![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pumpkinhollow) wrote2000-02-08 08:52 pm
TDM #4 - Aurora Borealis Bust? [REPRINT]
[Find our plain text version here!]
Pumpkin Hollow Gazette
2/8/24 | TDM #4 - AURORA BOREALIS BLITZ BUST?
Content Warnings: "Further Details" section has independent CW labels.
Forecast: SEVERE BLIZZARD WARNING
REBUILDING HELP REQUESTED
By Cecil Gershwin Palmer
A photo taken of the damage.
ACROSS PUMPKIN HOLLOW - City government is requesting aid with repairs to public buildings and local fixtures after the recent earthquakes on Tuesday, January 8th. While there was minimal damage to Town Hall itself, several important buildings sustained damage, including the Magpie National Bank, the South Train Station and the Clock Tower, which is now stuck with hands at 8pm.
Regarding the cause of the earthquake, local biologist Dr. Elias Coldwood was heard to say “There's never been seismic activity here.” And he’s a scientist, so he would know! But clearly this is no longer the case. Perhaps Pumpkin Hollow has a mysterious tiny civilization underground worshiping a destroyer god, planning to attack through the bowling alley, the moment we create a bowling alley. Perhaps not. More on this story as it unfolds, faithful readers.
In the meantime, volunteers to help with the damage to city buildings are invited to meet with Mayor Hellen Poe for assignments.
AURORA TURNS VIOLENT - MYSTERIOUS BLIZZARD INTERRUPTS CHAOS
By Yorick Aberdeen
An artist's rendition of last year's view.
ABOVE MARROW ISLE - Despite our earlier report, it turns out that this year's annual aurora borealis season did not turn out to be a pleasant or romantic viewing experience. Instead, starry monsters based off of classic constellations have been attacking the town each time the aurora is in the sky! However, due to some extreme blizzards that have been occurring most nights each month since late January, the aurora has been interrupted more nights than not and the monsters intercepted. Still, the Pumpkin Hollow Safety Board would like to remind everyone to take appropriate precautions during inclement weather, and to tread carefully on clear nights as monsters may still be attacking until late February!
HOROSCOPES
By Cecil Gershwin Palmer
What do the stars say about you today?
Capricorn: Do you feel as if you’ve lost something? If not, it’s wise to double-check. Perhaps it’s not something like a button or a key, but your sense of wonder or your self-confidence. Remember, things tend to be in the last place you look.
Aquarius: Something about the year ending made you feel lighter, like taking off a heavy wool coat. Ride this burst of energy as far as it will take you, because the shiny of a fresh beginning tends to wear off quickly.
Pisces: Don’t worry, I don’t believe what everyone says behind your back. You’re not too sensitive or too naive. They’re just jealous. Really, most of the time when they’re whispering, it’s not even about you.
Aries: You’re the sort of warm individual that babies and animals are drawn to. Unfortunately, this may include hungry wolves and swarms of insects. But don’t let that bring you down! We need that sort of personality around here.
Taurus: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, until you work to stop others from also being the best. That’s called cheating and may lead to you being disqualified from competitions. If you get caught, that is.
Gemini: You know those riddles about the two guards, one who always tells the truth and one who always lies? Well, everyone hates those riddles with a passion. You’ll see for yourself, soon.
Cancer: Wouldn’t you like to know?
Leo: Your incandescent personality often makes you the center of attention. However, that’s not the only thing about you that glows. Moths may flock to you in the dark this week, and so might children afraid to sleep with the lights out.
Virgo: Be careful with your words–they aren’t just the precursors to your deeds, but the manifestation of your will. This is not a week for idioms and metaphors, not for you. Even something like bemoaning a lack of spoons may make eating cereal harder.
Libra: You are, inevitably, the first one heard to say a situation isn’t fair. And it’s not, nor will it ever be. Instead of getting upset, have you ever considered getting revenge? That’s usually more satisfying in the long run.
Scorpio: Ugh, Scorpios. The position of Venus means your usually volatile emotions will be in the doldrums instead. Enjoy this while it lasts I guess. Who knows if you’ll ever experience such peace again, given, well. You’re kind of an emotional mess and no one likes you.
