchard. These pure white apples are said to be super sweet, great for eating raw or for juicing, and might even make you feel a little spooky.

Check the community bulletin or the information boards by the farm for apple schedules. Great as an outing with friends, as a date, or just as a way to get yourself some pie ingredients!

OCTOBER WEATHER FORECAST

By Phil Connors

A calm night after a long day's storm.

MARROW ISLE - We're finally getting a break from the heat waves, folks! The temperature is beginning to drop. Expect some chilly, foggy mornings, especially further into the season. That's when we could even start seeing frost on the ground. Don't put those umbrellas away just yet: the thunder might be done, but the rain isn't, and it can come on fast. Don't let it into your house. It just wants to sell you something.

SPECTRAL VISITORS RETURN WITH PLUS-ONES

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

Strange, easily-befriendable creatures of all shapes and sizes!

LOCKWOOD FOREST - Making their repeat visit from their ghostly homelands, the spirits that visited us this time last year from Lockwood Forest--- the very same that have become near and dear friends to so many people in our town--- have returned! During this new stay in our forests, however, they've decided to bring along companions of their own. These new creatures, though distinctly more tangible, are not only just as mischievous as their counterparts, but are more emboldened to cause mild to moderate havoc in town, including thievery from our force of intrepid reporters. The little gem-eyed rascal that pilfered this reporter’s preferred pen remains at large.

The Gazette reminds residents that while these little guys are exceedingly cute, just so very cute, we do recommend an abundance of caution, an awareness of one's surroundings, and a keen eye on anything that you would like to have continued ownership of. They have also been known to cause collateral damage to their surroundings and to each other, via setting things on fire. Or crushing them under rocks. Or freezing them in ice. Or hurling shadowy orbs at them. Or shooting leaves at them. Or casting psychic spells.

RESIDENTS WARNED AGAINST WOODLAND TRAVEL AFTER REPORTS OF WOLF ATTACKS

By Yorick Aberdeen

A photograph of the animals taken in prior years.

LOCKWOOD FOREST - Though there are many delightful visitors in our midst during these fall months, the changing of the seasons hasn't come without the anticipated perils. This year, it seems as though the wolf population of Marrow Island has increased dramatically - not only that, but they've become quite aggressive, and have begun seeking out those who go deep enough into Lockwood Forest. First-hand reports have mentioned that the wolf population this year is not only larger in number, but also in size, and have a few somewhat-odd mannerisms, but seem to be otherwise entirely normal wolves.

For the time being, Town Hall has advised for most of our townsfolk to steer clear from any forest strolls beyond the edge of the woods, and for the farmers of Northwest Hollow to exercise caution on the forested edge of their land. Additionally, Town Hall would like to request the assistance of any adventurers to attempt to push back the wolves. Adventuring parties who are successful in doing so will be rewarded with free food and drink during this year's Pumpkinfest as thanks for their tireless work to keep our community safe!

DISCOUNT DRINKS FOR OPEN MIC NIGHT: NOW WITH REAL MICS!

By Timothy Stoker

The lovely interior of the Empty Pockets Music Lounge.

DOWNTOWN HOLLOW (Empty Pockets Music Lounge) - After a great deal of confusion between locals and newcomers about the use of the phrase “open mic” to describe their “volunteer performer nights” at the local music lounge, Empty Pockets is pleased to announce the addition of new equipment for their stage! Through a collaboration with offworlders to create drawings of what a “microphone” ought to look like and a commission project with local engineers, we have now officially reinvented the microphone for use in Pumpkin Hollow. The local music scene is a flurry of excitement about this development--- local luthier Juniper Sweetwater already has expressed an interest in electric guitars and amplifiers. Seems like music and electricity will be getting a big boom here in town!

In the meantime, owner Dottie Siward has announced that drinks will be 30% off during open mic nights in celebration for a limited time! Check out the Empty Pockets Music Lounge any Friday or Saturday evening during the fall to take advantage of a little liquid courage, and hey, maybe put yourself out there. Could you be Pumpkin Hollow’s next big thing? You never know!

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Further Details...