Sagittarius: There will never be another day like today. You must strive to make the day everything you want it to be. No mistakes, now! Consider your choices very carefully. Consider your choice to consider, very carefully.
SUNFIRE'S HEARTH
By Yorick Aberdeen
A photo of Mayor Poe's cats, Toffee and Butter, enjoying the view.
ASSORTED LOCATIONS - As the coldest part of the year settles over our fair isle, it is time for Sunfire’s Hearth--- an informal celebration of bonfires and hearth flames, for those unfamiliar! For the months of January and February, a raised platform for bonfires will be lit on weekends, and restaurants and taverns across town will keep their fireplaces lit. Unlike many of our other festivities, there is no structured celebration--- simply make some time during this time to bask in the warmth of a fire! You can even celebrate at home.
An additional benefit of this time of year is that Merrymeet is well on its way. So take this time and get snuggly in front of a fire with your special person to get in the mood for romance! (Or they could be platonic snuggles. Whatever suits you best.)
LOCAL ALCHEMIST REPORTS MISSING POTION
By Yorick Aberdeen
Some of Mx. Sallek's usual stock. Could stand to have better labels./p>
LOCATION UNCERTAIN - Early Monday morning, local alchemist Aeryn Sallek reported that a large container of magical potion has been swapped with another, and it would seem that the mistaken jug has been sent out for delivery. According to Mx. Sallek, they sent a number of jugs out for delivery in a case with our local delivery extraordinaire, Sam Porter Bridges. The jugs were meant to contain a harmless, potable freeze-resistance potion for our town’s various water sources, in the interest of keeping water reserves drinkable in sub-freezing winter weather. However, when they returned to the shop, one of these potions remained on their counter while a love potion they’d been working on went missing.
“‘Love potion’ is kind of a misnomer, honestly,” Mx. Sallek is quoted to have said on the matter. “But ‘emotional acuity’ potion doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Basically what it actually does is enhance existing romantic desire and embolden the user to be emotionally open. But Yorick should already know all this, since he’s the one who ordered it.” [Editing note: don’t forget to cut the last part of that comment before publishing. Cecil, you don’t need to include personal statements directed at reporters from these interviews!]
It’s unclear which area of town this particular potion ended up being injected into the water source, but according to Mx. Sallek, the potion was not particularly intense to begin with. It should be significantly diluted as to be harmless. Still, if you notice any strange symptoms such as butterflies in your stomach, a desire to burst into song, or inexplicable yearning, please file a report with the Safety Board at your earliest convenience.
FOOD SHORTAGES PUT STRAIN ON ISLAND ECONOMY
By Yorick Aberdeen
MARKET DISTRICT - While there are many things to celebrate this time of year, Marrow Isle is not without its adversity. Over these past months, many new members of our community have arrived by ferry after our numbers remained small and stagnant for many years. And the presence of our newfound neighbors has been a boon to all of us. Many artisans have opened useful businesses, medical professionals have expanded our access to healthcare, and a new fishing vessel has taken to the seas. However, despite a few additions, our farming community remains quite modest and planting was not planned with such incredible new growth in mind.
The unfortunate result of this is that food reserves on the island this year are uncharacteristically low. As such, Town Council has made the difficult decision to allow for the temporary inflation of food prices and the rationing of food staples.
“We understand the hardship this will place on the residents of Pumpkin Hollow,” said Mayor Poe in a statement after this decision was made. “But please know that we are all in this together. We hope to be able to offer a better incentive package for those interested in farming in the coming springtime.”
Page 1
Aurora
The dead of winter sheds all colors of the trees and flowers across Marrow Isle, but tonight, there are no stark whites and grays and browns.
Tonight, in the sky sprawling with stars above the dreary town, there are lights.
Sprawling trails of violet and green twist and wave through the sky, brightening the earth below and the sea beyond Jack's Marina in magical colors. The return of the borealis is something many Pumpkin Hollowites look forward to, and their reactions are very clear: people scurry down to the shores to watch with wide eyes, many retrieve telescopes, and some even borrow the decks of ships, abandoned for the night at the docks, to watch the sights.