Pokémon

Befriendable Pokemon make their semi-annual return! For the fall season, we will be seeing Dark and Ghost type Pokemon (with the exception of legendary Pokemon) in the forest that can be befriended up until this TDM leaves circulation in early December. Any character can have up to six Pokemon friends, and pre-evolutions of Dark and Ghost types that don’t have the correct type yet are also obtainable. (ex. Sprigatito, who can later evolve into a Dark/Grass Meowscarada.) We do not have Pokeballs in Pumpkin Hollow, but enough snacks or attention should be enough to get one to follow you home! Any Pokemon that have not chosen a friend to stay with will leave the island at the end of November.

Wolves

The wolves mentioned by Yorick are, contrary to his assertions, not normal wolves. They are actually monstrous creatures from another world known as Balverines, who were once people. The Wiki entry for Balverines can be found here, but we'll summarize them down below as well! While werewolf-like in many respects, there are several key differences. Balverines can change at any time, night or day, regardless of the status of the moon. Commonly when first turned, a person will become a “lesser” Balverine who will transform by force every night after dark and lose all sense of self to the urge for bloodlust. However, with training and practice, that person can eventually become a “greater” Balverine, capable of controlling their transformations and retaining their faculties. This “greater” status can also be achieved automatically if the person is changed within the hour of midnight. Additionally, if the victim is infected at midnight during a full moon, they can become an exceptionally powerful White Balverine, marked by a pallid coat of wiry fur. Infection occurs when a person is bitten by a Balverine while still alive. Dying to a Balverine bite or being struck with claws, which are more likely to happen during an encounter, do not cause a transformation. Existing greater Balverines do not intend to make many conversions to their fold, and lesser Balverines will generally only do this by accident, so actually acquiring the infection is quite rare. However, if this does happen, it can be cured by having silver placed inside the body, either via insertion (like with a weapon) or ingestion (such as swallowing silver shavings). Doing so is exceptionally painful and may result in death, but dying to any other means will not rid you of the curse. However, you may wish to stay a Balverine once the greater status is achieved, as Balverines are exceptionally powerful creatures. Things to consider! As previously mentioned, Balverines primarily fight with their strong arms and long claws with the occasional bite or lunge. They are also capable of jumping so high in the air that they remain airborne for several seconds and often use this ability to travel quickly or get behind enemies. They have incredibly thick skin and are challenging to kill without silver. They also tend to hide until they can lure prey into an ambush unless pushed to defend themselves. On very infrequent occasions, they may come into town to terrorize folks, but they will largely be attempting to get the jump on people who have gone into the woods. They prefer to keep their presence subtle and are also not necessarily accosting everyone who gets near. Good luck if you plan to fight them!

Open Mic Night

Drinks at Empty Pockets can be handwaved for costs--- existing players can consider it part of their grocery budget, and test driving characters can just not worry about it. This prompt is just for funsies.

In addition to all of the above, feel free to mine last year's Pumpkinfest post for prompts! Have a happy harvest, and may your lanterns ever be bright!

Threaded | Flat

Flying Blind

Here's the thing, about apparently kickflipping off this mortal coil by way of enucleation: it doesn't exactly come with a manual about adapting to life without eyes.

Sure, whatever otherworldly forces that brought her here were kind enough to give her a cane to work with, and the welcoming committee certainly did their best to get her where she needs to go, but Melanie doesn't want a council assigned babysitter even temporarily, so she maybe sort of... ditches the person trying to help her? After about ten minutes? Look, she's not saying this was the smartest of decisions, but she's just about had it with the feeling of being hovered over all the time and if she can avoid that feeling turning literal, she's going to do just that.

Even if that does mean she's now lost in the middle of downtown Pumpkin Hollow.

Standing there, hands on her hips, by definition not looking at anything, she finally sighs: "...yeah, okay, maybe I need a better plan..."

It's after this point that anyone audibly passing her by may find themselves accosted by a woman shouting, "Hey! You! Whoever you are! Help a blind girl out? If you try anything funny I'll scream and probably hit you."

Definitely. She'll definitely hit you.

Ghosties

Melanie doesn't initially notice when she ends up with a little creature shadowing her—you know, on account of the whole newly blind thing. But sure enough, there's a strange little ghost that starts tailing her at some point, sometimes trailing behind her and sometimes floating around in front of her as if trying to get her attention.

Only once it says, "Shuppet!" does it finally succeed, making Melanie jump slightly out of her skin with:

"Bloody hell—!" that quickly turns into a, "—wait, what? Hang on, is that—" ("Shup! Shuppet!") "—no freaking way. Is there a Pokemon in front of me? Someone please tell me if that's a real Pokemon in front of me."

Later, after having this reality confirmed, she is still being followed by said Pokemon, but now she occasionally chatters at it and it even warns her once or twice when she's about to walk into something—if, admittedly, by flying into her face to make her stop.

There is, at some point, a joke to the effect of, "You know, I gave up ghost hunting a while ago. You're kind of late to the party."

Open Mic

Melanie is absolutely not here to perform, but apparently the drinks are cheap and who's she to turn down some cheap alcohol after the time she's had lately? And though listening to everyone's acts would be more fun if she had Georgie here to commentate to, it's still a nice flash of normality in a massive flood of weird.

At some point, she idly comments, "I shouldn't really be surprised this stuff exists when the Victorians had all sorts wacky stuff going for them at music halls and such, but something about an Open Mic Night here still feels off."

Wildcard

Find her around and about, she'll be chilling in the O&I for a bit trying to get used to this whole situation and also her lack of sight but I'll roll with anything. (Existing player, new character! This is theoretically mostly for fun, but if I cave and app her it'll be at least late November if not later, I'm holding myself to that lmao.)

Anyone with business in the apple orchard after full dark may stumble upon a giant, hulking figure, head and shoulders crudely cloaked in rotting sackcloth. It moves with inhuman speed and eerie silence, stalking from tree to tree, keeping to the deepest shadow.

Watch its movements for long enough, and it will become clear that the being seems to be after nothing more than furtively gathering an armful of apples. Occasionally it pauses to crunch one down in a bite or two, core, stem, and all.

Pokémon

As she's walking through the woods one day, Drelasa catches the sound of what sounds like crying, accompanied by something like a beastfolk singing. Following the sound, she makes her way into a clearing, where a small fiery crocodile is serenading a bawling baby bipedal dinosaur wearing an oversized skull. Said baby dinosaur seems only to be getting more and more agitated as the crocodile carries on. Of course, Drelasa doesn't see this, but she's still able to get a general idea of the scene.

"Now, now, hla'ohn, that is very sweet of you, but I do not think they wish for the sound of song right now," she says gently to the Fuecoco, who promptly stops singing and looks at her in confusion. The Cubone, meanwhile, has decided that she is a good barrier from the sensory overwhelm, and tries to bury themselves in the folds of her skirt.

Cue Drelasa shortly returning to town with what are essentially two reptilian toddlers in tow. Just Dunmeri things.

Open Mic Night

This new device makes her a little nervous. She's not sure how her voice will interact with it. As a result, her performance is more hushed and reserved than usual, the volume of her voice rising and falling as she tries to pick up on what her voice sounds like coming out of the sound system.

Fuecoco and Cubone have both accompanied her, although Cubone has brought along a blanket to muffle the outside world a little. Fuecoco, by contrast, is drinking everything in. Both of them have snacks in the form of finger foods.

Low Visibility [October Weather]
As the fog rolls in one morning, Chris may be seen wandering the outskirts of the town. They are dressed in their arrival linens and have no shoes on their feet, a state of dress that is probably familiar to a few of the non-natives who have been here about as long as Chris has.

If there is frost underfoot, Chris does not seem to notice it -- though their bare feet will definitely show the ill effects.

Playing with Knives [Pumpkinfest]
Jack-o-Lantern Carving Contest

Chris has apparently decided they are in it to win it this year. They show up at the carving station with a few extra items to embellish their jack-o-lantern with -- things that they definitely must have been planning for. There's a beetroot cut in half, with the cut sides face down in a shallow bowl that holds a little vinegar. (This is dropped off at the table before Chris grabs a pumpkin.) And there's a little pasteboard box they pull out of their ever-present shoulder bag -- what it contains will be a mystery for a bit longer.