It doesn't take long for this to change, however; the sea nor land are safe from the curse, and it's made quickly apparent that the sky is no exception.
At first, the sight seems like none more than an illusion, perhaps someone blinking and missing a strange shift of the lights. A glimmering outline forms around a cluster of stars, only slightly harder than any of the lines that define the aurora's rays. Several of these shapes form, each array of stars different from the last, some larger, some smaller.
And then, the stars begin to fall.
Seeming to peel off the painted sky, the ebbing colors surrounding the starlight drop, crashing to the world below. Some fall to the streets and beaches, while others fall into the forest, leaving view, or drop into the sea, leaving splashes and waves in their wake that ensure any watching knows full and well that this is not a trick of the light. At first, these shapes are unmoving, glowing masses of aurora-light with stars shining brightly within them. Most townsfolk are uneasy, but this seems to pale in severity to the other disasters, even if they lack any idea of what it could mean for them.
That is, of course, until the masses begin to move.
Each one is as varied as the constellation it stole from the sky: stars form suggestions of skeletal structures, and their "flesh", only consisting of swimming lights and liquid sky that steals any lights around them. Two identical glowing shapes rise to a face finally taking form, and slowly, moving more like gel than animal as it rises to freshly-formed legs, it settles on the closest living thing it can find.
There is no calculation in it, nor what seems to be a glimmer of thought.
It simply lunges with intent to kill.
Cecil’s disconcerting horoscopes have the following effects for the next few days:Horoscopes
[CW: Altered emotional states ]
(Don’t know your character’s sign? Feel free to just decide on one!)
The effects are not particularly intense. However, anyone who drinks any of the tavern’s housemade ale or cider, drinks the coffee, or eats any food that might require water to cook will experience symptoms of “emotional acuity”. This involves feeling more emotionally open, more receptive to positive feelings about others, a strong desire for physical or verbal affection, and the intensification of romantic or sexual attraction that you might already be experiencing. It will last about half a day. Just in time to help potentially land you a date for Merrymeet, a flower and fertility festival in early spring!Love Potion
[CW: Altered Emotional States ]
Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, the “love” potion ended up in the water supply of the Oak & Iron. As promised by Aeryn, it is thoroughly diluted, as its recipients believed it to be a normal freeze-resistance potion to be mixed with their water.
Food rationing and inflation will have the following impact: Grocery budgets for apped-in characters will be reduced in their efficacy. Bonuses and Discounts associated with the Farmer and Fisherman jobs are also reduced. Oak & Iron Residents will only be able to receive bland, repetitive meals with their food vouchers consisting of simple broth, plain bread, bland potato dishes, and the like. It is enough to be fed and comfortable but it is incredibly unsatisfying. (This includes all new characters that are not apped-in.) Drinks, however, are still plentiful. Characters who do not eat will find that their respective sources of fuel will be reduced to just barely enough to keep them functional, provided that they ration carefully. (Ex. Transformers may want to be less active. Vampires will find that victims cannot handle excessive blood loss without fainting and generally prefer to stay home.) Characters who were present to fight the Mother Crab back in late summer and chose to can some of their crab can use it now! Hunting, foraging, and fishing can help reduce the impact of these reductions, and people can share their food. You can absolutely die of starvation. After Merrymeet in February, food will return to normal.Famine
[CW: Starvation and food scarcity ]
Basic groceries will be only the most minimal of staples. You will likely go hungry if you do not find a way to supplement this.
Bountiful groceries will be reduced to the amount of food normally contained in basic.
Lavish groceries will not be available at all.
Your grocery choices from Activity Check are not able to be modified for this month unless otherwise stated.
Level 1 bonuses will be reduced to standard, which is to say how they would function for a non-Farmer/Fisherman character during a normal, pre-famine month. (ex. Whereas normally a Level 1 Farmer would get free Basic groceries, they will now have to pay the 50 Brass, but do not have the efficacy of Basic groceries reduced as described above.)