First, Chris selects a fairly large, tall pumpkin. They carefully use a small blade to mark out a grinning mouth that takes up most of the pumpkin surface area, then begin chipping away at the bright orange skin to peel it away and expose paler, yellowish-orange flesh beneath. Slowly, that layer is shaped to look like bared gums.

Second, Chris moves about two inches inward from the gumlines and cuts away the pumpkin flesh to make a big open grin. Almost like an afterthought, they carve two tiny round holes near the top of the tall pumpkin to stand in for eyes. And then the beetroot halves come into play, being rubbed on the pale flesh to "bloody" up the gums of the grinning mouth.

As a final touch, that pasteboard box is opened... revealing its contents to be a collection of thin, straight bits of wood. Each one has been whittled to a point at each end, like a toothpick. With newly cleaned (if still stained) hands, Chris sets the wooden toothpicks into the gums -- like several dozen needle-like teeth.

(Feel free to approach at any point in this creative process.)

Catch and Release [Pokémon]
[Note: When the ghost Pokémon originally visited, Chris was able to befriend Melody the Yamask by promising to find a way to help her ghost shed the Pokémon form it was cursed with. I'm hoping to play such a scene out with someone, as Chris has been practicing with their powers.]

"I think this is a good time, Melody my dear," Chris says cheerfully to the Yamask floating at eir side. "There's a way opened to your world, since we're seeing so many of your ghostly ones in Lockwood Forest again."

"Ya, ya!" Melody agrees, her habitual melancholy chased away by a hopeful excitement.

"We'll need to find a good place... but I think I'll finally be able to keep my promise." Ey reach out, and lightly stroke at her bird-like head for a moment, "I'm sorry it took so long."

"Mas!" Melody says in a scolding tone, and her monkey-like tail uncurls a bit to rap her wooden mask across the knuckles of Chris's other hand.

"Hey!" Chris laughs. "What was that? And why 'no'?"

Ghost Applejack

In her wanderings around the isle, Heather has been collecting wild berries and trading them in at the orchard to pick apples. When questioned by the staff at the Oak and Iron about the sheer volume of fruit she was toting around, Heather explained her family history of distilling alcohol and that she was experimenting with the available materials.

...She was immediately told to inform City Hall that she was starting a business and get a house instead.

Well then.

After a little more research, Heather sets up in a house that's a short walk from a trolley stop. She can be seen asking questions at the blacksmiths' shops, or washing and preparing a series of wooden 5-liter casks, or even toting said casks on the train up the mountain, one tucked under each arm.

Feel free to ask her what she's doing. Eventually, it's going to result in alcoholic beverages... and she has high hopes for something interesting when it comes to these ghost apples...
-----
Pokémon

"Why are you following me?" Heather demands, stomping her foot for emphasis as she faces off with this big, strikingly blue sea otter creature covered in dark shells like armor.

The creature lowers his head -- incidentally, also getting that twisted spike of his shell-helmet away from Heather -- and grumbles out "Samurott! Samu samu rott murott!"

"Well you don't see any gills on me now, do you?" Heather yanks up one side of her blue linen shirt, showing part of her torso. "I'm stuck on land."

"Murott..."

"I have to do it alone. Any interference, any help, will spoil the spell."
-----
Open Mic Night
[Partial repost from TDM #8, with a new song!]

Heather has somehow acquired an acoustic guitar. (Probably borrowed from a local... she would have asked so nicely and promised to return it in perfect condition...)

She walks out onto the stage and takes a seat, strumming the opening chords to Wandering Child by Wild Rivers before starting to sing.

And as she does, all who can hear it begin to feel a little melancholy, thinking of past loves and lost chances...

"I wish I met you, further along
Gave you my older heart, still and strong
But I wouldn't have a fire like I do today
Oh it burns for you babe..."

...to feel those feelings and let them go, as part of what made them who they are. Those who still feel pain linked to such things... it's lessened somewhat.

"Oh, you got nothing on my tendency to be led astray
Oh, it took a blindside hit to show me the right of way..."

Not gone, but just... less pressing. Less sharp.

Such a strange thing, isn't it?

Arrival

“…fucking bullshit…the fuck you think you are, cocksucker…should kick out ass you punk ass bitch…”

The teenage girl with auburn hair and very sweet features is the one cursing a blue streak as she passes everyone by, walking the streets of Pumpkin Hollow.