Level 2 bonuses will be reduced to that of a Level 1 Farmer/Fisherman. (ex. Whereas a Level 2 Fisherman would normally be able to have Bountiful groceries discounted to 50 Brass, they now must pay full price for Bountiful groceries. However, they can still get Basic groceries for free and don’t suffer from the famine induced efficacy reduction for either budget.)
Sally Boyle | We Happy Few | Existing!
It's been a while since Sally's heard much from Arthur. He's been estranged since the end of the strange dream everyone shared a few weeks before. Most evenings, Sally can be found on the sofa at the Oak & Iron, waiting to see if he'll show up so she can catch him and get some closure.
-Come Together, Right Now-
That's it! Enough sitting around helplessly. Sally has spent too much of this famine waiting around for others to take care of her. No more! She managed to get herself out of Wellington Wells, she could find food and help feed people. Herself included. Plus, she needed a distraction.
So out to the woods she goes, having left Gwen with Sam and Lou for a playdate with the promise of tasty snacks when she gets back.
Some hours later, Sally is hoisting a huge basket that is shockingly full of mushrooms into town, towards the community pot. She looks like a stiff wind could bowl her over.
-C'mon Get Happy!-
[ CW: hallucinogenic substance, recreational drug use ]
It's been a hard time for everyone, hasn't it?
This is all very familiar. An isolated island full of down and out folks, no food, and The Horrors. It's not exactly a healthy strategy, but... Sally does still know how to make Joy.
Outside Blackberry Apothecary hangs a bright and happy sign.
Feeling down? Need a lift? Inquire within!
Hopefully they won't need to use it for long, but old habits die hard.
-Brown-Eyed Girl-
[ Wildcard! ]
A Whole Lot of Loving is What We'll Be Bringing...
"Are you serving the Smiling God today?"
Look, if anyone has a right to ask, it's him, after their shared dream.
no subject
"Aha... Not intentionally. I'm not trying to recreate Wellington Wells. I'll tell people straight out what they'll be in for," she assures him. "It was created to help people, though... I'd like to give people a break from everything. If some freaky sun god gets a kick out of it, then that'll be on my head, I s'pose."
no subject
no subject
no subject
After are, they’re practically strangers, aren’t they?
no subject
"I'm not gonna hurt anyone." She almost says this to herself, more than Cecil. "It's just to make it through. To spend a little time not having to be sad."
no subject
Degas doesn’t count, damnit.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
Then he gives some solid thought to what he's going to do to get by while he's here. He'll need more resources than the bare minimum stipend, and he wants a place of his own-- living out of a tavern room makes all the paranoid parts of his brain flare up in protest.
Somewhat embarrassingly, he finds that his experience leading the Alliance and leading her armies didn't leave him with a lot of practical job experience. While he can certainly put his tactical and diplomatic skills to use, it's going to take some doing, some building up of social capital, before he can make his living that way again.
While the idea of picking up a new craft, maybe pottery-making or something, sounds interesting, he ends up passing by the apothecary and some of the familiar-looking instruments through the window remind him of his old hobby of poison-making. Well, how different could it really be? Same processes, just new ingredients and to a different end goal. The only difference between some medicines and poisons is dosage, anyway.
He gives his best charming smile to the woman in the shop as he enters. "Good afternoon. I don't suppose you'd be willing to take on some extra help around here?"
I use Anne Hathaway as a PB because there's not enough damn pictures of Sally, whoops
At the question, though, she turns to answer. Before her is a beautiful man with a terrible chinstrap beard. (Well, no one's perfect.) Sally grins. "I hadn't thought to, but I'd certainly be interested in discussing it with the right person! I assume you've got some experience in herbalism or chemistry?"
no subject
no subject
"Hey, that's how I got my start, too! You'll do fine. Tell you what, since I'm guessing you know your plants, I could really use the most help with going out to forage, as well as the heavy lifting. If you can give me a hand with that, I'll be happy to train you on the chemistry aspect, and I'll pay a fair rate. Sound good?"