Because like fuck is she going to some boarding house. She’s not a fucking orphan, and a group home is a group home. She hates this.

So yes. She is going to learn her way around, continue muttering about challenging her failure of a guardian angel to a fistfight…and if she does go back to the boarding house, well…

She will punch the first person that annoys her. Maybe.

…thisissuchfuckingbullshitfuckfuckfuck…

Orchard

Dad would love this.

Hank scowls as she picks another apple, mostly so she won’t cry. She hates him right then. For being such a dick, and for letting her help him take out her own stitches after her last fistfight, and for taking her to the memorial mass he had set up for Mom on the anniversary of her passing.

She picks apples cause they’re white and tasty and fucking cool as shit, and she tries to teach the mime dude a complicated handshake, and she hates Dad for making her love him so much after only eight months with him, because now she misses him and she wants to cry like she’s four and it’s miserable.

And she still hates the boarding house.

Pumpkinfest (flower crowns)

“This blows!”

Hank is complaining to no one as she sits in the gazebo, making her own flower crown with a scowl.

“It’s all fresh flowers and shit—it’s fall.” She grumbles, looking for the best scraps she can find. “Where the fuck is my spooky vibes? Can’t we have some brambles or skulls or cobwebs or some shit? I mean—wait, is that black ribbon? Fuck yeah…Hey! You—yeah, you on the end! Gimme that ribbon and I’ll show you a fuckin’ badass trick that’ll keep you from wrecking your shit if you need to retie your bows a few times. It’s total fucking magic I swear.”

[cws that are inevitably going to be mentioned given Johnny's canon and extremely recent history: mentions of stalking, kidnapping, being held captive for prolonged periods, eye trauma. also spoilers for the game Life Eater]

arrival

After everything, all those years and Ralph's sacrifice, and not knowing if the world was going to end after all... and it's getting hit by a fucking car that gets him. The kind woman he'd met on waking up here had been so patient with him as he'd laughed and then sobbed through his emotions about that.

He's gained some of his strength back, but his muscles are still weak-- the cane he's given helps, but he still has to take frequent rest breaks just getting around town. But it's still... exciting to talk to new people. He hasn't gotten to do that in a very long time. With how much effort it takes just to get down the stairs from his room in the tavern to the ground floor, resting at one of the tables for a while is pretty much mandatory anyway, so he tries to strike up conversation when he hears someone nearby.

"Hey, uh-- new guy, here. Got any advice?"

rain rain (don't) go away

The rain catches him while he's out, and-- it's cold, it soaks through his clothes almost immediately. But he hasn't felt the rain on his skin in over ten years. It stops him dead in his tracks, right in the middle of the sidewalk. He lets out a breathy, slightly overwhelmed laugh, tipping his head up into it and feeling the water slide down his face. "Wow... I forgot what the rain feels like."

open mic night

Unsurprisingly, Johnny's really gotten into audio entertainment in recent years, so when he hears about the open mic night, he makes the effort to attend. Cheap drinks are a definite bonus. He manages to get there, slowly and carefully and mostly under the kindness of strangers. Any sense of pride Johnny once had over accepting help has long since gone, anyway.

Johnny's got no intent to go up there himself, instead simply enjoying the show with a few drinks. "You know, I never even thought about going to an open mic night before... this is fun, though."

making new friends

Figuring out his body's limitations is an ever-changing challenge, and sometimes he pushes it too far. Johnny can feel his leg start to give out, and tries to brace himself for the fall, but suddenly there's something big, solid and furry right there against his side. An animal-- a dog?-- cushions him from falling right onto the hard cobblestones. "Whoa-- uh, heyyyy there..." Johnny feels along the animal's side to its head, his hands passing over a droopy dog-like ear. "Good dog! That's-- That's a good boy. Or maybe girl, I can't really tell." He's able to lower himself safely down to the ground the rest of the way, leaning against the solid wall of probably-dog and hearing it sniff at his hair. "I just need to rest a minute."

The dog gives a low ruff, as if in acknowledgement. "Ha! You're a smart guy, aren't you?"

Edited 2024-11-07 13:32 (UTC)