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
C'Mon Get Happy!
When he finally goes inside, the first thing he says is, "Hey Sally, what's that about?" with a gesture back at the sign.
no subject
no subject
It's super-effective, but that proves how not nice it is.
"Oh gosh!" First Aid says, excited, and holds his arm out for the baby to be gently deposited in them. "Hi, sweetheart," he coos at Gwen, closely studying her little face. "How have you been doing, hm? Are you being a good girl for Sally?"
One gets the impression that, if his face weren't mouthless and made of metal, he'd try to press a gentle little kiss to that sweet baby face.
no subject
"Good job, sweetie! That was a good kiss!" Sally applauds, her tone emphatic for Gwen's benefit. "She just learned how to do that, isn't it cute?"
no subject
"Good job Gwenny!" he remembers to tell her, because positive reinforcement is important. "You're so smart, that was such a good kiss!" In a sotto voce to Sally, he adds, "That was adorable."
Big Girls Don't Cry
It wasn't like him, to avoid things this long. To be frank, he wasn't sure why he had, either - what was it about affairs of the heart that made it so hard for him to just say what he means and get done with it? It wasn't like he wasn't blunt about most other things.
Today wasn't the day that he'd expected to buckle down and do anything about it--- it was going to just be a simple visit to the Oak & Iron for food, then back to the farm--- but there she was.
He couldn't stand to wait around any longer, and she didn't deserve for him to, either.
Taking in a breath, he steps across the bar to the couch she's lingered at, and tips his hat.
"Evenin', Sally," He greets her, just loud enough to be heard over the bustle of the bar. "...Mind if I borrow you for a minute to talk?"
no subject
"Oh, ah---- Yes, of course. Please, come sit."
She fidgets a bit. "...Have you been okay?"
no subject
His words are careful, but slow. Like he's trying to recall exactly what he hoped to say when he came in here. It's easier said than done, really.
"...I'm worried about lettin' you and Gwen down, Sally." He finally gets his thoughts and words together where he wants them, and frowns her way. "I didn't want to get into it, but... back in my life, I had a boy with a woman I spent a night with. Couldn't settle down, what with the type of work I did, but I brought 'em money here and there. Eventually, I came back, n' found that someone with a bone to pick with me took it upon themselves to have her n' the boy pay the price. I don't want anything to happen to either of you. But then there was that dream, that I know you n' other folks had, now, and..."
no subject
"...Arthur, I--- You're not the only one with skeletons in the closet," Sally says gently. "But we were brought here as a chance to have new lives, to reinvent ourselves and--- and I saw, first hand, what an amazing father you are. No one's coming for you. You haven't done anything illegal since coming here. In fact, I hardly know anyone who minds their own goddamn business as much as you! You're in your own lane to a fault." She laughs wetly, getting misty-eyed. "But I, I've had. A lot of bad experiences. With bad men. And when I started spending time with you, I just---" She rubs the backs of her fingers under her eyes, trying not to smear the little bit of makeup she wears all over her face. "I thought I was... out of the woods. And that I'd found someone who could really love me. When I look at you, I see a future. I see home. And then you disappeared."
no subject
He does, however, sit down beside her.
"...I know that," He agrees, after a moment to consider everything. "I know that nobody's comin' for me, and that feelin' like I need to run is just my old life seeping through the cracks. It's not somethin' I'm gonna be able to shake right away. I been on the run from the law since I was a boy, and I died on the run. ...But I ain't trying to have that be something that turns me into someone who leaves you high n' dry."
He hesitates, before he offers his hand out for one of her own.
"I do love you, Sally. I don't want to run from callin' something home anymore, if you'll have me in tryin' to make one."
cw: vague implications of grooming a minor
But he doesn't. Oh, God. He doesn't say that at all. Sally almost can't believe what she's hearing.
He's choosing her.
She chokes up, throwing her arms around him as the floodgates crack, and hugs him tightly. Her frame is tiny against his.
"Of course I will," she murmurs shakily. "I love you. Oh my god, I love you."
(no subject)